How to run a Google Ads campaign in Pakistan?

Why Google Ads Works Well in Pakistan

• High intent: People search with purchase intent (“price in Pakistan”, “near me”, “best in Lahore”).
• Flexible budgets: Start small, scale with ROI. Useful for SMEs and startups.
• Local focus: City-level targeting (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta).
• Fast results: Unlike SEO, PPC delivers immediate traffic with measurable conversions.
• Data-driven: Optimize by CPC, CPA, ROAS, CTR, conversion rate, and LTV.

Prerequisites and Planning

Define your goal

• Leads: calls, WhatsApp chats, form fills, quote requests.
• Sales: ecommerce checkout, add-to-cart, COD orders.
• Brand: video views, reach and frequency, Discovery engagement.

Know your audience

• Language: English, Urdu, Roman Urdu.
• Device: Mobile-first; 4G/5G usage is dominant.
• Buying behavior: COD, bank transfer, local wallets; trust signals matter.

Set success metrics

• Target CPA or CPL (e.g., Rs. X per lead) or target ROAS (e.g., 400%).
• Baseline KPIs: CTR ≥ 5% on Search, conversion rate 3–10% for lead-gen with strong intent.

Google Ads Account Setup for Pakistan

1. Create or sign in at ads.google.com.
2. Choose Expert Mode to unlock full features (Search, Display, Video, Discovery, Performance Max).
3. Set billing country as Pakistan and choose your currency carefully (PKR or USD if available). Once set, you cannot change currency on that account.
4. Add a valid payment method:
   • Credit/debit cards (Visa/Mastercard) that support international online transactions and 3‑D Secure.
   • Automatic vs. manual payments depend on availability. If your bank blocks online foreign transactions, ask them to enable or consider an agency/reseller.
5. Complete Google Ads advertiser verification when prompted. Keep national ID (CNIC), business registration (SECP), and tax information handy.

Compliance and Policy Considerations

• Prohibited/Restricted: adult content, illegal drugs, weapons, gambling, misrepresentation, and certain financial services (e.g., short-term personal loans) have strict policies.
• Healthcare, financial services, and political ads may require certifications or are limited. Always review the latest Google Ads policies.
• Local laws: Ensure your ads comply with Pakistani law (e.g., claims, pricing, and regulated industries). When in doubt, consult a legal or compliance advisor.
• No phone numbers in ad text: Use call extensions or call ads instead.

Keyword Research with Pakistani Intent

Tools

• Google Keyword Planner (inside Google Ads)
• Google Trends (compare English vs. Urdu search interest)
• Search Console (if you have an existing site)

Seed ideas

• “price in Pakistan”, “rate”, “2025 price”, “near me”, “Karachi/Lahore/Islamabad” modifiers
• Urdu and Roman Urdu: “ac repair lahore”, “mobile price in pakistan”, “آن لائن خریداری پاکستان”
• Transactional terms: buy, order online, book now, free delivery, COD

Match types

• Exact match: high intent and control, e.g., [ac repair lahore]
• Phrase match: balance reach/control, e.g., “best dermatologist karachi”
• Broad match: use with strong conversion signals and smart bidding

Negative keywords

Add negatives to filter poor intent: free, jobs, DIY, PDF, definition, used/second-hand (if not relevant).

Campaign and Ad Group Structure

Recommended structure

• Split campaigns by goal or geography: “Search – Leads – Karachi”, “Search – Leads – Lahore”.
• Create tightly themed ad groups: 5–20 keywords per ad group around one intent.
• Use at least 2–3 responsive search ads per ad group with 10–15 headlines and 4 descriptions.

Example: AC Repair in Lahore

• Campaign: Search – AC Repair – Lahore
• Ad Groups:
  • ac repair lahore
  • ac service lahore
  • split ac installation lahore
• Locations: Lahore districts or a 15–20 km radius around your service area.
• Assets: call extension, location extension, sitelinks (Pricing, Same‑day Service, WhatsApp, Reviews).

Writing Ad Copy for Pakistani Audiences

Best practices

• Include local modifiers: city names, “Pakistan”, “COD available”, “Same-day delivery in Karachi”.
• Address pain points: price, trust, warranty, after-sales service, genuine products.
• Use Urdu or Roman Urdu for broader reach; test mixed-language headlines.
• Strong CTAs: Call Now, Get a Quote, Order COD, WhatsApp Us.
• Dynamic Keyword Insertion where suitable to improve relevance.

Sample headlines (mix and match)

• AC Repair in Lahore – Same Day Service
• Mobile Price in Pakistan 2025 – Official Warranty
• Dermatologist in Karachi – Book Appointment Online
• فری ڈیلیوری | کیش آن ڈیلیوری دستیاب
• Karachi Delivery in 2–4 Hours | COD

Landing Pages That Convert in Pakistan

• Mobile-first: fast loading (under 3 seconds), compressed images, CDN.
• Trust signals: reviews, local addresses, Google Business Profile, testimonials in English/Urdu.
• Local payment cues: COD badges, bank transfer options, return policy, warranty.
• Lead-gen forms: short, WhatsApp click-to-chat button, click-to-call button with PK number.
• Clear pricing in PKR and city-specific availability.

Bidding Strategies and Budgets

Starting budgets

• Lead-gen local services: start Rs. 2,000–10,000/day per city, then scale with CPL targets.
• Ecommerce: allocate enough to reach 30–50 conversions/month per campaign for stable smart bidding.

Bidding options

• Maximize Clicks: for initial data collection on new accounts.
• Maximize Conversions: when conversion tracking is set and getting volume.
• Target CPA (tCPA): once you have 30+ conversions in 30 days.
• Target ROAS (tROAS): for ecommerce with reliable revenue tracking.

Ad Assets and Extensions

• Sitelink: Pricing, Locations, WhatsApp, Reviews, FAQs.
• Callout: Free Delivery, 24/7 Support, COD, Genuine Products, Warranty.
• Structured Snippets: Services, Brands, Categories.
• Location: Connect your Google Business Profile for map visibility.
• Call: Great for service businesses. Note: full call reporting via Google forwarding numbers may not be available in Pakistan; verify availability or use third-party call tracking.
• Lead forms: Capture leads without leaving SERP; follow data privacy best practices.
• Images: Add high-quality images to responsive search ads where eligible.

Conversion Tracking with GA4 and Google Tag

1. Install Google Tag (gtag.js) via Google Tag Manager or directly on your site.
2. Set up GA4 events: purchase, generate_lead, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, view_item, click_whatsapp, call_click.
3. Import GA4 conversions into Google Ads or set native Google Ads conversions (e.g., form submission URL, button clicks).
4. Use Enhanced Conversions to improve measurement accuracy where feasible.

Location Targeting and Scheduling for PKT

• Target by city or radius for service areas (e.g., 10–20 km around Gulberg, Lahore).
• Exclude irrelevant regions to concentrate budget on high-value locations.
• Language: Run separate campaigns for English, Urdu, Roman Urdu to test performance.
• Ad Schedule: Use Pakistan Standard Time (UTC+5); run during business hours for service leads, extend to evenings/weekends for ecommerce.
• Audience signals: Use in-market audiences (e.g., Appliances, Beauty, B2B Services) and your remarketing lists.

Best Campaign Types for Pakistan

Search Ads

Primary for high-intent leads and sales. Use exact/phrase matches for control, broad with smart bidding once data accrues.

Performance Max (Leads)

Great for lead-gen with multiple assets (text, images, video). Feed audience signals and high-quality assets; ensure robust conversion tracking.

Display and Discovery

Use for remarketing, awareness, and mid-funnel. Layer targeting and exclude placements that perform poorly. Use Urdu creatives where relevant.

YouTube (Video)

Build brand and retarget site visitors. Use skippable in-stream and bumper ads with localized creatives and Urdu captions.

Shopping Ads

Availability for paid Shopping ads varies by country and may be limited for Pakistan. If unavailable, rely on Search, Performance Max for leads, YouTube, and Discovery for ecommerce promotion.

Optimization Checklist (Weeks 1–12)

Week 1–2: Data gathering

• Check tracking integrity; verify conversions fire correctly.
• Pause glaringly irrelevant search terms; add negatives.
• Ensure ad strength is “Good” or “Excellent”.

Week 3–4: First optimizations

• Shift budget into best-performing ad groups and cities.
• Test new ad copy: add Urdu/Roman Urdu variants.
• Refine bids or switch to Max Conversions if data allows.
• Improve LP speed and add trust badges (COD, warranty, reviews).

Week 5–8: Smart bidding

• If 30+ conversions: test tCPA or tROAS with conservative targets.
• Add new audiences for observation (in-market, affinity, custom segments).
• Launch remarketing via Display/Discovery/YouTube.

Week 9–12: Scale

• Increase budgets 10–20% weekly if CPA/ROAS is stable.
• Duplicate winning geos into separate campaigns for granular control.
• Expand to adjacent keywords and related services/products.

Scaling, Remarketing, and ROAS

• Remarketing lists: 7‑day, 30‑day site visitors; cart abandoners; video viewers; WhatsApp clickers.
• Lookalike-style: Use similar audiences via your first-party data (customer lists) where available.
• LTV and offline conversions: Import offline conversions from your CRM (won deals, COD delivered orders) to train bidding.
• Attribution: Use data-driven attribution to allocate credit across touchpoints.
• Creative refresh: Update banners/videos monthly with Urdu and city cues.

Frequently Asked Questions: Google Ads in Pakistan

1) What’s the best campaign type for Pakistani SMEs?

Start with Search for high-intent leads/sales. Add Performance Max (for leads) and YouTube/Discovery for remarketing and awareness once tracking is solid.

2) Should I run ads in Urdu?

Yes, test English, Urdu, and Roman Urdu. Urdu ads often improve CTR for mass-market products and services. Always keep landing pages consistent with ad language.

3) How much should I spend?

Begin with a budget that can deliver 20–50 clicks per day in your niche. Use Keyword Planner to estimate CPCs and adjust daily. Scale if your CPA/ROAS is on target.

4) Can I track calls?

You can track clicks on call buttons as conversions. Full call reporting via Google forwarding numbers may not be available in Pakistan; consider third-party solutions.

5) Are Shopping ads available in Pakistan?

Paid Shopping ads availability is limited and may not be offered in Pakistan. Focus on Search, Performance Max (for leads), Discovery, and YouTube for ecommerce promotion.

6) How do I handle taxes and billing?

Billing options and taxes differ by account. Choose currency carefully at setup. Consult a local tax advisor regarding any applicable withholding or digital services taxes.

7) What are the most important KPIs?

For lead-gen: CPA/CPL, conversion rate, call/WhatsApp volumes, qualified lead rate. For ecommerce: ROAS, revenue, AOV, conversion rate, cart abandonment.

8) What about ad approval issues?

Ensure your ads follow Google policies (no phone numbers in ad text, no misleading claims) and local laws. If disapproved, read the policy note, fix the issue, and resubmit.