2 Ways Non-US Residents Can View US-Only Google AdWords Ads

If you don't live in a particular country, and you conduct a search in Google, you will not see Google AdWords ads where the advertiser has not selected your country as one of the countries he/she wants their ad to appear.

There must be lots of Google AdWords advertisers who target the US market, but don't live in the US. So how do you know what ads you're competing with?

Well, there are 2 ways to view the same set of ads that US-based users see.

  1. Use The Google Toolbar
    1. First you must be using Internet Explorer and have the free Google Toolbar installed onto your computer. You can download the Toolbar at http://toolbar.google.com
    2. Visit Google US - http://www.google.com
    3. Conduct a search.
    4. Click the 'I' button on the Google Toolbar, and select the "Translate into English" option. Now look again at the ads. They should have been replaced with the same ads US users see.
  2. Use A US Proxy Server

    A proxy server is simply a server that anyone can connect to. By requesting a webpage via a US based proxy server, you are able to view webpages as though you was connecting from within the US itself.

    Please note that this procedure is a bit more advanced and is not recommended for complete beginners.

    1. Visit the CyberSyndrome website. http://www.cybersyndrome.net/pls.html
    2. Select one of the proxy servers from the huge list of worldwide proxies available.
    3. Visit the WhereIs website to make sure the proxy IP address is US-based. Enter the proxy IP address (first part -- before the colon -- of the address) into the search form and if the result is 'US' or the country you want, then proceed. Otherwise try another proxy. http://where-is.info
    4. Find your internet connection setting in your web browser.
    5. Switch to connecting via a proxy and insert the proxy setting.
      1. Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Connections >Lan Settings.
      2. Check the 'Use a proxy server for your Lan' checkbox.
      3. Enter the first part (before the colon) of the proxy address into the Address input box and the second part (right of the colon) into the Port input box.
      4. Click OK.

        5. OR:

      5. Netscape > Exit > Preferences > Advanced > Proxies
      6. Check the 'Manual Proxy Configuration' radio button.
      7. Enter the first part (before the colon) of the proxy address into the HTTP Proxy input box and the second part (right of the colon) into the Port input box.
      8. Click OK.
    6. Visit Google US - http://www.google.com
    7. If the Google homepage obviously doesn't look like the Google US homepage, then you need to try another proxy.
    8. Conduct a search and you should see the same Google AdWords ads as US-based users.

Connecting to the internet via a proxy server can be quicker than connecting via your local internet service provider. Plus if you're a parent, this is actually a good way to add a free adult content blocker onto your computer.