Guide

How to set up location-based advertising for a business with many locations

A goal and budget per location, a radius that matches how customers travel, a landing page for each location and a way to count the calls and visits. Five steps, in order, with a launch checklist.

Locus Intelligence team

Updated 6 Nov 202611 min read

Ads · Attract

Key takeaways

Run campaigns per location so each branch gets its own goal, budget, radius and results.
Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads so ads can show each location's address and distance.
Send each ad to that location's own page, not the brand homepage.
Measure calls, bookings and visits per location, not just clicks.
Start small, read the results after a few weeks and move budget to the locations that convert.

What you are setting up

To set up location-based advertising for many locations, give each location its own goal, budget and radius, link your Google Business Profile so ads show the nearest address, send every click to that location's page and track calls per location. Then compare results monthly and move budget to the locations that convert.

Location-based advertising targets people by where they are or where they search, run per location. For the plain definition see what is location-based advertising. This guide covers setup using Google (Performance Max, Maps and local ads, Search, call-only) and Meta (lead forms, store visits and radius targeting).

Setup in order

01GoalPer location
02BudgetFrom customer value
03RadiusHow far people travel
04Landing pageOne per location
05TrackingNumber per location
06ReviewMonthly, move budget

The five steps

Decide the goal for each location
Calls, bookings, directions or store visits. A location that is full needs different ads than one with empty slots.
Set a budget per location
Start from what a new customer is worth at that location. Give busier or higher-value locations more, and revisit each month. See location budgets.
Choose the radius
Match how far people actually travel. A dense city location may need a small radius; a rural dealership a large one. See radius targeting.
Build a local landing page for each location
Hours, offers, directions and a booking or call button for that location. See local landing page and location pages for SEO.
Track calls and visits per location
Use a tracking number per location or campaign, so each call is tied to the ad that produced it. See call tracking.

Set up Google and Meta for each location

Google Ads

Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads first. Once linked, your locations sync to the account and you can use location assets, which add the address, a map or the distance to your ads (link Business Profile, location assets). Then build per location: Performance Max with store or lead goals, Search campaigns for high-intent terms with the area in them, and call-only ads for businesses where a phone call is the sale.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram)

Set a radius around each location's address, use lead forms where you need contact details, and use store visits where it is available for your account. Keep one ad set per location so budgets and results stay separate.

What about Local Services Ads?

Google Local Services Ads are a separate Google ad format for eligible service categories, with their own verification and lead-based billing. They are not part of Ads by Locus Intelligence. Read our Local Services Ads guide to see if your category qualifies.

Business type	Typical starting radius	Main goal	Formats to try
City clinic or salon	Small: a short drive or walk	Bookings, calls	Search, Maps, call-only
Suburban restaurant	Medium: a 10 to 15 minute drive	Directions, reservations	Performance Max, Meta radius
Car dealership	Large: the market area buyers drive from	Leads, test drives	Search, Performance Max, Meta lead forms
Home services	The service area you actually cover	Calls, quotes	Call-only, Search

Starting points only. Set the radius from where your customers actually come from, then adjust after a month.

TemplateCampaign naming convention

{Brand}_{Location ID}_{Channel}_{Format}_{Goal}

Examples:
Acme_NYC014_Google_Search_Calls
Acme_NYC014_Google_PMax_StoreVisits
Acme_NYC014_Meta_Radius_Leads

Rules:
- One location per campaign or ad set
- Location ID matches the master record and the tracking number
- Never reuse a name for a different location

A consistent name lets you report per location in any tool. (Acme is an invented example.)

How to split budget across locations

Do not split budget evenly. Split it by how much each location can take and how well it converts. Plot each location, then act by box.

Where to put budget

Plenty of capacityLittle spare capacity

Fix first

Room to grow but leads do not convert. Fix the landing page, profile and call handling before spending more.

Scale

Converts well and has room. Move budget here first.

Hold

Busy and not converting well. Keep spend low; fix basics.

Maintain

Converts but is near capacity. Spend enough to stay full.

Low conversionHigh conversion

Capacity means open slots, rooms, stock or staff time.

Ads reporting by location makes this a monthly habit rather than a guess. For a closer look at radius and budget per branch, see hyperlocal campaigns.

Launch checklist

Free tool

Check the profile before you spend

The free audit scores a location's Google profile and shows its Maps rank against the top three, so you fix the basics first.

Get my free audit

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

One campaign for the whole brand
Instead: Run a campaign or ad set per location. Otherwise the budget goes to the easiest locations and the rest get nothing.
Sending every click to the homepage
Instead: Send each ad to that location's own page with its hours, offer and call button.
Judging by clicks
Instead: Count calls, bookings and visits per location.
Leaving the default location option
Instead: Check whether "Presence" fits each campaign better than "Presence or interest".
Ignoring the profile
Instead: The Google Business Profile is the first thing a person sees. Fix it with the free audit.

Ads runs it per location

Ads by Locus Intelligence runs Google and Meta campaigns for each location with its own budget and radius, and reports results per location.

Book a demo

Google Business Profile audit

Free. You get a profile score, your Maps rank against the top 3, and the fixes that matter most.

Your next steps

Today

Run the free audit on the location you want to advertise first.
Write down the goal for each location.

This week

Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads.
Set a tracking number per location.
Check each location page has a working call and booking button.

This month

Launch on two or three locations using the checklist.
Review calls and bookings per location and move budget using the matrix.

Frequently asked questions

What is location-based advertising?

Ads targeted by where people are or search, run per location. See what is location-based advertising.

Should each location have its own campaign?

Yes, or at least its own ad set. That keeps budget, radius and results separate per location.

What radius should I use?

Start from where your customers actually come from: small for dense city locations, larger for rural or destination businesses. Adjust after a month.

What is the difference between "Presence" and "Presence or interest" in Google Ads?

Presence reaches people who are, or regularly are, in your area. Presence or interest, the default, also includes people who showed interest in it.

Does Ads by Locus Intelligence run Local Services Ads?

No. Ads runs Google (Performance Max, Maps local ads, Search, call-only) and Meta campaigns. See our Local Services Ads guide.

Never miss another customer.

Start with a free audit. See what each location is losing, and where.

Profile score, Maps rank against the top 3, and the fixes that matter most.

Or book a demo

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