Three tips for improving search discoverability this holiday

Your product cannot get bought if shoppers don't find them. Our recent Holiday Shopping Keyword Intelligence Report revealed that leading brands update their product content to align with consumers search needs -- and those that make significant updates over the holiday season improve their discoverability.

We examined six full months of product content pushes and updates across more than 50 large Salsify customers in the apparel, toys, home and garden, and associated industries. Collectively, the brands included in this sample oversee the management of more than ten million SKUs. Additionally, we analyzed a full 12 months of aggregate retail search activity across several Salsify retail partners.

Here are three things your brand and merchandising team can do to improve your sales this holiday season.

1. Check your replishment code.

Across retailer sites, make sure item replenishment is set to orderable. On Amazon, for example, seasonal items are set to “Off Season” and Amazon won’t order it until flipped to a replenishable code. Download your catalog, identify any items to bring in for the holidays and work with your buyer to request the correct replenishable status.

2. Ensure products are appropriately categorized.

Better capture sales from consumers browsing through groups of products by setting up all your merchandise in the appropriate category and subcategory. On Amazon, this is also called the “browse node.” Example: Grocery & Gourmet Food > Food & Beverage Gifts > Assortments & Variety Gifts.

3. Early planning for seasonal product launched is the most effective.

If you are setting up a brand new item that you wish to sell for the holiday season, it’s worth getting these live on retailer sites as early as possible. By capturing some early sales and reviews, you’ll better position your new product on the retail search engine results page (SERP) during November and December.

Want a deeper understanding of the consumer shopping trends that matter to your holiday merchandising? Listen to our recent webinar and arm yourself with actionable tips and best practices to ensure your product pages are ready for success during this year's holiday rush.