What Are Seasonal Keywords? (+ How to Find Them)

Tired of traffic booming one month, then crickets the next?

It’s not just your imagination. It could be a seasonal effect.

The best way to combat it? Targeting seasonal keywords.

Let’s get you caught up with seasonal keywords and the strategies you can use to keep a steady stream of traffic coming in all year long.

What Are Seasonal Keywords?

Let’s start with the basics—seasonal keywords are search terms that skyrocket in popularity during specific times of the year. Think “pumpkin spice latte” in the fall, “swimsuits” in the summer, or “tax preparation” as April 15th looms closer *shudders*.

Don’t let their fleeting fame fool you. Seasonal keywords pack a powerful punch when it comes to attracting targeted traffic to your site (or your clients’ sites).

Imagine attracting eager holiday shoppers just in time for the gift-buying frenzy or capturing a wave of last-minute leads for your tax preparation services right before the filing deadline.

That’s the power of seasonal keywords. With the right approach, they’re a strategic advantage you can use to your advantage.

Why Are Seasonal Keywords Important?

Targeting seasonal keywords is like surfing. You gotta catch the right wave at the right time to ride it all the way to the shore. In this case, the wave is seasonal search trends, and the shore is a flood of targeted traffic to your website.

Here’s why you should be grabbing your surfboard and paddling out:

Ride the Wave of Search Trends (and Make a Splash!)

Search trends aren’t static. Oh, no. They ebb and flow throughout the year like the tide. People aren’t searching for “Halloween costumes” in July, just like they’re not looking for “patio furniture” in December (because unless you’re living in the southern hemisphere, that’s one cold-arse barbecue).

If you can devise a strategy that taps into these seasonal fluctuations, you will strategically position your content to capture the surge in searches when it matters most. No question.

Beat Your Competitors to the Punch (and the Profits)

Unlike other trending topics, the cool thing about seasonal keywords is they’re generally very predictable. Independence Day, Halloween, and football season roll around like clockwork. Every year, same month, say day. The date literally never changes.

The upside of this? You can get ahead of the game, giving you a great shot at securing those coveted top spots in the search results before the competition even wakes up to your strategy.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One (Keyword) Basket

Sure, evergreen keywords are the bread and butter of any SEO strategy worth its weight. Mmm-but relying solely on them isn’t ideal either.

Seasonal keywords add flavor and variety to your content, attracting a wider audience and keeping things fresh. And the great thing is, there are a ton of seasonal events that trend every year.

Even better? If the business operates on a global scale, seasonal events run all year round, day after day. From Chinese New Year to Australia Day, the seasonal keywords are endless.

How to Find Seasonal Keywords: Your 5-Step Game Plan

Now that you’re convinced that seasonal keywords are the bee’s knees, allow me to explain how to find them.

Step 1: Brainstorming Session

Grab your favorite notepad (or your trusty note app), pour yourself a cuppa, and let’s get those brain cells firing.

Think about all the holidays, events, and seasons that are relevant to a website’s niche. Don’t be afraid to go granular—the more specific, the better.

We’re talking everything from the end-of-year Holiday period to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and even quirky events like National Donut Day (because who doesn’t love an oven-warm donut?).

Whatever they are, whack those seed keywords down and keep them handy. You’ll need them for the following steps.

Step 2: Keyword Research Tools

Now, it’s time to turn to our trusted keyword research tools.

Here’s how to use the most popular tools to identify seasonal keywords:

Ahrefs

First, let’s take a look at Ahrefs:

1. Sign into your account and click Keywords Explorer.
2. Enter a broad seed keyword (for this example, I used Mother’s Day).
3. Once the term has been run, scroll down the page, and you’ll find a box titled Keyword Ideas. It’s not a bad place to start.
4. If you want to see more niche ideas, from the left-hand side navigation bar, click Matching terms.
5. In Matching terms, you’ll find endless seasonal keywords you can play around with. Filter for KD, DR, or whatever takes your fancy.

Semrush

Onto another very popular SEO tool, Semrush:

1. Head to Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.
2. Enter your keyword (I chose Black Friday for this one).
3. And play around as you wish. Click Broad Match or Phrase Match for different semantic ideas. Or, filter for KD, volume, intent, or anything else you please.

LowFruits

LowFruits is another great tool to find seasonal trends, particularly long-tailed keywords:

1. Jump over to LowFruits and log in (or sign up).
2. From the navigation bar, click KWFinder and enter your keyword (I went with Thanksgiving this time round).
3. And bingo. Heaps and heaps of long-tail seasonal keywords, ripe and ready for the taking.

Google Trends

Don’t forget our old faithful, Google Trends:

1. Head on over to Google Trends and sign into your Google account.
2. Enter a seed keyword (Independence Day this time).
3. Select your filters. I chose to look at a five-year period (the spike in interest checks out. It runs from mid-June to mid-July each year, right around July 4th).
4. For ideas, check out the related topics and queries for semantic seasonal keywords.

Step 3: Competitor Analysis

Now that you’ve found a bunch of seasonal keywords, let’s take a cheeky look at what the competition is up to by conducting a little competitor analysis.

It’s worth a look because, remember, you’re not the only one trying to capture that sweet seasonal traffic. Your competitors are also vying for those top spots in the search results. So, it’s well worth your time to do a little recon and see what keywords they’re targeting.

First, check out their websites, blog posts, and social media feeds to see how they’re incorporating seasonal keywords into their content. Are they running any special promotions or campaigns? What kind of language are they using?

Dig into their data, answer these questions, and you can glean valuable insights and even steal a few of their best ideas (we won’t judge). SEO is a dog-eat-dog world, after all.

Beyond SEO Tools: Advanced Seasonal Keyword Research Techniques

Okay, you’ve mastered the basics, but don’t hang up your hat just yet. There are even more powerful tools and techniques to unearth those hidden seasonal gems.

Let’s take a look:

Social Media Analytics: The Water Cooler of Trends

Want to know what’s hot and what’s not before it hits the mainstream?

Social media is your virtual water cooler, where trends are born, and conversations ignite. Use social media analytics tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or even good ol’ X (Twitter) advanced search options to track relevant hashtags, keywords, and conversations in your industry.

You’ll be able to spot emerging trends, identify popular topics, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of your competitors’ seasonal strategies.

News and Industry Publications: Your Finger on the Pulse

Don’t underestimate the power of good old-fashioned news and industry publications. These sources are often the first to report on upcoming events, product launches, and consumer trends that can spark seasonal interest.

How do you stay up-to-date? Easy—subscribe to industry newsletters and follow thought leaders in your field. You might just discover the next big thing before it goes viral.

Google Search Console: Don’t Disregard Your Own Insights

Don’t forget about the data that’s right at your fingertips, your own. Google Search Console is a treasure trove of information on how people are finding your site.

Head over to the “Performance” report and filter by date to see which queries are bringing in the most traffic during specific seasons. It’ll help you refine your keyword list and identify new opportunities.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Okey-doke. You’ve officially leveled up your keyword game. You’re no longer just a fair-weather SEO surfer—you’re a pro, riding the waves of search trends with confidence and finesse.

Smack the lip. Wapahh!

Want to chat with an SEO expert about all things keywords and strategy? We got ‘chu.

🚀 Book a strategy call with Loganix today, and let’s craft a strategy that’ll send your traffic parabolic, no matter the season. 🚀

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