Are you running Google Ads in international markets but not seeing great results? It could be because you haven’t localized your ads for your target audience.
Today’s digital landscape is constantly evolving, so expanding your reach through targeted advertising is more crucial than ever. Google Ads, especially through localization marketing strategies , gives businesses a powerful tool to connect with potential customers in their native languages.
According to research , purchasing behavior can be substantially predicted by advertising. These findings highlight how digital ads, especially with differentiated targeting, can lead to better engagement and higher sales.
Below, we’ll look at the impact that digital ad localization has on growth and explore best practices for leveraging AdWords localization to maximize your reach and conversion potential.
The role of Google Ads localization in digital growth
Google Ads (renamed “AdWords” in 2018) plays a vital role in marketing teams’ demand generation strategies, especially for companies looking to expand globally. Keyword localization can dramatically increase the effectiveness of Google Ads campaigns in two ways:
Cost savings: Localized keywords for global markets typically face less competition than typical English keywords, resulting in lower advertising costs.
Target high-intent search opportunities: Tailoring advertising strategies to specific locations and cultural contexts can help you capture high-intent audiences that general English keywords can’t reach.
However, keep in mind that ad localization isn’t just about translating keywords. It also involves adapting messaging to align with local customs and cultural nuances. By adapting your strategy to align with your target markets, you can significantly improve conversion rates and drive revenue growth through Google Ads localization.
Location targeting vs language targeting
Google Ads offers several location-based targeting features. For example, it allows businesses to target specific geographic locations, ensuring that ads reach the right audience. This is particularly beneficial for local businesses that rely on nearby customers.
Businesses can use Google Ads location targeting to automatically include the name of their city or region in their ad headlines or descriptions. For example, a pizza chain with restaurants in the US could show ads that say “Best Pizza in Chicago” to users searching in that area, while users in New York see “Best Pizza in New York.”
For those looking to expand internationally, location targeting can be as broad as an entire country or as specific as a city or even a radius around a particular location. A US-based company might target users in Germany with its ads if it’s promoting a tourism service that appeals to German travelers.
But is location targeting enough to capture users’ attention? That’s where language targeting comes in handy. Language targeting focuses on users’ language preferences. Marketers can select the languages in which to display their ads, ensuring that the content is accessible and understandable to their target audience.
This creates a much more personalized experience for users, which can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates. Check out this example of language targeting in a French ad from Woodbrass, an online marketplace for musical instruments. The ad gives users direct access to the company’s address and contact number, making it easy for users to engage.
Tips for Effective Google Ads Localization
Localizing your Google Ads campaigns takes a little more work, but it’s worth it to get your ads in front of the right people in their native language. Start with these tips:
Define your customers’ demographics (age, gender, income level) and psychographics (interests, behaviors, lifestyle choices) to fine-tune the audience you want to reach.
Use tools like Google Keyword ecuador whatsapp number data 5 million Planner to discover relevant local search terms your audience is using.
Study your competitors’ keywords, ad types, and market positioning to gain insights.
Use Google Analytics to analyze the demographics and behavior of visitors to your website.
Let’s say you want to plan a campaign in Germany and need to research keywords for it. You can follow these steps to find the most popular keywords in Germany:
Log in to Google Ads and navigate to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner
Select “Discover new keywords.” This option allows you to find keywords based on terms or websites.
Enter relevant keywords in English or German that represent your company or service. Alternatively, enter a competitor’s website to see related keywords.
Don’t forget to set the language to German and change the location to Germany or specific cities in Germany to get localized keyword suggestions. This is crucial as keyword popularity can vary significantly by region.
See average monthly searches, competition level, and suggested bid prices for each keyword. This data helps you understand which keywords are trending and their potential effectiveness.
Filter according to your unique campaign needs.
That’s it! You can now run targeted advertising campaigns using these keywords.
Use location insertion
Implement location insertion in your responsive search ads to personalize your ad text based on a user’s location. This allows you to several key areas of consideration of such cases can be distinguished: dynamically include specific city or region names in your headlines, making your ads more relevant and appealing to local customers. For example, instead of a generic headline, use “Find great deals in {LOCATION (City)}” to directly engage audiences in that area.
Suppose you’re running a geo-targeted campaign for a hotel chain that operates in multiple cities in France. You want to create an ad that dynamically inserts the city name based on the user’s location and language. Here’s an example of ad text:
Headline 1: “Séjournez dans nos hôtels à {LOCATION(City)}”
Headline 2: “Super discounts on hotels before check-in”
Headline 3: “Réservez votre séjour à {LOCATION(City)} dès aujourd’hui!”
In this example, if a user in Paris searches for hotels, the ad will appear like this:
Headline 1: “Séjournez dans nos hôtels à Paris”
Headline 2: “Super discounts on hotels before arrival”
Headline 3 : “Réservez votre séjour à Paris dès aujourd’hui!”
Location insertion increases engagement by allowing you to easily create responsive search ads that dynamically display the city, state, or country in the ad text based on the user’s location.
Implement ad extensions
Use ad extensions, especially location and call extensions. Location extensions display your business address, while call extensions allow users to call your business directly. A retailer with stores in Germany and the United States fax marketing might include a location in Germany for ads targeting German consumers and a location in New York City for those targeting customers in the United States. This location helps potential customers quickly identify the closest store, increasing the likelihood of foot traffic and conversions.
When users see a location extension, they can click on the address to view it on Google Maps, which provides directions and distances. This is especially useful for customers who want to make an immediate purchase.
Leveraging ad extensions, in addition to translations, can help improve your conversion rates by making instant connections with your audience and providing key information that enables quick and convenient decision-making. Here’s an example of how Nike uses location-based ad extensions to connect users to their nearby store in New Jersey: Nike Google Ad ExtensionHow Nike Uses Location-Based Ad Extensions(Source)
Optimize keywords for local relevance
Just like search engine optimization, keyword research and optimizing for local relevance are crucial when launching international pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns in another language. Localizing your content and incorporating local keywords into your ad campaigns ensures that your ads are visible to the right audience and that your messaging resonates with them. The Google Keyword Planner tool can help you identify high-volume, locally relevant terms in your target language.
Here are some examples of how you can optimize translated ads for local relevance:
For a campaign launch in Japan, you might target keywords like ” (smartphone) and ” ” (mobile phone) instead of just ” phone. ” ” It’s crucial to research how potential customers refer to your product in their local language.
When running ads for sneakers in Spain, use local Spanish keywords like zapatillas (sneakers) instead of just zapatos (shoes)
It’s important to go beyond direct translations and identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience uses most frequently in the local market.
Set up language targeting in Google Ads
Google detects a user’s language by evaluating several signals, including:
The language of the user’s search query on the Google Search Network
The user’s browser language settings
The language of web pages the user recently viewed on the Google Display Network
Language targeting enables granular targeting of ads to specific audiences who speak a language, allowing advertisers to choose the language of the websites where they want their ads to appear. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up language targeting:
Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click on “Campaigns” in the left menu and choose the campaign you want to modify or create a new one.
Click on “Campaign Settings” for the selected campaign.
Go to the “Languages” section and click the pencil icon to edit.
Select the languages you want to target by checking the appropriate boxes. You can also exclude specific languages if needed.
After making your selections, save your changes.
Continue creating or editing your ads to align them with the languages you selected.
That’s it! However, keep in mind that while Google supports 51 languages for ad targeting, the Google Ads interface doesn’t support some languages, such as Bengali and Urdu (but does support ad targeting for these languages). Google doesn’t approve ads in unsupported languages, so always use a supported language for your ad text and landing pages.
Create location-specific landing pages
Develop landing pages tailored to your local audience. This not only improves the user experience, but also increases your Quality Score in Google Ads, resulting in better ad placements and lower costs.
Location-specific landing pages should reflect local cultures, languages, and specific offerings that are relevant to that location. Use this opportunity to highlight testimonials from local customers.
For example, Uber optimizes its landing pages for the cities it operates in. Here’s what Uber’s London landing page looks like, complete with local recommendations and the best ways to get around London: Uber London Home PageUber London landing page (Source)
Check out this in-depth guide to learn more about how to translate your web pages effectively .
Monitor ad performance
As with any marketing campaign, keeping an eye on performance is key to getting the most out of your Google Ads localization efforts. Think of it as checking the pulse of your campaigns to see what’s working and what needs a little tweaking. You’ll want to regularly review metrics like:
Click-through rates: This metric shows the percentage of people who click on an ad after seeing it. You can calculate this by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying by 100.
Cost-per-click (CPC): CPC is the amount an advertiser pays each time a user clicks on a PPC ad, reflecting the cost-effectiveness of the advertising campaign.
Revenue generated: refers to the total revenue obtained from sales or conversions attributed to an advertising campaign.
Return on ad spend: This metric measures the revenue you earn for every dollar spent on advertising. Calculate it by dividing total revenue by total ad spend.
Don’t be afraid to dive into the data. If certain ads perform better in specific regions, use that data to inform adjustments to your messaging or targeting.
Test different ad variations
Performance marketers are no strangers to experimentation. Try out different ad copy and formats to see what resonates best with your target audience. A/B testing can help you identify which headlines, descriptions, and calls to action (CTAs) are most effective. This iterative approach allows you to refine your ads to improve performance over time.
For example, you could try two headlines: one that emphasizes a special offer and another that highlights the product’s features. This simple tweak can significantly impact your click-through rates. Another example is to test different CTAs. For example.