Are you ready for Black Friday?! The busiest shopping day of the year is just around the corner, and it’s time to make sure your business, especially your website, is fully optimized to attract as many buyers as possible! We’ve provided the ultimate guide to walk you through an ideal timeline, from reviewing your late-summer preparations to keeping your momentum going after Black Friday ends.  Aligning your Black Friday marketing strategy with this E-Commerce SEO Checklist will guarantee that your website is optimized to maximize your visibility, engage your audience, and drive more sales during this exciting shopping season!

Late Summer: A Solid Foundation

Creative Brain Dump

Never underestimate the power of a good brainstorming session! You’ll want to start planning and crafting your Black Friday promotional materials early. This is the time to get your creative juices flowing! How will your overall theme appeal to your customers? How are you going to stand out amidst the competition? Picture this time as a brain dump— everything goes. There are no bad ideas, just get it all out there! Look for inspiration, put together mood boards, save some ideas that you love (Hello Pinterest👋 ). You’ll want to focus on visuals that will capture attention (think vibrant images and bold graphics). Don’t forget: colors, colors, colors! Whether you go for a classic Black Friday look of a dark background paired with bright contrasts, or something more unique to your brand’s style, you’ll want to ensure your creative elements are cohesive and recognizable across all your marketing channels. From your website to your social media and email campaigns, each aspect of your marketing strategy needs some love.

A Black Friday Landing Page is a Must-Have

You’ll need a home base to direct all those excited consumers! Set up a designated landing page specifically for your Black Friday deals. This page will host all your promotions, so you’ll want to make it as eye-catching, engaging and simple as possible. Everything your customers need should be front and center. Seriously, do not make them have to hunt for their next buy. These customers are ready to spend money, so make it easy for them! Your landing page is what will be what converts potential customers to happy buyers. Think featured deals and specials offers to a fun countdown timer to build anticipation!

Copy + Keywords = Traffic

So, how are you going to attract search traffic and potential customers to your Black Friday landing page? SEO, SEO SEO. Using relevant keywords (SEO keywords to be exact 😉) is the bridge that connects Black Friday shoppers to your site. You’ll need to do some keyword research to identify the most relevant and high-traffic terms related to Black Friday, your products, and your brand. I know you just had so much fun creating, and it can be hard to transition to research (yuck), but don’t skip this step! If you want to see success, you need to build this bridge, brick by heavy brick. Once you have a list of your keywords, you’ll need to integrate them into your page’s content. And we mean every part of your page’s content: headings, meta descriptions, image alt text, you name it. Now, that doesn’t mean throw around these words just anywhere. You’ll need to incorporate keywords into your copy in a way that feels natural and true to your brand. To help drive organic traffic to your site, we recommend using these on-page optimizations that will improve your page’s visibility on search engines. 

Bonus Tip: Knock out the competition! Do some research to identify ways your competitors are using their keywords. How can you differentiate yourself? What will set you apart? If you can do this while still appealing to the search algorithms, you’ll come out on top.

October: Shoppers Are Ready, Are You?

You know the saying “the early bird gets the worm”? Well, that’s especially true for Black Friday. By the end of October, consumers are already starting to search for upcoming deals and promotions. That means, to get ahead of the competition, you’ll want to have your landing page launched and promotional content ready to go. You don’t want to miss those early shoppers— get those worms, birdie.

By November: All Eyes on YOU

Phew! November already? Now, it’s time to make your Black Friday promotions impossible to miss. Your website should be prepared for the wave of visitors that will be flooding in. Customers are looking for the best deals, and you know you have them, so here’s where we capture and convert! Let’s take a look at how you can enhance your visibility and maximize your impact.

 Landing Page ➡️ Main Navigation

First and foremost, LINK your Black Friday landing page into your site’s main navigation menu. This element of Technical SEO makes it easy for customers to find your deals and signals to search engines “Hey! Look over here! We’re ready to go!” And yes, you do need search engines to do that. So, here’s what you do:

• Prominent Placement: Place the link to your Black Friday landing page in a prominent position, such as in the top navigation bar or as a featured link in a dropdown menu.
• Clear Labeling: Use clear and compelling labels like “Black Friday Deals” or “Black Friday Sales” to draw attention and encourage clicks.
• Consistent Links: Ensure that links to your Black Friday page are consistent across your site, including in the footer, sidebar, and any relevant product pages.

Your Homepage Needs A Makeover

For an event as monumental as Black Friday, your homepage is going to need a refresher. I repeat, your homepage needs to be Black Friday themed. Let your customers know you mean business. Thankfully, you’ve already brainstormed and planned ahead (hopefully). A little redesign magic, and your website will draw immediate attention to your promotions, setting the tone for your Black Friday success. Let’s consider these elements:

• Hero Banner: Featuring a prominent hero banner at the top of your homepage will highlight your best Black Friday deals. We’re talking bold, in your face, can’t look away, type of banner.
• Promotional Sections: Dedicate sections of your homepage to highlight different product categories and promotions. Buyers should know exactly where to go to find what they’re looking for. Use eye-catching graphics and brief descriptions to keep the sales coming.
• Countdown Timers: Black Friday deals won’t last long, and the buyer should feel the urgency (in a fun way!). Add countdown timers to create excitement. Highlight how much time is left until the deals go live or how long they will last.

We want scroll-stopping content! By taking these steps, you’ll ensure that your Black Friday marketing promotions are front and center. This proactive approach will help you capture and convert the surge of shoppers, maximizing your sales during Black Friday.

On Black Friday: Boost Urgency (Optional…Kinda)

The thrill of Black Friday comes from its short timeframe, adding to the anticipation of the Holiday Season. When you create a feeling of urgency, your customers will compelled to buy now!

 Update Metadata

You’ll want to consider updating your metadata to reflect the urgency of Black Friday. As you attract attention and drive clicks from search engines, you’ll see the results!

• Title Tags: Reframe your title tags to emphasize the limited-time nature of your deals.
  • 50% Off Sale Happening Now! Shop Black Friday Deals | [BRAND]
• Meta Descriptions: Revise your meta descriptions to include strong calls to action. For example: 
  • LAST CHANCE ON BEST DEALS! Don’t miss out on our best sale of the year! Shop Black Friday Deals on top products for a limited time. Shop now at [BRAND].

Be aware that Google may not reindex your site before Black Friday ends, meaning searchers might not see the changes in time. Your customers aren’t the only ones who should feel the urgency— don’t wait to act!

December: Post Black Friday Fun

So, Now What?

The grind never stops!💯 But as a business owner, you probably already knew that. You’ll want to keep the momentum going even after Black Friday ends, right? I mean, you put in all that work, let’s make sure you get the most of it! Review some of our strategies, and decide what makes the most sense for your brand:

Do Nothing: Wait, what? Not what you were expecting? Well, I’m asking for your trust on this one! Consider keeping your Black Friday page live. It’ll encourage customers to revisit the page and get hyped for future sales. Plus, it’ll help you to build authority for next year’s Black Friday. It’s never too early to think about the year’s busiest buying day!

• Temporary Redirect (302): Whether the sale is live or not, customers may continue to be drawn to your website (especially if you followed all our recommendations😉). Redirect the Black Friday page back to the homepage or to a relevant category page. This can help you capitalize on any remaining traffic and reap the rewards of your SEO keywords.

Should I Delete my Landing Page?

No! Avoid (at all costs!) deleting your Black Friday landing page. Keeping the page live helps build its authority over time, making it easier to rank for Black Friday searches in the future. Let’s talk about why why this is beneficial:

• SEO Benefits: Remember, landing higher up on search engines is the always goal. By keeping the page live, you retain any backlinks and search engine authority the page has accumulated. This can improve your rankings for future Black Friday promotions!
• User Expectation: Customers who remember your Black Friday deals might revisit the page to check for updates, and we love returning customers! Keeping the page live can help maintain their interest and anticipation.

How Did I Do? 

It’s time for a classic debrief. It’s crucial to take the time to review your Black Friday campaign performance:

• Traffic Analysis: How many visitors landed on your Black Friday page? Where did they come from? Which promotions attracted the most attention? What was your highest selling product? Knowing this information will help you focus and prioritize your efforts during later events.
• Sales Metrics: Analyze sales data. What products were the most popular? Which promotions drove the highest conversions? No need to reinvent the wheel, if something is working, keep at it!
• User Behavior: Review user behavior on your site. Were there any friction points in the shopping process? What were your cart abandonment rates? Was there a large gap in time spent on different pages? Understanding your customer correcting any potential issues will lead to higher conversion rates and more sales.

When Do I Start Planning for Next Year? 

Now, now now.

Pro Tip: It’s not luck, it’s preparation. If you want to watch your success (and your sales) skyrocket, start planning for next year’s Black Friday event as soon as possible:

• Lessons Learned: Use the data and feedback you’ve gathered to refine and enhance your Black Friday marketing strategy. Identify what worked well and what didn’t, then adjust your approach.
• Brainstorming Session: Begin planning new creative concepts, promotional strategies, and product offerings early. Great ideas take time, and if you want to execute a successful campaign, you’ll want plenty of time to get the creative juices flowing!
• SEO Strategy: Continue building on your SEO strategy. Keep your Black Friday page updated with relevant placeholder content and keywords to maintain its authority and ranking potential.

Well, now you know! Black Friday will be here before you know it, and by completing this SEO Checklist, you’ll gain (and maintain) the traffic and sales. Time to get to work! Only you can guarantee that your Black Friday marketing strategy is thriving for years to come. Happy optimizing!