Google Ads for Vancouver Businesses: Local Targeting Guide
Stop paying for clicks outside your area. How Vancouver businesses can set up location targeting, local keywords, schedules and call ads in Google Ads.
For a local business, every click from outside your service area is wasted money. A plumber in Coquitlam doesn’t want to pay for clicks from Toronto, and a restaurant in Kitsilano gains little from someone researching Vancouver from overseas.
Google Ads gives you precise control over where your ads appear. Here’s how Metro Vancouver businesses can use it to reach the right people.
1. Choose your locations carefully
In your campaign settings, target the areas you actually serve. You can choose:
- Cities or regions, such as Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey or the whole Greater Vancouver area.
- A radius around your business, useful if customers come to you.
- Postal code areas for very precise targeting.
Exclude areas you don’t serve. If you only work south of the Fraser River, for example, focus on Surrey, Delta, Langley and White Rock instead of the entire region.
2. Change the location option (most people miss this)
Under location options, Google offers two choices:
| Option | Who sees your ads |
|---|---|
| Presence or interest (default) | People in, regularly in, or who’ve shown interest in your locations |
| Presence | People in or regularly in your locations |
The default can show your ads to people anywhere in the world who search about Vancouver. For most local service businesses, Presence is the better choice. Tourism and hospitality businesses may benefit from interest-based targeting, because travellers plan before they arrive.
3. Use local keywords — and “near me” intent
Include keywords that reflect how locals search:
- Service plus city: “dentist Burnaby”, “IT support Richmond”.
- Neighbourhoods where relevant: “Kitsilano”, “Lonsdale”, “Metrotown”.
- Service keywords on their own, which work when location targeting is set correctly.
Add negative keywords for places you don’t serve and for job seekers (“jobs”, “salary”, “course”) if they waste budget.
4. Write ads that feel local
Mention your city or service area in headlines, highlight local trust signals such as “Serving Metro Vancouver” or years in business, and send people to a landing page that reflects the same message. Avoid sending local ads to your homepage — see the most common Google Ads mistakes.
5. Connect your Google Business Profile
Linking your Google Business Profile lets you use location assets, which show your address, distance and map link in ads. It also helps you appear on Google Maps. If you don’t have a profile yet, start with my local SEO guide for Vancouver.
6. Make it easy to call
Many local customers prefer to phone. Add call assets, track calls as conversions and make sure someone answers during your ad schedule.
7. Schedule ads for when you can respond
Use an ad schedule that matches your opening hours, or lower bids outside them. A lead who calls at 10 pm and gets voicemail may simply call the next business.
8. Consider Local Services Ads
For eligible service categories, Google’s Local Services Ads appear above regular search ads and charge per lead rather than per click. Check whether your category is available in your area.
9. Track what matters
Set up conversion tracking for calls, forms and bookings, so you can compare cities and keywords by cost per lead — not just by clicks. See my conversion tracking guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should I target all of Metro Vancouver?
Only if you serve all of it equally. Many businesses get better results by targeting their core cities first, then expanding based on data.
Why are clicks in Vancouver so expensive?
Competitive markets with many advertisers, such as legal, real estate and home services, push costs up. Relevant ads, strong landing pages and tight targeting help. Ads and SEO also work well together — see Google Ads vs SEO.
Can I run ads in Persian, Mandarin or Punjabi?
Yes. Google Ads targets the language settings of users, and you can write ads in that language. It’s a good option in multilingual communities, but your landing page and customer service should match the language of the ad.
Want local ads that pay for themselves?
I set up and manage Google Ads campaigns for businesses across Greater Vancouver. Learn more about my Google Ads management in Vancouver, or get a free account review.
