How do you incorporate seasonal and temporal factors into your SEM audience and targeting strategy?

Another way to leverage seasonality and temporality is to think of the four stages of the marketing funnel. This is a clever way to use off-peak seasons to communicate your message in terms of brand awareness. If we take the example of the swimwear case study, we can conclude that in winter and spring, when the demand for swimwear is not high or present at all, we can work on building brand awareness by reminding people of summer with throwback pictures that showcase our brand and products, and keep them top of mind when the actual season comes. Then, we will be able to use remarketing and retargeting to reach our target audience who are already interested in our brand.

In my experience, I have noticed that every product or service out there has some or the other seasonal and/or temporal factor related to it. The best way to optimize your campaign for this is to use your previous data and analyze your user behaviour in different months of the year. If you see a common pattern every year, then you are already half way through devising a successful strategy. You must understand that today, people prefer ready to use solutions over research or investing time to get something. By telling them how your product/service can be useful, along with a promotion or an interactive method can help you get your numbers up. Another way is to understand the sales funnel and stick to TOTF strategy in the off season.

Some ways to get started include reviewing the Google Ads quality score and making improvements to the landing pages to help Google connect to more relevant search intent and reviewing the Google Ads recommendations section on the dashboard for insights. You might find that not every recommendation could be helpful for your campaign, so implement the recommendations slowly and track ROI progress. Reviewing all the Google Map sections will help Google give more information to online searches looking for your services or products. And using a combination of link building, On-Page SEO tactics, relevant content, and a well-running website will help to improve your SEO strategy. Track your Google Maps and SEO progress over time!

Leveraging seasonality and temporality in SEM is crucial for maximizing ROI. By analyzing key metrics via tools like Google Ads and Analytics, marketers can understand campaign performance across different seasons. Optimization tools such as Google Optimize enable precise testing of keywords, ads, and landing pages, ensuring relevance. Focusing on metrics like CTR, conversions, and ROAS helps tailor strategies to audience behavior, improving targeting. Seasonal targeting enhances message timing and relevance, adapting to consumer trends for better engagement. This approach not only boosts performance but also aligns marketing efforts with consumer demand cycles, driving efficiency and results.

Timing The Strategy For Seasonal Businesses For a new business starting out or those adding a new seasonal service, it is essential to consider the month you will start marketing to your audience. For example, a residential landscaping company normally sends out their landscaping quotes during the peak of search interest in early spring to line up summer projects. This means that starting your marketing strategy in April would leave you well behind the rest of your competitor's marketing strategies. A new business breaking in a seasonal marketing plan needs to start well in advance of the spring searches. For Google Ads, this means at least 6 weeks earlier, and for SEO and Google Map strategies a minimum of 6 months in advance.