The short answer: targeting Dublin doesn’t mean only people in Dublin see your ads. The default option, Presence or interest, also reaches people who’ve shown interest in your area. For a local business, pick Presence: people in, or regularly in, your area. It’s in your campaign settings, under Locations.
This is episode 6 of SEM in 60 seconds, our series of one Google Ads fix per episode for sole traders and small businesses. The full series sits in our Google Ads basics overview.
What does Presence or interest mean?
Google gives you 2 options for who counts as “in” your location:
| Option | Google’s wording |
|---|---|
| Presence or interest (default) | People in, regularly in, or who’ve shown interest in your targeted locations |
| Presence | People in or regularly in your targeted locations |
Google’s example is a bakery in Paris. With Presence or interest, someone in another country reading about Paris bakeries can see the ad.
Who should switch to Presence?
If you only serve people nearby, Presence is usually the better fit: plumbers, electricians, salons, cafés, clinics and most local services. Someone in Manchester interested in Dublin is unlikely to book a Dublin plumber.
Who should keep Presence or interest?
Tourism businesses are the exception. A walking tour in Kilkenny wants people planning a trip from Boston or Berlin. For them, interest in the area is exactly the point.
How do you change it?
- Open the campaign and go to Settings.
- Open Locations, then Location options.
- Choose Presence.
- Save, and repeat for each campaign.
Location exclusions already use Presence by default.
What changes after you switch?
Google says switching to Presence usually reduces impressions. That’s the point: fewer people, more of them local. Give it 2 to 4 weeks, then compare cost per enquiry with the month before.
What are the common mistakes?
- Never opening Location options. The default stays on unless you change it.
- A radius far bigger than you serve. Draw it around where you’ll really travel.
- Switching a tourism business to Presence. You’d cut out the visitors you want.
Read the transcript
“Your ads might be showing to people outside your area. Open your campaign settings, then location options. The default is presence or interest. That includes people elsewhere who show interest in your area. Only serve people locally? Switch it to presence. You’ll usually get fewer impressions, but they’re people in your area. More Google Ads fixes every week. Follow for episode 7: where your ad should land.”
Want a hand?
Run a tourism business and not sure what to target? We build ads for tours and attractions across Ireland. See how we run Google Ads for small businesses.
Rather we did it for you? Book a free 20 minute call.
Sources
- About advanced location options, Google Ads Help. Checked 28 October 2026.
- Target ads to geographic locations, Google Ads Help. Checked 28 October 2026.
Previous episode: match types. Next episode: landing pages. Back to the series overview.