I often look for relevant information and favor good information over the most current thing from the last day or so. I saw this article on Media Daily news that gives a nice overview on the increase of adwords ads spending since Christmas as of April, plus the best categories to look at.
Adsense publishers have to look at the effect of Adwords seasonal spending and also the best seasonal keywords to target, to get the most of your revenue for the year. We know Christmas is good for about every retail product out there, but for the once the retail sales season is over, you need a plan. The following list is based on my general experience after 8 years working online, and admittedly US-centric, and not intended to be an all-inclusive list.
For those using natural SEO, you need to start _at least_ 3 months in advance to the seasonal trend you are targeting, if you want to be sure to attain some level of SE rankings. Anymore, if you want to succeed with SEO methods, having an established site helps since you are more likely to have incoming links, and hopefully some good directory placement, as well as established traffic.
A new site can overcome the "newness" handicap if you can get some good links in from an established site in your chosen field. I do not mean doing a overboard link campaign that spams other sites for links. Do it the old fashioned way: a proper, manually written e-mail request with something to offer the other webmaster in return, and establish a some good links over time - several weeks or months.
For SEO, "Hurry up and wait" and "Expect a major change every 6 months (sometimes sooner)" is what I have lived by the last 5 years. If you can't develop patience in promoting an online business, you will be frustrated all the time. As you gain experience, you will have a better feel for what works and how long it takes.
January is surprisingly good for jewelry (gotta spend that Christmas money and get ready for engagements) as well as college and university info and student loans/grant. Maybe because people are planning a fresh start, and looking through their files, but this month is good for financial services including financial planning and life insurance. Cruises do well this month, as well as people planning for warm weather vacations for Disneyland/world, Las Vegas and Hawaii. Oh, and the Super bowl, of course.
February brings taxes and flowers/gifts for Valentine's day. Engagement rings continue to do well this month, and it's the start of the search for the best Prom dresses, hairdos and online auctions are still going strong. Febuary is a noticeably good month for BtoB online services like web design and marketing.
March means Easter and Mardi Gras, as well as some sports finals and garden planning inlcuding bulbs to plant to bloom in fall. Also more accounting and tax related stuff - like tax software - and the kids have Spring Break vacations. Don't forget tarps to cover your big boy toys from the rain. April, more tax/IRS related searches, and starting to think about outdoor activities, like supplies for outdoor parties.
May we think about pools, kid jumpers, trampolines, buying a boat, lawn tips, lawn mowers and trimmers - oh, and a gift for Mothers day. This month means better weather for DIY home projects, and building in general, so those categories get more traffic.
June school is out and the kids need activity ideas, plus it's time to get something for the latest high school graduate. Sports equipment like camping gear, and golf moves up in popularity for the rest of the summer season. Don't forget time to plan for DVD players for road trips, water sports and swimming lessons (which mean pool cleaners and life jackets), as well as Father's Day gifts (electronics, ties, BBQ equipment) high pressure water cleaners, and new wheels for your ride. Tanning products like self tanners and sunscreen are really big too.
July means the 4th of July in the US so you need grills, smokers, coolers, life jackets and stuff for the boat. Air conditioners and fans are big as the really hot, humid weather kicks in, and above ground inflatable pools and "slip and slides" :^). Don't forget it's beach month!
The main focus for August is the hottest weather of the year. Escaping to the seaside is a relief as the ocean and lakes are at their warmest. Lots of people taking a vacation/road trip this month, and it's time for Back to School. Homeschoolers start looking at supplies and curriculum related materials.
September starts the steady climb of online sales which peaks into the second week of December. Thank Goodness, but if you're smart, start thinking seasonally and you will even out the financial highs (December) and lows (July). There is a noticeable increase in online traffic once the kids are back in school, and the weather changes. Fall organizing and cleanup is a small trend this month. Online learning and certification prep picks up.
October has Halloween, but also homecoming, and a new season of sports. October is a good month for online auctions (just about anything), and online traffic gets more consistent. US high school juniors are studying for SATs that they will take in the fall and the spring.
November is a month that businesses will allocate some "leftover" funds to use on projects before the end of the year. This can be good for some BtoB businesses/services. Early-mid November people are looking for Holiday gift ideas, but not necessarily buying. The 3rd week of November, alot of online retailers hold their breath to see if online sales are going to match or exceed last year.
As it is offline, US Thanksgiving weekend is a big shopping weekend online. Some people do send gifts specifically for Thanksgiving (say a centerpiece for the holiday table), but I haven't experienced November as a great month for gifts specific to Thanksgiving. Quite a few parents order toys and gifts for kids online now to make sure they get the special Christmas toy that their kid's ask for (have to account for shipping time too).
December for online retailers is a big deal, but mostly through the 15th-20th, as buyers do their last minute Christmas shopping offline to be sure they get the presents in hand. If you can predict the top _anything_ for Christmas back in at least September: top 10 electronics, toys, books, DVDs, video games, then you stand a decent chance of traffic for providing information or sales links for those products.
If you have more to add, please do in the comments. It would be interesting to see what other seasonal trends are out there (esp. service related).
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