14 Feb 2024
- 18 Nov 2015
- 4 Min read
How to get your PPC campaign in shape for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday has earned some notoriety. We’ve all seen the videos of overenthusiastic shoppers stampeding into stores and playing tug-of-war over the biggest bargains. This year, Friday 27 November will see retail businesses up and down the land slashing prices on many of their must-have products both in-store and online, as they aim for maximum profit from one of the year’s biggest retail days.
Experts have predicted that Black Friday 2015 will become the UK’s first ever £1bn shopping day, and there are more retailers than ever looking to take advantage of shoppers’ interest in grabbing a good deal. The bargains don’t end on Black Friday though, with the following Monday (30 November) being known as Cyber Monday, as online retailers continue to drive down the prices for consumers.
One of the most effective ways of increasing web traffic to your business on Black Friday and Cyber Monday is through a well-coordinated PPC search campaign, and you can make sure yours is up there with the best through adept use of Google AdWords. With less than two weeks to go before the big weekend, we look at some ways you can make use of AdWords to capitalise on your website’s search potential.
Keywords
People will be searching for those Black Friday bargains, so nailing down your keywords is very important. Use AdWords to find the phrases that people will be searching for that will benefit your business. These might be the popular products you are offering discounts on, or contextual keywords like ‘Black Friday deals’ or ‘Cyber Monday deals’. Make sure you have a budget in place that will not overstretch your finances, but will allow you to run a good campaign. You can amend your keyword budget if you begin to see increased sales. Don’t forget to include pre-purchase keywords such as ‘gift ideas’, ‘gifts for him’, and ‘gifts for her’ in your budget, as these see a huge spike in the run-up to Black Friday.
Ad copy
Thinking about what your advert will say is also significant in the run-up to Black Friday. As almost everyone will be offering huge discounts, little details can often be the clincher. For example, if you are able to offer free delivery on your product, make sure you shout about it in your advert. Other details you can use to promote your ad can include stock availability, free returns, and next-day delivery.
Bids
As the scramble for bargains intensifies, you must be prepared to micromanage your bid amounts on a very regular basis to stay one step ahead of rival retailers. Keep your product margins at the forefront of your mind, and be sure to closely monitor your Impression Share and Average Position. If you find you are turning a profit on Ad Spend with low Impression Share, don’t be afraid to increase your bids for more auction wins and more business. Don’t forget that there is a strong chance that your direct competitors will also be doing the same.
Ad extensions
Ad extensions can play an incredibly useful role in your Black Friday PPC campaign. You will need to update your current extensions if you haven’t already, and if you don’t usually use them, you definitely should. Here are four ad extensions that can give your business the edge over your competitors:
Sitelinks
Sitelinks can instantly guide a potential customer to the area of your website they want to be in. Don’t use the same generic links for each advert: customise them for each of your Ad Groups. If your Ad Groups are category-level keywords, use popular items from that category, and if they are product level, use similar products. With product bundle deals, include the other items in the bundle.
Callouts
Use your unique selling points to draw the customer to your advert. These could be re-emphasised points from your Ad Copy or points that you have not mentioned.
Location
Remember those videos of rampant shoppers grabbing bargains? That is evidence that Black Friday takes place as much in-store as it does online. There are people who will use Google to find places that sell the product they are looking for while they are on the high street, or who go online to compare prices while standing in a shop. The location extension can be used to let people know where they need to go to get the bargains you are offering.
Phone numbers
Many shoppers still like to call stores to see if you have something in stock, or whether they can pick it up in person from one of your branches. If you have the infrastructure to deal with a higher level of customer service calls, a phone number in your ad can seriously enhance your credibility.
If you would like to boost your business’s PPC campaign, Glass Digital’s digital partner Biddible can help. To arrange a free audit for your website, give them a call on 0191 406 2553 or email info@biddible.co.uk.
