Running paid search around Christmas is a great strategy to boost site traffic and encourage sales, even when started at the very last minute. The ability to start PPC late in the season and get real-time data to use in decision-making sets it apart from many other marketing channels. So if you’re going to run PPC leading up to and after Christmas, here are some actionable tips to help you get the most of the remaining holiday shopping season:
Settings
1. Install and test conversion tracking to ensure data accuracy
2. Bump up your ad budget to avoid missing out on clicks
Keywords
3. Bid on your competitors’ branded terms to capitalize on the popularity they’ve been building all season
4. Use gift-related terms like “gifts for runners” to get your ads in front of undecided shoppers
5. Add keyword variations, typos and misspellings to compete on the types of terms that frenzied last-minute shoppers might enter into a search bar
6. Mine search queries to find ideas to expand your keyword list (this is often contains trending terms that you may not have been able to predict)
Ads
7. Promote your seasonal promotions with memorable coupon codes like “HOHOHO” or “Xmas15”
8. Write ads with fun holiday flair to get searchers excited about shopping
9. Include current shipping info so that shoppers know when they need to place their orders by to receive products in time for Christmas
10. Customize ads with an automated Christmas countdown (for more information on how to set-up this cool new feature visit Google’s help article)
11. Test different landing pages to determine which ones convert best
Bonus Tip!
Keep in mind that you can keep your PPC running after the holidays to capture traffic from searchers who received money for Christmas and are subsequently headed online to do go shopping over the course of the next few weeks. This audience is often neglected by online advertisers, which means that competition will be reduced after Christmas and you may be able to come away with a really positive ROI despite having gotten a late start!
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
1. Install and test conversion tracking to ensure data accuracy
2. Bump up your ad budget to avoid missing out on clicks
Keywords
3. Bid on your competitors’ branded terms to capitalize on the popularity they’ve been building all season
4. Use gift-related terms like “gifts for runners” to get your ads in front of undecided shoppers
5. Add keyword variations, typos and misspellings to compete on the types of terms that frenzied last-minute shoppers might enter into a search bar
6. Mine search queries to find ideas to expand your keyword list (this is often contains trending terms that you may not have been able to predict)
Ads
7. Promote your seasonal promotions with memorable coupon codes like “HOHOHO” or “Xmas15”
8. Write ads with fun holiday flair to get searchers excited about shopping
9. Include current shipping info so that shoppers know when they need to place their orders by to receive products in time for Christmas
10. Customize ads with an automated Christmas countdown (for more information on how to set-up this cool new feature visit Google’s help article)
11. Test different landing pages to determine which ones convert best
Bonus Tip!
Keep in mind that you can keep your PPC running after the holidays to capture traffic from searchers who received money for Christmas and are subsequently headed online to do go shopping over the course of the next few weeks. This audience is often neglected by online advertisers, which means that competition will be reduced after Christmas and you may be able to come away with a really positive ROI despite having gotten a late start!
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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