Think Locally, Act Globally: How to Internationalize Your Paid Search.

2008 Jun 2nd

Ceilings. Peaks. However you refer to it, given enough time, testing and resources there is an inevitable limit to your domestic reach. Expanding to foreign markets provides many benefits although this discussion is more about the “How” rather than the “Why”. Although the world is shrinking, crossing international borders can still be an intimidating venture to smaller advertisers for a number of reasons. For shopping-cart oriented sites there are shipping and currency concerns. For others there are additional challenges including breaking down language barriers including translating site content, whitepapers, case studies, etc. But after resolving those issues and dissolving your personal borders it’s time to go global with the help of these friendly tips.

Tip #1: Think Locally

Engaging in paid search in Tbilisi, Georgia is no different than advertising your business in Atlanta, Georgia. The point being that in order to reach your intended audience your message should be crafted in a manner that connects. If your intention is to target non-English markets look to partner with a translation vendor with demonstrated paid search understanding. Our partner has an incredible international presence and we work closely with them to create localized messages that target appropriately. Also, it’s important that they have paid search experience due to the simple fact of character limitations and other ad creation guidelines.

Tip #2: Act Globally (Choose wisely!)

For larger organizations which have centralized paid search campaign management but a decentralized regional structure, you should engage with individual country managers to help with how your product/service is positioned. For advertisers starting from scratch, you have a few options. First, you can only target traffic using English-only ads. Starting out in predominately English speaking countries is a great way to put a toe in the water. Also, do some legwork and identify the engines and countries that most closely align to your campaign goals. While Google is a behemoth in the United States, their reach isn’t as internationally monopolistic you may think.

Tip #3: Paid Search is Fundamental

Finally, always keep in mind that while your paid search environment may change due to increased or decreased competition, language and impression inventory factors there are bedrock principles that know no borders. Proper campaign structure, keyword research, ad/landing page testing, ROAS analysis and other proven techniques are essential no matter what your geo-targeted settings. Remember, those were the principles that led to reaching your domestic peak and exploring foreign markets in the first place!

So don’t be intimidated. Learn from your mistakes (quickly if possible!) and before you know it you’ll be bumping into newer, higher ceilings wondering how to more effectively connect with women 18-35 in France and determining the best strategy to enter emerging markets in the Pacific Rim.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 2:31 pm and is filed under Paid Search, SEM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.