Google Contextual Advertising in Ireland

Ireland is a dynamic country with a modern economy where digital technology and the internet are playing an increasingly important role in society. This opens up a wide range of opportunities for advertisers looking to reach Irish audiences.

The country has a population of 5 million people, making its market not as large compared to other European countries. However, according to InternetWorldStats, Ireland has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world at 92.4%. This means that the vast majority of locals actively use the Internet for everyday life and shopping.

In addition, the country attracts many international technology companies due to favorable tax conditions and a highly skilled workforce. Such giants as Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel and others have their European headquarters in Ireland. This contributes to the development of the digital economy and the growth of online business in the country.

IAB Ireland estimates that the online advertising market in Ireland will exceed €1 billion in 2022, showing a growth of 20% year-on-year. Contextual advertising in Ireland accounts for a significant share of this market.

Features of setting up contextual advertising in Ireland

To set up contextual advertising in Ireland, you need to understand local mores and customs, as well as audience behavior, which will allow you to create more effective advertising campaigns that will better convert into orders from local users.

Features of the target audience

Ireland is a predominantly Christian country where Catholicism is the dominant religion. However, unlike more conservative neighboring countries, religion in Ireland does not have such a strong influence on everyday life and business.

The Irish are known for their distinct sense of humor and this is reflected in their love of funny, ironic advertising creatives. When setting up advertising campaigns for this country, pay more attention to humor, you can use a funny play on words when writing ad texts. This will help to attract the attention of the audience and stand out among your competitors.

Another important trait of the locals is openness to innovation and new technologies. Ireland has become Europe’s Silicon Valley, attracting many tech startups and industry giants. Therefore, when setting up your campaign, it is important to emphasize the technological advantages of your offer, which will be the key to success.

Also take into account that Ireland is a highly educated country. Therefore, to impress local users, avoid overly obvious advertising clichés and aggressive calls to action. Instead, focus on providing useful information, highlighting unique product benefits and building trust with your audience.

Language targeting

The official languages of Ireland are Irish (Gaelic) and English. Although Irish has the status of the first official language under the constitution, English dominates everyday communication, business, education and media. It is spoken fluently by virtually the entire local population.

According to the most recent census, only about 40% of Irish people speak Irish at some level, and only a small proportion use it as their main language of communication. It is more common in some regions in the west of the country (known as the Gaeltacht), but even there the majority of residents are bilingual and fluent in English.

With this in mind, when setting up Google Ads in Ireland, use English as the primary campaign language when selecting keywords and writing ad texts. This will allow you to reach the widest possible audience across the country.

If you do decide to order bilingual customization, take into account the fact that for a PPC specialist it is tantamount to creating two separate campaigns. This will affect the cost of his work and is unlikely to pay off, as the ads will have a limited reach.

As for other languages, Ireland has small immigrant communities speaking Polish, Lithuanian, Spanish and other languages. However, these populations are relatively small and are not the primary target audience for most advertisers.

Seasonality in advertising

One of the main periods of seasonal activity for advertisers is Christmas and New Year. Many companies significantly increase their advertising budgets in the run-up to these holidays in an effort to capture consumer attention and drive sales. At this time of year, advertising campaigns often focus on gifts and holiday sales.

Another major holiday is St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). During this period, many brands use Irish symbols, green color and elements of Irish culture in their creative. This is a good opportunity for companies to emphasize their connection with Ireland and attract the attention of local audiences.

In addition, sporting events such as the Six Nations Rugby Cup, the Gaelic Games (GAA) and the FIFA World Cup play an important role in Irish life. During these events, many brands sponsor teams, advertise in stadiums and create themed campaigns to engage fans.

Allocate your contextual advertising budget according to the seasonal activity of your local audience, taking into account these important periods. This can help increase the effectiveness of campaigns and maximize the return on investment.

Geographic targeting

Ireland is a relatively small country, but even here it’s important to choose the most economically active regions when setting up geographic targeting in Google Ads. Among them:

1. Dublin. It is the capital and largest city of Ireland, with a population of over 1.2 million people in an urban agglomeration. It is a major economic, cultural and technological center where many international companies have their headquarters (Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) Be sure to include Dublin in your advertising coverage, especially if your business is related to technology, finance or services.
2. Cork. The second largest city with a population of about 210,000. It is an important port, industrial center and university city. Cork is known for its pharmaceutical and IT industries, as well as its developed tourism sector.
3. Limerick. The third largest city in Ireland, it is located in the central-western region of the country and has a population of about 100,000. It is an important industrial and university center, especially in the field of technology and innovation. Limerick is home to the National Technology Park, where many startups and technology companies are based.

If your business is related to tourism or agriculture, when setting up location targeting, add not just individual cities, but the entire South East region of the country. This includes the towns of Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. And it is home to many historic sites, castles and picturesque coastal areas.

Advertising tools

When choosing advertising tools for promotion in Ireland, it is important to take into account the specifics of the target audience, product features and campaign budget. But the most common channels here are:

• Google Ads search advertising. In particular, a relatively new format – Google Shopping – has recently gained popularity among local online store owners, allowing them to display product ads directly in organic search results.
• Performance Max (campaigns with maximum efficiency). Covers multiple advertising channels and formats (CMMS, YouTube, Gmail, etc.). Performance Max uses machine learning to optimize ad placement and maximize conversions. Irish companies are now actively adopting this tool to improve the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
• Social media. Facebook and Instagram are the most popular among the local population (especially among young people and young professionals).
• LinkedIn. It is a key platform for B2B marketing in Ireland, given the high concentration of technology companies and professionals in the country. Advertisers use LinkedIn not only to promote their products and services, but also to recruit employees and establish business contacts.
• TikTok. The Chinese platform has gained a lot of momentum in Ireland over the last couple of years. And now many local brands have started experimenting with this format to attract the attention of a younger audience and increase awareness.

What can’t be advertised in Ireland?

As in most countries, Ireland has certain restrictions and rules regarding the advertising of certain goods and services:

1. Tobacco products: There is a total ban on advertising cigarettes and other tobacco products. They cannot be promoted in the media, on billboards, in direct sales outlets or on the internet. Ireland was the first country in the world to introduce a complete ban on smoking in public places back in 2004, which shows that tobacco control is taken seriously.
2. Alcohol. Although advertising of alcoholic beverages is not completely prohibited, it is strictly regulated. For example, alcohol advertising cannot target minors, associate alcohol consumption with success or sex appeal, or encourage excessive consumption.
3. Gambling. Advertising is allowed, but with some restrictions. For example, it must not give the impression that gambling is a solution to financial problems or guarantees success. It is also prohibited to use images of minors or appeal to them in advertising, and all promoted operators or bookmakers must have a local license from the state.
4. Medical drugs and procedures. You cannot promote prescription drugs. Over-the-counter medicines can be promoted, but the texts of the ads must contain truthful information and not misleading. Also, campaigns cannot be launched to promote certain medical procedures (plastic surgery, cosmetology, etc.).
5. Political parties. Their advertising is almost completely prohibited on radio and television, except for a limited time for official pre-election programs. It is also very important to observe the period of electoral silence on the eve of polling day.

These rules are monitored by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

Cost of Google Ads contextual advertising in Ireland

The price of contextual advertising in Ireland is quite high, because it is a developed market with intense competition. However, the cost per click in Google Ads can vary significantly depending on the industry, target audience and competition for specific keywords.

According to Wordstream, the average cost per click to Google Ads in Ireland is around $1.50. However, in some highly competitive niches this figure can be significantly higher. Here are examples for some popular industries:

• Financial services and insurance – $3.50;
• Legal services – $3.20;
• Marketing and Advertising – $2.80;
• Travel and Tourism – $1.80;
• E-commerce (clothing) – $1.60;
• Real estate – $1.40;
• Beauty and Health – $1.20.

At the same time, you also need to take into account the cost of services for setting up Google Ads, which significantly affects the overall campaign budget. Thus, the services of local PPC specialists will cost much more due to the high level of salaries in the country. Therefore, to save money, you can turn to contextologists from Ukraine or other countries.

Google’s share of total search traffic in Ireland

Google dominates the Irish search engine market with a 95.53% share. This means that the vast majority of Internet users in the country prefer to use this particular search engine to search for information, goods and services.

Google’s closest competitor in the Irish market is Microsoft’s Bing, but its share is only 2.62%. Despite Microsoft’s attempts to promote its search engine, including through integration with the Windows operating system, Bing has not yet been able to significantly displace Google’s position in Ireland.

Other search engines (Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia) have even smaller local market shares (less than 1% each). This indicates that Irish users in general have little familiarity with alternative search engines or see no significant reason to avoid using Google.

This is why setting up Google Ads in Ireland is so popular among local business owners. This advertising system covers almost the entire local target audience for almost any popular niche.