Google’s AI Search Shift: The Current State of SEM
Hot Tips for Holiday Campaigns in 2025
AUTHOR:
Capacity
Note: This post was originally published in November 2022 and updated in September 2025.
It may only be September, but at arts organizations we know: it’s fully holiday-planning time (the decor is probably already on sale at your local drugstore/big box store). As the weather cools down, it’s time to gear up for those annual holiday shows.
In 2025, your organization is competing with streaming services, ticket brokers, and dozens of other holiday events in your city. Plus, people are inundated with shopping ads that clutter the digital landscape. So, how do you cut through the noise and avoid getting iced out this winter?
Tip #1: Make your search strategy sparkle
Google’s AI Overviews are changing the way people search and how the SERP looks, taking up valuable real estate at the top of the page. Ads may appear above, below, or inside the Overview itself. The good news is, if you’re running search campaigns with broad match keywords (or the new AI Max) or using Performance Max campaigns, you may already be serving ads in AI Overviews. Unfortunately, Google currently provides no data on when, where, or if ads appear alongside or inside Overviews.
Back to the basics: while AI is buzzy, your best bet this holiday season is to stick to tried-and-true best practices:
- Google Grants should be supplemented with paid search for a solid return on investment (ROI) for revenue-oriented campaigns, and to help you combat ticket resellers and other types of SERP competition (for more on that, check out our latest on-demand Capacity Academy offering: The Official Source: Navigating the Secondary Ticket Market).
- Ad Assets expand your physical presence on the SERP and allow you to get more information in front of some of your best prospects: people who are already searching for you or what you offer. TIP: Image assets are an important way to stand out on the SERP. Include both horizontal and square aspect ratios and as many options as possible to maximize where you can serve. No production photos yet? Use evergreen images of your building or your audience until you can add them.
- Be sure your ad copy and ad assets are customized for the holiday season. Encourage people to explore all of your holiday programming, shop for gift certificates, or invite them to ring in the new year by donating. Create a sense of urgency if tickets are selling fast or there’s limited availability. And make sure that you include that you are the official source for tickets! Keep your assets timely to attract the most clicks.
See It In Action
- Alliance Theatre’s 2024 ad for A Christmas Carol uses a photo of one of the actors in costume, helping searchers envision what they’ll experience. Sitelinks dive deeper into the organization: “Group Tickets” is helpful for people wanting to attend a show with family and friends, while “Black Friday Weekend Sale” highlights a limited-time promotion.
Tip #2: Satisfy sweet tooths with fresh content
When you’re advertising the same holiday show year after year, it’s hard to keep content feeling fresh. Check out these examples for inspiration as you look for creative ways to sell a familiar story and put a spin on productions audiences know and love.
TIP: If you’re still posting your vertical videos exclusively on Facebook and Instagram and think that will suffice in 2025, think again! TikTok is (for now) a genuine sales tool. Boston Ballet served six different ads on TikTok targeting past buyers and potential audiences within their 2024 Nutcracker campaign, taking advantage of the platform’s advanced targeting capabilities to reach a broad top-of-funnel audience (including performing arts fans, classical music lovers, and users engaging with theatre and stage-related content). The result? An ROI over 5,000%.
Tip #3: Warm hearts with personalized messaging
Consumers receive an overwhelming amount of sales emails during the holidays. How do you rise to the top of their inboxes? Get cozy with your CRM database and use what you know to tailor patrons’ experiences.
Audiences respond better to content that is relevant to their unique buyer behavior. Find ways to speak to them as individuals, whether it’s including first names in your subject lines or tailoring email body copy to acknowledge someone’s past purchases.
- The priority here: segment, segment, segment. Do you have a list of patrons who saw The Nutcracker last year? Invite them to “come back and relive the magic.” Do you keep track of who’s purchased student-priced tickets? Boost the educational benefits of seeing a live holiday pops performance. Craft different messages for different audiences and show that you understand their relationship to your organization.
Tip #4: Unwrap new Google toys
The algorithms are getting smarter—’tis the season to work with them instead of against them. Google can play a central role in capturing intent and driving conversions, like it did for Boston Ballet’s 2024 Nutcracker.
Consider combining Google ad formats to maximize your reach and results. Paid Search, Performance Max, and Demand Gen work best together.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that the holidays present a unique opportunity to reach visitors in your city, as people come “home” to visit family and friends. To capture an audience of holiday tourists, consider incorporating one of the most tourism-optimized ad placements available: Google Things to Do (aka “Tickets & Tours” or Travel Ads).
These ads appear above traditional search ads and organic results when users search for phrases like:
- “Things to do in [your city]”
- “[Your attraction] tickets”
- “Tours in [your city]”
Tip #5: Skip the post-holiday slump
With last-minute buying behavior becoming more and more common, consider running your campaigns up until the very last minute. According to Meta, 41% of consumers say their shopping continues after the holiday season. And school vacations often leave families itching to get out of the house; last year, searches for “family things to do” increased after Christmas.
Keeping your campaigns live will help you stay top of mind when the rush of Q4 starts to slow down. Since fewer advertisers will be vying for customers’ attention, you may also enjoy more affordable and effective ad results. If your performances or exhibitions run through the New Year, keep those campaigns active during the post-Christmas window. Although it’s tempting to rely on last-minute messaging, focus instead on benefits-driven copy that centers your customers.
The examples below illustrate the impact of benefits-driven copy. Remember to share what’s in it for your audience. A trip to the theater is a chance to spend time with loved ones, and a visit to a museum is a mini-vacation for families on winter break.
- Benefits-Driven Copy
- “Quality time is the sweetest gift of all. Treat your ballet besties to Nutcracker tickets and ring in the new year with a sprinkle of magic.”
- “Did somebody say snow day? ❄️ Chill out with a trip to the Children’s Museum. It’s the perfect way to make time for play with your kiddos.”
- Copy that Doesn’t Bring Value into Audiences’ Lives
- “Time is running out to experience the Monet exhibit. Hurry and get your tickets now through Jan 1.”
- “Don’t miss your chance to see the Holiday Pops before the curtain closes. Tickets start at just $59.”
Putting It All Together
Chances are, you already have what you need to be successful in all of the ways described above! Focus on getting creative and diversifying your digital media mix. It’s September—there’s still time to iterate. Say goodbye to Scrooge-level stress and hello to peaceful dreams of sugar plums.
