Key points on this page:
- Keeping SEO and Google Ads campaigns running during the Christmas period is a necessity due to increased website traffic and consumer activity online.
- Pausing campaigns can have a long-term negative effect, as it may lower ad rank and take time to recover from.
- SEO is a long-term commitment, and results take time to achieve and maintain.
Summary
When you pause your marketing efforts over the holiday period, you’re opening yourself up to the negative effects of pausing campaigns and the advantage given to competitors.
Why you should keep your ads running
Holiday habits
The internet doesn’t close over Christmas and often brands will see a substantial boost in website traffic. When consumers are home from work, they flock to the internet. They have more time to shop online at ecommerce websites, and search for the products and services they need.
This is a time for gift-giving, celebrations and getting things done. It makes sense to be at the top of the search engines, commanding the attention of potential shoppers. Google has predicted that during the holidays, eCommerce will see a rise of 15.8%, while Mcommerce (mobile shopping using a device) is likely to increase by up to 35%.
The Christmas period has a high ROI (return on investment) which measures the investment in comparison to the performance of your campaigns. Make the most of this busy period by keeping your SEO and Google Ads campaigns running.
What happens when you switch off
Pausing your campaigns may do more than just cause you to miss out on valuable traffic or sales. It could have a long term effect which can take time to recover from. Instead of turning off your Google Ads campaigns entirely and lowering your ad rank, you can simply reduce your spending.
While Google doesn’t publicly reveal their metrics, your ad rank is a score which is determined by a variety of factors. The higher your ad rank, the more priority your website will be given. One of these factors is how long your Google Ads campaign has been active and pausing your ads can take you back to where you started.
Don’t give your competitors an advantage
It can be competitive trying to stay at the top of both organic and paid search results. By putting an abrupt end to your SEO and Google Ads campaigns you could be giving your competitors an advantage. Keep in mind they may pause their own campaigns, and if this happens you will be paying less per ad than you normally would.
Instead, maintain your momentum and prepare yourself for the new year. Even if your services are unavailable for a short period of time, make this information clear on your website. For the right products and services, your customers will be willing to wait until you reopen.
SEO should be a long term commitment
SEO results are not something which happens instantly. It takes time to build trust and a digital marketing agency can assist you in achieving your goals. Often content takes time to be indexed and brands prepare their seasonal keywords well in advance. Instead of pausing your campaigns over the Christmas period, give yourself a head start and make next year your best yet! Remember, any SEO performed in December will have an effect on your rankings for January and February.