It’s that festive time of year again when we sing carols and set up our Christmas trees. Even though it’s only mid-November, many of you are already getting ready for your holiday campaigns. You’re figuring out what gifts to buy for your loved ones, putting up decorations early and planning the family’s Christmas dinner menu. However, have you thought about getting your website ready for your holiday campaign too?
As the holidays near, it’s important to get your website ready too. You might not realize it, but a lot of people are already searching for holiday promos, even this early. Lots of companies have been getting ready for this since last month. They’re also busy with their search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns in a bid to rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs) during the holidays so Christmas is an opportunity and a problem for you: an opportunity for capitalizing on the Christmas shopping frenzy shoppers feel and a problem as your competition aren’t slow on the uptake and realize this too. Competition for the coveted top spots on the SERPs is stiff during the holiday season, so starting early is a good idea. Don’t worry though, if you’re a bit behind, there are still things you can do to catch up. Here, we’ll share some simple changes you can make to your website to prepare for the holidays.
Start Immediately
Since you know you’re already a bit behind schedule, there is no time for dilly-dallying. Don’t wait for the holiday to take you by surprise, and the earlier you can get a start on your holiday SEO efforts, the better. But as we said before, it’s not as exacting as it may seem. Studies have shown that publishing content even one week before the onset of the holidays can help boost your results by 50%. However, starting at least 45 days before the holidays can get you over 90%, so what are you waiting for?
Never Forget to Optimize for the Mobile Experience
If you’ve been keeping yourself up to date with the latest SEO trends, you would know over half of online users choose to use their mobile phones rather than laptops or desktops to browse the internet. That number only goes up when they are looking for things to buy. Because of this, you should always prioritize the mobile experience for your visitors, especially during your holiday campaign. Make it easier for them to navigate as well as put things in the shopping cart.
Don’t Forget Link Building
Although this should always be on your priority list whenever you are re-optimizing your pages, this is doubly important when it comes to the holidays. When you ensure that links are getting on your content pieces, the higher the chances that your page will rank. Contact your previous partners, as well as the websites that you had worked with before. Another thing you want to make sure of is the shareability of your content. Put in social-friendly tidbits so the readers and visitors are encouraged to share. You could also try to include some pictures with a holiday theme.
Update Your Keywords
One of the first things you should take care of when optimizing for the holidays is to update the keywords you use. Check out how your pages are currently ranking and analyze the traffic. If some pages aren’t doing so well, you might want to tweak them. After that, check out the keywords and prioritize embedding some holiday-related terms that will fit well with your content. Of course, you should also check out the current trending terms so you know which ones will be most effective.
Create Holiday Content That Fits Your Brand
Once you’ve updated your keywords for the holiday campaign, it’s time to plan your content strategy to match your brand. Your content should reflect what your company is all about, not just holiday-themed messages that don’t connect with your offerings. Authenticity is key here; staying true to your brand is essential.
For businesses that offer products or services ideal for gifting, it’s straightforward to create content showcasing your offerings. Whatever you offer, focus on marketing your best products or services. Consider creating dedicated holiday landing pages for your themed content. For instance, you could add a holiday section to your website, attracting shoppers looking for gifts for their loved ones.
Another effective approach is to create holiday-themed blog posts, such as gift guides tailored to specific audiences like busy moms or students. Integrate these strategies into your social media channels and include links in your email marketing campaigns to maximize reach during the holiday campaign.
Create a Teaser for What’s Coming
Once you’re done with all the research and strategy parts, an effective way to ease your audience would be to offer teasers. Offer some sneak peeks to the subscribers of your email campaign, as well as some of your frequent visitors. Another great way to reach your loyal customers would be through your social media accounts. If you want, you may also opt to add them to your website in some relevant spots, to reach even those who are new to your domain.
If you’re going to be adding in some seasonal landing pages, you can add in a “coming soon” trailer. A good idea would be to give out some previews of some products that are going to be featured during your holiday sale. Target certain personas again, for example, teenagers with a taste for gadgets. Post some pictures in advance, with an additional note at the end that there will be more coming soon.
Ensure Your Pages Load Fast
As the holiday campaign heats up, websites promoting products or services perfect for Christmas gifts will attract a lot of visitors. This increased traffic can strain your servers, impacting loading times. Even a slight delay can cost you sales. To keep up, optimize your website for speed. One effective way is to check your images. Large, unoptimized images are often the culprit behind slow loading times. Resize and compress your images to ensure swift page loading, helping to maximize your holiday campaign’s success.
Conclusion
The holiday season is an excellent opportunity for businesses. Preparing early is crucial to make the most of this festive time. But if you’re swamped managing your physical stores and don’t have time for website writing, consider hiring a website content writer or copywriting service. At SquareFish, we’ve got you covered. While you focus on your brick-and-mortar shop, we’ll take care of your brand’s digital presence, ensuring a successful holiday campaign.