Not every keyword behaves the same way across the calendar. Treating them the sa
By Anthony Nguyen 🟢 · June 18, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Not every keyword behaves the same way across the calendar. Treating them the same is one of the most common PPC mistakes I see.
Evergreen keywords maintain relatively stable search volume year-round. "Wireless mouse," "phone charger," "dog food." Bids and budgets stay consistent. Forecasting is straightforward.
Seasonal keywords spike and crash predictably. "Sunscreen SPF 50" surges May through August. "Christmas ornaments" climbs in October. "Tax organizer" peaks January through March.
How to classify: pull 12 months of Brand Analytics SFR data for each keyword. Calculate the coefficient of variation (standard deviation divided by mean). High variation means seasonal. Low means evergreen.
A practical threshold: if the search frequency rank swings more than 3x between peak and trough months, treat it as seasonal.
Why this matters for PPC:
- Seasonal keywords need budget ramps 2-3 weeks BEFORE the spike, not during it
- Bidding on seasonal keywords off-season wastes money on low-intent traffic
- Evergreen keywords are your base, they fund experiments on seasonal opportunities
The mistake: treating all keywords the same. Running flat budgets on seasonal terms means underspending at peak and overspending off-peak. You're leaving money on the table in both directions.
Build a simple spreadsheet. Tag each keyword. Review quarterly. Your ad efficiency improves immediately. I've seen brands cut 15-20% waste just from this exercise.
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