The holiday season inspires shoppers to spend more on gifts, travel and memorable experiences. This seasonal surge leads to heightened search activity as consumers hunt for deals, discounts and last-minute purchases.
Seasonal PPC campaigns allow businesses to meet this demand head-on by offering highly targeted ads that appear at the right moments.
In this holiday PPC advertising management blog, we’ll cover the essentials: what seasonal PPC is, why you need to manage it effectively and the key metrics to track for success.
• What Is Seasonal PPC?
• Why Seasonal PPC Advertising Management Matters
• 6 Seasonal PPC Advertising Tips
• Seasonal PPC Metrics To Track
| 1. Adjust Your Budget 2. Revamp Your Creatives 3. Craft Limited-Time Offers 4. Tailor Your Copy 5. Segment Your Audience 6. Optimize Your Landing Page |
What Is Seasonal PPC?
Seasonal PPC refers to paid advertising campaigns designed to capitalize on peak shopping periods during specific seasons or holidays.
Businesses align their PPC strategies with consumer behavior that fluctuates throughout the year, typically around holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and other seasonal events.
These campaigns are built to capture the surge in demand for certain products or services during these key times with higher visibility.
When it comes to seasonal PPC, you want to stay ahead.
“Starting early and being prepared gives you enough time to get your message in front of your audience for a longer time range, helping your business be top of mind in your prospects when they are ready to take action,” said Aleesha Qureshi, Thrive’s paid media manager.
Why Seasonal PPC Advertising Management Matters
Beyond shopping holidays, seasonality also affects non-retail sectors, such as travel or tax preparation, meaning nearly every industry can benefit from a well-timed PPC strategy.
Here are some seasonal marketing statistics:
• In early October 2023, 58% of consumers said they planned their shopping in advance, particularly around major sales days.
• From October 2023 to January 2024, nearly 75% of purchases were researched, with about a quarter of shoppers conducting “a lot of research” before buying.
• 59% of holiday shoppers already know what gifts they’ll be buying by December.
• 75% of holiday shoppers stay alert for promotions throughout the season.
• In the first two months of 2024, over 40% of shopping searches on Google included a specific brand or retailer name.
These statistics reveal key opportunities for businesses to leverage seasonal PPC ads for capturing early consumer attention, facilitating product research and promoting brand visibility during peak shopping times.
“One of the top benefits of seasonal PPC is being able to instantly reach your target customers with a variety of goals, like increasing site traffic or conversions that best suit your business,” Qureshi said.
📗 Related read: 30 Key Social Shopping Statistics You Need To Know
6 Seasonal PPC Advertising Tips
As the holiday shopping frenzy approaches, now is the time to fine-tune your PPC strategy to capture the attention of eager shoppers. Seasonal PPC advertising aims to maximize your reach and engagement during these peak shopping periods, putting your brand front and center when it matters most.
Here are some holiday PPC advertising tips to help you make the most of this bustling season:
1. Adjust Your Budget
Seasonal periods bring a surge in search activity and customer interest, which means more competition for ad space.
If your PPC budget remains static, you miss out on prime opportunities as competitors outbid you for top positions in search results.
A well-timed budget increase ensures that your ads remain visible, especially during high-traffic periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday or the lead-up to Christmas.
It’s essential to allocate more budget to high-converting keywords and adjust your daily spending limits. However, don’t just increase your budget blindly.
Use historical data to identify the peak days and times when your target audience is most active. Tools like Google Ads’ seasonal bid adjustments can help you optimize your bids without manual interference.
2. Revamp Your Creatives
Ad creatives play a vital role in capturing attention, especially during crowded holiday periods when consumers are bombarded with marketing messages and offers. Stand out by revamping your ads to reflect the festive season.
Update your imagery, colors and design elements to resonate with the time of year.
For instance, incorporate holiday-specific visuals like snowflakes, gift boxes or festive colors (reds, greens, golds) to evoke a sense of celebration and urgency.
Some even change their profile pictures on social media. Ultimately, consistency is key.
Example of social media ad: Dilmah Tea
Ensure your creative elements match the landing pages they link to, offering a cohesive experience from ad to checkout. Don’t forget to keep your designs mobile-friendly, as many shoppers browse and purchase on their smartphones during seasonal events.
3. Craft Limited-Time Offers
Nothing sparks urgency like a limited-time offer, especially during the holiday season when consumers are actively searching for the best deals. Use your holiday PPC campaigns to promote flash sales, exclusive discounts or “limited stock” offers that encourage immediate action.
Phrases like “Only available today,” “Limited-time offer,” or “Ends soon” can trigger a fear of missing out (FOMO) that motivates consumers to purchase.
Make sure your promotions are evidently time-sensitive, with visible countdowns or end dates where applicable. Pairing limited-time offers with targeted ads during peak shopping days (like 24-hour flash sales) can drive higher conversions.
You can also engage in SMS marketing to ramp up your marketing efforts.
📗 Related read: How To Use SMS Marketing This Holiday Season To Grow Your Business
4. Tailor Your Copy
Your ad copy should speak directly to the mindset of holiday shoppers, creating an emotional connection and reinforcing urgency. This is your chance to get creative with wording that aligns with the festive season and buyer intent.
Phrases such as “Perfect gifts for your loved ones,” “Holiday discounts up to 50%,” or “Get it before it’s gone!” tap into seasonal emotions and buying triggers.
Be sure to A/B test various copy versions to see what resonates best with your audience.
Adjusting your messaging based on real-time feedback helps optimize performance. Make the tone of your ad both festive and actionable, pushing users toward a quick decision.
If you’re selling products on Amazon, you can check out the platform’s features for seamless split testing.
📗 Related read: Amazon PPC: Everything You Need To Know
5. Segment Your Audience
Audience segmentation is just as essential for seasonal PPC campaigns to ensure your ads are reaching the right people.
Segment your audience based on behavior, interests, location and purchasing history to personalize your messaging and target specific consumer needs.
For example, retargeting past visitors or frequent buyers with exclusive holiday offers can increase conversion rates, as they’re more likely to purchase from a brand they already trust.
You can also tailor your ads for different segments. For instance, new customers might respond better to Google PPC ads showcasing “first-time buyer discounts,” while returning customers could be targeted with “exclusive loyalty rewards.”
Segmenting by location can also help deliver seasonal PPC ads that reflect local holiday traditions or shipping timelines, making your campaigns even more relevant.
6. Optimize Your Landing Page
With the anticipated surge in clicks and traffic during the holiday season, it’s important to ensure your landing pages are ready to handle the influx. A poorly optimized landing page can lead to slow load times or even crashes, causing potential customers to leave before they can even see your offer.
Make sure your landing pages are mobile-friendly, load quickly and provide a seamless user experience. Use clear calls to action (CTAs) and relevant content that matches your ad messaging.
By preparing your landing page for increased traffic, you can maximize conversions and make the most of your holiday PPC efforts.
📗 Related read: How To Write Landing Page Copy That Converts
By focusing on these areas, you can create a powerful seasonal PPC ad management strategy that maximizes engagement, boosts conversions and delivers a strong return on investment.
Lastly, you want to track results. Qureshi said that results are only trackable if conversion tracking is set up, so you see how PPC directly brought in results.
10 Seasonal PPC Metrics To Track
Implementing seasonal PPC strategies is just the first step to maximizing your holiday ad performance. The next step is assessing how effective they are. To do this, you’ll need to track and measure some key PPC metrics.
Here are some of the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine the effectiveness of your efforts and optimize your holiday PPC campaign management:
1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR measures how effectively your ads attract clicks based on the number of impressions they receive. A high CTR during holiday campaigns suggests that your ad copy, visuals and offers resonate well with your audience.
With so much competition during peak times, it’s important for your ad to stand out. If you notice a lower-than-expected CTR, it might indicate that your ad isn’t as appealing as your competitors’ seasonal promotions.
2. Conversion Rate (CVR)
Conversion rate is a vital PPC metric because it reflects how many clicks lead to a sale or a desired action, like signing up for a newsletter or downloading a guide.
The holiday season often attracts a wave of impulse buyers, so monitoring your conversion rate helps you capitalize on that urgency. You can also tweak your strategy to drive more actual sales during this busy time.
3. Cost Per Click (CPC)
CPC is how much you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This metric is especially important during seasonal campaigns, as competition can drive costs up.
Just because traffic is high doesn’t guarantee a good return. By tracking CPC, you ensure you’re not overspending on ads during peak times without seeing a worthwhile return on your investment.
4. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
CPA measures the cost of acquiring a customer or driving a conversion. A high CPA might signal that you’re spending too much on ads relative to the returns, while a lower CPA suggests your campaign is running efficiently.
If your CPA starts creeping up, especially during competitive holiday seasons, it may be time to revisit your targeting, bidding or offers to ensure you’re getting the most value for your investment.
5. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
ROAS indicates the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. This metric is central during holiday campaigns, as it directly reflects the success of your PPC efforts. A solid ROAS not only shows that your campaign is profitable but also helps evaluate the overall effectiveness of your advertising strategy.
Ad spending generally increases during the holiday season, so keeping a positive ROAS is essential. It ensures that your marketing dollars are spent thoughtfully to drive profitable outcomes and maximize the impact of your holiday campaigns.
6. Impression Share
Impression share measures how often your ad is shown compared to its potential based on your targeting and budget. Monitoring this metric during seasonal PPC campaigns can reveal missed opportunities if your ad isn’t appearing as frequently as it could.
Given the competitiveness of seasonal campaigns, a low impression share might mean you need to boost your bids or budget to secure more visibility when it counts.
7. Bounce Rate
Bounce rate tracks the percentage of users who click on your ad but leave the landing page without taking further action. A high bounce rate could indicate that your ad and landing page messaging don’t match up or that the page isn’t user-friendly.
During the hectic holiday shopping season, a high bounce rate may suggest that your landing page is slow, irrelevant or poorly designed. Fixing broken landing pages is key to preventing lost conversions.
8. Average Order Value (AOV)
AOV calculates the average amount spent each time a customer makes a purchase.
Keep track of AOV during seasonal campaigns to understand whether your marketing efforts are leading to larger purchases or if it’s time to adjust your strategy to encourage upsells.
The holidays are a great time to promote larger orders through bundled deals, upsells or limited-time offers. Monitoring AOV ensures you’re getting the most out of each conversion.
9. Ad Quality Score
Quality Score is Google’s rating of the relevance and quality of your ads and keywords. A higher Quality Score can result in lower CPC and better ad placement. Staying on top of this metric means your ad copy, landing pages and keywords align with what your audience is looking for.
During competitive times, having a higher Quality Score can help you win more auctions at lower costs, allowing your seasonal Google PPC ads to stretch further without sacrificing performance.
10. Top vs. Absolute Top Impression Rate
This metric indicates how often your ad appears in the top positions of search results. In the holiday season, when competition is fierce, having your ad at the top is essential for driving clicks and conversions.
Top positions generally attract the most clicks, and even slight drops in ranking during high-traffic seasonal campaigns can significantly impact your performance. Monitoring this metric helps ensure your ads remain competitive in prime positions.
By tracking these metrics closely, you can better understand your seasonal PPC campaign performance and make informed adjustments to improve efficiency and profitability during peak seasons.
’Tis the Season To Craft Effective Google PPC Ads
Seasonal PPC campaigns present opportunities to connect with consumers during their most eager shopping moments.
By syncing your ads with peak shopping times, refreshing your creatives, crafting tempting limited-time offers and fine-tuning your messaging for different audience segments, you can boost engagement and drive conversions.
Keeping an eye on key metrics like CTR, conversion rates, and ROAS will help you stay flexible and adapt to consumers’ needs in real time.
“At Thrive, we have a team of paid media experts equipped with the skill set to handle all kinds of industries and business goals,” Qureshi said.
“Our team is excellent at putting the client first, understanding their goals and creating an actionable plan that is realistic. We educate our clients along the way to ensure we are scaling towards long-term, sustainable performance.”
So, this holiday season, don’t just participate, but let your brand capitalize on seasonal PPC campaign management.
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