EN & AR in Google Ads: Separate Campaigns vs Ad Groups—and Broad vs Phrase Match (Dubai, 2025)

If you’re marketing in the UAE, you’re serving a bilingual audience that flips between English and Arabic without warning. Two questions I get daily:
(1) Should we run separate campaigns for EN & AR or split by ad group?
(2) Should we use Broad or Phrase match?

Below is a clear, Dubai-tuned answer—with examples, a simple decision tree, and a rollout plan you can ship this week.

1. EN & AR Structure: Campaign vs Ad Group

When to use separate campaigns (EN campaign + AR campaign)

Choose this for maximum control and clean reporting.

Use if:

• You need separate budgets/pacing per language (e.g., AR drives cheaper CPL; you want to scale it).

• Different landing pages per language (EN → /en/, AR → /ar/) and you want airtight language alignment.

• Different geos/areas by language (e.g., AR focuses on Sharjah + Old Dubai demand; EN skews to Marina/JLT/Business Bay).

• Different teams own the languages (copy reviews, compliance, approvals).

Action:

• Naming: SERVICE_CITY_THEME_EN and _AR (e.g., CLEAN_DXB_Core_EN, CLEAN_DXB_Core_AR).

• Duplicate assets (RSAs, sitelinks, paths) in each language—never mix languages in one ad.

• Keep shared negatives account-wide (brand-safety, job-seekers, “free”, etc.), and add language-specific negatives where needed.

When to keep one campaign and split by ad group

Choose this to simplify budgets and let bidding learn faster across both languages.

Use if:

• One shared budget is fine and you want consolidated learning.

• The offer, geo and bidding are identical in EN & AR.

• You prefer one place to manage bids and scripts.

Action:

• Ad groups: Core_EN, Core_AR, ThemeA_EN, ThemeA_AR.

• One campaign, two language clusters.

• Label ad groups (Lang: EN, Lang: AR) for reporting.

• Keep landing pages strictly matched to ad language.

Quick decision tree

• Need separate budgets/reporting? → Two campaigns.

• Same budget & offer, want simplicity? → One campaign, split by ad group.

• Unsure? Start with one campaign split by ad group; if one language outperforms, promote it to its own campaign.

2. Practical Setup for Dubai (works with the newer “All languages” behavior on Search)

Structure

• Keep Search set to All languages; enforce language via assets + landing pages, not a toggle.

• Do not mix EN and AR in one RSA. Create separate RSAs per language.

Naming & labels

• SERVICE_CITY_THEME_LANG and labels Lang: EN, Lang: AR.

• Example: CLINIC_DXB_Botox_EN / CLINIC_DXB_Botox_AR.

Landing pages

• EN ad → EN page; AR ad → AR page (no auto-redirect on first load).

• Mirror sitelinks in each language (Pricing, Areas We Serve, Book Now…/ «الأسعار» «المناطق» «احجز الآن»).

Geotargeting

• For local lead-gen, test Presence (people in your locations) to reduce tourist/intent noise.

• Use Dubai cues: AED, neighbourhood names, “same-day”.

Negatives

• Shared list (both languages): free, jobs, salary, pdf, diy, how to, course

• Arabic list (typical): مجاني, وظائف, شرح, تحميل, pdf

3. Match Types: Broad vs Phrase (and where Exact fits)

When to use Phrase match

Use for control and cleaner search terms—great for bilingual markets.

Best for:

• Constrained budgets (AED ≤ 300–500/day per campaign).

• New accounts with minimal conversion history.

• Regulated niches (medical, finance, clinics) where wording matters.

• Language bleed risk (EN queries tripping AR ads or vice versa).

How to run it:

• Build theme-tight ad groups (2–6 Phrase keywords).

• Add top Exact variants for proven money terms.

• Review search terms weekly; promote winners to Exact and add negatives fast.

When to use Broad match

Use for scale and discovery—only when your measurement is solid.

Best for:

• Robust conversion tracking (primary conversions + value, stable within 30 days).

• Smart bidding (tCPA/tROAS) with enough volume.

• Mature accounts seeking incremental reach in Dubai.

How to run it safely:

• Start with one Broad discovery ad group per language.

• Pair with exact negatives for off-topic directions (jobs, how-to, free).

• Cap themes tightly: “home cleaning”, “deep cleaning”, “apartment cleaning” as separate ad groups—not a Broad soup.

• Keep RSAs laser-aligned to the theme to preserve relevance.

The Hybrid that wins most Dubai accounts

• Exact for your top 10–20 revenue keywords (per language).

• Phrase for controlled coverage on middle-tail.

• Broad for one discovery ad group when tracking + bidding are trustworthy.

• Cull losers weekly; promote Broad/Phrase winners to Exact.

4. Examples (copy & adapt)

Home Cleaning — AED 300/day

EN ad group CLEAN_DXB_Core_EN

• Keywords: "home cleaning dubai", "deep cleaning service dubai", [home cleaning dubai]

• RSA: “Same-Day Home Cleaning Dubai | 24/7 Support | Book in 60s”

• LP: /en/home-cleaning-dubai

AR ad group CLEAN_DXB_Core_AR

• Keywords: "تنظيف منزل دبي", "خدمة تنظيف عميق دبي", [تنظيف منزل دبي]

• RSA: «تنظيف منزلي في دبي اليوم | دعم 24/7 | احجز بدقيقة»

• LP: /ar/تنظيف-منزل-في-دبي

Shared negatives: free, jobs, pdf, diy, how to, مجاني, وظائف, شرح

Clinic — tROAS / lead value model

• Campaigns: separate EN & AR (compliance + messaging control).

• Match: Phrase + Exact only until you have 50–100 quality conversions; then test a Broad discovery ad group per language.

Real Estate — high CPC control

• Structure: one campaign, EN/AR split by ad group to concentrate learning.

• Match: Phrase + Exact; add Broad only in a dedicated discovery ad group with tight negatives.

5. Rollout & Testing Plan (1 sprint)

Week 1 – Build

• Confirm structure (two campaigns vs one campaign split by ad group).

• Create language-pure RSAs, sitelinks, paths, and LPs.

• Set shared & language-specific negative lists.

Week 2 – Launch

• Start with Phrase + Exact.

• Verify conversion tracking, values, and call/WhatsApp events.

Week 3 – Expand

• Add one Broad discovery ad group per language if CPA/ROAS is stable.

• Protect with negatives; monitor search terms every 48–72h.

Week 4 – Optimise

• Promote winners to Exact; pause non-performers.

• Shift budget to the best language + theme combos.

6. FAQs

Q1: Do I need two campaigns for EN & AR?
Not always. If budgets are shared and the offer/geo are identical, one campaign split by ad group works. If you need separate pacing or stricter control, use two campaigns.

Q2: Will Broad wreck my CPL?
Only if your tracking/bidding are weak or negatives are sloppy. Run Broad in a small discovery lane; scale it when search terms look healthy.

Q3: Can I mix EN & AR in one RSA?
Avoid it. Keep each RSA single-language for clarity, CTR, and compliance.

Q4: How do I report by language without the old setting?
Use naming and labels (Lang: EN, Lang: AR) and pull asset/search-term reports by label.

Final Thoughts: Clarity Beats Guesswork

Let structure and creative carry language control, and let match types reflect your measurement reality. If you keep assets language-pure, pages aligned, and match types intentional, Dubai’s bilingual market becomes an advantage—not a headache.

Not sure where your current setup leaks? I’ll map it, fix it, and ship an import-ready plan.