As SEO is mainly about improving your website for the long run, it may seem like seasonal SEO should be illogical. After all, seasonal SEO only plays a role during a certain time of year. However, many businesses have particular dates when they can expect a higher number of sales. In these cases, seasonal SEO can help reach prospects who are most likely to buy.
In other words, there are both pros and cons to using seasonal SEO. You need to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages to determine if it would be worthwhile for your business.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Creating optimized content for the season allows you to bring prospects highly-relevant content. Plus, if you are targeting customers who are ready to buy, there is less need nurturing and you can expect faster conversions.
However, all the time you spend focusing on seasonal SEO is time and effort taken away from working on your long-term strategy. You are missing the chance to create content that will contribute to your visibility for the rest of the year. On the flip side, these efforts will contribute to SEO in following years during the same seasons — provided you create evergreen content.
Is It Worthwhile?
Seasonal SEO tends to be worthwhile to businesses who experience increased seasonal sales. It is also an excellent strategy if your competitors are failing to use the same tactics, as it makes it easy to rank for popular search terms.
However, it is essential that you are able to allocate resources to seasonal SEO. If implementing seasonal SEO means neglecting your overall strategy, it could end up having a negative impact on your business.
Implementing Seasonal SEO
Conduct Keyword Research
You will need to carry out separate keyword research for seasonal SEO. Bear in mind that your seasonal keywords may be aimed at a distinct audience, such as if you are targeting users looking for gifts. There are also similarities to your regular strategy — long-tail keywords will work best, and local search marketing is most effective if you incorporate your location into phrases.
Find Inspiration
Find ideas that are likely to be successful by turning to data from previous years. See what types of content performed well and create similar pieces for this year, optimizing them with your seasonal keywords.
Map Out Dates
Identify exactly when users start seeking more information, products, and services. Develop a plan to start releasing your content in time for these dates. Define periods for awareness, engagement, and purchase. Once the purchase period has ended, you will need to start transitioning back to just your regular SEO.
Update Your Website
Seasonal SEO should extend beyond content. Optimize the rest of your website for the season by focusing on areas like navigation and layout to feature categories that are more relevant for the time of year. You should also create new landing pages and CTAs that have a seasonal appeal.
Only use seasonal SEO if you are confident that it will lead to a positive outcome for your brand. If you decide that it will be beneficial, you need to start implementing your strategy early. Create a content calendar, plan how you will publish and promote posts, and brainstorm ideas for other ways to optimize your website.
