After over two decades working in SEO and paid advertising, I’ve learned this: success rarely comes from doing what everyone else is doing. One of the most overlooked, yet powerful levers you can pull in marketing isn’t just creative or budget—it’s language.
A question I get all the time is:
“Can language really impact SEO rankings and ad campaign performance?”
The short answer? Yes. And if you’re not factoring in language strategy, you could be missing your most efficient growth opportunity.
The Opportunity Most Marketers Ignore
Most advertisers default to English. It’s the most common language online, so it seems logical. But here’s the catch: that also makes it the most competitive.
When you run campaigns in English, you’re up against massive competition for keywords, placements, and attention. The cost per click is high. The cost per acquisition is even higher.
But when you shift your strategy to focus on native language markets—like Portuguese in Brazil or French in Quebec—you enter a landscape with fewer players, lower costs, and stronger audience resonance.
Let’s take a look at some real examples from my work with clients.
Real-World Case Studies: The Power of Native Language
GS1 Canada: Cutting CPA in French
GS1 Canada, a national standards organization, was running digital campaigns in both English and French. When we optimized their campaigns specifically for French-speaking audiences in Quebec, we saw a clear trend: the cost-per-acquisition dropped.
Same product. Same audience. Different language.
French speakers were being under-targeted, and the content simply felt more familiar. That cultural alignment made the messaging more effective—and less expensive.
A Toronto Restaurant Targeting Quebec
One of the more creative campaigns I’ve seen came from a French restaurant in Toronto. Instead of targeting English-speaking locals, they launched French-language ads to users in Quebec—many of whom travel to Toronto.
It worked incredibly well. The ads weren’t just promoting a meal—they were offering a taste of home. As a result, they attracted high-intent diners who were more engaged and more likely to become repeat customers.
DIGI in Brazil: Market Domination via Portuguese
DIGI, a player in the incentives and recognition industry, decided to expand into Brazil using a Portuguese-first campaign strategy. The market was nearly untapped from a performance ad perspective.
Because they spoke the local language, the brand quickly positioned itself as a leading authority, reduced their cost per lead, and reached decision-makers at scale. The key was language—it built trust and cut through the noise.
Why Language Strategy Works: The Mechanics
Let’s break down why this works—beyond the anecdotes.
1. Lower CPC and CPA
There are fewer advertisers bidding for ad space in non-English languages, which often results in significantly lower ad costs. Less competition means more affordable traffic and cheaper conversions.
2. Higher Engagement and Relevance
When users see an ad in their native language, they’re more likely to trust it, click it, and engage. This improves your quality scores, which leads to better ad placements and lower costs over time.
3. Better Audience Filtering
Language serves as a natural qualifier. A user who clicks an ad in Spanish or Portuguese is more aligned with your content, culture, and offer. That means you’re attracting the right audience, not just a broad one.
4. SEO Becomes Easier
Ranking for English keywords is brutally competitive. But foreign-language SERPs are often underserved. With quality content and a focused strategy, you can rank faster and with less backlink-building effort when targeting non-English queries.
How to Launch a Language-Based SEO and Ad Strategy
If this all sounds promising, here’s how I recommend you start.
Step 1: Find Language Gaps in Your Market
Use customer analytics, CRM data, or even location-based ad performance to identify where non-English speakers are engaging with your brand—or where they should be. Canada, Latin America, and Brazil are great places to start.
Step 2: Localize Content—Don’t Just Translate
Avoid automated tools like Google Translate. Instead, work with native-speaking copywriters who understand tone, nuance, and context. Language is emotional—it needs to sound right, not just read correctly.
Step 3: Build Language-Specific Landing Pages
Consistency is key. If your ad is in French or Spanish, your landing page should be too. A mismatch in language from ad to page breaks the trust you’ve built and leads to bounce.
Step 4: Run A/B Tests Against English Campaigns
Put your non-English campaigns head-to-head with English versions. Track CPA, ROAS, and engagement. You’ll likely find that the non-English variant outperforms in specific regions—especially if competition is low.
Step 5: Scale and Optimize
Once you find what works, double down. Build out supporting content, expand your ad sets, and create localized SEO blogs and resources to further build authority in that language space.
Recap: The Language Framework
Let’s summarize everything in a simple structure:
The Proof:
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GS1 Canada lowered CPA with French-language ads
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A Toronto restaurant won customers from Quebec with French messaging
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DIGI scaled rapidly in Brazil using Portuguese campaigns
The Promise:
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Lower ad costs
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Higher engagement
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Better SEO performance
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More qualified leads
The Plan:
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Identify underserved language markets
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Localize content authentically
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Create matching language landing pages
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A/B test against English
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Scale what performs best
Final Thoughts
English may be the default, but it’s rarely the only—or best—option. By adapting your campaigns to speak your audience’s native language, you can lower costs, improve engagement, and position your brand in markets that your competitors are ignoring.
So the next time you plan an ad or SEO campaign, ask yourself this:
“Am I speaking the right language for this audience?”
If not, that’s your opportunity.
Thanks for reading. If this helped, I’d appreciate a share or comment—and I look forward to diving into more untapped marketing strategies with you next time.
About The Author
