Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is truly dynamic and can get the message to potential customers in a highly targeted way. One of the best opportunities for companies is seasonal campaigns, especially during holidays and special events. However, for maximum leverage from these peak times, the SEM strategies need to be fine-tuned taking into account unique consumer behaviour and the intensification of competition at such times. And this is how to fine-tune your SEM campaigns for optimum results during holidays or special events.

1. Plan Ahead and Set Clear Goals

The secret to a fruitful seasonal SEM campaign is planning in advance. Begin with identifying key holidays or events applicable to your business, like Black Friday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, or industry-specific events, such as trade shows or product launches.

Once you know what events happen during the season you are targeting, define specific, measurable goals for your SEM campaign. Are you looking to drive sales, increase website traffic, earn more conversions, or boost brand awareness? Specific goals will drive your SEM strategy and will make it much easier to measure performance at the end of the campaign.

2. Tweak Your Keyword Strategy

With seasonal periods, the behaviour of consumer search is sure to change; and so should your keywords. You should be looking for more specific terms concerning the event or holiday in question. For example, during the holidays, there are searches in terms of "best Christmas gifts for [audience]" or "Black Friday sales on electronics."

How to refine your keyword strategy:

• Seasonal keyword research: Use Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify keywords that are trending around the holiday or event.
• Use long-tail keywords: The holidays are a good season when people might be more specific in their search terms. Instead of just "shoes," they would probably type in "women's winter boots for less than $50.".
• Target location-based searches: If you have a location or provide local deals, include geo-targeted words such as "Holiday discounts in Mumbai."

3. Tailor Your Ad Copy

During holiday season, crisp and effective copy is essential to connect with your target audience. During these periods, consumers are likely looking for some deal, gifts idea, or simply a quick fix. So, your messaging needs to be clear, urgent, timely, and seasonal.

Seasonal ad copy best practices on campaign promotion:

• Limited-time offer: Such as "Hurry, limited time only!" or "Shop now for the best holiday deals!" create urgency..
• Personalise your messaging: Refer to the name of the holiday or the event, like "Shop our New Year's Sale!" or "20% Off for Valentine's Day."
• Deals and discounts: If you are offering any discounts or free shipping, highlight them in your email.
• Holiday-themed words: Use festive words, as well as visuals like "festive," "gift," and "celebrate"

Tailored ad copy will make your campaigns more relevant for your target audience and increase click-through rates (CTR).

4. Optimise Landing Pages to Convert

When running seasonal campaigns, it is important to have optimised landing pages that convert clicks into concrete business results. Ensure that your landing pages mirror your SEM in digital marketing ads in terms of user experience and relevance of content.

Tips for Optimising Landing Pages:

• Seasonal: Imagery, Banners, or promotional messaging associated with the holiday or event like "Black Friday Sale" banner or "Holiday Gift Ideas"
• Make it easier to buy: Especially if it's something time-sensitive. The checkout process should be seamless. That is what ultimately prevents cart abandonment
• Use obvious call-to-actions: Use urgency words in your call-to-actions. For instance, "Shop Now Before It's Gone!" or "Get Your Gift Today.".
• Mobile optimisation: Since mobile searches peak during seasonal periods, ensure that your landing page is fully optimised for mobile devices to capture the increasing number of mobile shoppers.

5. Increase Your Budget and Adjust Bidding

There will be more fight over the ad space during these peak times - especially on days like Black Friday, Christmas, or Cyber Monday. So, prepare to get into a fight and adjust your budget and bidding strategy accordingly.

• Boost your budget: Competition for primary terms is going to surge in peak times. So, get ready to splurge some extra bucks over your campaigns so that your ads do not go without being seen.
• Consider bid lifts: In cases where the targeted keywords are highly converting or when search volume gets high during peak days, consider lifting up bids. For example, you may lift your bids for "Christmas gifts for moms" during Christmas week.
• Harness automated bidding: Google Ads automatically manages its bets through Target CPA or Target ROAS bids, which can help run optimal bids while performing in real-time during the busy season.

Seasonal SEM campaigns can be goldmines for major sales and visibility for the brand at the right times of the year. However, serious planning and timely execution with constant optimisation are usually required. Partner with a trusted search engine marketing agency in Mumbai like Light Buzz Media to ensure the best effectiveness from SEM campaigns during holidays or any other seasonal period.