Google Ads Presence vs interest targeting

Choose the right Google Ads location option for US-only campaigns: Presence vs Presence or interest, when international waste still happens, and how country exclusions backstop your settings.

Last updated · June 11, 2026

The two options (in plain language)

SettingWho sees ads
Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locationsUsers physically in (or regularly in) your targeted geo — tightest for US-only offers.
Presence or interest: People in, regularly in, or interested in your targeted locationsAlso matches searchers abroad researching US cities, universities, or English keywords tied to your offer — wider reach, more international waste.

Decision checklist

  1. Can you serve customers outside the US? If no → use Presence and add the non-US country exclusion list.
  2. Is the offer local (city/zip)? Use Presence + radius or city targets; exclusions for areas you cannot serve.
  3. Are you prospecting on generic English keywords? Interest matching often pulls international researchers — Presence + exclusions is safer than interest alone.
  4. Do you need expats or diaspora reach? Interest can be intentional — document why before enabling it.
  5. Performance Max or broad Search? Check location reports weekly; PMax inherits account/campaign location settings — misconfiguration shows up as “Other countries” spend before CPA moves.

Recommended US-only stack

  • 1. Target United States
  • 2. Location option: Presence: People in or regularly in
  • 3. Exclude all non-US countries ( copy list)
  • 4. Audit geographic report after 7 days — if foreign countries still appear, check account-level settings and shared budgets

Where to change it

Campaign → Settings → Locations → Location options. The same control exists at ad group level for Search; most Display and PMax use campaign-level locations.

Official reference: Google Ads location targeting.

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