I’ve been helping local businesses figure out their seasonal content game for years, and you know what I’ve found out? Everyone waits until the last minute. Then they wonder why their competition is eating their lunch.
Back in January, a florist called me in full panic mode. Valentine’s Day was three weeks away, and she was invisible online while her competitor was booked solid. You know what the difference was? The competitor started their Valentine’s content push in December.
That’s it. Three months of planning versus three weeks of scrambling.
I’m going to show you exactly how to dominate your local market with seasonal content that works. No fluff, no BS SEO tricks. Just the stuff that puts money in your bank account.
What Is Seasonal Local Content, Really?
Forget everything you think you know about seasonal marketing. This isn’t about slapping “SUMMER SALE!” on your website and calling it a day.
Seasonal local content is understanding that people search differently throughout the year. In January, everyone’s looking for gyms. March? Tax prep. July hits, and suddenly it’s all “AC repair near me” and “pool service.”
Your job is simple: be there when they search. Not after. Not “oh shocks, summer’s here and I forgot to update my website.” Before.
I’ve watched businesses increase revenue 40 to 60 percent during peak seasons just by planning ahead. That florist who called me? She could’ve owned Valentine’s Day if she’d started in December.
Finding Your Seasonal Gold Mines
Most business owners think they know their busy seasons. They’re usually wrong.
Google Trends Will Blow Your Mind
Pull up Google Trends. Type in what you do. Watch the patterns.
I worked with a landscaper who swore spring was his only online season. We plugged in his keywords and guess what? “Snow removal services” and “winter tree trimming” were huge spikes he’d been ignoring for years.
The data goes back years. Look for the patterns. When do searches spike? When do they crater? That’s your content calendar right there.
Local Keywords Are Where the Money Is
Stop searching for generic terms. Nobody searches “plumbing services” when their water heater explodes. They search “emergency plumber [city name]” or “24 hour plumber near me.”
I had a bakery client targeting “wedding cakes.” Competitive as hell. We switched to “wedding cakes [their city]” and boom… less competition, people actually ready to buy. Local searchers aren’t browsing. They’re buying.
Weather Patterns = Content Patterns
Sounds obvious, but nobody does this right. HVAC companies should be pushing furnace maintenance content in October, not when the first freeze hits and everyone’s already hired someone.
Pool companies? Your “pool opening” content better be live in March, not May, when everyone’s already swimming in their neighbor’s pool.
Building Content People Want
Nobody needs another blog post about “10 Tips for Winter Home Maintenance.” They need answers when they need them.
Your Google Business Profile Is a Goldmine
This is where 90% of local businesses fail hard. Your Google Business Profile shouldn’t be set-it-and-forget-it. It should change with the seasons like a retail window display.
Update photos monthly. Restaurant? Show seasonal dishes. Landscaper? Current projects. Roofer? Storm damage you just fixed. Google rewards fresh content, and customers want to see that you’re working.
Use posts constantly. “Booking now for spring cleanups – early bird pricing ends March 1st!” These show up in search results. Free advertising that your competitors are ignoring.
Dedicated Seasonal Pages Win
Your main services page is fine for general traffic. But during peak seasons? You need laser-focused landing pages.
A tree service client of mine built separate pages: “Emergency Storm Cleanup,” “Fall Tree Trimming,” “Winter Tree Removal.” Each one targeted specific seasonal searches.
Results? Doubled organic traffic during storm season. Conversion rate jumped 35% because people found exactly what they needed, when they needed it.
Match What People Want
Someone searching “Christmas tree lot near me” doesn’t want your heartwarming story about family traditions. They want:
- Your address
- Your hours
- What trees you have
- Your prices
Emergency searches? Phone number, front and center. Planning searches? Give them info and easy scheduling. Stop writing what you think they want. Give them what they’re actually looking for.
Mobile or Die
Your website looks great on your desktop. Cool. Over half your customers are on phones, squinting at their screen, trying to find your phone number while their basement floods.
Seasonal pages need to load instantly. Phone numbers are clickable. Address that opens maps. Hours visible without scrolling.
I’ve watched businesses lose thousands during peak seasons because their mobile experience sucked. Their competitors got the calls instead.
Track What Truly Matters
Page views don’t pay bills. Track:
- Phone calls from your website
- Quote requests
- Calls from your Google listing
- Actual sales from seasonal campaigns
Compare this year to last year. More calls during peak season? More online bookings? That’s how you know it’s working.
Stop tracking vanity metrics. Track money.
Here’s the Thing
Seasonal content strategy isn’t complicated. It’s just planning ahead while your competitors scramble.
Start thinking about next season now. Create pages that answer real questions. Keep your Google presence fresh. Make everything super-easy on mobile.
Your competitors are posting “SPRING SALE!” on Facebook and hoping for the best. Meanwhile, you’ll have three months of targeted content pulling in customers who are ready to buy.
That florist who called me? She’s already planning for Mother’s Day. Smart. Her competitor might have taken Valentine’s Day, but she’s not losing another holiday to poor planning.
The businesses crushing it locally aren’t smarter than you. They just started earlier.