AdCenter Revamps Location Targeting To Mimic AdWords

Microsoft adCenter is making changes to its location targeting functionality that will bring it into line with the industry standard Google AdWords.

Now, the “market” (distribution channel) will no longer be available as a targeting option. It will be replaced by “language” and “target location” as individual targeting options. Advertisers will be able to target to people physically located in the target location, or who express (via search query) interest in doing business in the target location area.

Location options include all countries that speak the selected language, groups of certain countries, a single country, a single state or territory or a single city.

Roll-out of the new location targeting is already in progress in the U.S., U.K. and France, and will be rolled out to all users in a “few months,” according to Microsoft. The feature will be available on adCenter Desktop and the adCenter API. Existing campaigns will automatically be migrated to use the new settings.

The new nomenclature and options are designed to make adCenter more user friendly to advertisers accustomed to using the industry standard AdWords interface.

About The Author

Pamela Parker

Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces Martech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, MarTech Today and Digital Marketing Depot. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.