Google Ads for translation agencies
measured to a confirmed job, not a click
Translation search traffic is split between one-off personal document requests and recurring B2B localization needs, two very different buyers that most accounts still target with the same campaign. We separate them, track through to a confirmed job, and run budget against what actually converts.
Why translation and localization agencies lose money today
A single campaign targeting “translation services” broadly usually mixes two very different buyers: someone needing a one-off personal document translated quickly, and a business needing an ongoing localization partner for a product or catalog. These two convert at different rates, respond to different messaging, and have very different lifetime value, and treating them as one audience underperforms what separate campaigns would deliver.
A second common gap is traffic from people searching for a free or automated translation tool rather than a paid professional service, which inflates click volume on broad keywords without ever being a realistic lead.
A third is measuring quote requests instead of confirmed, paid jobs. A quote request looks like a conversion in the ad platform, but a meaningful share never become an actual confirmed job, and without a pipeline join the campaign optimizes toward inflated numbers.
What we build
We start with the account and the conversion event. Campaigns split by language pair, document type and buyer type, so a personal document translation campaign and a B2B localization campaign each get targeting and messaging built for that specific buyer, rather than one generic structure trying to serve both.
Tracking gets rebuilt through to the confirmed-job stage, joined to your pipeline, so a keyword’s real value is visible against revenue, not click volume. Negative keywords cut free-tool and DIY-translation search traffic early, which is one of the larger wasted-spend categories in this category’s accounts.
What stays with humans
The actual quoting, translator assignment and job confirmation stay entirely with your team. We build the campaigns and the tracking to get a genuine prospect to a quote request reliably.
Price and timeline
| Package | Price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Agency runs it | from $1,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Full control, handover-ready | from $1,700 | 3 to 4 weeks |
Related
Pair this campaign with the AI agent for translation agencies so quote requests get an instant estimate any hour, or job routing automation for translation agencies to see which campaign actually produces jobs that get confirmed and delivered. See the full package breakdown on the performance marketing service page, or get a written audit plan with a fixed price.
FAQ
What does it cost to start?
Audit and launch starts at $1,000: account audit, conversion tracking through to confirmed job, campaign structure, first ad copy, and a two-week watch period. Ongoing management is $1,000 a month and up.
Why separate personal and B2B translation buyers?
A one-off personal document request, a birth certificate or diploma, converts and prices very differently from a recurring B2B localization contract, and bidding the same way for both wastes budget on whichever segment the campaign was not actually built for.
What ad budget do we need?
A realistic minimum is $1,000 to $1,500 a month per major language pair or document category for the algorithm to learn from enough conversions.
Can you filter out people looking for free or machine translation tools?
Yes, a tight negative keyword list cuts a meaningful share of clicks from people searching for a free solution who were never going to pay for professional translation.
How do you track through to a confirmed job, not just a quote request?
Conversion tracking fires on the quote request, then a pipeline join confirms when that lead actually becomes a paid, confirmed job, so campaign value reflects real revenue, not raw request count.