How to optimize your Google Ads for Christmas and New Year

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas, from the Echelonn team.

I really appreciate having you guys.

Reading and supporting the newsletter.

More content is on the way 2026, and I promise this is the only Google ads newsletter you need to be following.

Just a little snapshot we took while we filmed some santa ads in a lambo, hope you guys find it as funny as I did.

Little something a client sent in just this week:

Anyways, we’re in the final stretch of the year now.

I know a lot of people have started to slow down, mentally check out, and wind down a bit.

But if you’re still looking for ways to squeeze out extra sales now and put your brand in a strong position going into 2026…

I’ve got a few ideas for you.

Right now, there are two massive opportunities in ecom.

1. Gifting ads

Take a look at the trend data around gifts.

As you can see, search interest is ramping up. Everyone’s hunting for gift ideas.

There’re 2 main ways to capture this demand on Google.

The first is through Search campaigns targeting gift-related keywords.

(Think terms like “best [product type] for Christmas” or “[product category] gifts.”)

The second is using Demand Gen campaigns built around gifting angles, such as:

• "I gifted X to my husband, and this was his reaction."

• "This is the only gift you need for your parents this year."

Now, here's the key part. Keep in mind who you’re selling to here.

These are gift buyers.

They care far more about how the recipient will react than about technical features or detailed specs.

So your entire funnel should reflect that:

• Show the product in gift-ready packaging

• Use lifestyle shots of someone unboxing or getting the gift

• Include social proof about gifting ("my wife loved this")

• Add urgency: "order by Dec 22 for guaranteed Christmas delivery"

• Offer special perks: free gift wrapping, gift receipts, gift messages

Most importantly…

Do not send this traffic to a generic product page.

You can create themed collection pages (something like "Christmas Gifts for Parents").

Or you can build out listicles that present different gift ideas and position your products at the top.

2. “New year, new me” ads

Just like gifting demand spikes before Christmas, people start looking for change as the New Year approaches.

You can tap into this by positioning your product as part of that transformation.

This isn’t limited to fitness equipment or supplements.

Almost any product can be framed this way if you think about the outcome it creates.

I’ll give you a few examples.

• Indoor gardening kits: “Turn your home into the place everyone wants to hang out in”

• Ergonomic desks: “What if working was something you looked forward to in 2026?”

• Mattress: “Better sleep, better days, better year”

Honestly?

It’s harder for me to find products that cannot be positioned with these angles than ones that can.

If your product helps someone become better, faster, healthier, more organised, more productive…

You can take advantage of this.

One of my core philosophies in advertising is that you should always lean into moments when demand ramps up.

The reason is that you’ll certainly see a lift in sales (as long as you properly tailor your messaging to that demand).

And on top of that…

Competition is usually lower than with evergreen campaigns, just because most brands don’t put in the effort to adapt their strategy for these moments.

This is the approach that we take for our clients.

We don’t run the same setup year-round and make optimizations every week.

We constantly look for ways to expand reach, test new angles, and capture demand for times like this.

Which is the main reason so many brands see major improvements…. or hit record days after working with us.

So if you want to work with us, you can grab a call here.

We’ll help you execute these strategies and set yourself up for a strong start to the year ahead.

Jackson

CEO & Founder of Echelonn

How we can help:

Get a free Google ads audit: For brands spending more than $20k/mo. or making over 1 million annually, we’ll identify the key bottlenecks in your account, and turn it into a free 90-day scaling plan. Click here.

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