Search marketing firm offers tips for the holidays

As the holiday season approaches, search marketing plays a key role as retailers try to capitalize on a peak spending period. Here are some tips for a successful holiday season from search marketing firm Impaqt:

• Plan smarter for this year’s holiday season by reviewing the successes and failures of last year’s search marketing campaigns.
  
• Utilize the power of search marketing data to boost other types of advertising.
  
• Pay attention to the year’s data trends – including click-through rate and variations in search vs. purchase cycles – to predict holiday search activity.
  
• Assess the individual performance of specific promotions. Does historical data suggest that your “free shipping” promotions outperformed “Buy One Get One Free” promotions?
  
• Analyze additional information from search engines to develop a flexible plan. Ensure that you will be able to take advantage of unplanned opportunities by making quick changes to your strategy.
  
• Repeatedly test ad copy components to determine what combinations perform the best (i.e., brand name in headline, price or promotion in headline).
  
• Use industry research as a guide to top category keywords and competitor traffic keywords.
  
• Integrate search marketing with other advertising channels. Take advantage of cross-channel promotion by altering ad copy according to reflect upcoming events.

Additional information on search engine marketing can be found in the Internet Retailer Search Marketing Guide.