With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Columbus Day right around the corner, search activity for the topics has already taken off in the final few hours of September, data from Google Trends suggests. Content marketers should take note that seasonal searches are fodder for SEO.
The same is true for Columbus Day, as web activity mentioning the annual event spiked in the early morning of September 30. Local searches were especially popular for Columbus Day mentions, as schools and towns announce plans to commemorate the day.
Marketers might take these early-bird searches as a cue that other major October events, namely Halloween, will likely draw substantial attention in the coming weeks.
In terms of content marketing, developing seasonal keyword strategies and creating relevant articles around popular search trends as part of a news content marketing strategy can help businesses gain visibility among consumers searching for these timely topics. However, businesses must use discretion when working Trending Topics into their content. Doing so without any industry or target audience relevance can negatively impact SEO campaigns.
Brafton has frequently reported on the potential pitfalls of using unsustainable SEO campaigns. Even as Google’s various algorithms evolve consistently, using popular search terms where they do not apply can signify a site is not trustworthy. Still, the method can be a valuable traffic driver for those investing in content marketing that organically addresses trending topics (i.e. beauty businesses writing about makeup to complete Halloween costumes or health organizations covering sugar-free trick-or-treat snack alternatives.)
