Definition
Radius targeting is a geographic targeting method that defines a circular zone around a point (typically the business address) to target users located within that perimeter. In local SEO, this concept is tied to the proximity factor: Google favors businesses closest to the user performing the search. In advertising (Google Ads, Waze Ads), radius targeting allows displaying ads only to people within a defined radius (e.g., 5 km around the store). This technique is essential for physical businesses and local service companies.
Key Points
- Google naturally uses radius targeting via the proximity factor
- In Google Ads, radius targeting optimizes local ad budget
- Service businesses should define their service area in GBP
Practical Examples
Local Google Ads
An auto repair shop configures its Google Ads campaigns with 15 km radius targeting around its workshop. It optimizes bids to be more aggressive within 5 km and more conservative between 5-15 km.
Local content optimization
A plumber creates service pages for each municipality within a 20 km radius of their headquarters, targeting 'plumber + city' queries for each served locality.
Frequently Asked Questions
The radius depends on your business and competition. A restaurant typically targets 5-10 km, a craftsman 20-30 km. Analyze where your current customers come from to define a relevant radius. In dense urban areas, a smaller radius is often sufficient.
In organic SEO, you do not directly define a radius. Google determines your relevance zone based on your address, your declared service area in GBP, and local signals (citations, local content). Create targeted content for cities in your area to expand your coverage.
Go Further with LemmiLink
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Last updated: 2026-02-07