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Google Ads campaign goal
Google Ads Store Visits: Performance Max for Store Goals (Formerly Local Campaigns)
If you are looking for Google Ads Local campaigns, they no longer exist as a separate type. Google retired them in 2022 and upgraded existing ones to Performance Max for store goals. Today, store visits, store sales, directions and call clicks are all optimized inside Performance Max. Half the work happens in the ad account; the other half is the location data in your Google Business Profile.
Purpose and appearance
What do we use this format for?
We use this setup to connect online advertising with customers who walk into physical stores. The goal is to appear on Maps, Search and YouTube for people near your stores, grow directions, calls and store visits, and allocate budget across branches based on real visit data. For brands without their own stores, we build the same setup to drive traffic to retail points of sale.
Funnel stages it serves
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty
What happened to Google Ads Local campaigns?
Local campaigns were a separate type designed only for store traffic. In 2022, Google moved them to Performance Max, and the performance history of the old campaigns was carried over to the new ones. We still come across businesses receiving proposals for a "Local campaign"; no campaign can be set up under that name today.
In Performance Max, the store goal determines what the campaign maximizes. Because the same Performance Max structure can also be used for e-commerce sales, we use naming and goal settings to clearly separate which campaign in the account works for stores and which for online sales. We track the contribution of online sales separately in GA4.
How to set up Performance Max for store goals
We give the campaign the stores to promote in one of two ways: by linking Business Profile to Google Ads, or by selecting the chain stores where the brand's products are sold (point-of-sale locations). The second route matters for brands that have no stores of their own but whose products are sold through large electronics, cosmetics or home improvement chains; the ad directs users to the nearest point of sale.
Google can set radius targeting around locations automatically based on store density, industry and number of competitors; where needed, we adjust the radius ourselves. Bidding is for store visits, store sales, or local actions such as directions and call clicks. Store visits and store sales cannot be targeted together in the same campaign; one has to be chosen.
Store visit conversions: eligibility and privacy thresholds
Store visit conversions rely on Google's modeling based on users who share their location history, and they require enough ad clicks, impressions and store traffic to pass privacy thresholds. Stores must also be in an eligible country, verified in Business Profile and outside sensitive categories. Google does not publish the threshold figures. In accounts where measurement is not available, we target directions and call clicks and place in-store sales data next to ad data in a Data Studio dashboard.
Google Business Profile checklist for multi-location businesses
As the number of branches grows, small errors in Business Profile directly affect ad budget. An ad giving directions to a closed branch means lost budget and lost reputation. Branches whose hours have not been updated for religious and public holidays cause the same problem. Before launching the campaign, we check the following:
- Is every branch verified, and are the address and map pin in the right place?
- Are opening hours and holiday closures up to date?
- Are closed or relocated branches marked as closed in the profile?
- Is the primary category the same and correct for every branch?
- Are branches organized so they can be split into campaigns using store groups or location labels?
Store Visits and Local Campaigns: when do we recommend it?
We recommend it
- Retail, restaurant and service chains with more than one physical store
- Brands whose products are sold in chain stores and that want to increase store traffic
- Businesses that want to increase directions and phone calls branch by branch
We don't recommend it
- Single-location businesses with very small budgets; a Search campaign focused on local search is more efficient here
- Businesses whose Business Profile locations are not verified or whose information is out of date
- Brands in sensitive categories such as healthcare that expect store visit measurement
How we manage Store Visits and Local Campaigns
- Profile auditWe check Business Profile details, verification and categories for every branch.
- Account linkingWe link Business Profile to Google Ads or select point-of-sale locations.
- Goal selectionDepending on measurement eligibility, we set the goal as store visits, store sales or local actions.
- Branch groupingWe split branches with different revenue potential into separate campaigns or location groups.
- Branch-level readoutWe report directions, calls and visit data by branch and reallocate budget.
Store Visits and Local Campaigns: metrics and requirements
Metrics we track
- Store visits
- Direction clicks
- Call clicks
- Cost per visit
- Spend by branch
What you need to get started
- Verified Business Profile locations or a list of point-of-sale locations
- Business Profile linked to the ad account for location assets
- Images showing the store and product, plus a short video
- Branch-level sales data, if possible
Official sources
The Brand Move Google Ads Team
Contact us nowTo learn more about Store Visits and Local Campaigns or other Google Ads ad formats, contact The Brand Move Google Ads team today.
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ExploreFrequently asked questions
Store Visits and Local Campaigns: frequently asked questions
Can we still create a Local campaign in Google Ads?
No. Local campaigns were upgraded to Performance Max in 2022 and can no longer be created under that name. Local goals such as store visits, directions and call clicks now run in Performance Max for store goals.
Did we lose the data from our old Local campaign?
No. When Google upgraded Local campaigns to Performance Max, it carried historical performance data over, and the old reports are still in the account. When we take over an account, we compare this history with the new structure branch by branch and look separately at branches that declined after the upgrade.
Our products are sold in chain stores. Can we still use store goals?
Yes. Instead of linking your own Business Profile, we can select the chain stores where your products are sold as point-of-sale locations. The ads then direct users to the nearest store carrying your products.
Is the store visit figure the actual number of visitors?
No. Store visits are modeled from users who share their location history. We use the figure to compare branches and periods rather than as an exact count, and validate it against till or footfall counter data where possible.
Why don't we see store visit conversions in our account?
Store visit conversions need enough clicks, impressions and store traffic to pass Google's privacy thresholds, verified locations in an eligible country and a non-sensitive category. Google does not publish the thresholds. Where measurement is not available, we optimize for directions and call clicks instead.
Should we also appear on Yandex Maps?
Yes, in tourist-heavy areas, for businesses serving Russian-speaking audiences, and in sectors such as tourism, real estate and medical tourism. To stand out on Yandex Maps and Navigator, we plan Yandex Geo Priority Placement together with the Google campaign and report directions from the two platforms separately.
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