You invested in Google Ads to reach customers in Santa Clarita, but the phone keeps ringing with calls from people outside the area you serve. Some callers may be too far away to book your services, while others might be looking for a different type of business altogether. The calls make the campaign look busy, but if they are not turning into customers, it is time to look beyond the number of leads and ask where those leads are coming from.
Out-of-area calls can happen for several reasons, including location settings, broad targeting, search intent and the information presented in your ads and on your website. A caller's phone number alone also does not always reveal where that person is physically located. Before making changes, it is important to review the campaign and the actual calls together so you can identify the issue instead of assuming every unfamiliar area code represents wasted spend.
One of the first settings to review is how Google Ads interprets your target locations. Selecting Santa Clarita as a campaign location does not necessarily mean your ads will only reach people physically standing within the city. Google's default location option can include people in or regularly in your targeted area as well as people who have shown interest in it. That means someone outside Santa Clarita who searches for a service in the area may still be eligible to see your ad.
That broader reach is not always a problem. A person currently in Los Angeles may be planning a move to Santa Clarita, arranging a service for a property in Newhall or looking for a business near their workplace. In those situations, interest in the location could lead to a valuable customer. But for a business that can only serve people within a defined area, the broader setting may also bring inquiries that are less relevant to the services offered.
Google Ads also offers a location option focused on people in or regularly in your targeted locations. For some local businesses, reviewing that option can be a useful step toward a more relevant audience. It is not a perfect geographic fence, however. Google estimates location using available signals, and its targeting is not guaranteed to be completely accurate. The right setting depends on who your customers are, where they need service and whether people outside the area may reasonably be searching on their behalf.
The locations included in the campaign deserve a closer look as well. A business owner might think the account is targeting Santa Clarita, while the campaign also includes a broader county, additional cities or a radius that reaches farther than intended. It is worth checking each active campaign separately, because location settings may differ across campaigns. Review the actual areas selected against the territory your business can serve, including the neighborhoods and nearby communities that make sense for your operation.
A radius can be useful, but it should be chosen with the business in mind rather than treated as a shortcut for every local campaign. A restaurant may want to reach people willing to travel for a visit, while a home-service company may need to consider its service boundaries, travel time and staffing. A radius drawn around one address can include areas the business does not serve and leave out communities it does. The goal is to match the campaign to the real customer journey, not simply make the circle smaller.
Location exclusions may also be worth reviewing when certain areas consistently produce inquiries outside your service territory. They can help refine where a campaign is intended to show, but they should be used carefully. Excluding an area without understanding the customer journey could prevent the business from reaching someone arranging a legitimate local service. Review the data and the leads before making broad exclusions, and keep in mind that location detection still has limitations.
Keywords and search terms can create another source of confusion. If a campaign targets broad phrases without enough context, the ad may appear for searches that do not match the service or location the business intended to promote. Reviewing the search terms report can reveal patterns in what people were looking for when ads appeared. Irrelevant locations, services or phrases may point to opportunities to refine keywords and add appropriate negative keywords.
For example, a Santa Clarita repair business may discover that some searchers are looking for a service it does not offer or for a location outside its service area. Adding a carefully chosen negative keyword may help prevent similar mismatches, but negative keywords should be selected with care. Blocking a term too broadly can also prevent relevant searches from reaching the business. A useful account review considers the words people actually use and how those searches connect to the business's goals.
The ad itself plays a role in lead quality. If the copy does not clearly explain what the business offers or where it operates, people may click or call before realizing the service is not right for them. Clear language about the service and service area can help set expectations. The landing page should support that message, making it easy for a potential customer to understand where the business works, what it provides and how to take the next step.
Calls should also be evaluated beyond their area codes. People keep mobile numbers when they move, work in different cities and sometimes call on behalf of someone else. An out-of-area number does not prove the caller was outside Santa Clarita or that the lead was irrelevant. Likewise, a local area code does not guarantee a qualified lead. When possible, ask or record the service location and reason for the inquiry so the campaign can be evaluated against the business's actual needs.
Google Ads location reports can help identify patterns, but they need to be interpreted carefully. A matched location may reflect a person's physical location or their interest in a place, depending on the report and campaign settings. It should not be treated as proof of exactly where a caller was standing. Compare the available geographic reporting with search terms, call details and the information your team collects from customers to build a clearer picture.
Finally, review how the campaign measures success. A high number of calls does not automatically mean an advertising campaign is delivering the right results. If every call is treated as equally valuable, the reporting may not distinguish a qualified local customer from a wrong number or an inquiry outside the service area. Tracking the quality of inquiries alongside call volume can help a business make better decisions about its budget and campaign strategy.
At In-House Brand Lab, we look at the full picture when reviewing a local advertising campaign: the business's goals, the areas it serves, the settings behind the ads and the experience a potential customer has after clicking. The right changes depend on the account and the audience, but the objective is straightforward: help your advertising reach people who are more likely to need what your business offers.
If your Google Ads are generating calls that do not match your Santa Clarita service area, do not rely on call volume alone to decide whether the campaign is working. Review the location options, campaign boundaries, search terms, ad messaging and lead quality together. A more informed strategy can help you understand where your budget is going and where there may be opportunities to improve. To discuss your business and its advertising goals, visit www.inhousebrandlab.com.