Excluding specific towns or regions is a crucial step in managing your ad spend, especially for local businesses. This ensures your ads are not shown to people outside your service area, thereby focusing your budget on the most relevant audience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Excluding Locations

Step 1: Navigate to Campaign Settings

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.

2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click Campaigns and select the campaign you wish to update.

3. Click Settings next to the campaign.

Step 2: Access the Location Section

1. On the Settings page, click to expand the Locations section.

2. Click the link that says Enter another location.

3. Click the blue link that says Advanced search.

Step 3: Add the Exclusions

You have two main methods for excluding locations:

Method A: Single Location Exclusion

1. Stay on the default Search tab.

2. In the search bar, type the name of the town, city, county, or region you want to exclude (e.g., Reading, England or Greater Manchester).

3. When the location appears in the list, look for the Exclude option next to it.

4. Click Exclude. The location will appear in the Excluded locations list on the right side of the pop-up window with a red outline on the map.

Method B: Bulk Exclusion

1. In the Advanced search window, click the Add locations in bulk tab.

2. In the text box, type or paste a list of towns, regions, or postcodes you wish to exclude, with each location on a new line (e.g., you can enter specific postcodes like B1, M16, L3 etc., if you are trying to exclude specific areas from a wider radius target).

3. Click Search.

4. Once Google has matched the locations, click the Exclude all button at the bottom of the review panel.

Step 4: Save and Verify

1. Once you have added all desired exclusions, click Done at the bottom of the pop-up window.

2. On the main Campaign Settings page, click Save.

3. Verification: You should see the list of Excluded locations clearly displayed in the Locations section of your Campaign Settings.

Expert Notes and Advice

1. Exclusions Overrule Inclusions

• Crucial Rule: Exclusion always takes priority over inclusion. If you target the whole of “England” but exclude “London,” your ads will not show in London.

• Radius Strategy: This rule is essential when you use a radius target. If you target a 10-mile radius around a central postcode, and that circle covers a nearby town you don’t serve, you can simply exclude the specific town name (e.g., Slough, England) to punch a hole in your radius target.

2. Check Location Options

• Advise: Even after excluding locations, make sure your Location Options setting (found just below the main location box in Settings) is set to “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations.”

• If it’s set to “Presence or interest,” your ads might still show to someone outside your service area if they search using a phrase like “Plumber near [Your Excluded Town]”. Setting it to Presence dramatically reduces this kind of waste.