• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, August 5, 2011

Earlier this week I took a car ride to Office Depot with my boyfriend to get his two high school kids supplies, such as notebooks filled with college-rule paper, pens, pencils, white out, and two USB drives. He's thinking about back-to-school clothes, but I'm not absolutely sure that the thoughts have turned into online searches looking for stores with the best prices on kids' pants, shirts, shoes, socks, and dresses. I do know he searches and researches all options online first before walking into a physical store.

He seems to fit the specific consumer segment looking for bargains based on PM Digital President Suzy Sandberg's viewpoint. She said her company's search data indicate that parents continue to look for bargains by researching goods online, but reports suggest many will hold back on back-to-school clothing purchases until close to the start of the school year.

While search volume for "back-to-school shopping" heated up directly following July 4, more than a week earlier than in 2010, Sandberg said she sees marketers becoming more aggressive with keywords such as "sales," "discounts" and "free shipping."

Incentives prompt consumers to search for "back to school coupons" and "back to school sales." Most retail stores have an online coupon section. Popular keywords also range from "backpack" to "denim" to "school shoes," along with trendy apparel such as "maxi dresses," "colored denim" and "high-waisted jeans," Sandberg said.

Paid-search campaigns continued to boost online retail revenue in July. PM Digital's July 2011 Rewind Index, which measures monthly U.S. paid-search performance for online retail clients, shows marketers spent 10% more on campaigns in July. Revenue from those campaigns rose 18% year-over-year. Clicks peaked on Monday, July 25.

For the month, paid-search clicks remained flat, barely moving 1%. Conversion rates rose 22%, which marks the seventh consecutive month of double-digit growth compared with 2010, providing further evidence that optimization and paid-search dollars have become more efficient. And a 7% increase in average orders helped boost paid-search revenue overall.

Back-to-school should mean more than school supplies to marketers. Today, it means electronics, haircuts, lunch bags, food, and transportation. This is the time for all merchants to think about tapping into the season with related items. Don't restrict demographic targeting -- and be sure to communicate deals and coupons.