Summer search trends 2025: Sizzling insights with Ask Arlo
Buckle up for a summer of savvy spending! While wanderlust is still alive and kicking, 2025's travel searches are all about smart spending and strategic timing. Plus, with Oasis back on tour, music merch is having its moment.
Ask Arlo, your GenAI search guru, is here to decode the hottest trends shaping summer search strategies!
Published by Sarah MasonJuly 23, 2025
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The summer of strategic spending has arrived. While consumer appetite remains strong across travel, fashion, and beauty, the playbook has completely changed. Shoppers are timing their purchases with precision, brands are fighting harder for every click, and nostalgia is proving to be the ultimate conversion driver.
Our GenAI agent, Ask Arlo, decodes your search data within the Adthena platform, delivering instant, personalized responses and reports. Want to see how it works? Explore Ask Arlo in a self guided walkthrough.
Let’s Ask Arlo for the latest PPC trends.
Nostalgia sells: The rise of the Oasis graphic t-shirt
Don’t look back in anger… look at these incredible search numbers! With Oasis announcing their reunion tour, “Oasis band T-shirt” has become one of summer’s most fiercely contested music merchandise battlegrounds. We’re talking nearly 800 million impressions in just 30 days.
Shein
Shein leads on clicks but spends disproportionately to do so.
Their high CPCs and low ad position suggest broad-match leakage or poor keyword relevance.
Until Shein improves Quality Score, competitors can continue winning clicks more efficiently.
Threadwise
Converting 9.4% of all clicks with only 2.7% of total spend, Threadwise is the most cost-efficient brand in this space.
Their average ad position (4.6) keeps them in top-of-page territory, and likely benefits from strong ad copy and relevant landing pages.
There’s room to scale. Even a modest 25% bid increase could narrow the click-share gap to Shein without compromising ROI.
Amazon & Next
These brands maintain solid CTR-to-spend ratios but leave opportunity on the table.
A slight bid lift could move them into more competitive positions, especially on mobile or near payday peaks.
ASOS
ASOS captures 4% click share from 2.9% spend with a respectable 1.36 efficiency index, proving there’s room for multiple fashion retailers to succeed in this nostalgia-driven market.
The explanation could be that their strategy leans heavily on value-focused messaging, broad category cues, and delivery incentives that appeal to fast-moving, price-sensitive shoppers.
Leads with urgency and savings Shein consistently opens with bold discount language: “Up to 85% Off”, “Limited Time Offer”, or “First Order £3 Off”. These hooks generate quick engagement, even if the product match isn’t exact.
Frames shopping as variety-driven Rather than targeting “Oasis Graphic T-Shirt” explicitly, Shein uses language like: “So Many Styles”, “Shop Women’s, Men’s, Kids’”, or “All Categories”. This suggests range and flexibility, pulling in broad apparel interest beyond the specific query.
Adds trust with subtle authority cues Most of Shein’s top ads include “Official Site” , a low-effort signal of legitimacy that boosts CTR, especially among cautious shoppers.
Arlo’s recommendations
Raise bids strategically on high-performing variants like “official Oasis T-shirt” and “Oasis band tee men’s” to strengthen top-of-page share.
Isolate exact and phrase match keywords in a dedicated campaign to protect efficiency as volume grows.
Test ad copy that highlights product authenticity and service benefits (e.g., “Official merch”, “Premium cotton”, “Free next-day click & collect”).
Set alerts for Shein. If their position improves, expect rising CPC pressure and prepare to defend impression share.
Booked on a budget: 2025 summer travel intent
While the appetite for summer getaways hasn’t dimmed, 2025 travelers are approaching bookings with laser-focused intent. They’re still planning those dream holidays, but timing and affordability have become the ultimate decision drivers.
Top Gainers
Holidaydeals: +2.14pp (16% → 18.1%) A standout performer, with a notable spike above 22% at the end of June likely tied to end-of-month promotions or payday campaigns.
Trivago: +1.14pp (2.6% → 3.7%) A 45% relative increase. Meta-search positioning is clearly resonating with deal-focused travellers.
Instagram: +0.92pp (3% → 3.9%) Social content is increasingly influencing lower-funnel searches, as visually-led inspiration converts into clicks.
Facebook: +0.54pp (8.2% → 8.8%) A steady gain, likely reflecting flash deals and peer-reviewed content appearing in mid-funnel searches.
Arlo’s recommendations
Optimize around payday patterns: Holidaydeals gained most at the end of the month, consider aligning campaigns to consumer spend cycles.
Monitor metasearch competitors: Trivago and Scannerflight are gaining traction. Ensure pricing, inventory feeds, and visibility are competitive.
Leverage social-style messaging in Search: Instagram and Facebook’s performance indicates value in testing social-style copy within paid search formats.
Sun, skin, and search: Who’s capturing the summer glow?
Summer skincare is having a moment, and the competitive landscape is more heated than a day at the beach! With consumers prioritizing sun protection and that coveted summer glow, brands are battling it out for clicks in the “summer skincare” space.
Sephora Dominated early with 53.7% click share on June 26th but crashed to just 26.6% by July 21st, a dramatic 27-point slide. Their monthly average of 40.5% still leads, but high volatility suggests serious competitive pressure and possible budget constraints.
Ulta Maintained 20.3% average click share with their standout moment on July 3rd (31.1%). More consistent than Sephora but drifted to low-teens by the end of the month, showing the challenge of sustaining promotional momentum.
Bath & Body Works Grew from single digits in June to the top of the leaderboard by July 19th. Their rapid climb, tripling share in just two days, underscores the power of syncing promotional timing with PPC bidding.
Amazon, Walmart & Shoped Together, they show that traditional eCommerce and mass retailers are gaining relevance in beauty search. Their success lies in consistent growth rather than flashy spikes.
Arlo’s Recommendations
Stabilize during competitor sale windows: Bath & Body Works’ dramatic surges align with semi-annual sales. Layer promotional ad copy and enhanced sitelinks during these periods to defend share.
Counter mobile evening traffic: Rising retail giants often capture mobile evening searches. Validate if losses are skewed to this segment and balance bids accordingly.
Refresh creative messaging: Click share erosion without dramatic CPC shifts signals ad fatigue. Test new headlines emphasizing SPF, hydration, and clean-beauty benefits.
Monitor impression share limits: Dramatic declines like Sephora’s suggest budget capping. Review impression share logs and bid limits across all match types.
Turn summer search trends into winning PPC strategies with Ask Arlo
Summer search trends are evolving fast, and competition is fierce across merchandise, budget travel, and beauty essentials. Ask Arlo analyzes who’s gaining ground, where the biggest opportunities lie, and how you can refine your PPC strategy to stay ahead.
Want to see the trends shaping your market? Get in touch with one of our search consultants to book a demo.
