Electrical retailers could be in for bumper sales this Black Friday after new figures show the sector is expected to see a big uplift in web traffic.
Digital PR agency, Tank, analysed keywords for over 150 retailers from November 2023 to October 2024 to reveal which companies and products are set to dominate search results – putting them in poll position to generate sales on 29 November (Black Friday).
It comes following growing criticism that Google updates are directing more online traffic to news sites with affiliate links, rather than retailers’ own pages – potentially disadvantaging even big brands.
Electrical goods was one of the top ranking categories, with an expected 76 per cent increase in web traffic this Black Friday. Tank’s Black Friday Readiness Report also revealed the sectors that could struggle to be seen amidst the annual sale event madness.
Biggest increase in organic traffic by sector
Smart home devices have seen a -8.4 per cent change in organic website traffic this year; by contrast, furniture has seen the biggest drop at -39 per cent.
Tank said that John Lewis & Partners is seemingly staying ahead of Google’s updates with traffic set to increase by an impressive 134 per cent!
Martin Harris, Head of Digital at Tank, said: “Fierce competition is standard during events like Black Friday and while retailers probably didn’t expect to be competing with news sites in search engine results, they can stand out by maintaining high positions in organic search. Not only can they drive traffic to their website and improve sales, they can take back traffic and revenue from affiliate content.
“This year, the run up to Black Friday is even more important as sales are expected to rise dramatically. Retailers don’t have long now to strategise and improve visibility, whether that’s creating Black Friday keyword content, implementing paid ads or social media marketing.”
An expert’s guide to Black Friday success
Tank’s SEO Lead, Jake Cassedy, and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) Lead, Dani Betts, suggest…
Act early: SEO typically takes three to six months to see results, so get started as soon as you can – even if it’s preparing for next year.
Product-led keywords: Customers search for terms like ‘Macbook black Friday’ or ‘white coat black Friday’, so targeting these could be a quick win, especially if you use them to create product listing pages.
Internal links: Link to your Black Friday pages to ensure it’s easy for customers and Google to find. You could create a banner or add the page to your navigation menu.
Page content: Use your banners and create urgent messaging to show off discounts. Highlight low stock or time-limited deals to encourage purchases.
