Running Google Ads for your roofing company without location targeting is like advertising a snowblower in Florida—it wastes money, misses your market, and delivers poor results. Roofing is a hyper-local service. Homeowners want someone close by, someone they can trust, and someone who can get to them fast. That’s where location targeting becomes critical.
In this article, we’ll break down what location targeting is, how it works, and why it’s essential to your roofing PPC strategy if you want more qualified leads, better conversion rates, and a stronger return on ad spend.
What Is Location Targeting in PPC?
Location targeting—also called geo-targeting—is a Google Ads feature that allows you to choose where your ads appear based on geographic locations. You can target by:
- City
- Zip code
- County
- Custom radius around your office
- Multiple service areas or regions
This ensures your roofing ads are only shown to people within areas you actually service—eliminating waste and focusing your budget where it matters most.
Why Location Targeting Matters for Roofing Companies
1. Roofing Is a Local Business
You’re not running a national brand—you’re fixing and replacing roofs in a set geographic area. If someone in a different city clicks your ad, they’re not becoming a customer. Location targeting keeps your campaign hyper-local, so your ads only reach the homeowners you can actually serve.
2. It Prevents Wasted Ad Spend
Clicks from outside your service area aren’t just unqualified—they’re expensive. With proper location targeting, you avoid paying for impressions and clicks from people you can’t convert. That means more of your budget goes toward serious, in-area leads.
3. It Improves Ad Relevance and Click-Through Rates
When someone in your area sees an ad that references their city—like “Plano Roof Repair Experts” or “Free Inspections for Frisco Homeowners”—they’re more likely to click. Geo-targeted ads perform better because they feel more relevant. That leads to higher click-through rates (CTR) and better Quality Scores, which lower your cost per click (CPC).
4. It Attracts Higher-Intent Leads
Homeowners who search for “roof repair near me” or “roofing contractor in Allen TX” are actively looking for local help. By using location targeting to match their search intent, your ads become a direct solution to their problem.
5. You Can Prioritize High-Value Areas
Not all zip codes are equal. Some neighborhoods bring in larger projects, easier sales, or more profitable insurance work. With smart location targeting, you can focus more budget on high-performing areas and reduce spend in zones that historically produce weak leads.
How to Set Up Location Targeting in Google Ads
Step 1: Choose Your Target Locations
Start with your main service area—cities, towns, or zip codes you actively work in. You can also set a radius (e.g., 20 miles around your office) for broader targeting.
Step 2: Use “Presence” Targeting
Google gives you two targeting options:
- Presence: People physically located in your target area
- Interest: People who show interest in your area (but may be located elsewhere)
For roofers, always use Presence to avoid out-of-area clicks from researchers or travelers.
Step 3: Exclude Irrelevant Areas
If you're close to major cities or county borders, exclude areas you don’t service. This fine-tunes your campaign and avoids costly misfires.
Step 4: Layer Bidding by Location
You can bid more for clicks in profitable neighborhoods and lower your bids in others. This lets you stretch your budget further by focusing on areas with higher lead quality.
Where to Use Location Targeting Beyond the Settings Panel
1. In Your Ad Copy
Include city names or zip codes in your headlines and descriptions.
Example: “Frisco’s Trusted Roofing Experts” or “Plano Roof Repair – Free Estimates”
2. On Landing Pages
Create geo-targeted landing pages that reflect the searcher’s location. This reinforces your relevance and improves your Quality Score and conversions.
3. In Sitelinks and Callouts
Highlight location-specific offers or areas served in your ad extensions to further localize your messaging.
Common Mistakes Roofers Make With Location Targeting
- Using only broad radius targeting and ignoring zip codes
- Not excluding irrelevant cities or towns
- Failing to match ad copy to the target location
- Overlapping campaigns targeting the same areas (leading to internal bidding)
How HOWL Uses Location Targeting to Maximize PPC ROI
At HOWL, location targeting is baked into every roofing PPC campaign we run. We don’t just “turn on ads”—we strategically select zip codes, cities, and neighborhoods that generate the highest return based on years of roofing market data.
Our geo-targeting strategy includes:
- Zip code analysis to identify high-value leads
- Custom ad copy for each city or area
- Location-based landing pages to boost conversion
- Dynamic bidding based on job size potential and past lead quality
We ensure your ads reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time—so you’re not paying to chase leads that go nowhere.
Final Thoughts: Local Targeting Drives Local Leads
If you're a roofer trying to grow through PPC, you can’t afford to ignore location targeting. It’s the foundation of every successful campaign. With the right geo-targeting strategy, you’ll bring in more qualified leads, reduce waste, and make your ad dollars work smarter—not harder.
Apply to work with HOWL and let us build you a geo-targeted roofing campaign that fills your pipeline with high-intent leads from neighborhoods you actually want to work in.