The holidays are getting closer and closer. Christmas time is near, and it's up to you to set up everything you can to really stand out. Namely, most people actually shop during the holidays – they get gifts, they treat themselves, they splurge. It’s also the time when paycheck bonuses come in, giving them extra funds and resources to spend. And this is where you come in.
Namely, in the world of eCommerce, you need to market yourself properly, especially during the holidays. You want as big a piece of that pie as you can get. This is why doubling your marketing efforts at this time of year are paramount. But it's not enough to simply invest more in marketing and SEO. No, you need to rethink it. You need to adapt your search engine optimization for the holidays specifically.
Set up Discounts
In order to attract more customers and get Google’s Algorithms fired up, set up some holiday discounts. This is not even an option, honestly, since everybody is doing it. With no discounts, you won't be able to make any money at all.
With that now out of the way, you should, of course, get the basics of SEO down. However, for the holidays, set up your keywords and SEO in a manner that really focuses on and emphasizes these same discounts. So, predicting that people will type “black Friday sale” and putting a keyword like that somewhere is a must. And, of course, actually set up a black Friday sale.
Optimize and Update
What many eCommerce companies fail to take into account is the actual updating of their SEO. Proper SEO companies, like GWM, actually emphasize just how fluid keywords and SEO can be and just how important adaptation is.
Here is what we mean by this. Look at the current state of your SEO efforts. Is everything optimized, set out exactly as it should be? Well, the holidays are an excellent example of just how much things like this change. Namely, the point of keywords (well, one of them) is for you to predict what somebody will type into a search engine. A consumer wants something and will look for it. Now, doesn’t it stand to reason that what they type and search for may change depending on the seasons? For this reasons, rework your meta descriptions, change up the keywords and title tags.
This very foundational SEO advice and structure is probably the most important part. What's the point of having a “summer swimwear discount” keyword phrase in the middle of December? Practice due diligence, and stay through.
Links, Links, Links
In order to increase your Google rankings, you need to build and create authority and relevance. Think of it as creating a reputation with Google algorithms. And no matter your budget, big or small, you need to invest in proper link building. So, having some promotion through cross-linking will do you good. And these should be adapted to the holidays as well.
Link to other holiday adapted websites and blogs. Share and place links on your company’s and product’s websites. Have these links lead to relevant and authoritative websites. Again, you should check and see whether they actually changing things up for the holidays – otherwise, you won't get as much use of them as you could.
Remember to utilize social media as well. Set up links on your social media pages, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Spread the word out that you are offering special deals for the holidays.
Clean up Your Website
Sprucing up your website a little will really get you some results. Set up a nice holiday theme around there, see that things are festive and jolly. But, more importantly, check if there are any struggling pages.
Fixing one poorly set up page is much easier than perfecting a pretty good one. It will boost your rankings to the same degree but will necessitate a far smaller investment of money and time. So, use your analytics tools, and see which pages and keywords are causing you problems. Check your ranking, your visits, conversation, and impressions, and then see what is causing trouble.
If you can, integrate live chat here. Have the customers talk about what they want, what they would like to see change, and what they are really thrilled about. It also gives room for your customers to get assistance immediately, to get help if they are facing any issues.
Timing Is Everything
One of the more important aspects of your holiday SEO efforts is timing everything just right. What we mean by this is that in order to get maximum results, you need to know when to adapt everything. Indeed, there is no point of changing up your entire SEO system and structure if you do it too late or too early. You are looking for this sweet spot, this golden point where you will have maximum effectiveness with your new holiday-based system, while still not losing the benefits of the standard system.
The best time to do this is around 4 weeks before the holiday you are targeting begins. The reasons behind this are that it gives people ample time to actually check out what you are offering. Google’s algorithms need time to get everything set up, and then you need to leave the potential customers with some time to actually notice you exist.
There you have it folks, a couple of easy ways you can improve your SEO. The holidays are coming, and you need to get your A game on if you want to really make an impression on your customers. It’s all about competition and standing out.
So, try to time everything properly. At least four weeks should do it. Then, adapt everything for the holidays properly, see what you can do with your links and keywords, and focus. Spruce up old pages, update your keywords, and you are good to go.
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Nick is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged on projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business, and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does Audio/Video editing as a hobby.
