“Same procedure as every year, James.” This year Miss Sophie would have to accept a few changes due to the current living conditions and so do we in online marketing and the pre-Christmas period. However, this is exactly where there is great potential for anyone who is well prepared. As? We from the SEOrch heroes will tell you below in our 10 SEO tips for the grand finale of a turbulent and definitely different year from everyone else. “Is everybody here?” Then check your warehouse again to avoid running empty during the phase with the highest sales and then you can start implementing SEO tip.
Table of Contents
SEO Tip # 1 – Analysis of the last few years
Due to the new circumstances, online purchases have already risen sharply this year and the trend will most likely continue around Christmas time. According to a survey by Rakuten, 68% of Germans want to do their Christmas shopping online this year and the majority want to spend about the same amount, if not increase their budget 1 . In addition to the increase, an earlier start is expected.
So the first step is to see what has happened to you in online marketing over the past few years. Use the evaluations from Google Ads and Google Analytics . Which products were particularly popular? What was the strategy like in recent years? Where were the costs too high? Hence our SEO tip: A look at past efforts helps to find out which measures you should optimize and which you should rather do without this Christmas.
SEO Tip 2 # – Look right and left
This year everything is different. And this year everyone is doing something different. November 27th is Black Friday – THE shopping day of the year. This year this will most likely not only be accompanied by Cyber Monday. It can be assumed that the popular shopping days will expand to a Black November. Hence our SEO tip: Keep an eye on the competition in order to react flexibly to the start of the Christmas Seasons and be there with your offers right from the start.
SEO Tip # 3: Promote special offers through Google Shopping
With the so-called merchant promotions in the Google Shopping ads, you can efficiently advertise certain offers. Discount campaigns, special offers, gifts and free shipping are suitable. The ad extension of your Google Ads works at no additional cost and you can stand out from the competition and encourage users to buy from your online shop with an attractive Christmas discount. How it works? We would be happy to show you at Stolen and Butter Cookies.
SEO tip # 4 – 3,2,1… mine, yours, ours
Let potential customers know in the advertising copy of the Search campaign that you have a special Christmas promotion or discounts ready. If it is a time-limited offer, as is the case for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, implement a text countdown in your ads. The same applies to the responsive and dynamic Search ads. Our SEO tip: A time limit creates a feeling of urgency. As a result, customers can make a purchase more quickly.
SEO Tip # 5 – Expand Your Ads
Ads in the Google Ads account must of course always be optimized and adapted to current occasions and the Season’s, including at Christmas time. You also have various options for adding ad extensions.
- Point out specially set up landing pages for bargain promotions in the sitelinks .
- In the offer extensions, indicate what kind of special offer it is, for example Black Friday deal or Christmas pre-sale.
- Communicate the amount of discounts. If, for example, there is a product with a high discount in your selection of articles for the promotion, use the phrase “up to 80% discount”.
Our SEO tip: When the promotion is over, remember to remove the ad extension.
SEO Tip # 6 – Make It Dynamic
With your dynamic SEOrch ads, don’t forget to start an analysis of the SEOrch queries in order to plan the AdWords campaigns optimally. Our SEO tip: The following keywords can help around Black Friday and the Christmas SEOson:
- Black Friday (2020)
- Cyber Monday (2020)
- Gift idea
- Christmas presents
- Offer / s (for Christmas)
- Idea for Christmas
- Coupons
- Gift / s
If you use keywords that relate to a holiday, it makes sense to create your own holiday campaign to keep track of things. An example would be “Christmas presents for mom”.
SEO Tip # 7 – Pick up your customers
Use specific remarketing banners for the shopping and holiday Seasons to support customers in making a purchase decision at the right moment with the right message. Always align your measures as precisely as possible to the target group and see what behavior potential new customers display so that they can be correctly classified.
A special SEO tip: In order to avoid addressing a so-called “negative buyer persona”, you can analyze this using Google Ads and Analytics and exclude it for SEOrch ads in the remarketing lists and target groups in Analytics of the respective remarketing campaign. A negative buyer persona is a person who, because of their behavior, should not be addressed by you as a company.
SEO Tip # 8 – Know Your Christmas Audiences
Align your advertising measures and offers as specific to target groups as possible in order to increase sales. Also, broaden your view of any new target groups. The 50+ generation in particular is at the forefront this year when it comes to online shopping. One advantage of the target group is the high purchasing power compared to Generation Z. Suitable advertising also works well on the Silver Surfers. Our SEO tip: Plan to address the individual target groups in a targeted manner this year and use the potential that may be newly gained directly for a good start into the new year.
SEO Tip # 9 – Before Christmas is after Christmas
The second peak can be expected after the holidays. Around 26% of Germans like to give away vouchers for Christmas and 22% even give cash 2 . Of course, you want to shop with both immediately after the holidays. Hence our SEO tip: Keep your advertising budget higher for around three to four weeks after Christmas, because even now a significant increase in sales is possible with the right measures. You definitely shouldn’t miss this.
SEO Tip # 10: Let’s start the new rocket year!
If you prepare properly for Black Friday and the Christmas business, you will benefit, for example, with the Black Friday remarketing lists for the campaigns for the next year. In this way, you can use remarketing to direct offers to customers who you really want to address. You can also use Analytics remarketing lists to win new customers with other offers.
Conclusion: Use our SEO tips
With our SEO tips, we have already given you 10 small Christmas presents. Which of these you unpack is entirely up to you. We would be happy to see together what is really worthwhile for your online marketing during Black Week and around the holidays.
In addition to optimizing and creating Google Ads, always keep in mind to use other channels for holistic advertising measures. This is the only way to make the most of the Christmas SEOson and noticeably increase sales. And this year offers a lot of potential. With us you will be in the right sled.
