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Search Engine Journal reports that Google AdWords is dropping the custom shapes, also known as multi-point / polygon location targets option within AdWords.
What is that? It was the ability to draw on a map and tell AdWords to target only searchers within the drawing. Here is a picture that describes it:
Not sure how I didn't see this a month ago, but according to a Google help document, this feature is sunsetting at the end of 2011. So you can still use it until then, but in 2012, those custom locations will switch to a similar radius location target option. So you have the choice of switching over your custom locations to radius or other location target options.
Plus, location targeting is being completely removed from certain countries on July 8, 2011. The countries and locations include Japan, Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands, among others. Google said this is due to "changes in real-world geography, or because of duplicate or overlapping locations."
For more details on those locations, see this help document.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
Comments:
Bob Dumouchel
06/23/2011 02:57 pm
You need to read the source material a little closer. It appears that there are lots of changes in various parts of the world but I did not see any reference to doing away with custom shapes. Did I miss something?
Barry Schwartz
06/23/2011 02:57 pm
See http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1308662 which I linked to above.
Bob Dumouchel
06/23/2011 02:58 pm
Got it... thanks!
Flow Simple
06/23/2011 04:54 pm
Hmm why are they doing this? It's useful to be able to target this way sometimes. It allows me to capture the neighborhoods, and offer specials specifics to neighborhoods a lot better. I also miss the position bidding.