Economic fluctuations, seasonal cycles, and global disruptions can all impact the effectiveness of your paid search campaigns. In times of lower demand, adjusting your strategy isn’t just wise, it’s vital. By fine-tuning your efforts and zeroing in on high-performing tactics, you can remain agile in the short term and build momentum for long-term success.
Is Your Paid Search Strategy Due for a Refresh?
When you notice ROI slipping or find yourself spending more just to maintain performance, it’s a clear sign it’s time to rethink your approach. A few strategic changes can enhance efficiency and make your budget go further. Aligning your tactics with real-time market behavior can create meaningful improvements.
Here are some tactics to consider:
Prioritize High-Intent Search Terms
Focus your budget on keywords that signal strong purchasing or conversion intent. Think terms related to buying, signing up, or requesting a quote. These bottom-of-the-funnel phrases are more likely to yield results. Consider pausing broad-match or upper-funnel campaigns that drive traffic but lack conversion urgency.
Maximize Efficiency with Smarter Targeting
Refine your audience by narrowing geo-targeting and adjusting for high-performing devices. Leverage reporting tools within ad platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads to identify trends and optimize delivery times. Automated bidding strategies such as target ROAS or CPA can also help fine-tune your performance without constant manual input.
Tap Into Retargeting Power
Your most valuable audience during a downturn? Those who already know your brand. Retarget past visitors, especially those who bounced or abandoned carts, for quick-win conversions and improved ROI.
Use Customer Lists to Your Advantage
Uploading your existing customer contact data allows you to build powerful lookalike audiences. These segments can help you reach new, qualified leads similar to your best existing customers, driving steady performance while expanding your reach.
Capitalize on Lower Competition
When competitors cut back, ad costs often drop. This opens the door for savvy advertisers to gain more visibility for less. Maintaining or even slightly increasing your budget can help secure premium placements and grow market share at a discount.
Boost Quality Score & Enhance Landing Pages
Quality Score directly impacts your ad position and cost per click. Focus on making your ad copy relevant and ensuring landing pages are designed to convert. Higher relevance leads to lower CPCs and stronger results across your campaigns.
Align Messaging with Customer Priorities
Consumer behavior shifts during uncertain times. Whether it’s increased price sensitivity or a focus on safety, ensure your messaging reflects current priorities. Emphasize affordability, convenience, or safety measures to build trust and resonate with your audience.
Maintain Brand Presence with Awareness Campaigns
Even if conversions slow, maintaining visibility through affordable brand awareness campaigns on platforms like YouTube or Display keeps your business top of mind. These efforts help grow your retargeting audience and ensure you're ready when demand picks up again.
Build Strategic Long-Term Assets
Invest in evergreen initiatives like SEO, conversion rate optimization, and email marketing. Strengthen your first-party data and attribution modeling to enhance your overall marketing engine. These long-term efforts ensure you’re not only surviving the downturn, but thriving in the recovery.
Smart Strategy for Slower Seasons
When demand wanes, the answer isn’t to go dark—it’s to work smarter. By reallocating spend, focusing on intent-driven efforts, and keeping your messaging relevant, you can stay competitive and prepare for future growth. The brands that evolve during the downturn will be those leading when demand rebounds.
Need help optimizing your paid search strategy? Reach out to EverConnect and discover how our performance-driven experts can help you grow, even in challenging times.
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