New format
New Year sale campaigns in Yandex Direct and Google Ads
The New Year season in paid search isn’t only “−30% in December.” You need a demand forecast, different messages for early and late buyers, separate creatives, and a careful exit after the holidays.
Below: a working frame for Yandex Direct and Google Ads. NRF/Trends figures from old reviews are rough examples of curve shape — not law for your niche in Russia. Holiday retargeting at peak is covered separately.
Demand analysis and forecast
Lean on last year’s season stats: clicks, CPA, product categories, bounce. Drop one-off spikes that won’t repeat.
Add industry context: how demand behaved this year before the season. Click forecasts guide budget — not a revenue promise. Other people’s Trends charts help with curve shape, not for copying “US percentages”.
Forecast minimum:
- last year’s season in Direct/Ads and Metrika
- leading gift categories and queries
- warehouse capacity and delivery SLAs
- budget cap for peak days
Buyer types in the season
Roughly split the audience: early planners, discount hunters (sale peaks), rationals (compare longer), last-minute (time-poor).
Different types need different messages and timing: early — assortment and sets; discount seekers — a clear USP in the noise; last-minute — fast delivery and “in stock today”.
Practical move:
- separate groups/campaigns by season stage
- ad schedules for peaks
- “for myself” vs “as a gift” — different creatives
- don’t promise delivery your warehouse can’t meet
Creatives and landings for the sale
In the ad — sale dates, benefit, limits. On the landing — the same terms, stock, delivery before the holiday. Promise vs page mismatch kills conversion and traffic quality.
Prep 2–3 creative sets early: pre-peak, peak, post-holiday. Test headlines carefully — see the paid-search A/B piece.
Campaign setup in Direct and Google Ads
Move the sale into a separate campaign with an end date. Pause or narrow the main line so budget doesn’t leak into ordinary ads without the seasonal offer.
Google Ads often has rules/schedules for auto-stop; in Direct plan the date manually or via a separate timed campaign — check current account options. Peak bids are usually higher: set CPA expectations in advance.
Launch checklist:
- gift/sale semantics + negatives
- separate seasonal budget
- UTM and goals in analytics
- warm retargeting
- alerts on stock and delivery SLAs
After the holidays
Demand doesn’t hit zero in one day: some purchases and catch-up orders come after. Change creative themes, communicate the schedule, lower bids as the auction cools.
Turn off sale ads on plan and restore the main campaign. Otherwise people click “−50% until Dec 31” while the site already shows regular prices.
Takeaways
A seasonal sale in paid search = forecast + buyer segments + separate campaigns + an honest offer. Someone else’s “when Americans buy” percentages won’t replace your numbers.
After the peak, discipline matters too: creative swap and stopping the sale on date.
FAQ
When should you start gift ads?
Check your past years and Wordstat/Trends for the niche. For many, demand rises weeks before the peak — not only on Dec 31.
Should you run a separate campaign for the sale?
Yes, it’s cleaner: own ads, negatives, budget, and end date. Don’t mix the main campaign with a seasonal offer.
Is retargeting mandatory for a holiday sale?
It helps a lot at peak, but doesn’t replace search and shopping campaigns. Holiday retargeting tactics are covered separately.
What should you do after the holidays?
Change creatives, lower bids when competition drops, communicate working hours, and turn off sale ads on schedule.
Is sales growth guaranteed with holiday ads?
No. Paid search amplifies demand and offer; without stock, logistics, and a sale landing, budget burns.
Holiday sale in ads — and last year’s US Trends is your only plan?
We’ll forecast from your season, split buyer stages, and run a dated campaign with a clean post-holiday exit.
Discuss the task
