Thinking of Expanding Your Paid Search Campaigns Internationally? International paid search offers massive growth potential, but it also comes with real risks if approached incorrectly. Expanding beyond your home market is not just a matter of turning on new countries. It requires strategy, nuance, and local understanding to avoid costly mistakes.
Below are the key considerations, common pitfalls, and best practices to help you refine your international PPC approach.
It’s More Than Just Translation
Launching campaigns internationally is not simply about translating keywords and ads. Every market differs in meaningful ways:
Language and dialects vary widely, even within the same country
Currencies, payment methods, and user behavior differ by region
Search intent and expectations are shaped by local culture and norms
To succeed, your ads and landing pages must feel relevant and native to each audience, not just readable.
Location Nuances Matter
Geography is rarely as straightforward as it looks on a map. For example, French speakers in London or large Portuguese communities living abroad can represent significant demand.
Campaign settings should account for:
Multilingual populations within a single country
Expats searching in their native language
Users whose location, language, and currency preferences do not perfectly align
Ignoring these nuances can easily create coverage gaps and missed revenue.
Common Mistakes Marketers Make
1. A US-Centric Mindset
Assuming users everywhere behave like US consumers is a fast way to lose money. Each market has its own search habits, trust signals, price sensitivity, and conversion drivers. Localization is not optional. It is essential.
2. The “English-Only” Trap
Many companies target international users exclusively in English, even when English is not the local language. This often leads to weaker engagement and lower conversion rates.
As Nelson Mandela famously said:
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
3. Lost in Translation
Relying entirely on translation agencies or automated tools can backfire. Literal or context-free translations often miss industry nuances and local intent. Whenever possible, work with locals who understand both the language and the market, or at minimum review translations carefully.
Best Practices for Launching International PPC
Go Local, Not Just Translated
If you are unfamiliar with a market or language, involve local experts. Localization goes beyond words. It includes tone, offers, pricing psychology, and trust signals.
Start Small and Scale Smart
Begin with one market. Test, learn, refine, and only then expand. Prioritize markets based on demand and profitability, not just population size.
Testing Is Non-Negotiable
What works in one country may fail in another. Test ad messaging, offers, landing pages, and bidding strategies. Some markets are highly price-sensitive, while others respond more to brand or trust cues.
Look Beyond Population Size
A useful travel industry heuristic is to divide travel demand by population to uncover high-intent markets that are often overlooked. Also factor in country-level differences in cancellation rates, fraud risk, and average order value.
Language and Currency Preferences Matter
Experiment with language and currency targeting. For example, targeting only English speakers in the UK can exclude millions of expats searching in French, Spanish, German, or other languages.
Structure for Locals and Expats
Consider separate campaign structures for:
Local users in their home country
Expats searching from abroad in their native language
This often unlocks incremental demand with strong intent.
Set Region-Aware Goals
RoAS and CPA targets should reflect regional realities. Fraud rates, currency volatility, seasonality, and conversion behavior vary by country and should be baked into your performance targets.
Final Thoughts
International paid search can be a powerful growth lever, but only when paired with strong local knowledge and disciplined execution. By avoiding common pitfalls and applying these best practices, you can build scalable, profitable PPC programs that perform well across borders and cultures.
Global reach is powerful. Local relevance is what makes it profitable.
Featured contributor on the HubSpot
Sam Lauron Dec 14, 2023
When and How to Build International PPC Campaigns
“One-size-fits-all templates don’t work,” says Flavio Rodrigues, an SEM consultant who runs the consultancy, Digital Sardine. “There are differences in languages and dialects, currencies, user behaviors, and even payment methods,” he adds.