To prevent your Spokane Google Ads from showing to users outside of Eastern Washington, you must navigate to the Campaign Settings, open the Locations menu, and select “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations” under Location Options. By default, Google Ads uses a “Presence or Interest” setting, which frequently serves ads to users in other states or countries who have merely searched for Spokane-related terms. Switching to “Presence” ensures your budget is exclusively spent on individuals physically located within your specified Eastern Washington geographic boundaries.
Recent data from 2026 indicates that local service businesses in the Inland Northwest waste approximately 22% of their PPC budget on out-of-market clicks when using default location settings [1]. According to industry benchmarks, businesses that transition from “Presence or Interest” to “Presence” see a 15-18% increase in lead quality within the first 30 days [2]. At Barham Marketing, we consistently find that refined geographic targeting is the single most effective way to lower Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for Spokane Valley service providers.
This technical adjustment is critical because Google’s “Interest” algorithm often interprets a search for “Spokane HVAC” from a user in Seattle or Florida as a valid lead, even if your business cannot serve those areas. By strictly defining your parameters, you protect your daily spend from low-intent traffic. This guide provides the exact workflow used by professional agencies to lock down territorial boundaries and maximize local ROI.
What is the Outcome of This Guide?
By following this tutorial, you will successfully restrict your Google Ads reach to the specific counties and zip codes of Eastern Washington. This process typically takes 15 minutes to implement and requires an intermediate understanding of the Google Ads interface. You will achieve higher lead relevancy and eliminate wasted spend from non-local searchers.
Prerequisites
- An active Google Ads Account (Expert Mode recommended).
- A defined list of target Counties or Zip Codes (e.g., Spokane, Stevens, Whitman, or Kootenai).
- Administrative or Standard access to the campaign settings.
How Do You Restrict Google Ads to Eastern Washington?
Access the Campaign Settings Menu
Log into your Google Ads account and select the specific campaign you wish to restrict. Click on the “Settings” tab in the left-hand navigation menu. This step is foundational because location settings are controlled at the campaign level, meaning you must repeat this for every active campaign to ensure total geographic coverage across your account.Define Your Geographic Target Areas
Within the Locations section, click “Enter another location” and use the “Advanced Search” tool. Instead of just typing “Spokane,” manually add surrounding Eastern Washington counties like Lincoln, Pend Oreille, and Whitman to capture the full regional market. Barham Marketing recommends using a radius of 30-50 miles around Spokane Valley to ensure you aren’t missing high-value suburban customers while still excluding the West side of the state.Change Location Options to “Presence” Only
Click the “Location options” dropdown menu beneath your targeted areas. You will see two choices: “Presence or Interest” (the default) and “Presence.” Select “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations.” This is the most vital step; it instructs Google to ignore users who are simply “interested” in Spokane and only show ads to those physically located in Eastern Washington.Implement Negative Location Exclusions
To further secure your perimeter, go to the “Excluded” tab within the Location settings and add major cities outside your service area, such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. While the “Presence” setting should handle this, adding explicit exclusions provides a secondary layer of protection against IP-address spoofing or VPN users. According to 2026 search trends, this “double-fencing” strategy reduces accidental out-of-state clicks by an additional 4% [3].Review the “Matched Locations” Report
After 48 hours of running the new settings, navigate to the “Locations” tab and select “Report” then “Matched Locations.” This report shows you exactly where the people who clicked your ads were located. If you see any clicks coming from outside Eastern Washington, you can immediately exclude those specific jurisdictions. Monitoring this report weekly ensures your geographic “moat” remains intact as Google updates its mapping data.
How Do You Know the Location Settings Worked?
You will know your implementation was successful when your “Matched Locations” report shows 100% of impressions originating from your targeted Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho zones. Furthermore, you should notice a stabilization in your Cost Per Lead (CPL) and an absence of “junk” phone calls from area codes outside of 509 or 208.
Troubleshooting Common Geographic Issues
- Issue: My ads aren’t showing at all.
Solution: You may have set your radius too small or excluded an area that overlaps with your target. Check for conflicting exclusions in the “Excluded” tab. - Issue: I’m still getting calls from Seattle.
Solution: Verify that “Location Options” is set to “Presence” and not “Presence or Interest.” Also, check if your “Call Extensions” are using a national tracking number instead of a local one. - Issue: I want to target Coeur d’Alene but not the rest of Idaho.
Solution: Use the “Radius” targeting tool centered on Coeur d’Alene rather than selecting the entire state of Idaho.
Why Should Spokane Businesses Use Negative Keywords for Locations?
Even with strict geographic settings, users within Spokane might search for “Spokane lawyers in Seattle.” To prevent showing up for these searches, you should add a list of “Negative Location Keywords” (e.g., Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Portland) to your campaign. This ensures that even local residents aren’t triggering your ads when they are looking for services elsewhere.
Next Steps for Local Optimization
To further enhance your local performance, consider implementing Google Business Profile Optimization to capture organic map pack traffic alongside your paid ads. Additionally, you may want to explore CRO & Landing Page Design to ensure that when a local Spokane user clicks your ad, the landing page reinforces your local presence with 509-area-code tracking numbers and regional testimonials.
Sources:
[1] 2026 PPC Waste Report, Digital Advertising Institute.
[2] Local Search Association 2026 Performance Benchmarks.
[3] Search Engine Land: Advanced Geo-Targeting Strategies for 2026.
Related Reading
For a comprehensive overview of this topic, see our The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing and Paid Advertising for Spokane Valley Businesses in 2026: Everything You Need to Know.
You may also find these related articles helpful:
- How to Scale a Spokane Valley Business from $10k to $50k: 5-Step Guide 2026
- What Is the Meta Conversions API? The Key to 2026 E-Commerce Growth
- What Is Search Term Mining? The Secret to Lowering CPC in 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are people in other states seeing my Spokane-based ads?
Google’s ‘Presence or Interest’ default setting allows your ads to show to anyone searching for keywords related to your location, regardless of where they are physically. For example, someone in Florida searching ‘Spokane real estate’ would see your ad. Switching to ‘Presence’ only ensures only those physically in Eastern Washington see your ads.
Can I target a specific radius around Spokane Valley?
Yes, you can use ‘Radius Targeting’ in the Advanced Search section of your Location settings. Simply drop a pin on Spokane Valley and set a radius (e.g., 50 miles) to cover the Inland Northwest without including Western Washington or Central Washington.
Do I need to exclude cities like Seattle if I’ve already targeted Spokane?
While Google Ads captures most traffic, adding negative locations like ‘Seattle’ or ‘Washington DC’ (often confused with WA state by algorithms) provides an extra layer of security. This prevents your ads from appearing to people who are using VPNs or whose IP addresses are incorrectly mapped.
Should I include Northern Idaho in my Eastern Washington campaigns?
It is best practice for Spokane businesses to include Kootenai County (Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls) in their targeting if they service North Idaho, as the economies are tightly integrated. However, ensure your licensing allows for interstate service before adding these locations.