We all have our favorite holidays scattered throughout the year.
I know plenty of people who begin planning their next Halloween costumes on November 1.
Others wait all year for Black Friday to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
When it comes to local SEO around the holidays, the word “season” is crucial.
You want to boost your rankings, generate more online sales, and, most importantly, increase foot traffic for the holidays.
But you obviously can’t expect much success if you start marketing the weekend before the holiday.
Many customers push themselves to complete all their holiday shopping well before the special days themselves, and you’d better be ready for them!
Luckily, the holiday season affords business owners enough time to optimize their local SEO before the rush begins. There are smart ways to go about this.
In this chapter, I’m going to detail some common-sense local SEO tips that can help you take full advantage of the marketing opportunities provided by the holidays!
These tips are straightforward, so you don’t have to be a digital-marketing guru to figure them out, but you may not have considered them before.
1. Ensure Your NAP Information Is Updated & Accurate
This one is a no-brainer, right?
Well, you might be surprised at how many local businesses I have searched online that didn’t reflect accurate NAPs (names, addresses, and phone numbers) or business hours, including holiday hours!
It is essential to ensure this information is available and correct across all digital platforms, including:
- Google My Business.
- Social media.
- Other local-business directories you use.
Make sure you also update any on-site landing pages that contain outdated company information.
Problems may arise if your business’s online information is wrong – customers may:
- Call an old phone number.
- Travel to a location you moved out of years ago.
- Show up when you’ve already closed for the day.
The trouble isn’t only that none of these actions would convert to a sale.
You are actually in danger of losing those customers forever, as they may develop a negative image of your brand and see your business as unreliable.
Updating and correcting your NAP, business hours, and any other relevant company information will go a long way toward getting you into a prime organic-search position.
2. Optimize On-Page Content for Holiday Keywords
Another local holiday SEO guideline is to optimize your on-page content for holiday keywords.
Use analytics tools to see which keywords are driving users to your website and which pages people are visiting.
It’s always important to remember that SEO is not an evergreen product.
“Holiday window decals” may have been a top-performing keyword last year, but circumstances can change.
Trends in holiday decorations could shift, or a new product could become popular.
Stay current on seasonal keywords to avoid becoming stale and ensure users find your site.
Remember that typical holiday shoppers likely know what they’re looking for.
Perhaps they’ve collected wish lists and are looking for specific products at the best price and most convenient location.
Optimize your landing pages with a mix of general holiday and brand-specific keywords to lead organic searchers directly to your site.
3. Stand Out from the Crowd
Unique content alone can’t generate your holiday sales. Your website must also be easy to use and visually appealing.
You’ll need solid, optimized content, but avoid cluttering pages with excessive flash material, ads, blocks of text, or problematic JavaScript, which can lead to higher bounce rates and reduced sales.
Keep your webpages simplistic with visually striking images that communicate as much as your written content.
The optimized content should be concise and visually segmented to create a hierarchy of images and words.
Visitors should immediately identify the most relevant information, with each element contrasting with the surrounding content for a smooth flow.
If your holiday store is preparing for the Fourth of July, for example, use a large image on your homepage showing picnic and patriotic items for sale, with visually distinct buttons linking to specific categories.
Update your site with holiday-appropriate images and visuals. This engagement makes customers feel good about buying from you.
Keyword-optimized content near these visuals can inform users about what’s available and link to additional inventory items.
Keep things simple. Customers want to know what you have and why your site is the best place to buy it, be it for your product selection or prices.
4. Don’t Forget the ‘Local’ Factor
Remember that you are a local business optimizing for local SEO.
While facilitating online shopping is crucial, a significant percentage of shoppers prefer in-store shopping.
Studies show that shoppers tend to spend more in brick-and-mortar locations, partly due to the human element of in-store shopping.
People enjoy browsing in stores, seeing the latest products up close, reading details and specs, and holding items in their hands.
This emotional connection can be a powerful factor in making a purchase.
Ensure any website visitors know you have a physical location.
As mentioned earlier, your NAP must be updated and accurate.
Consider having a separate “Contact Us” or “About Us” page with your location, contact information, and images of your store.
For local SEO, use analytics tools to find high-volume, long-tail keywords like “christmas trees” or “father’s day gifts.”
Optimize your on-page content with these keywords well in advance, so search engines have time to pick up your updated SEO.
Encourage customers to visit your physical store with in-store-only discounts or limited-edition items available to the first 100 customers.
Get creative with highlighting your local presence!
Final Thoughts
There are numerous steps to enhance your local SEO during holiday seasons.
They range from updating incorrect NAP information and refreshing your website’s holiday themes to strategies for standing out from competitors and attracting in-store shoppers.
Consider quoting positive Google reviews (with permission) on your website and responding constructively to criticism and negative feedback.
Show that you appreciate praise and care about complaints.
Take these tips into account for local SEO optimization. You don’t need to be a marketing mastermind.
Follow these steps, or request them from your digital marketing agency, and you may see your holiday sales improve significantly.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita
