AdWords Adds Geo-Targeting Options in 11 Countries, Including Canadian Postal Codes

Google is introducing some new geographical targeting options and tweaking others within AdWords, including making the switch to Nielsen DMAs for US metro areas and releasing postal code targeting for Canada. The changes come as the company rolls out city-level targeting and location extensions to new countries.

In the US, the change means goodbye to metro area targeting and hello to designated marketing area (DMA) targeting, a means of delineating media markets trademarked by Nielsen. The switch means marketers advertising both online and on television will be able to reach the same people, if they target the same DMA on both media.

Though Google says there may be some changes in traffic due to the new regions, the company expects the impact to be minor for most advertisers.

In Canada, Google is introducing the ability to target by Canadian Postal Code FSAs, the first three digits of the postal code, which correspond to a certain geographic area. (FSA stands for forward sortation area.) This change, similarly to the introduction of ZIP codes in the US, allows direct marketers to coordinate their online and direct mail efforts to reach the same people.

Elsewhere in the world, AdWords will now have city and regional targeting capabilities in nine new countries. These include: Belgium (city), Bulgaria (region & city), Denmark (city), India (city), Ireland (city), Romania (region & city), Sweden (region & city), Taiwan (city), Vietnam (city).

Location extensions, which allow advertisers to show their nearest location and phone number along with a search ad, will now be available in six new countries — Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, India, Sweden, and Taiwan.