6 Essential Tips to Optimize Your Outdoor Gear PPC for Summer Adventures

Summer is peak season for outdoor adventure gear, with consumer enthusiasm surging as temperatures rise. In fact, U.S. consumers spent over $28 billion on outdoor gear in 2024 – a growing demand driven largely by “weekend warriors” and new outdoor enthusiasts.

To capture this seasonal opportunity, outdoor brands need to fine-tune their pay-per-click (PPC) advertising strategies. Below are six essential tips – backed by data and industry best practices – to optimize your outdoor gear PPC campaigns for the summer adventure rush.

1. Align Keywords with Summer Search Trends

During summer months, people search for gear specific to their seasonal activities. Make sure your campaigns target seasonal keywords that match what outdoor adventurers are looking for.

Examples of seasonal keywords:

• “summer camping gear”
• “best tents for summer”
• “beach accessories”

Use tools like Google Trends to analyze keyword popularity and pinpoint phrases spiking in summer. Aligning your PPC keywords with seasonal interests ensures your ads appear for the high-intent queries summer shoppers use.

One outdoor retailer maintained strong year-round visibility by using seasonal keywords alongside evergreen content. Bottom line: capitalize on summer-specific search demand – it’s the first step to driving more qualified traffic.

2. Think Summer-Themed Ad Copy and Visuals

Once you’ve got the right keywords, make sure your ad creatives reflect summer energy. Your copy and imagery should speak to the season’s vibe and consumer needs.

Effective summer-themed ad elements:

• Phrases like “beat the heat,” “summer sale,” or “limited-time summer offer”
• Benefit-driven lines like: “Stay cool on the trail with our ventilated hiking packs”
• Lifestyle imagery showing real outdoor use (vs. plain product shots)

In fact, one outdoor gear retailer saw a 15% higher click-through rate (CTR) after switching to lifestyle imagery (LinkedIn.com).

Refreshing your ad visuals with bright, outdoorsy scenes – beaches, trails, campers – and pairing them with seasonal messaging can significantly increase engagement.

3. Adjust Budgets and Bids for Peak Season Demand

Summer = peak season = rising ad competition.

To keep your ads visible during high-demand months, increase your PPC budget and bids strategically.

Why it matters:

• The median Google Ads CPM for outdoor gear rose 17% from March to April 2025.
• Higher competition means higher cost-per-click, especially for top-converting keywords.

Tips to stay competitive:

• Ramp up budgets in late spring
• Set aside budget for mid-summer events (e.g. Independence Day, Prime Day)
• Bid aggressively on your highest-performing keywords

Experts recommend incrementally increasing your budget as the season heats up – and doubling down on campaigns and products that convert best. By investing boldly (and smartly) during summer, you can capture a bigger slice of the seasonal revenue surge.

4. Optimize for Mobile Shoppers on the Go

Summer adventurers are constantly on the move – and so are their online search habits. With people spending more time outdoors, mobile searches spike significantly during summer months. In fact, about 63% of Google searches in the U.S. now occur on mobile devices (semrush.com), so ensuring your PPC campaigns are mobile-friendly is paramount. 

Mobile optimization checklist:

• Ensure fast-loading, responsive landing pages
• Use concise, readable ad copy
• Add mobile-friendly extensions (call buttons, location maps)
• Schedule ads when mobile users are most active (e.g. weekends, evenings)

A seamless mobile experience improves both click-through and conversion rates, helping you capture on-the-go summer shoppers who are ready to buy.

5. Leverage Geo-Targeting for Travelers and Outdoor Hotspots

Summer travel season brings people to new locations — national parks, beach towns, mountain resorts — and your PPC strategy should meet them there. Geo-targeting allows you to reach shoppers where outdoor activity is booming and where purchase intent is high.

Here’s how to make it work:

• Target users near popular outdoor hotspots (like trailheads, lakes, or campsites)
• Customize your ad copy based on region (e.g. “Camping in Colorado? 20% off tents!”)
• Increase bids in areas experiencing peak travel or outdoor conditions

Even if you sell nationally, geo-targeting ensures your ads are more relevant to users in the moment — and more likely to convert. By zeroing in on high-opportunity locations, you’ll drive stronger results during the busiest travel months of the year.

6. Highlight Seasonal Promotions and Bundles

Summer is the season for deals — from Memorial Day to back-to-school sales — and your PPC ads should make your offers loud and clear.

If you’re running a “Summer Adventure Sale” or offering bundles like a tent, stove, and cooler kit, feature them prominently in ad headlines and extensions. Highlighting limited-time discounts, free shipping, or flash deals during major holidays (like July 4th or Labor Day) can drive urgency and click-throughs.

These promos not only appeal to budget-conscious shoppers, but also give them a compelling reason to buy now, especially when they’re prepping for a trip. Make sure they know your store has what they need, at a price that’s too good to pass up.

Get Your PPC Campaigns Summer-Ready 

The summer season presents a golden opportunity for outdoor gear retailers – but only if your PPC campaigns are optimized to ride the wave.

By using seasonal keywords, compelling summer-themed creatives, smart budgeting, mobile optimization, geo-targeting, and promotion-focused ads, you’ll position your brand to thrive during the hottest shopping months. Keep monitoring and tweaking your campaigns (more on that in our next guide) to maximize results.

Gear up your PPC now, and you’ll help countless customers gear up for their summer adventures – while your business reaps the rewards.