How to Master the Art of Geotargeting Advertising

Together, Google and the marketing world are pursuing the next stage in the evolution of PPC advertising. The main points they share? Details and demographics. Marketers who understand the importance of geotargeting advertising will be ready to seize a golden opportunity to connect with consumers. Here are five ways to become a geotargeting master and get a head start on one of the best paid advertising methods. Evolution in PPC Audience Targeting The brass ring of pay-per-click trends is audience targeting. Marketers are clamoring to uncover the latest opportunity to get closer to prospects, though the technology is often inaccurate and difficult to manage. The traits of an “ideal” customer vary so much that charting them out would be a herculean effort. Google has dedicated more resources to audience targeting, shifting its focus from keywords to user intent. This pivot has seen the search giant develop capabilities to detect why users are motivated to search for something. Some analysts even believe Google will do away with keyword matches altogether in the coming years. At the same time, marketers are taking matters into their own hands. They’re dialing in their AdWords strategies, but getting in front of ideal customers requires a mastery of the tedious art of exclusion. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer a wealth of information that completely changes the ad targeting game. 5 Keys to Master Geotargeted Advertising Geographic targeting allows us to draw a circle around particular user groups to better target our efforts. Whether prospects are attendees of a trade show or dancers at a nightclub, a geotargeting advertising strategy enables marketers to spotlight specific audiences and seize control of their campaigns. Marketers who can leverage the contextual power of this kind of advertising unlock many advantages over the rest of the digital advertisers trying to reach the same prospects. Here are five ways to use geotargeting advertising and get a head start on one of the best paid advertising methods. 1. Use Yesterday’s Behaviors to Target Today’s Prospects Geo-targeting isn’t just about pinpointing users on a map and then delivering relevant content. It’s a connector, providing you with actionable data that you can analyze to identify behavioral patterns. Urban Outfitters had huge success with this approach in its recent party dress campaign. The company used geo-bidding to target women who had recently visited a social hub, increasing its conversion rates by roughly 75 percent. Find ways to deploy targeted ads based on behavioral patterns. If you know prospects have recently attended a trade show or conference in your industry, you could direct some of your effort toward that audience. 2. Build Good Fences to Make Good Leads Geographic targeting is a way of marking your territory. Build a virtual fence around a certain area, and target the demographics within that boundary. Whole Foods has mastered the art of geo-fencing. The grocer not only creates boundaries around its own stores, but it also fences out its competitors. The strategy has earned Whole Foods an impressive post-click conversion rate of 4.6 percent. Erect virtual fences around hot spots relevant to your industry. For example, course developers might target colleges or areas with high population densities — particularly those that meet their educational background and demographic criteria. Send customized messages to select groups within your boundaries, and watch the leads roll in. 3. Pick the Right Online Venue There are so many online places to display your PPC ads, which certainly complicates matters. To maximize budget and conversion, marketers must carefully select venues on the basis of factors like traffic volume, average conversion rates, and cost per click. Give your geotargeting the best chance of success by using a platform that allows you to maximize your online visibility without blowing your budget. 4. Choose Keywords Carefully Just because you have the ability to target geographical areas across the world doesn’t mean you can afford to get lazy about keyword specificity. Use the power of geotargeting to home in on areas, as well as the demographics within, using targeted keywords to cast a precise marketing net. 5. Realize That Check-ins Lead to More Checkouts Check-ins are a fabulous way to improve your geotargeting work by reaching target audiences on the platforms they regularly use. East Coast Wings + Grill mastered the art of the check-in to offer prospects targeted promotions during the Super Bowl via social media ads. The timely reminders drove traffic to the restaurant chain’s landing page, building brand recognition in the process. Pay attention to social trends, and focus efforts on the platforms your customers frequent. The best geotargeting strategies aren’t lightning strikes — they’re works in progress composed of careful steps forward. Marketers must constantly analyze their current paid search strategy and adjust spending to maximize market reach. Tweak keywords, refine demographics, evaluate, and forge ahead. It’s only through careful planning and repetition that you’ll be able to craft a sustainable, profitable geotargeting PPC strategy.

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How to Master the Art of Geotargeting Advertising

Evolution in PPC Audience Targeting

Christopher Pappas

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Christopher Pappas