As Black Friday approaches, businesses of all sizes prepare for one of the biggest shopping periods of the year. However, with increased competition comes a sharp rise in Cost-Per-Click (CPC), often squeezing small businesses out of the market. For many, this can mean spending more for less return, particularly in highly competitive sectors. So, how can you, as a small business, combat the rising CPCs while maximizing your reach? The answer lies in automation, Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, and Dynamic Search Ads (DSA).

Here’s how to leverage these tools effectively during the Black Friday period.

Understanding Why CPCs Increase

As more brands ramp up their ad spend in the lead-up to Black Friday, the competition for keyword bidding intensifies. This high demand drives up CPC, especially for popular keywords like “Black Friday deals” or niche terms within competitive industries like retail, electronics, and fashion.

For small businesses, this can be a major hurdle. You might not have the budget to compete head-to-head with larger brands on premium keywords. Fortunately, automation and smart campaign strategies can help you punch above your weight without breaking the bank.

Automation: A Key to Managing High CPCs

Automation is a powerful tool for maximizing efficiency in your campaigns, especially when CPCs are volatile. Google Ads’ automation features—such as bidding strategies, ad creation, and audience targeting—can help small businesses stretch their budget. Here’s how automation can work in your favor:

1. Smart Bidding: Use automated bidding strategies, such as Target CPA or Maximize Conversions, to optimize bids based on real-time signals like device, location, and time of day. Automation can help you bid smarter, not harder, ensuring you’re paying for clicks that are most likely to convert.

2. Ad Scheduling: Automate your ad scheduling to focus on peak hours when your audience is most active. This avoids wasting budget on low-conversion times and ensures your ads are visible when they matter most.

3. Budget Allocation: Automate budget allocation across campaigns based on performance to ensure you’re focusing your resources on ads with the highest ROI.

Performance Max (PMax): The One-Stop Solution for Black Friday

Performance Max campaigns are designed to consolidate all ad placements—Search, Display, YouTube, and more—into one streamlined campaign. For small businesses with limited resources, PMax simplifies the complexity of multichannel advertising. Here’s why PMax can be a game-changer:

1. Increased Reach Across Channels: Instead of managing multiple campaigns for each platform, PMax uses machine learning to optimize ads across Google’s entire inventory. This allows you to increase your reach without needing to micromanage each campaign.

2. Conversion-Driven Optimization: PMax focuses on conversions, automatically adjusting bids and placements based on what’s working. This is crucial during Black Friday, where high-intent buyers are the priority. The automation ensures you’re only spending on placements that drive sales.

3. Real-Time Adaptation: As the Black Friday landscape changes day-to-day, PMax’s machine learning adapts in real-time, helping you stay competitive even as CPCs fluctuate.

Dynamic Search Ads (DSA): Maximizing Visibility with Less Effort

Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) can be a lifesaver for small businesses during Black Friday. Instead of manually creating ads for each keyword, DSA automatically generates ads based on your website content. Here’s how DSA helps:

1. Improved Coverage: DSA scans your website and matches your products or services with relevant search queries, allowing you to capture more traffic without needing to create an exhaustive list of keywords.

2. Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities: During Black Friday, DSA can help you tap into long-tail keywords that bigger brands may overlook. These keywords are less competitive, often leading to lower CPCs while still targeting high-intent users.

3. Quick Setup: Since DSA uses your existing website content, it’s easy to set up and doesn’t require constant keyword management. This is ideal when you’re racing against the clock in the lead-up to Black Friday.

Solutions for Small Businesses

While automation, PMax, and DSA offer powerful ways to manage rising CPCs, there are additional strategies you can employ to maximize your Black Friday success:

1. Focus on Niche Keywords: Competing on broad, high-cost keywords may be out of reach for small businesses. Instead, focus on more specific, niche keywords relevant to your products or services. This will help you avoid exorbitant CPCs while reaching a more targeted audience.

2. Leverage Retargeting Campaigns: Use retargeting to focus on users who have already shown interest in your products. These campaigns typically have a lower CPC and higher conversion rates, making them a cost-effective way to boost sales during Black Friday.

3. Optimize Ad Copy for Conversions: During the high-traffic Black Friday period, your ad copy needs to stand out. Focus on clear, conversion-driven messaging like time-limited offers, discounts, and free shipping to entice clicks without needing to outbid the competition.

4. Utilize Audience Targeting: Google’s audience targeting features allow you to focus your ads on users who are more likely to convert, such as past website visitors or users with specific shopping behaviors. This helps reduce wasteful spending and improves your overall ad performance.

Conclusion

With CPCs rising during Black Friday, small businesses need to be smart about how they allocate their marketing budgets. Automation tools, Performance Max campaigns, and Dynamic Search Ads offer cost-effective ways to stay competitive without being priced out of the market. By leveraging these tools and strategies, you can maximize your reach, drive conversions, and make the most of this crucial shopping season.

If you’re a small business looking to optimize your campaigns for Black Friday, contact us at Amin Digital for expert advice and tailored solutions.

 ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Have a look at our case studies, you can see how we implement our knowledge onto our clients.