If you’re running a shopping campaign in a new country, it can be tricky to get the setup right. Sometimes, even with a solid campaign in one market, the new one doesn’t perform as expected. This can lead to wasted budget and frustration.
Why This Problem Matters
Launching in a new country often comes with unfamiliar search behavior, competition, and product relevance. Without proper strategy, your ads may drain your budget without generating conversions. It’s easy toFeel like you’re throwing money into the dark.
Understanding the Root Cause
What’s happening here? The main issues are often:
- Broad targeting without refinement
- Inadequate negative keyword management
- Overbidding or misaligned CPC bids
- Unclear or unfocused offer for the new market
This is why your campaign is rinsing through budget but not converting — it’s not targeting the right audience, or the bids are too high for the current market.
The Strategic Approach to Fix It
Instead of just waiting for the campaign to hit 30 conversions, take a strategic step back. Optimize your keywords, bids, and messaging first. Then, decide whether to let it run or pause and rethink.
Key steps include:
- Refine your targeting with detailed negative keywords
- Adjust bids based on market cost and competition
- Review and adapt your offers to match local preferences
- Run small, highly targeted tests before scaling up
- Use conversion data to inform your bid and budget adjustments
The goal is to create a focused, low-waste campaign that learns and adapts quickly.
Actionable Tips
- Set up daily negative keyword reviews to exclude irrelevant searches
- Start with a lower CPC bid to test market response before increasing
- Use detailed location and device targeting to narrow focus
- Monitor conversion costs closely — don’t wait until 30 conversions to act
- Test different offers or messaging tailored to the new audience
Simply put, don’t rely on waiting for enough conversions. Instead, optimize your targeting and bids first, then decide whether to scale or rethink. This quick recalibration will save budget and improve results faster.