Feeling a dip in your home and garden ads this season? Here’s why!
You open your Google Ads dashboard expecting everything to look steady, and suddenly the numbers seem a little less bright and merry than they did in summer. Clicks feel softer, conversions have dipped and your cost per acquisition might be creeping up. If you work in the home and garden space this can feel surprising after such a busy warm weather season.
The good news is that nothing unusual is happening. It is not a glitch and it is not your competitors sneaking ahead. It is simply the festive season beginning to change how people search and spend.
At 21Digital we have a strong customer base in home and garden, so we see this pattern every single year. For many of the outdoor focused brands we support things naturally slow at this time of year. Our decking clients feel it, our fencing clients feel it and the same goes for sheds, landscaping products and larger home improvement items. People are wrapped up in presents, family gatherings and festive fun, so the big projects get saved for later. Gift friendly products still enjoy a little Christmas lift and the Boxing Day sales often bring a small spark of fresh interest, but overall most project led categories experience a gentle winter pause.
So, before you hit pause or start rewriting your ads, take a moment. A seasonal dip in Google Ads is completely normal, and with the right approach, it can actually work to your advantage… and here’s how.
Why performance naturally dips at this time of year
During the final part of the year, many shoppers shift their attention to festive plans, family gatherings, treats, gifts and food. Bigger improvements around the home and garden often move down the priority list simply because people are busy or saving those ideas for a fresh start in January.
This does not apply to every home and garden business. Giftable items often enjoy a very cheerful December. But for brands selling project-led products like decking, fencing or renovation materials, search volumes usually begin to soften in October and continue to do so until the holiday season wraps up.
A drop in clicks or conversions does not mean your campaigns are failing. It simply reflects the mindset of your audience at this time of year. The very same people who scroll past your ads now are often the first to return with real intention when the new year begins.
Why pausing your ads is tempting but not helpful
When numbers dip, it is very easy to think that turning everything off for a few weeks will save money. In reality, pausing campaigns can create a much bigger problem. Google needs consistent signals to understand your ideal customers. When you turn off your ads, you interrupt that learning. When you eventually switch them back on, your account needs time to relearn, which means your recovery period often lands right when shoppers are excited to start planning their home and garden projects again in January and February.
Keeping your campaigns active, even at lower budgets, protects your visibility and keeps your data flowing. There are also fewer advertisers competing for the top spots at this time of year, which often means lower cost per click and more affordable exposure for your brand.
How to use the quieter months wisely
A slower season is not a wasted season. It’s actually one of the best times to build stronger foundations for the spring ahead. You can focus on gathering valuable remarketing data, testing creative ideas, trying new ad copy or refining your keyword approach without the pressure of peak season performance.
Even if people are not ready to buy yet, many are quietly researching for the year ahead. These visits become powerful warm audiences that you can reach again when motivation and budgets return.
The long-term value of staying consistent
The brands that see the strongest performance are not always the ones with the biggest budgets. They are the ones that show up consistently throughout the year, even during the naturally quiet moments. This steady presence keeps your account stable, your learnings intact, and your visibility strong. And when the new year arrives with fresh energy, your campaigns are ready to shine at full brightness without needing to warm up again.
Seasonality is one of the few things in marketing you can plan for with confidence. When you know a slowdown is coming, you can shift focus to learning, testing, and preparing.
At 21Digital, we help businesses stay visible and competitive year-round, even when the market cools down. If your campaigns have gone quiet and you want to understand what’s really behind the numbers, our team can help you turn that data into a plan for growth.
Talk to our Google Ads experts today to get ready for the season ahead. Our services encompass everything from web design, web development, SEO, Google Ads, digital consultancy, social media marketing, and email marketing, all under one roof. So let us help you turn that seasonal slowdown into your next big opportunity. Get in touch and make your Google Ads campaigns the gift that keeps on giving!
