How to set up location targeting for a local accounting firm | AccountingStack

Location targeting determines which geographic area your Google Ads appear in. For an accounting firm, getting location targeting right is critical: too broad and you waste budget on irrelevant searches outside your service area; too narrow and you miss potential clients who search from a slightly different area. This guide covers the correct location targeting setup for accounting firms.

The two location options that matter

When setting up a Google Ads campaign, under Locations, Google offers a presence or interest setting. Most advertisers do not change this from the default, and many end up with incorrect targeting as a result.

Option 1: "Presence or interest: People in, regularly in, or who've shown interest in your targeted locations" (the default)

This shows your ads to people who are physically located in your target area, and also to people who are located elsewhere but whose search includes a location reference that matches your target (e.g. someone in Edinburgh searching "accountant in Manchester"). The second group — people searching about your location from elsewhere — are almost never relevant to a local accounting firm. They are unlikely to be potential clients and will waste budget.

Option 2: "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations"

This shows your ads only to people physically located in your target area. This is almost always the correct setting for a local accounting firm.

Choosing your geographic target

City or area targeting: targeting a city name (e.g. Manchester) targets the core city area and typically the broader metropolitan area as Google interprets the city boundary. This works for firms in large cities with a clearly defined local market.

Radius targeting: targeting a specific radius around your office postcode (e.g. 15-mile radius) is more precise and works well for firms in towns, suburban areas, or anywhere where a city boundary is too broad or too narrow. Access this via Locations > Targeting radius.

Multiple areas: if you serve multiple nearby towns or cities, you can add multiple locations. Each added location expands the coverage. For a firm serving three cities in a region, add all three.

Starting recommendation: begin with a radius of 10 to 20 miles around your office, then adjust based on where your actual client enquiries come from. If you find most enquiries are from within a smaller radius, tighten it; if enquiries are coming from further afield, expand.

Location exclusions

You can exclude specific locations within a broader target. If you are targeting Greater London but do not serve clients in specific boroughs far from your office, you can add those boroughs as excluded locations.

Location exclusions are also useful for excluding postcodes or areas with very high CPCs if you are not getting conversions from those areas.

Verifying your targeting is working

After launching your campaign, go to Reports > Geographic Report (or Campaigns > Locations) to see where your clicks and conversions are actually coming from. This report shows the geographic distribution of your ad traffic.

If you see impressions and clicks from locations outside your intended service area, tighten your targeting or add the irrelevant areas as location exclusions. Check this during the first month of a new campaign.

Location extensions and local search ads

Separate from campaign-level location targeting, a location extension (using your Google Business Profile) displays your address in the ad itself and shows your firm on Google Maps when your ad appears alongside map results.

Ensure your Google Business Profile is:

• Verified and up to date with your current address.
• Linked to your Google Ads account (under Tools > Linked Accounts > Google Business Profile).

Location extensions reinforce local credibility and can increase CTR for local searches, particularly on mobile where Google Maps integration is prominent.

Targeting for multiple office locations

If your firm has multiple offices, set up separate campaigns (or ad groups) for each location, with location-specific ad copy and landing pages. A generic ad saying "accounting firm near you" performs less well than an ad saying "Accountant in [City] — [specific office location]" for a searcher in that city.

Separate campaigns by office allow independent budget control — if one location is more commercially valuable or has more search demand, it can receive a higher budget allocation.

Key takeaways

• Always change the location option from the default to "People in or regularly in your targeted locations" to prevent irrelevant out-of-area clicks.
• Use radius targeting around your office postcode for more precise coverage than city-name targeting.
• Review the geographic report after launch to confirm your targeting is matching your actual service area.
• Add location extensions by linking your Google Business Profile to Google Ads.
• For multi-location firms, set up separate campaigns per location with location-specific ad copy.

Frequently asked questions

What radius is right for an accounting firm?

It depends on your market and how far clients typically travel for accountancy services. In a city, 5 to 10 miles may be sufficient; in a rural area, 15 to 25 miles is common. Start with 15 miles and adjust based on where enquiries actually come from. You can check this in the geographic report.

Can we target specific neighbourhoods or postcodes?

Yes. Google Ads allows targeting by postcode area (e.g. targeting all postcodes beginning with M1 or SW1). This level of granularity is useful for premium or niche practices targeting specific business districts or residential areas. Add postcode areas as locations within your campaign targeting.

Should we target "Near me" searches separately?

Google Ads automatically enters your ads into "near me" searches when location targeting is correctly configured and you have location extensions active. You do not need a separate "near me" keyword strategy — the combination of location targeting and location extensions handles it.

What if we attract clients from across the UK without a local bias?

Some accounting firms — particularly those specialising in a niche (IR35 contractors, specific sectors, online-only practices) — serve national rather than local clients. For these firms, broader or national location targeting is appropriate. The economics change: national campaigns face more competition and higher average CPCs, but the market is much larger.

How do we reduce spend in areas where we are not getting conversions?

In Campaigns > Locations, add the non-converting areas as location exclusions, or apply a negative bid adjustment (reduce bids by a percentage for that area). Excluding areas eliminates all traffic from them; a bid adjustment reduces how aggressively you compete in that area without eliminating it entirely.