Every spring we have the same conversation with at least one business. It is the first hot week of June, the phones are ringing, and they want to "get the ads going." The problem is that the people calling this week searched last week, and the company that was already running caught them. By the time a new campaign is built, approved and has learned who to show up for, the first heat wave is over.
Southwestern Ontario is a seasonal place. Nearly every service business has a curve, and the curve is predictable. The businesses that win plan for it.
The rule
Start the campaign three to four weeks before you expect the calls. Google Ads needs time to learn which searches turn into leads, and you need time to fix the landing page, the tracking and the budget before it matters. If you are rushing in the week the season starts, you are paying tuition at the busiest time of year.
A rough calendar for the region
January and February. Furnace repair, frozen pipes, snow removal, tax and accounting, gym memberships. Plan spring now: landscaping, roofing, windows, paving.
March and April. Spring cleanup, lawn programs, eavestrough, window and door replacement, exterior painting, pool openings. Start AC campaigns in late April.
May and June. Air conditioning, landscaping and hardscape, decks, pressure washing, pest control, moving. Start fall furnace campaigns in August.
July and August. AC repair peaks, roofing, paving, renovations. Back-to-school services, tutoring, kids' programs. Start fall planning now.
September and October. Furnace tune-ups and replacements, insulation, gutters, pool closings, snow removal contracts, holiday bookings for restaurants and venues.
November and December. Furnace emergencies, holiday retail, catering, gift certificates. Plan January: fitness, tax, new year services.
Your version will differ. The point is to write it down.
What to do in the off-season
Don't turn everything off. Keep a small always-on campaign for the searches that happen year-round, so the account keeps its history and you keep showing up for the few people who need you in the quiet months. Use the slow weeks to fix the website, shoot video for the busy season, collect reviews and build the pages you'll need. Off-season is when the next season gets won.
Budget follows the curve
A flat monthly budget across a seasonal business wastes money in the slow months and starves the busy ones. Shift it. Spend heavier in the three weeks before and the first weeks of your peak, lighter in the trough. Google Ads makes this easy once you've decided to do it.
The payoff
The difference between a business that plans seasonally and one that reacts is usually a month of peak-season calls. For most of the trades we work with, that month is the one that makes the year.