August 11, 2022
As the Stark’s of Winterfell like to say… Winter Is Coming.
Whilst there will be no White Walkers raising the dead, when it comes to Q4 advertising, it’ll certainly feel like you’re fighting for that Throne at the top of the Google SERP amongst hundreds of competitors.
To help you get ready, our PPC Managers, Laura & Claire, have outlined several key tips they’ve found useful in years past to make quarter four pass as smoothly as possible...
The 3Ds
Know your Deals, Dates & Deadlines
The 3Ds are at the Top of our Christmas (Priority) List.
Being prepared in advance of what you’re offering, when you’ll be offering it and creating deadlines of when you’ll have everything finalised is very advantageous - it means when you move into Q4, you’ll know exactly what you’re doing and when, and can prepare well in advance.
This information can be shared with all of your teams who can prepare their workload around this, meaning they’re less stressed by preparing early and can have a more sleigh-backed Q4!
Targets & Objectives
Last Christmas, you gave me a target, but the very next day you changed it… massively.
Knowing what your targets and objectives are for Peak will be key to identifying what budgets you’ll need and creating a strategy on how you’ll implement it. If it’s a revenue focus, such as increasing revenues 20% year on year, it’s likely that you’ll need a higher budget or maybe a lower ROAS target in order to meet it.
Your marketing teams will also need this information as soon as possible - they may need to create new campaigns, prepare to reduce bidding strategies and identify new opportunities. Leaving this to the last minute may mean they don’t have the time to implement significant changes to meet your new targets.
Mobile Devices
The future of shopping - sleigh, what?!
So, objectives are set, stock levels are checked and the website is ready to go, or is it?!
With approximately 84% of UK adults owning a smartphone, it’s not hard to believe that 47% of searches are carried out on mobile devices, and this figure is steadily increasing each year.
Source: https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet
Ultimately, the way we shop online has changed. People want information and they want it fast! In recent years, online window shopping has dominated searches as consumers turn to Google for inspiration as well as purchases, and this trend is here to stay thanks to our pocket size computers.
- So what can I do to improve my chances I hear you ask? Take a look at our top tips below:
- Check your mobile site speed.
- Use responsive web design to ensure images fit all screen sizes and load in quick time.
- Consider the user experience. Simple navigation, scrolling and load time are imperative.
To check your own domain, click the link below to test your site.
Think with Google - Test my site
Budgets
Goodbye loyalty, hello opportunity.
Ok, that may sound dramatic, but, as brand loyalty is on the decline you’ve got to be in it to win it! Consumers no longer feel the need to stick with a brand they’ve used for years if they can find a better deal elsewhere. I know, shock horror!
Generic Search terms such as “green sofa” or “best skincare” are historically more expensive, but, when combined with automated bidding, this upper funnel strategy can help you attract a wider audience, while still meeting your KPIs.
And so, with budget in mind, it’s important to maintain visibility during this “pre peak” time to allow your brand to shine. Lowering budgets during the run up to peak may lead to missed opportunities, and who wants that after all your hard work preparing?!
Also, don’t be alarmed if you see conversions dip (within reason) during the pre peak, typically 2 weeks before, as this is when shoppers are likely to carry out their research ready for the peak itself.
Feeds
Feed the Google Monster (the right information)
Preparation, preparation, preparation!
That’s right - preparation is key! And this isn’t just restricted to working out what you’ll be offering over peak. For eCommerce retailers, there’s a very strong chance you’ll have a Google Feed - but how many products are disapproved or have a warning against them? Any that do either won’t be showing at all or less frequently than they possibly could. Which, over Peak can be very detrimental to your account; and very beneficial to your competitors - they’ll be getting all the traffic!
With customers being better informed and having more choice than ever, brand loyalty is quickly declining and so ensuring you’re targeting as many relevant customers as possible on Google Shopping is imperative.
Before Peak, review your feeds - if there are any issues, identify them and fix them. If there are areas for improvement, such as little product information in your titles to adding in colours, sizes and more - add it in. Make sure your product listings stand out from your competitors and get those clicks!
During Peak
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow (conversions)
As tempting as it may be to sit back when the peak arrives, don’t! This is the time to stay alert, track your performance and be ready to adjust in real time, afterall, this is when the magic happens.
Follow our tips below for a successful peak and you’ll have Q4 all wrapped up:
- Watch out for any sudden disapprovals or issues that may arise. The quicker you can resolve them, the quicker you’ll be back in those searches.
- Make the most of available annotations. These are pieces of additional information other than title, price, image and company name, that help you stand out from the crowd. Eg special offers, reviews, price drop annotations or sale annotations.
- Track your data on a regular basis as this is critical for reactive decision making.
- Keep an eye on any emerging trends and be ready to act quickly should the need arise.
- Know your numbers and have a back up plan, just in case the peak doesn't, well, peak. If the lockdown taught us anything it’s how to adapt and overcome so having a few tricks up your sleeve, such as additional discounts or promotions might just be the ticket to when it comes to getting ahead of your competitors.
You can learn more about our Paid Search services using the button below!
