In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius established Valentine’s Day, named after one or more Christian martyrs. No romantic elements are known in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs, but Saint Valentine became first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
(“For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”) (1)
It’s still a long way from Chaucer’s mating birds to today’s international love-fest, but as a search marketer, you probably care less about historical facts and more about getting most out of your campaigns.
Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year. After two previous years of decline and stagnation, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported a significant growth in Valentine’s Day spending in 2011. Spending was pegged to hit $15.7 billion last year, a trend that’s expected to continue. (2)
Traditional gifts in 2012 will include jewelry, clothing, and romantic dinners along with candy and greeting cards. But in the world of search, it’s all about the flowers, which are by far the most popular search queries for online shoppers. (3) To help boost your Valentine campaign, we analyzed data from last year and compiled these optimization tips.
In 2011, flower-related keywords saw a significant increase in impressions and clicks in the week before Valentine’s Day with clicks spiking on February 14th again. (3)
While the market for flower terms definitely heats up in February, the cost per click (CPC) for keywords remained fairly stable. Click-through rates (CTR), however, increased in the last days, peaking on Valentine’s Day above 8%. (4) To capitalize on this trend, offer a same-day delivery option and include those words in your ad copy.
Creating specific campaigns for Valentine’s Day has proven beneficial in previous years. In the first two weeks of February 2011, keyword combinations with “Valentine” in it (for example “Valentine Flowers”) had a CTR of 13.65%, while all other flower-related keywords came in at 3.49%. CPCs for Valentine keywords also stayed slightly lower than for all other keywords. (4) You can download a comprehensive Valentine’s keyword list and select the terms that apply to your business.
But having the right keywords uploaded is just half the battle; their position matters, too. The chart below illustrates how click volume relates to ad position. Forty-two percent of all clicks came from ads appearing in position 1 or 2. (5)
While it’s difficult for small businesses to compete with large retailers, a few simple tricks can boost your success:
Place competitive bids and select the right match type. As the chart below shows, flower-related keywords set to exact match type generated the most impressions and clicks, resulting in the highest CTR. (4)
Your ads should clearly mention Valentine’s Day in the title or copy. Call out your unique offerings and services, such as discounts and free or same-day delivery. You can use dynamic insertion in your ad copy or ad title, which typically improves CTR.
Finally, consider utilizing adCenter’s targeting options to your advantage. Here’s how: In 2011 men spent twice as much on Valentine’s gifts as women. (2) Incremental bidding by gender with a bid boost for male shoppers allows you to increase bids automatically and push your ads into higher positions. Brick-and-mortar stores can use radius targeting with a recommended minimum 20-mile reach to help reach local customers.
While these insights are focused on flower shops, the same recommended strategies apply to other industries as well. Whether you sell flowers, jewelry, clothing, or romantic dinners and weekend getaways, keep these essentials in mind:
- Plan for a short but lucrative window of opportunity and apply sufficient budget.
- Create separate Valentine’s Day campaigns and include specific keywords for the occasion.
- Place competitive bids and use all match types.
- Mention “Valentine’s Day” in your ad title or copy and distinguish your ads through discounts, free or reduced shipping and a clear call to action.
- Use geographic and demographic targeting to reach your specific audience.
Happy Valentine’s Day and thanks for reading!
(1) wikipedia.org
(2) Love is in the Air This Valentine’s Day, According to NRF
(3) Based on data from comScore, Microsoft Advertising Intelligence , Google Trends
(4) adCenter internal data, based on a sample of flower stores, February 2011
(5) AdCenter Position Analysis, February 2011
How can you use competitive intelligence in the world of Paid Search Advertising? Study your competitors. Find out what they are doing now, what they are likely to do, and when they will likely do it. Understand your competitors by knowing their weaknesses and knowing their strengths. And finally, eat their lunch before they eat yours! 
