With Christmas less than a month away and Aussie shoppers kicking their festive season shopping into high gear, it’s now or never for small businesses to make sure they are ready online and bringing a little festive inspiration to their customers.

So what’s trending this festive season? According to Google Trends, Aussies are on the hunt for personalised gifts for that special someone! The top related search for Christmas and gifts is “personalised Christmas gifts” - with the most searched personalised items being stubby coolers, Christmas stockings, Christmas balls, tote bags and wine.

And in a sign that Aussies are using the festive season to get behind the campaign to support retailers in rural and regional communities affected by the drought, “buy from the bush” is the top trending* search for gifts in the past month in Australia. In fact, Search interest in “buy from the bush” has spiked +12,200% in the last month.
It’s also the peak period for shopping in Australia, with figures showing that 18 per cent of all online retail sales took place between October and December in 2018 [1]. Yet many Aussie businesses are missing out on opportunities because they are missing a few quick online tricks.

To help small businesses ensure their customers can find them online when it matters - so their customers can find what they need to put under the tree! - Google’s elves have cherry-picked their top  tips for budding businesses:

• Stand out to customers online by creating a free Business Profile on Google, and update your festive period trading details, add photos of festive stock or store decorations, and create a post sharing holiday events or services like gift wrapping. 
• Offer a festive deal or some inspiration to your customers online. Attract new customers and savvy shoppers with festive offers through your Business Profile on Google.
• Make sure your website is mobile friendly, with 26.4 per cent of online sales in Australia made via mobile. [2] Use Test My Site to receive recommendations for your site. 
• Be seen and make an impact with online advertising. Google’s Digital Garage offers a free course dedicated to just this - in three hours users can learn how to create a successful advertising and marketing strategy. 

It’s never been easier to reach new customers online. And with a few simple steps, Aussie business owners will be set for online success this festive season and beyond!

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018), 8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, December 2018
[2] Australia Post Annual E-Commerce Report 2019

*Trending queries are terms that have seen a spike in search interest in the given time period compared with the previous equivalent period.

SEARCH INSIGHTS

• Search interest in “Christmas gifts” is up +260% in the past month in Australia.
• The top related search for Christmas and gifts is “personalised Christmas gifts”, followed by “DIY Christmas gifts”.
• “Buy from the bush” is the top trending* search for gifts in the past month in Australia.
• Search interest in “buy from the bush” has spiked +12,200% this month.

Top related searches for “Christmas gifts” in the past month in Australia:

• Personalised Christmas gifts
• DIY Christmas gifts
• Christmas gifts for kids
• Personalised baby gifts
• Funny Christmas gifts
• Homemade Christmas gifts
• Christmas gifts for men
• Christmas gift boxes
• Christmas presents for boyfriend
• Christmas gifts for mum

Top related searches for “personalised gifts” in the past month in Australia:

• Personalised stubby coolers
• Personalised Christmas stockings
• Personalised Christmas ball
• Personalised tote bags
• Personalised wine