Multilingual PPC Campaigns: Best Practices & Strategies

Chris Tsolakis
June 10, 2024
7 min read

Do you want to expand globally and reach potential clients in foreign countries? Then, multilingual PPC should be part of your localization strategy! 

Paid search campaigns (pay-per-click campaigns) can help you reach foreign audiences in their native language, facilitating your business’s entry into new markets. 

But what is multilingual PPC? How can you implement it successfully? And what are the benefits of multilingual PPC campaigns for your business?

Keep reading to find out!

What is multilingual PPC?

Multilingual PPC is a paid search advertising campaign tailored specifically to match the cultural characteristics of a foreign target audience. 

This includes creating ads in multiple languages based on the target audience’s native language, cultural background, and location. 

The ads’ content (text, graphics, etc.) should be tailored to the target market’s preferences to increase users’ likelihood of engaging with your brand. 

When done right, multilingual PPC advertising campaigns can help you grow your brand’s presence abroad and establish a strong brand identity! 

What are the benefits of multilingual PPC?

Multilingual PPC marketing can have numerous benefits for your business!

  • It can capture online users who are actively looking for a product/service and are ready to purchase.
  • Speaking the language of your target audience can boost users’ engagement with your brand.
  • It is a powerful marketing tool that can boost your global presence.
  • Creating PPC campaigns in the language of your target audience can enhance their relevance and effectiveness.
  • It can help you reach bilingual audiences more easily.
  • Foreign users will be able to find your business online more easily.
  • The visibility of your multilingual website can be increased.

How can you do it right?

Multilingual PPC has many benefits, but you may also face some challenges along the way. 

To overcome them and ensure you launch an effective multilingual PPC campaign, there are certain helpful practices you can implement. 

Let’s explore them!

#1 Understand the needs and preferences of your target market

You may know your country’s local market well, but what about the foreign markets you want to target?

Conducting thorough market research is essential to understanding your target audience’s needs and preferences.

It can help you tailor your search ads to the target market’s needs, making them more effective!

#2 Choose the right search engines

Google may be the big player in most countries, but that’s not the case for every region.

For example, Yandex is particularly popular in Russia and Baidu is China’s leading international search engine. 

Research search engines’ popularity in the regions you want to target to ensure your multilingual PPC campaign reaches your target audience on the most used search engines!

#3 Conduct multilingual keyword research

Thorough keyword research is one of the most important parts of a successful multilingual campaign!

Users in every country use different keywords and terms to search online. So, directly translating your local target keywords is not a good idea. 

Direct translation isn’t effective, as many words have different meanings in different languages. Translating local keywords literally can result in irrelevant target keywords, making your ads irrelevant.

Opting for marketing translation is your best bet! 

With the help of a professional translator or a localization tool, you can ensure your keywords are localized and avoid translation errors that can harm your campaign. 

#4 Use different types of keywords

After conducting multilingual keyword research, you will end up with many local keywords. How do you know which you should use?

First, sort the keywords, choosing the most relevant to your brand and users’ search intent. Then, pick the keywords that are most likely to drive conversions, including:

  • Exact match keywords
  • Brand-specific keywords (keywords that contain the name of your brand)
  • Broad match keywords 
  • Long-tail keywords

To enrich your target keyword list, you can also check the search queries your competitors use! 

#5 Don’t use direct translation to translate your ads

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in multilingual PPC campaigns is to translate your paid search ads directly. 

As we mentioned earlier, direct translation can lead to irrelevant, low-quality content, which may cause the target audience to distrust your brand. 

High-quality translation and culturally relevant content are key to successful paid ad campaigns. Therefore, localizing the content of your PPC campaigns and customizing your brand’s message to match the cultural preferences of your target audience is essential!

#6 Invest in quality content

Taking your English text and running it through Google Translate is not advisable!

That’s because Google Translate will translate your content literally without localizing it. 

Poorly translated content could be perceived by online users as a lack of professionalism and authority. This can eventually turn potential customers away from your brand, negatively impacting your localization efforts and international marketing strategy

Therefore, investing in high-quality, culturally appropriate, compelling ad copy can help you engage with your target audience and gain their trust.

#7 Check legal requirements

Each country has different legal requirements and restrictions regarding PPC advertising.

Checking search engine local regulations is a non-negotiable for creating effective advertising campaigns that won’t be banned in your target regions.

If needed, you can consult experts who are familiar with local legal requirements to ensure your multilingual paid search campaigns comply with regulations across different countries.

#8 Match your ads with localized landing pages

If a user clicks on your ad and lands on a page that’s not in their native language, they will most likely leave the page.

So, creating high-quality localized PPC ads and using the right target keywords is not enough. You should also match your ads with relevant and localized landing pages.

We’ve talked about the importance of localized content before. However, matching a localized website page with a great PPC ad is one of the deciding factors of a successful paid ads campaign!

So, before starting your multilingual PPC campaign, you should create a multilingual website with culturally relevant content!

#9 Monitor and assess your multilingual paid search campaigns

Before your PPC advertising campaigns start running, you should set up conversion tracking to understand how your target audience interacts with them!

Setting up conversion tracking for each of your PPC campaigns can help you monitor conversions, and assess and analyze data.

Then, you can use these insights to optimize your multilingual campaigns for every language and adjust them based on your target audience’s behavior.

How can Transifex help you with multilingual PPC campaigns?

Are you ready to leverage the power of multilingual PPC, reaching audiences in every part of the world?

Transifex streamlines the localization process, ensuring your multilingual PPC campaigns resonate with global audiences.

Our platform empowers you to efficiently translate and adapt your ad copy, keywords, and landing pages, while maintaining your brand’s message across markets.

With Transifex’s AI-powered capabilities, you can confidently launch targeted campaigns that drive engagement and conversions, maximizing your international reach.

Start your free trial today and unlock the full potential of your multilingual PPC strategy!

FAQs

What does PPC stand for?

PPC stands for pay-per-click. It refers to paid search ads where advertisers pay a fee every time a user clicks on their ad.

What is international PPC?

International PPC is a marketing strategy that lets businesses reach global markets using paid search ads that appear at the top of search results. The ads appear when users search using certain target keywords or phrases.

Is Google Ads (formerly known as Google Adwords) the only PPC advertising option?

No, you can also use PPC ads on other search engines, including Bing, Yandex, and Baidu.

What is multilingual content?

Multilingual content is content available in more than one language. It helps brands engage with their foreign customers, expanding their global presence.

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Chris Tsolakis
Chris is a B2B & B2C Digital Content Manager and versatile copywriter. Based in Amsterdam, he has helped Tech companies shape and implement multichannel marketing campaigns across earned and owned media.
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