Brides, Grads, and Dads

June is a month of weddings, graduations, and, of course, Father's Day (June 17th!). Jennie Cohen from the AdWords team is here to share how you can make the most out of this summer gift-giving:

Here come the brides
According to a 2006 Questus research study, 97% of brides now use the Internet to plan their weddings, and 93% find new ideas and brands online. Google's content network includes wedding planning sites like eWedding.com, which engaged couples visit frequently as their big day approaches. These sites offer a fantastic opportunity for caterers, photographers, DJs, formal wear retailers, and florists to market their products and services. But they're not the only ones who stand to benefit. Many couples are already anticipating post-nuptial purchases such as honeymoon travel, a new home, and household items like furniture and cooking supplies – especially if they find that their wedding gifts include more cash than kitchen appliances.

• Make sure your keywords are targeting wedding guests rather than brides- and grooms-to-be. Use keywords like 'wedding day gift ideas' and 'unique wedding gifts' to reach undecided shoppers. Include these terms in your ad text and experiment with calls to action like 'Find the Perfect Wedding Gift' and 'Save on Gifts for Newlyweds.'
  
  
• Try creating a separate landing page on your website that features all your wedding-appropriate products. That way, wedding attendees will have an easier time finding the perfect gifts and adding them to their shopping carts.
  
  
• Don't forget that wedding party members are often looking for finery of their own!

School's out
Young adults are notoriously hard to shop for. According to the National Retail Federation's Graduation Survey, 31% of proud parents and other shoppers plan to give gift cards for graduation. The survey also found that the average graduation gift shopper plans to give gifts to two graduates this year, spending about $50 on each. In light of these two findings, consider the following tips:

• If you offer gift cards on your website, try mentioning them in your ad text.
  
  
• If you offer any special discounts like 'buy one, get one half off' or 'free shipping on orders over $50,' you can use your ad text to let potential customers know. These will attract shoppers looking for gifts for more than one graduate.
  

World's Greatest Dad
Designated as a holiday a full 51 years after Mother's Day, Father's Day has always lagged behind its more prominent counterpart. In recent years, however, it seems to be catching up. According to a survey done by the National Retail Federation in 2007, U.S. consumers will spend nearly $10 billion on dads this year, with the average person spending $98.34 (up from $88.80 in 2006) on dear old dad. Roughly 19% of respondents plan to buy Father's Day gifts online., and with a little work, you can use AdWords to connect with these gift-givers.

• Set up a separate AdWords campaign for all Father's Day-related keywords and ads to gain better control over your daily budget and maximum cost-per-click. You can then delete this campaign after June 17 or pause it and use it again next year.
  
  
• Within your Father's Day campaign, create distinct ad groups for each product category, and direct visitors who click on your ads to the most relevant pages on your website.
  
  
• The fewer clicks it takes to find the perfect gift and complete the transaction, the more likely it is that consumers will complete a purchase. You may want to consider using Google Checkout, a convenient checkout process that can save your customers time, while saving you money.

We hope you'll use Google AdWords to reach out to gift-givers this month, helping them share the joy with the brides, dads, and grads in their lives.

Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew