Ready to increase your Black Friday sales with Google Ads?
As the shopping season approaches, it’s going to get crazy. But success isn’t just about spending more; it’s about being more innovative.
Whether you’re an experienced marketer or a small business owner, this guide will give you actionable strategies for making your ads stand out, driving traffic, and converting clicks into sales.
A solid ad writing strategy is critical to getting customers during Black Friday.
We’ll cover everything from ad copy to targeting, including how to include Black Friday in your ads.
By the end, you’ll have proven tips to optimize for the holiday rush and get the most ROI.
Get ready to discover 23 strategies that will help you crush your Black Friday goals—don’t miss out!
Plan Your Black Friday Strategically
Get Our Proven Black Friday Marketing Calendar
Pre-Black Friday Preparation
1. Review Past Performance
Before launching your 2024 Black Friday Google Ads, take a moment to review your previous performance.
Analyze last year’s Black Friday data to identify what worked best, focusing on:
- Top-performing keywords
- Successful ad groups
- High-converting campaigns
Which ads drove the most conversions? Which keywords generated the most sales?
Knowing this will help you focus on what worked and optimize for this year.
Look at key metrics like CTR, conversion rates, and ROAS to see where to improve.
Using last year’s data, you can eliminate the underperformers and double down on what works so your campaigns are ready to go before the shopping madness begins.
Leverage this data to make informed adjustments in bidding strategies within your Google Ads account.
2. Set Clear Goals
Before you launch your Black Friday Google Ads campaign, you need to set specific, measurable goals to guide your efforts.
Start by identifying your key performance indicators (KPIs)—click-through rate (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and conversion rate.
These will help you track performance and make real-time adjustments.
Then, you have to define your return on ad spend (ROAS) targets. You want to generate this revenue for every dollar spent on ads.
Black Friday can be wild, so consider a higher ROAS target to account for the increased competition and ad costs.
Setting these up early will help you stay focused, measure success, and allocate your budget.
For example, prioritize conversion rate over traffic to clear inventory.
3. Budget Allocation
You can use our marketing budget calculator to allocate your budget effectively.
Black Friday brings a massive surge in traffic, so you need to increase your ad spend.
Planning and adjusting budgets during Black Friday is crucial to capitalize on increasing interest and search intent.
With more people searching for deals, you must ensure your ads are visible throughout this busy period.
If you don’t increase your budget, your ads will stop showing just as people are about to buy.
Google Ads also sees higher CPCs during Black Friday as everyone else increases their spending, so increasing your budget ensures you stay competitive in the auctions without missing out on traffic.
Set campaign budgets and monitor performance to avoid going over budget.
You can allocate more to top-performing campaigns or increase bids on best-selling products.
Plan for this surge in demand, and your ads will reach the right people at just the right time.
Also see: The Only Black Friday Checklist You Need
4. Keyword Research and Expansion
One of the most critical steps in preparing for Black Friday is conducting keyword research.
Shoppers will be searching for specific deals, so you must target high-intent keywords that relate directly to Black Friday offers.
Focus on terms like “Black Friday deals” and “Black Friday discounts” and keywords specific to your product or service.
As shown in below image:
These keywords will activate ads with purchase intent and increase your ad visibility.
Remember to reactivate previously paused ads with keywords from past campaigns.
Keywords that may not have been relevant in other seasons may now be valuable during the holiday season.
Look at past performance data to see which keywords performed well during previous Black Friday or holiday sales and bring them back into your strategy.
Add related terms, synonyms, and long-tail variations to capture a larger audience. Use keyword research tools to find trending phrases shoppers will use in 2024.
With more shoppers using voice search, add conversational queries like “best Black Friday deals for [product]” to your campaign to get more traffic.
5. Ad Copy & Extensions
Your ad copy is your first impression, so make it count. Use urgency-driven language like “Limited Time Offer” or “Shop Before It’s Gone!” to create scarcity for Black Friday.
Quickly adapting ad copy to include black friday references can lead to higher click-through rates and better conversion rates.
To get attention, highlight your biggest promotions, such as “Up to 50% Off” or “Black Friday Only.”
Like this one:
Incorporating the “Black Friday sale” in your ad text and copy is crucial to attracting potential shoppers during this high-volume sales event.
Make your call to action (CTA) super clear: “Buy Now,”“Claim Your Discount,” or “Shop the Sale Today!”
Add callout extensions to highlight free shipping, extended returns, or bonus offers. Structured snippets can show product features, price ranges, or service types to add extra value to your promotions.
These extensions increase ad visibility and click-through rates by giving users more reasons to choose your ad over the competition.
6. Landing Page Optimization
As traffic floods in on Black Friday, your landing page is the last line of defense to convert those shoppers. To maximize your success, focus on these areas:
Speed & Mobile-Friendliness
Shoppers are impatient – especially on mobile. Ensure your landing page loads in under 3 seconds and is mobile-friendly.
Slow pages mean higher bounce rates, which means lost revenue.
Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check and fix issues before Black Friday hits.
Also, check: 13 Proven Black Friday Popups to Boost Sales
Conversion-Centered Design
Your landing page should be designed to convert. Keep the layout clean, simple, and focused on the offer.
Use strong CTAs like “Shop Now” or “Limited Time Offer” to create urgency.
Minimize distractions by removing unnecessary elements that could distract attention from the product.
Social Proof & Real-Time Notifications
Use social proof to build trust. Reassure shoppers by adding customer reviews, testimonials, or trust badges (like secure payment icons).
Also, use tools like WiserNotify to show real-time notifications of recent purchases to create urgency and reinforce the popularity of your deals.
This “fear of missing out” can drive many conversions during the holiday season.
By optimizing these aspects, you’ll keep shoppers engaged and moving through the funnel, ultimately increasing conversions this Black Friday.
Campaign Structure & Bidding Strategies
7. Create Dedicated Black Friday Campaigns
One of the best ways to succeed on Black Friday is to create a dedicated campaign emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and execution of advertising efforts during this sales event. Here’s why:
More Control: By separating your Black Friday campaigns from your regular ones, you have more control over budgeting, targeting, and messaging.
You can tailor your approach to the holiday season and ensure your ads fit the festive shopping mood.
Focused Budgeting: Dedicated campaigns allow you to allocate a budget for Black Friday promotions without interfering with your ongoing campaigns.
Your Black Friday ads will get the budget they need to compete in the crowded market.
Optimized Ad Copy and Creative: You can craft ad copy and creatives specifically for Black Friday with separate campaigns. Highlight special deals, urgency, and exclusive offers to grab the attention of holiday shoppers looking for the best deals.
Targeted Audience Segmentation: Separate campaigns allow you to segment your audience based on their previous interactions, purchase history, or demographic information.
This segmentation will help you deliver more relevant ads and increase your chances of conversion.
Data-Driven Adjustments: Dedicated campaigns give you clearer performance metrics for Black Friday.
You can analyze the data and make real-time adjustments to your strategy, bids, ad placements, and targeting to maximize ROI.
Separate Black Friday campaigns give you more flexibility and optimization, so your ads can cut through the noise during the year’s busiest shopping period.
8. Consider Dynamic Search Ads and Google Shopping Campaigns
Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) are a great way to capture Black Friday searches without creating extensive keyword lists.
Google’s technology works for you and generates ads based on your website content. Here’s how you can use DSAs during the pre-Black Friday rush:
Automated Ad Creation: DSAs analyze your website and create ads based on your products. Thus, you can cover many search queries without thinking of them yourself.
Time-Saving: As Black Friday approaches, time is of the essence. With DSAs, you can save hours on keyword research and ad creation and focus on other campaign elements.
Broader Reach: With DSAs, you can capture searches that don’t match your existing keyword strategy. You can tap into a more extensive audience looking for deals and promotions that match your products.
Target Specific Categories: DSAs are great for retailers with multiple product categories. You can structure your campaigns to target specific sections of your website and ensure the ads shown are relevant to the user’s search.
Performance Monitoring: Monitor your DSAs. Analyze which dynamically generated ads perform best and adjust your strategy as needed.
9. Leverage Smart Bidding
Use Smart Bidding strategies, such as Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) or Maximize Conversions, to get the most out of your Black Friday ads.
These automated bidding strategy tactics use machine learning to adjust your bids in real time so your ads appear to the right people at the right time.
Target ROAS lets you set a specific return goal. Google Ads will adjust bids to maximize conversion value while hitting your ROAS target.
This is perfect for businesses with clear revenue goals that want to stay profitable as they scale up ad spend.
On the other hand, Maximize Conversions is all about getting as many conversions as possible within your budget.
This is perfect for brands that don’t have a strict return requirement and want to get some traction during the busy Black Friday shopping frenzy.
Integrating a shopping campaign can enhance visibility and optimize promotional strategies for specific products, especially during high-traffic events like Black Friday.
By using these Smart Bidding strategies, you can free up time to focus on other parts of your campaign and know your bids are being optimized for performance.
This will result in more sales and a better chance to stand out in the holiday chaos.
10. Adjust Bids Aggressively
As Black Friday approaches, bump up your bids so your ads stand out.
To achieve the top positions during this busy period, start by increasing bids on your top-performing keywords and top-converting products.
Use dynamic bid adjustments to optimize your Google Shopping campaign and use the control of regular search campaigns.
Bump up your bids before Black Friday to catch the early shoppers and build sales momentum.
Monitor your competitors’ bids on similar keywords to stay visible in the crowded market.
Use historical data to find peak shopping times and adjust your bids.
11. Monitor and Optimize
As Black Friday approaches, monitor your Google Ads campaigns in real-time.
Set up conversion tracking for clicks, impressions, and sales and quickly adjust underperforming ads or keywords.
Keep your bids flexible to maximize ROI and use automated bidding strategies like Target CPA or ROAS.
Maintaining a consistent campaign structure in Google Shopping campaigns is crucial for Black Friday sales.
Create new campaigns to track high-performing products and ensure your product feeds are up-to-date for adequate visibility in search results.
Test ad copy with A/B testing, using seasonal language and strong CTAs, and pivot to the winner.
Don’t forget audience targeting—use remarketing lists to re-engage previous visitors.
By optimizing your campaigns, you can increase visibility, engagement, and sales this Black Friday.
Ad Creative & Messaging
12. Highlight Black Friday Offers
Your offers must be front and center to get noticed during Black Friday. Ensure your ad headlines and descriptions clearly show your discounts, deals, and promotions.
Phrases like “Limited-Time Offer,” “50% Off,” or “Black Friday Exclusive” are great hooks that tell the shopper what’s in it for them.
Focus on specific numbers (e.g., “Save $100” or “20% Off Sitewide”) to add clarity and urgency.
Combine these with CTAs like “Shop Now” or “Claim Your Discount” to increase click-through rates.
Make your promotions stand out by using Ad Extensions (e.g., price extensions or promotion extensions) to give users more info about your sale without overwhelming them.
13. Showcase Product Images & Videos
Using high-quality visuals in your Google Ads is a must for Black Friday. Eye-catching product images and videos capture attention and help potential customers visualize owning the product.
Ensure your images are crisp, well-lit, and focused on the product’s best features.
Videos can go even further by demonstrating product usage, benefits, or features in action—giving shoppers the confidence they need to purchase.
Visuals should be optimized for mobile, as many Black Friday shoppers will browse on their phones.
Additionally, use ad formats like Google Shopping ads and video campaigns that allow you to showcase these images and videos directly in the search results.
The key is to make your products irresistible, stand out from competitors, and create a sense of urgency that leads to fast conversions.
14. Tailor Messaging to Audiences
One size doesn’t fit all regarding Google Ads for Black Friday. Audience segmentation is the key to getting offers in front of customers who need them.
Start by segmenting your audience by demographics, shopping behavior, or previous interactions with your brand.
Returning customers might respond to loyalty rewards, and new customers might respond to first-time purchase discounts.
Once you’ve segmented your audience, write ad copy for each group. Use urgency, exclusive deals, or product benefits that match their preferences.
Targeted messaging will increase engagement and your chances of conversions during the Black Friday madness. Test variations to see what works best for each segment!
Remarketing & Audience Targeting
15. Target Past Visitors
Remarketing is a great way to re-engage with people who have already shown interest in your brand.
Create remarketing lists of people who have visited your site or interacted with your ads but didn’t convert.
Incorporate the term ‘Black Friday sale’ in your ad copy to attract potential shoppers and keep your brand in mind when they’re ready to buy on Black Friday.
Target these users with ads specifically for them with Black Friday exclusives or products they viewed. Use urgency messaging like “Hurry! Limited time only” to drive them to convert.
You can also segment lists based on different user actions, like people who added to the cart but didn’t checkout.
You won’t lose sales from people who already know your brand. Serve them relevant ads and turn past visitors into buyers.
16. Utilize Similar Audiences
Hit more Black Friday targets with Similar Audiences on Google Ads. This feature lets you target ad group of new customers like your existing customers, so you can attract high-converting buyers without starting from scratch.
Since these audiences have the same behaviors and interests as people who have already interacted with your brand, you can drive traffic to your Black Friday campaigns without starting from scratch.
To get the most out of this, create super-targeted ads for these lookalike audiences so your message resonates.
Show them exclusive Black Friday deals and time-sensitive offers to nudge them to buy.
Combine this with remarketing campaigns during the holiday season to re-engage warm leads and push them further down the funnel.
This way, you expand your reach while keeping the quality of your leads intact and getting a solid return on your Black Friday ad spend.
17. Layer Audience Targeting
To stand out during Black Friday, layering audience targeting is critical to reaching the most relevant shoppers.
Combining demographics, interests, and behaviors allows you to create hyper-focused campaigns that resonate with the right customers.
Start by defining essential demographics like age, gender, and location.
Then, depending on your products, you can layer in interest-based targeting—such as people interested in tech, fashion, or fitness.
Next, focus on behavioral targeting. This includes shoppers who’ve previously interacted with your brand, added items to their cart, or visited your site.
You can even create custom audiences using past purchase behavior or those who’ve searched for similar products.
By layering these insights, you’ll ensure your ads reach customers with the highest intent to buy, optimizing your budget and increasing conversions during Black Friday’s competitive rush.
Mobile Optimization
18. Prioritize Mobile-First Design
Over 70% of shoppers use mobile devices during Black Friday, so optimizing for mobile is non-negotiable.
Ensure your Google Ads are tailored to mobile users with concise, attention-grabbing ad copy and mobile-friendly extensions like click-to-call.
Your landing pages should load quickly and feature a simple, intuitive design to engage users.
Google prioritizes mobile-optimized content, so you risk losing rankings and conversions if your website isn’t mobile-first.
Ensure fast loading times, clear call-to-action buttons, and a seamless checkout experience on mobile devices.
Test your ads, site speed, and page responsiveness before the big day to avoid costly errors.
A well-optimized mobile experience will give you a competitive edge and maximize your Black Friday sales.
19. Consider App Campaigns
If you have an app, using Black Friday app campaigns is a no-brainer for increasing downloads and in-app purchases.
These campaigns simplify promotion by automatically optimizing your ads across Google’s networks, including search, display, YouTube, and the Google Play Store.
So your app can reach users when they are most engaged during the peak shopping madness.
To get the most out of it, ensure your app’s landing page is conversion-optimized with nice visuals and clear CTAs.
Also, consider offering in-app deals or discounts for Black Friday to get users to download and purchase.
By using App campaigns, you can tap into the massive mobile shopping trend, get your app seen, and make more money during this busy period.
Post-Black Friday Strategies
20. Extend Deals for Cyber Monday
After Black Friday, keep the buzz going by extending your promotions into Cyber Monday.
This will capture the interest of those who missed out on Black Friday and the growing number of online shoppers.
Offer exclusive online deals, flash sales, or discounts on best sellers.
Use retargeting ads to reach customers who engaged with your Black Friday campaigns but didn’t convert.
Promote your Cyber Monday deals across all channels – email, social media, and Google Ads to get maximum visibility.
Highlight limited-time offers to create urgency and get people to make a decision quickly.
By keeping the engagement going and offering great incentives, you can drive more sales and keep your brand in mind during this busy shopping period.
21. Nurture New Leads Post black Friday
Once the Black Friday madness has died, you must look after the new leads you’ve generated.
Send targeted email campaigns to these customers with personal content related to their shopping behavior.
Also see: 9 Black Friday Subject Line Examples (+ GPT Prompts)
Follow up with an email thanking them for their purchase and recommendations based on their interests.
Use segmentation to tailor your messages, boosting engagement and conversion rates.
To encourage repeat business, consider offering exclusive deals or loyalty rewards.
Use social media retargeting ads to keep your brand front of mind with new customers and remind them of their previous activity.
Must Read: 9 Black Friday Social Media Post Examples to Boost Sales
Building those relationships will retain customers, build brand loyalty, and create future sales opportunities. Looking after leads turns one-time buyers into lifetime customers.
22. Analyze Results & Plan for Next Year
After Black Friday, it’s time to review your results to gain valuable insights for next year.
Start by looking at your key performance indicators (KPIs), such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend.
See which ads performed best and who your most engaged customers are.
This will help you determine what messaging resonated with your audience and what products were most popular.
Also, review your budget allocation to see if you spent wisely across all campaigns. Consider A/B testing next year to refine your ad strategy even further.
By documenting your findings and adjusting your approach based on accurate data, you’ll be better equipped to create better-targeted ads that drive more sales next year.
This process improves your marketing and allows you to grow and succeed.
4 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Black Friday Google Ads Campaigns
1. Ignoring Ad Extensions
Ad extensions add information such as location, phone numbers, and links to specific pages.
Ignoring these can mean missed opportunities; ads with extensions get higher click-through rates and more visibility.
Use all relevant extensions to create better-targeted ads, add context, encourage engagement, and improve overall ad performance.
2. Poor Landing Page Experience
A smooth landing page experience is key to converting clicks into sales.
If your landing pages are slow to load, cluttered, or not mobile-friendly, you’ll lose potential customers.
Ensure your landing pages match your ad messaging, load fast, and are user-friendly to maximize conversions.
3. Last-Minute Campaign Launches
Launching your campaigns at the last minute means no time for optimization and testing.
Early planning allows you to refine your ad copy, adjust your targeting, and run A/B tests to find the best-performing strategies.
Planning gives you time to troubleshoot any issues and gets your brand ahead in a competitive market.
4. Failing to Track & Analyze Data
Without tracking and analysis, you won’t know what’s working and what’s not.
Not monitoring your campaigns means missed opportunities to optimize your ads for better performance.
Use tracking tools to measure KPIs and analyze your data post-campaign to inform future strategies. This will allow you to learn from your successes and failures.
Here is more: 9 Critical Black Friday Mistakes to Avoid at All Cost
Wrap up
Try these 23 Black Friday Google Ads for 2024 and see the results for yourself. Target your audience, use excellent ad copy, and optimize your bids; you’ll grab attention and make more money.
Continuous testing and adaptation will keep your ads relevant throughout the holiday season. Use these to make Black Friday work for your business!
