Last year, a boutique landscaping firm in New Farm came to us with a common Brisbane problem. It was late August, the Jacarandas were about to bloom, and their 'Spring Makeover' campaign was already burning through their monthly budget by 10:00 AM every Tuesday. They were getting clicks, but their conversion rate was plummeting because they were competing with every other gardener in South East Queensland.
Seasonal marketing isn't just about showing up when everyone else does; it’s about outmanoeuvring them before the peak hits. In the 2026 landscape, Google’s automation is faster than ever, but it still requires a human touch to ensure you aren’t just donating money to Alphabet Inc.
Here are four quick wins to ensure your seasonal Google Ads campaigns actually move the needle.
1. The 'Pre-Season' Intent Capture
Most Brisbane businesses wait until the first 30-degree day to turn on their air conditioning service ads. By then, the Cost Per Click (CPC) has already doubled.
The Win: Start your 'Awareness' layer 3-4 weeks before the peak. Use Demand Gen or YouTube Shorts ads to target people researching seasonal problems. For example, a pool maintenance company should target "green pool recovery" in September, not December. By the time the peak season arrives, your brand is already in their ecosystem. However, be careful with how you set up your targeting; often, Google Ads audience signals can lead you toward broad, irrelevant traffic if you don't keep them tightly constrained to your local service area.
2. Dynamic Promotion Extensions (The 2-Minute Setup)
If you’re running the same ad copy for EOFY as you do for a random Tuesday in March, you’re leaving money on the table.
The Win: Use Promotion Extensions. They don't just add a line of text; they give your ad more physical real estate on the search results page. Scenario: A local retailer offering a 'Riverfire Sale'. Action: Set the extension to run only for the 7 days leading up to the event. This creates urgency without you having to rewrite your entire ad headline library.
3. High-Velocity Landing Page Audits
Seasonal traffic is often more 'fickle' than steady-state traffic. These users are in a rush—they want a gift by Friday or a repair before the relatives arrive for Christmas. If your page takes four seconds to load or has a confusing contact form, they’re gone.
The Win: Create a dedicated, stripped-back landing page for your seasonal offer. In 2026, we are seeing a massive shift toward precision over volume when it comes to lead quality. Don't ask for 10 fields of information on a seasonal enquiry form. Ask for the name, phone number, and the specific service they need. Speed is the ultimate conversion optimiser during peak periods.
4. The 'Ghost' Negative Keyword List
Every season brings its own set of 'trash' keywords that eat your budget. During the Brisbane Ekka, for example, a local bakery might see a spike in searches for "strawberry sundae recipe" or "showbag prices"—terms that have nothing to do with their actual catering services.
The Win: Review your search term reports from the same period last year. Identify the high-volume, zero-conversion terms and add them as Negative Keywords before your campaign even launches. This prevents you from burning cash on networks or placements that simply don't align with your seasonal goals.
Moving Beyond the Calendar
Seasonal planning isn't just about Christmas and Easter. In Queensland, we have micro-seasons: the start of the NRL season, the EKKA long weekend, or the sudden onset of storm season in November. Each of these is an opportunity to be relevant when your competitors are being generic.
Successful seasonal campaigns require a mix of early data gathering and aggressive, short-term execution. By refining your audience signals and ensuring your landing pages are built for speed, you can turn a seasonal spike into a permanent growth lever for your business.
Ready to scale your seasonal strategy?
If you're tired of seeing your Google Ads budget vanish during peak periods with nothing to show for it, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in high-performance campaigns tailored for the Australian market.
Contact Local Marketing Group today to book a strategy session and get your campaigns peak-ready.