Presentation slides from the Women in Tech SEO / ReadingSEO Mash up Event in Reading, 14th November 2019. Covering seasonal SEO and how to manage your pages for the best wins.

1. Surviving
Seasonal
SEO.
Steph Whatley
SEO Manager @ Blue Array
It depends!

2. Who the hell does she think she is?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

3. Who the hell does she think she is?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

4. Why should I care about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

5. Why should I care about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

6. Why should I care about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

7. Case Study: Flower Retailer
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

8. Case Study: Flower Retailer
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

9. Case Study: Flower Retailer
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
+196% YoY
Disclaimer:
Smoking is bad but
Peggy is cool and
great

10. Case Study: Flower Retailer
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
= 140% YoY
uplift
2018 organic
conversions
378
(1-15 February)
2019 organic
conversions
906
(1-15 February)

11. Case Study: Flower Retailer
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £23K in a two week
period!

12. What are the types of seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Events Demand

13. What are the types of seasonal SEO?
@SEOStephW

14. What are the types of seasonal SEO?
@SEOStephW@bluearrayseo

15. What are the types of seasonal SEO?
@SEOStephW@bluearrayseo

16. What to keep in mind
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

17. Location is important!
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

18. Location is important!
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

19. Location is important!
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
“Thongs” “Flip Flops”

20. When should you start thinking about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £24K in a two week
period!
ASAP, if not before

21. When should you start thinking about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
4 - 6 months prior to ‘launch’

22. When should you start thinking about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £24K in a two week
period!

23. When should you start thinking about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £24K in a two week
period!

24. When should you start thinking about seasonal SEO?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £24K in a two week
period!
Ramp up
Peak demand
Slow down

25. Know your peaks: Google Search Console
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

26. Know your peaks: Google Trends
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

27. Know your peaks: Google Ads
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
‘Bikinis’

28. Know your peaks: Google Analytics
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

29. Know your peaks: Google Analytics
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

30. Know your peaks: SEMRush
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
You can check your peaks against competitors
as well

31. Know your peaks: Common sense
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

32. Creating seasonal pages: Structure
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Approx £45 per conversion
= additional £24K in a two week
period!
Use a
‘hub’
strategy

33. Creating seasonal pages: Structure
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

34. Creating seasonal pages: Structure
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

35. Creating seasonal pages: Structure
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

36. Creating seasonal pages: Structure
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
The ‘hub’
Child
pages
linking
back

37. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

38. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof

39. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof
2. Do use the month/year in the title & headers - make it relevant

40. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof
2. Do use the month/year in the title & headers - make it relevant
3. Add a link to the main header navigation & homepage -
make it important

41. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof
2. Do use the month/year in the title & headers - make it relevant
3. Add a link to the main header navigation & homepage -
make it important
4. Don’t wait until it’s launch day to make it live -
make it exciting & linkable

42. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof
2. Do use the month/year in the title & headers - make it relevant
3. Add a link to the main header navigation & homepage -
make it important
4. Don’t wait until it’s launch day to make it live -
make it exciting & linkable
5. 301 redirect old or out-of-date content to it - make it stronger

43. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t use the month/year in the URL - make it futureproof
2. Do use the month/year in the title & headers - make it relevant
3. Add a link to the main header navigation & homepage -
make it important
4. Don’t wait until it’s launch day to make it live -
make it exciting & linkable
5. 301 redirect old or out-of-date content to it - make it stronger
6. Link to other non-seasonal, but relevant pages -
make it hardworking

44. Creating seasonal pages: 6 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

45. Maintaining seasonal pages: 4 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

46. Maintaining seasonal pages: 4 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t ‘launch & leave’ - review & optimise regularly

47. Maintaining seasonal pages: 4 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t ‘launch & leave’ - review & optimise regularly
2. Be prepared to react quickly - be agile

48. Maintaining seasonal pages: 4 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t ‘launch & leave’ - review & optimise regularly
2. Be prepared to react quickly - be agile
3. Don’t delete or 404 the page if you sell out of
something! Add an ‘out of stock’ notice & link
elsewhere

49. Maintaining seasonal pages: 4 top tips
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t ‘launch & leave’ - review & optimise regularly
2. Be prepared to react quickly - be agile
3. Don’t delete or 404 the page if you sell out of
something! Add an ‘out of stock’ notice & link
elsewhere
4. Make sure you’re considering other channels -
understand their impact on organic traffic

50. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
<<<< DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES >>>>
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES
DO NOT DELETE YOUR PAGES

51. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
If you set up a page with a time-stamped URL,
301 redirect it to an evergreen URL for next time

52. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
If it’s an evergreen page:
● Keep your meta data the same

53. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
If it’s an evergreen page:
● Keep your meta data the same
● Add a holding message to build excitement for the next
event

54. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
If it’s an evergreen page:
● Keep your meta data the same
● Add a holding message to build excitement for the next
event
● Link to other valuable pages the user might be interested in

55. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

56. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
For ecommerce - if it’s a product that’s never coming back you
have two options:

57. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
For ecommerce - if it’s a product that’s never coming back you
have two options:
1. 301 redirect the URL to your hub/category page/most
similar product page

58. When it’s all over...
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
For ecommerce - if it’s a product that’s never coming back you
have two options:
1. 301 redirect the URL to your hub/category page/most
similar product page
2. Keep it in order to capture traffic (if high search vol) - point
them towards relevant products you’re keeping

59. Oh, and analyse the cr@p out of it
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

60. Key points for seasonal SEO analysis
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
If you have seasonal peaks, don’t take an overall
average across 12 months to determine
performance benchmarks

61. Key points for seasonal SEO analysis
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Instead, check your MoM % change over as many
years as possible to work out an average for
forecasting

62. Key points for seasonal SEO analysis
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Don’t use absolute figures from 5 years ago to
work out average organic entrances…

63. Key points for seasonal SEO analysis
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Cross-check any sudden fluctuations with
PR & ATL activity

64. Key points for seasonal SEO analysis
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW

65. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed

66. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed
2. Optimise existing content for quick wins

67. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed
2. Optimise existing content for quick wins
3. Use a content calendar to plan well

68. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed
2. Optimise existing content for quick wins
3. Use a content calendar to plan well
4. PPC data can inform your next strategy

69. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed
2. Optimise existing content for quick wins
3. Use a content calendar to plan well
4. PPC data can inform your next strategy
5. Set your GMB hours!

70. Anything else?
@bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
1. Don’t forget about speed
2. Optimise existing content for quick wins
3. Use a content calendar to plan well
4. PPC data can inform your next strategy
5. Set your GMB hours!
6. Did I also mention don’t delete your pages

71. @bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Thank you!

72. @bluearrayseo @SEOStephW
Thank you!PS) We’re
recruiting!
Come & work
with us :-)