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Halloween apparently has ‘jumped the pond’ and is gaining in popularity in the UK, evidenced by spikes in internet searches for key Halloween terms such as “pirate costume” in both the US and UK.  So what? Hitwise blogger Heather Hopkins says that retailers can learn important lessons by understanding the way in which consumers search.

The top search phrase (including the keyword “costume”) this year—and the previous two years—during the lead up to Halloween is “Halloween costume ideas,” a term that was 27% higher last week in the UK than “Halloween costumes.”

Heather’s point is that retailers need to adopt a search strategy that covers the terms that consumers use in search queries.

For instance, the search “Halloween costume ideas” sent visits to sites in the Hitwise-classifed “Lifestyle” category (children’s and family Web sites), while the search for “Halloween costume” directed visitors to sites in the Hitwise-classified “Shopping and Classifieds” category (to sites focusing on apparel, accessories, toys and hobbies). Missing one search word like “ideas” could send potential shoppers clicking to your competitor’s site.

“Sometimes the best opportunities are the highest volume terms that others have not yet cottoned on to,” says Heather.

And doing just that might mean more dollars in retailers’ treat bags.