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How to see competitor ads on your brand in another city

Google shows different ads in different cities, so the ads you see from your office aren't what your customers see in Dallas or Miami. Here are the ways to see the results page as it looks somewhere else, and which ones you can trust.

Why location changes the ads

Advertisers choose where their ads run: countries, states, cities or a radius around a point. Lead resellers and local competitors often target just a few metro areas. Some deliberately exclude the brand owner's own city, so the owner never sees the ads. Google also works out your location from many signals, such as your IP address, device location and account settings, so one search only tells you about the place Google thinks you're in.

Four ways to check another city

1. Use the free check on this page

Type your brand, choose any US city and desktop or mobile, and we run one live Google search from there and show you the ads, flagging any that use your name. Jump to the free check.

2. Google Ads "Ad preview and diagnosis"

If you have a Google Ads account: Tools → Troubleshooting → Ad preview and diagnosis. Choose a location, language and device and see the results page for any search, without creating impressions. Reliable, but one search at a time, by hand.

3. A VPN

Connecting through a server in another city changes your IP address, but Google uses other signals too, and VPN locations are often imprecise, so you may get the wrong city or a generic national result. Fine for a rough look; not good evidence.

4. Ask someone there

A colleague, customer or agent in that city can search and send a screenshot. It's real, but slow, and their own search history affects what they see.

Tips for a fair check

• Search like a customer: your brand alone, then with "phone number", "reviews", "login", "near me" and common misspellings.
• Check desktop and mobile. Many campaigns run on mobile only.
• Check at different times, including evenings and weekends, when many brand bidders run.
• Don't click the ads. It costs the advertiser and can change what you see afterwards.
• Keep dated screenshots of anything you find; you'll need them for letters and complaints.

Checking a handful of cities by hand works for a one-off. To catch advertisers who run only some days, at some hours, in some places, it needs repeating many times a day. StopBrandBidding.com does that from the cities and devices you choose. See also how to find who is bidding on your brand.

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