10 Must-Do’s SEO Steps Before Black Friday Hits

Black Friday is one of the most important periods of the year for online commerce. For most e-businesses, this day is crucial for their financial results – it can determine whether the year will end in the red or with a profit.

In Bulgaria, interest in this period continues to grow with each passing year. Consumers expect increasingly attractive offers and discounts, which are no longer limited to just one day. More and more often, the promotional period is extended – it starts a week or two before the main date and continues after it.

To be successful in this highly competitive environment, businesses need to take a strategic approach. The key lies in detailed planning of Black Friday campaigns, precise execution of each step, and constant monitoring of results. In the era of rapidly advancing AI solutions and marketing automation, the right digital strategy can become a decisive advantage.

Our experience shows that well-prepared campaigns can lead to impressive results. After analyzing numerous e-commerce projects, our team’s data shows that effective SEO preparation and timely optimization can increase organic traffic by over 200% during the Black Friday period.

Black Friday isn’t just a day of discounts – it’s an opportunity for sustainable growth, building long-term customer relationships, and strengthening your brand’s position in the digital space. Here are 10 tactics that work:

1. Keyword Research for Black Friday: The Foundation of a Successful Campaign

Every effective Black Friday strategy begins with well-planned keyword research. This is the first and one of the most important steps in preparing for this highly competitive promotional period.

Many businesses make a common mistake – they focus solely on their usual keywords, adding the phrase “Black Friday.” However, this is not enough.

Our advice as SEO specialists: don’t stop there.

Start by analyzing historical data from previous years. Tools such as Google Trends will show you search dynamics and when interest begins to grow. With Ahrefs or Semrush, you can identify the specific phrases that your competitors have successfully ranked for in previous campaigns.

Don’t underestimate semantic analysis either – use relevant and thematically related expressions to cover the full range of consumer intentions. Long-tail keywords are particularly valuable, as they usually have lower competition but higher conversion potential.

Examples:

• “Black Friday laptop deals”
• “November smartphone discounts”
• “Christmas gift promotions”

Create a list of at least 50 – 100 keywords specific to your niche and supplemented with Black Friday terms. Then group them by intent type:

• Informational – for example, “how to choose a Black Friday TV,”
• Navigational – “Black Friday Emag,”
• Transactional – “buy a laptop on Black Friday 2025.”

Such a structured approach to keyword research will not only increase organic traffic but also help you build content that precisely meets the expectations and intentions of your potential customers.

2.Analyze Your Most Successful Landing Pages

In digital marketing, there is a recommendation: it is more effective to update content that already works than to start from scratch and create new content. Therefore, before investing time and resources in creating entirely new pages, analyze the results from the previous year.
 

Start with the question: which landing pages brought in the most backlinks? These pages have already proven their value and authority to users and Google’s algorithms. Use them as a foundation.

Typically, pages with many backlinks have several common characteristics:

• They contain unique and original information,
• They offer data visualization or interactive elements,
• They have real practical value for the user.
  

For example, if last year your page “Top 10 Phones with the Biggest Discounts” generated dozens of links, this year you can upgrade it to “Top 15 Phones with the Best Black Friday Deals” by adding current data, new visual elements, and expanded analysis.

It is important to note that the most successful landing pages are not always product pages. Often, it is information resources – comparisons, guides, statistics, and selection tips – that prove to be the strongest source of organic traffic and authoritative links.

Furthermore, in the context of Google’s new AI Overviews, such materials are even more valuable. They can be cited directly in automatically generated summaries, providing additional visibility beyond the traditional “blue link.”

Invest in analyzing, updating, and improving your best-performing pages – this is one of the most sustainable approaches to long-term growth.

3. Impressions and Clicks from Last Year

Before planning new campaigns, conduct a detailed analysis of last year’s data in Google Search Console – a free and extremely accurate tool that should be every marketing team’s second home.

Filter the results by specific months to identify which pages generated the most impressions and clicks. This information will give you a clear indication of which topics and content had the greatest impact on your audience.
The next important metric is CTR (Click-Through Rate) – the ratio between impressions and actual clicks.

If a page has, for example, 100,000 impressions and only a 2% CTR, this is a sign of a problem: users see it in the results but do not click on it. In such a case, the focus should be on optimizing the elements that are visible in the search engine – title tags and meta descriptions. They are the first impression that the user gets of your brand in the SERP.

On the other hand, pages with high CTR but lower rankings show high user interest but probably suffer from insufficient optimization – whether in terms of content, structure, or technical performance. Such pages represent a hidden opportunity: with minimal improvements, they can climb to higher positions and bring in significant traffic.

Don’t underestimate the fact that well-optimized pages with clear and relevant content have a better chance of being included in AI Overviews – Google’s new format that provides even greater visibility beyond standard search results.

4. Reuse Content and Addresses

When it comes to Black Friday campaigns, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. If you already have a page with a URL, for example, /black-friday-deals-2024, don’t delete it after the campaign ends. Instead, update the content and simply change the year in the main texts and titles to reflect the new season – for example, 2025.

This approach preserves the accumulated SEO value and authority of the page. Search engines already know this URL, it has a history, and probably external links that bring traffic and trust. Deleting such a page would mean losing all of that.

If you need to change the structure (for example, from 2024 to 2025 in the address), be sure to do a 301 redirect from the old to the new URL so you don’t lose the link and keep your positions in the search results.

The best practice is to create a sustainable template for the main product categories, for example:

• /black-friday-laptops
• /black-friday-phones
• /black-friday-accessories

Each year, simply update the content, products, and prices without changing the URL itself. This way, you build a long-term SEO history that strengthens over time and facilitates indexing by search engines.

This method not only saves time and resources but also ensures better organic traffic sustainability, putting you in a stronger position for each subsequent Black Friday campaign.

5. Landing Page Optimization

Your special Black Friday landing pages should work like a well-oiled machine. Every element on them should serve one purpose: to attract attention and facilitate the user’s path to purchase.
Here are a few basic principles you shouldn’t overlook:

Optimized Titles and Structures

Include the year and the main keyword in the title. Example:
“Black Friday | Black Friday 2025: Up to 70% off mobile phones”
Make sure the H1 tag matches the main title of the page – this helps both for SEO and for better understanding by the user.

Clear and Logical Content Structure

Organize content by category and priority. Place the best offers at the top of the page – for example, in the “Offers” section. Then structure product groups in a clear and visually distinct way:

• Laptops
• Mobile phones
• Accessories
  

Add navigation filters to help users quickly find what they are looking for. Good UX structure is a critical factor for retention and conversion.

Use FOMO in Moderation

Creating a sense of urgency (FOMO – Fear of Missing Out) works, but only when it is balanced.

Example:
“2 days left until the end of the promotion”
is much more effective and reliable than aggressive phrases such as “LAST CHANCE!!!”.

Users sense when they are being subjected to excessive pressure—and this can reduce trust and worsen results.

Optimization for Featured Snippets and AI Overviews

Add an FAQ section (Questions and Answers) at the end of the page. It not only improves the user experience but also increases the chances of your content appearing in Google’s featured snippets or AI Overviews.

Useful questions you can include:

• “When does Black Friday start in Bulgaria?”
• “What are the best deals this year?”
• “How long do I have to return my purchase?”

These structured elements help search engine algorithms better understand the content and increase the visibility of the page.

6. Home page strategy

Your website’s home page is your strongest digital asset during any promotional period, and Black Friday is no exception. It is the first place that attracts attention, sets the tone, and guides consumer behavior.

At Serpact, we advise you not to overload your home page with too much information or visual elements. Multiple banners, videos, bright colors, and text can create chaos and confuse the consumer. Instead, take a strategic approach – define one clear action (CTA) that you want the visitor to take and guide them along the easiest path to that action.

Build a clear visual hierarchy

Arrange the content so that the main promotion is the first thing visitors see. Below it, add categories with the best offers, and then, if necessary, additional product sections. A clear visual structure enhances the user experience and increases the likelihood of conversion.

Add elements that inspire trust

During periods such as Black Friday, when consumers make quick decisions and need more assurance before purchasing, emphasize the security and reliability of your online store through:

• Security certificates (SSL, Trust badges)
• Reviews from real customers
• Information about delivery and partners
• Clarification about secure payments – for example, that card details are not stored and payments are processed through a trusted provider.

These elements build customer confidence and reduce resistance to purchase.

Don’t underestimate internal linking

Internal link structure is a critical component of any successful SEO strategy.

Link the home page to the most important categories, Black Friday landing pages, and key product offerings.

This not only facilitates user navigation, but also boosts search engine indexing by distributing SEO value across priority pages.

7. Google Business Profile promotion

Many online stores overlook the importance of local SEO, especially when they don’t have a physical location. The truth is that Google Business Profile (GBP) can be a powerful channel for organic traffic and trust – even for entirely online merchants.

The Serpact team has a dedicated local SEO specialist and strategist who stands out as one of the most active Local Guides in Bulgaria. Over the years, he has added over 1,000 places and more than 20,000 photos to the Google ecosystem. This practical experience gives us a deep understanding of the algorithms and factors that influence local visibility and user behavior in Google Maps and Search.

Even if you are an entirely online business, you should not miss out on the opportunities that GBP offers. Here are a few specific steps you can take even before Black Friday:

• Update your description
  Add information about Black Friday promotions and specific offers. This not only improves relevance but also signals to Google that your profile is active and up to date.
  
• Indicate special hours
  If you will be offering extended support or customer service during the campaign, enter special business hours. This shows commitment and reliability.
  
• Add up-to-date photos
  Upload photos of the products on promotion – Google strongly prefers fresh content, especially visual content. This increases engagement and keeps users in its ecosystem, which also has a positive effect on positioning.

8. Structured Data optimization

Schema markup often remains an overlooked element in SEO strategy, but it is actually one of the most powerful tools for improving the visibility and presentation of content in search results. For e-commerce businesses, it is the “secret weapon” that can make their pages more attractive and informative in the eyes of consumers and search engines. Therefore, be sure to use Product and Offer Schema markup if you have an online store.

For each product on your site, make sure you have implemented structured data of type Product and Offer. This allows Google to display rich results with additional information directly in the SERP.

Include the following elements:

• Price – both the current and the old (discounted) price;
• Availability – whether the product is in stock or about to be restocked;
• Rating and reviews – user ratings are a strong signal of trust;
• SKU and Brand – details that help Google associate the product with a specific manufacturer and catalog.

These attributes not only improve the user experience but also increase CTR (click-through rate), as the results appear more informative and visually distinctive.

For promotional pages such as Black Friday landing pages, use Event Schema. This signals to search engines that this is a special event with a specific time frame – for example, the start and end of the promotion. This improves relevance and visibility for seasonal searches.

Add FAQ Schema to the frequently asked questions section. This gives you the chance to appear with expandable questions and answers directly in the search results – a format that increases visibility and takes up more space in the SERP.

9. PageSpeed optimization

During Black Friday campaigns, traffic to online stores usually increases significantly. This is good news, but only if your website is ready to handle the load. A slow website means lost sales, a poorer user experience, and a drop in SEO rankings.

To avoid such “surprises,” it is important to apply proven technical practices for performance optimization:

•  Image optimization

Use the WebP format, which provides significantly smaller file sizes without loss of quality. Combine this with lazy loading – loading images only when the user reaches them.

• Minimize CSS and JavaScript

Reduce and combine style and script files to reduce the number of HTTP requests and the overall page size. Avoid heavy libraries and limit plugins to only those that are critical to functionality.

• Optimal Sizing of Visual Elements

Ensure that images and banners are properly sized for the device – this improves speed on both desktop and mobile versions.

• Stress tests

Before launching your campaign, perform stress tests by simulating 5-10 times more traffic than usual. This will show you how the system responds to peak loads and allow you to identify and fix any weak spots in time.

10. XML Sitemap 

During periods when many new pages are created, as is often the case before Black Friday, sitemap files become critically important. This moment is no exception, but rather a confirmation of the rule: properly structured sitemaps help search engines index content faster and more efficiently.

It is good practice to create a separate sitemap specifically for Black Friday content. You can then divide the structure into separate types:

• Product Sitemap – contains individual product pages;
  Category Sitemap – includes the main promotional categories;
• Content (Blog) Sitemap – for articles, guides, and supporting content.

This segmentation helps search engines prioritize content more easily and crawl the most important pages at the right time.

Set priorities for pages according to their importance:

• Main Promotional Pages – priority 1.0
• Supporting Pages – priority 0.8

Don’t forget to update the lastmod date with every change. This signals to search engines which pages should be crawled first and ensures that new content will be indexed in a timely manner.

No SEO campaign is complete without measuring the results. Set up Google Analytics and Search Console to track:

• Organic traffic and CTR
• Keyword positions
• User behavior during the campaign

This data will serve as a solid foundation for an even more successful strategy next year.

BONUS tip: 

Before Black Friday sales begin, make sure your website is technically prepared to handle the increased traffic. During peak periods, traffic can increase exponentially, and it is not uncommon for even stable websites to “crash” under the load.

The first step is to discuss possible limitations with your hosting provider. Specify the acceptable traffic and server load limits, as well as what measures can be taken in the event of a sudden spike in visits.

AI bots and new restrictions

According to recent data, more and more hosting companies are imposing restrictions on AI bots crawling their websites in order to save resources and protect their infrastructure.

 However, this can also have an unintended effect -restricting access to AI agents can reduce the likelihood of your site being cited or recommended in various AI systems and content aggregators.

That’s why it’s important to clarify these settings in advance and find a balance between security and accessibility.

The new reality of digital visibility

The future of online presence no longer depends solely on user experience (UX) and site speed. AI agents’ recognition -their ability to identify, cite, and recommend your website as a reliable and authoritative source of information – is playing an increasingly important role.

In this context, the SEO strategy of the future must include not only optimization for users and search engines, but also optimization for the AI ecosystem, which is increasingly influencing the visibility and trustworthiness of brands online.

Optimizing websites for AI search and responses builds on traditional SEO through Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO), which adapts websites for platforms such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, and Agent Experience Optimization (AXO) – a methodology focused on technical parameters and content structure specifically for AI agents. 

To succeed in this new reality, businesses must:

• ensure flawless technical infrastructure – speed, stability, and properly structured data (Schema Markup, JSON-LD);
• create in-depth thematic and factual content with clear logic and well-defined answers;
• build digital authority through digital PR, media partnerships, and expert publications that convincingly demonstrate expertise, reliability, and trust (E-E-A-T).