by Emmanuella Opara | September 30th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Google has advised Nigerian businesses to adjust their search advertising strategies ahead of Black Friday and the December shopping season.
- The company says consumers are increasingly using longer queries, voice commands and images when searching for products and businesses.
- Businesses have been urged to update online information, track sales and enquiries rather than clicks alone, and prepare their campaigns in September and October.
MAIN STORY
Nigerian businesses have been advised to start preparing now for the Black Friday and festive shopping season as changes in how consumers search online make traditional keyword-based advertising less effective.
Mr Olumide Balogun, Director, East and West Africa, Google, gave the advice in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, identifying September and October as critical preparation months ahead of Black Friday on Nov. 27 and the December shopping period.
Balogun said consumers were increasingly using detailed questions, voice commands and images to find products and businesses, making it difficult for advertisers to rely on a small list of predicted search terms.
According to him, Google data shows that searches conducted through AI Mode are three times longer than traditional searches, while one in six searches uses voice or images.
He said Nigerian consumers were also combining English with Pidgin and using photographs and spoken queries when looking for products.
Rather than trying to anticipate every phrase a customer might type, Balogun advised businesses to build advertising strategies around consumer intent.
He said Google’s AI Max for Search could help advertisers connect their adverts with relevant searches beyond the keywords they had specifically selected.
According to Balogun, about 500,000 advertisers adopted the tool within its first year, with users recording 27 per cent more conversions at roughly similar costs.
Beyond search advertising, he urged businesses to ensure that the information customers find about them online is accurate.
This includes updating Google Business Profiles with current opening hours, telephone numbers, product images and responses to customer reviews.
Balogun said consumers could first encounter a product on social media before turning to Google to verify the business, compare information or find a physical outlet.
“An outdated telephone number or incorrect opening hours could cost a business a customer who was already prepared to buy,” he said.
He also advised businesses to judge advertising performance by the actions that generate revenue rather than by clicks alone.
These actions, he said, could include completed purchases, WhatsApp conversations, telephone calls and submitted forms, which should be tracked as conversions.
For smaller businesses, Balogun recommended using AI-assisted tools to produce advertising videos, images and copy at relatively low additional production costs.
He said businesses could repurpose existing product materials into multiple adverts and test the different versions to determine which performed better.
Product descriptions also need to reflect the way consumers now search, particularly as more shoppers use cameras and voice commands. Balogun said retailers should provide practical details such as product size, colour and material to answer common purchasing questions.
Google is also introducing a report that will show advertisers what customers searched for, which adverts were displayed and the webpages they subsequently visited.
Balogun said the feature, announced at the DMEXCO global marketing event in Cologne, would be introduced later in the year at no additional cost and could help businesses understand customer questions and assess how advertising spending contributes to sales and enquiries.
THE ISSUES
- The shift towards longer, conversational and image-based searches means businesses have to account for how customers express their needs, rather than relying entirely on a fixed list of keywords.
- For small businesses, the cost of attracting a customer does not end with securing a click. Accurate business information and proper conversion tracking can determine whether online interest becomes a call, enquiry or purchase.
- The timing of the preparation is also significant. Businesses targeting Black Friday and festive shoppers have September and October to update their online presence, develop campaigns and test different advertising approaches before demand peaks.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“An outdated telephone number or incorrect opening hours could cost a business a customer who was already prepared to buy.” — Olumide Balogun, Director, East and West Africa, Google.
“The businesses that do best usually get ready in September and October.” — Olumide Balogun, Director, East and West Africa, Google.
WHAT’S NEXT
Google is expected to introduce the new advertising report later in the year, while Nigerian businesses targeting the festive shopping period have been advised to begin updating their online profiles and testing campaigns ahead of the peak sales period.
BOTTOM LINE
Google is urging Nigerian businesses to move beyond narrow keyword targeting and prepare for how consumers now search, with accurate online information, intent-based advertising and sales-focused measurement becoming increasingly important ahead of Black Friday and the festive season.
