SMB Marketing Weekly: Dec 15-22, 2025

The final full marketing week before the holidays. Here is what happened and what you should act on before the year wraps up.

1. Last-Minute Holiday Campaigns Still Work — If You Do Them Right

Data from the past two weeks shows that last-minute email campaigns sent between December 18-23 consistently outperform earlier holiday sends in terms of conversion rate. Why? Urgency is real and buyers are actively looking for gift solutions. If you have not sent your final holiday push, a simple “still time to order” or “gift card available” email can drive meaningful last-minute revenue.

2. Google Releases December Search Quality Update

Google confirmed a minor search quality update rolling out the week of December 16. Early data suggests it is fine-tuning the changes made in the August and October core updates rather than introducing new ranking factors. If your rankings shifted in those earlier updates, this one may bring additional movement — for better or worse. Monitor your rankings through the end of the month before making any strategic changes.

Use a tool like Semrush to track ranking fluctuations during the update. Reacting too quickly to temporary volatility is one of the most common SEO mistakes small businesses make.

3. Meta Announces New Business Messaging Features for 2026

Meta previewed upcoming changes to business messaging across Instagram and Facebook, including AI-assisted auto-replies and improved lead capture forms within DMs. These features are expected to roll out in Q1 2026. For small businesses that rely on social media for lead generation, this could significantly streamline the inquiry-to-customer pipeline.

4. Year-End Review Requests Drive January Rankings

Data from local SEO studies shows that businesses that actively request reviews in late December see ranking improvements in January and February. The reason: Google’s local algorithm weighs review recency. A burst of fresh reviews heading into the new year gives you a competitive edge when search activity picks up in January.

Action item: Send a review request to every satisfied customer you served this month. A simple email or text with a direct link to your Google review page is all it takes.

5. Content Marketing Budgets Expected to Rise 12% in 2026

A new industry survey released this week projects that small business content marketing budgets will increase by an average of 12% in 2026, with the largest gains going to video content and SEO-driven blog content. Businesses that invested in content in 2025 reported higher-quality leads and lower customer acquisition costs compared to those relying solely on paid advertising.

Bottom line this week: Do not coast into the holidays. Send that last email campaign, request reviews from recent customers, and start thinking about your content investment for 2026. The businesses that finish the year strong are the ones that start the next year ahead.