May 8th, 2010 by Nick

One of the redeeming aspects of the weather in temperate climates can be the seasonal variation. As most business owners realise, seasonal variations are not just a cause for celebration at the end of grim winters or drizzly summers. Seasonal variations are also commercial opportunities to be exploited to boost capital accumulation. However, to maximise returns from seasonal opportunities it is necessary to plan with care and to market effectively.

Marketing is a complex subject which has many strands. However, search engine optimisation is different from other types of marketing in several respects. The differences are important to bear in mind when considering how to adapt search engine optimisation to exploit seasonality in markets. Every market has its own distinctive traits, but many of them do possess elements of seasonality. In some markets, this is very blatant. For example, some products like mistletoe are obviously related to specific periods in the year. Other products such as fancy dress are related to times in the year like Halloween and Christmas, but the connection is a bit tenuous.

When looking to use SEO in a way that can help marketing with a seasonal aspect, there are a few tips which can lead to positive outcomes in certain circumstances.

• Feature relevant keywords in web copy, articles and blog content. For instance, a fancy dress hire site should probably use ‘Halloween costumes’ and ‘Halloween fancy dress’ for starters.

• Incorporate keywords in content which can be used virtually throughout the year but which will still have a seasonal relevance. For example, ‘Christmas fancy dress costumes’ can be used from summer on and ‘New Year fancy dress’ can be mentioned in a similar fashion.

• Recall that the message from SEO marketing takes some time to have a positive effect. As many individuals are all too aware, the time it takes for search engine optimization to deliver sustained success can be frustratingly long and thus contributions to seasonal SEO must be safely on site well in advance of the time they are aimed at. When it comes to deploying Christmas-related keywords, therefore, it makes sense to begin approximately six months before December. Experts suggest that this means that by the time consumers begin searching, perhaps in November, the site should be nearer the top of the search engine results pages.

The use of keywords is not as straightforward as some commentators contend. The mere avoidance of keyword stuffing is not nearly enough if the goal is sustained success. Conventional marketing has cleverly capitalised on New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas for many decades. If an online business does have a seasonal dimension, it makes absolutely no sense to ignore it in an SEO plan.

The best SEO plans are created by consultants who collaborate effectively with their clients. They merge their technical expertise and their sector-specific knowledge to good effect. While it matters much more for some sites than others, it is always worthwhile to consider the seasonal nature of a business and how marketing strategy can affect it.

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