Electronic retailers anticipate web traffic surge for Black Friday

Electronic retailers are anticipated to experience significant sales growth this Black Friday, with a notable increase in web traffic compared to the previous year.

A report from the digital PR agency Tank analysed keywords from over 150 retailers between November 2023 and October 2024. The findings highlight companies and products likely to lead in search engine results on 29 November, potentially translating to higher sales.

The report follows concerns that recent Google updates might be shifting more online traffic towards news sites with affiliate links instead of retailers, possibly placing even prominent brands at a disadvantage. Google's latest core update, announced on 11 November, reportedly aims to refine search results by prioritising genuinely useful content over pages made solely for search performance.

Google commented on LinkedIn, stating, "This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search."

Electronic products are projected to see a 76% increase in web traffic, making the sector one of the top performers this Black Friday, second only to fashion. Apple is forecasted to have a substantial 270% increase in web traffic, followed by Lenovo with 255% and Very at 185%.

The report also highlighted sectors that might struggle in the face of competition from news sites and affiliate content. The furniture sector is expected to encounter the largest decrease in organic traffic, followed by fitness and sporting equipment.

Fashion leads with a projected 123% rise in web traffic, with Marks & Spencer set to experience a remarkable 1,456% growth. Additionally, other retailers like John Lewis & Partners and IKEA are expected to see increases of 134% and 28%, respectively.

Martin Harris, Head of Digital at Tank, commented on the competitive landscape, "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."

Harris further elaborated on the importance of strategic content planning in light of the new Google update, "This year, the run up to Black Friday is even more important - particularly given the rollout of a new Google core update - as sales are expected to rise dramatically. It's never too late - retailers still have time to strategise and improve visibility, whether that's creating Black Friday keyword content, implementing paid ads or social media marketing."

"It's important that businesses do not resort to a knee jerk reaction should they see a decline in visibility and to refer to Google's guidelines when it comes to producing content; focusing on elements such as original insight to ensure its people-first as opposed to over search engine-first content," Harris advised.

Tank's report also included expert advice on maximising Black Friday success from SEO Lead Jake Cassedy and Conversion Rate Optimisation Lead Dani Betts. They suggest using product-led keywords and enhancing internal links to Black Friday pages to improve findability. Creating banners, urgent messaging for discounts, and highlighting deals can encourage purchases. The experts also emphasise starting SEO efforts early, noting it typically takes three to six months to see results, making it vital for preparedness in future years.