Why Most Brisbane Businesses Miss Their Best Months
I see it every single year. A pool builder in Chermside calls me in November, panicked because the phone isn't ringing for summer installs. Or a local accountant in Toowong starts thinking about their website in June, right as tax time hits.
By then, it’s usually too late.
If you wait until your busy season starts to try and get found on Google, you’ve already lost the race. Your competitors—the ones who planned months ago—are already sitting at the top of the search results, taking the calls and booking the jobs.
In the marketing world, people call this "seasonal SEO." In the real world, it’s just called common sense. It’s about making sure your business shows up when people are actually looking for what you sell.
If you want to stop the "feast or famine" cycle and actually make more money this year, you need to understand how to time your online presence. This isn't about technical tricks; it's about understanding how your customers think throughout the year.
The Two Ways to Win: Early Bird vs. Last Minute
There are generally two ways you can handle your marketing as the seasons change. I’ve seen both play out for dozens of Brisbane businesses, and one is significantly more profitable than the other.
Approach 1: The Reactive "Firefighter" (What most people do)
This is when you realise bookings are low, or you see a competitor’s van everywhere, and you suddenly decide to "do some SEO."The Cost: You end up spending a fortune on emergency ads because your website isn't showing up naturally. The Result: You might get a few bites, but you’re paying a premium for them, and you’ve missed the early researchers who book the big, high-profit jobs. The Stress: High. You’re chasing work rather than choosing it.
Approach 2: The Proactive "Farmer" (The smart way)
This is when you plant the seeds three to four months before you need the harvest. You update your website content for "Christmas parties" in August. You talk about "winter heater servicing" in February.The Cost: It costs the same as regular marketing, but the return is much higher because you aren't desperate. The Result: Google has time to see your site, trust it, and put you at the top just as the search volume spikes. The Stress: Low. Your calendar fills up weeks in advance.
If you’re wondering where to start with this, checking out a complete guide for Australian businesses will help you understand the basics of how Google works before you dive into the seasonal stuff.
Understanding the "Google Lag"
Here is the blunt truth: Google is slow.
Unlike a Facebook post that goes live instantly, or a radio ad that plays tomorrow, changes to your website take time to work. If we write a great new page for your business today, it might take four to eight weeks for Google to properly rank it.
I’ve had tradies get frustrated that they aren't #1 for "emergency plumbing" two days after we start. It doesn't work like that. If you want to own the search results for a specific time of year, you need to start at least 90 days out.
Think of it like booking a holiday. If you try to book a Noosa resort on Christmas Eve, you’re going to pay triple or get nothing. If you book in June, you get the best room at the best price. Google works the same way.
How to Map Out Your Year
You don’t need a degree to do this. You just need a calendar and a bit of honesty about when your customers actually start thinking about you.
Step 1: Identify Your Peaks
Most businesses have 2-3 major peaks. Tradies: Storm season (Oct-Dec), End of Financial Year (May-June), or the "Pre-Christmas rush." Retail: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Black Friday, Christmas. Professional Services: Tax time, New Year “Fresh Start” (January).Step 2: Work Backwards 3 Months
If you want the phone to ring in December, your website needs to be ready in September. This gives Google time to read your pages and decide you’re the best person to show to customers.Step 3: Speak the Customer’s Language
People search differently depending on the season. In winter, they search for "how to stop a drafty window." In summer, they search for "best outdoor blinds for Brisbane heat."If your website only talks about "blinds" generally, you’re missing out on people looking for specific seasonal solutions. You need to create pages that solve the problem they have
right now.What’s a Waste of Money?
I’ll be honest with you—a lot of "SEO packages" offered by big agencies are a total waste of money because they are generic. They do the same thing every month regardless of what’s happening in your business.
Paying for "keywords" that don't lead to sales is the fastest way to blow your budget. For example, if you’re a gardener in Indooroopilly, you don't care about ranking for "types of grass." You care about ranking for "lawn mowing Indooroopilly" in October when the grass is growing an inch a day.
Before you commit your hard-earned cash, it’s worth looking at what SEO actually costs in Australia so you don’t get ripped off by someone promising the world and delivering nothing.
The "Local Suburb" Strategy
One of the most effective things we do for Brisbane businesses is focusing on specific suburbs during their peak seasons.
Let’s say you’re an electrician. In summer, everyone in Coorparoo and Camp Hill is looking for air conditioning installs. Instead of just having one page about "Air Con," we create content that targets those specific areas.
When someone searches "AC install Coorparoo," and your site pops up with a local offer, you’re almost guaranteed to get the call. This is a much smarter way to get more leads than trying to compete with the giant national companies for broad terms.
A Real-World Example: The Brisbane Landscaper
We worked with a landscaping business based in Morningside. They used to spend a fortune on Google Ads in September to try and get spring work. By the time they paid for the ads and the high cost-per-click, their profit margins were slim.
We changed their strategy. In June (their quietest month), we started building out pages on their site about "preparing your garden for a Brisbane spring" and "best poolside plants for QLD summers."
By the time September hit, they were already at the top of the organic (free) results. They turned off their expensive ads and still had more enquiries than they could handle. They weren't just getting
more work; they were making more profit on every job because they weren't paying Google for every click.Don't Forget the "In-Between" Months
What do you do when it’s not peak season? This is when most business owners stop marketing, which is a massive mistake.
The "off-season" is the best time to build your reputation. This is when you should be getting reviews from your happy customers, updating your photos, and making sure your website works perfectly on phones.
If your site is slow or hard to use on a mobile, people will leave before they even see your phone number. Google knows this, and they will penalise you for it. Use the quiet times to sharpen the axe so that when the busy season hits, you’re ready to cut through the competition.
Your Seasonal Checklist
If you want to get this right, here is exactly what I’d tell my mate to do if they ran a local shop or trade business:
1. Look at last year's bank statements. When did the most money come in? That’s your peak. 2. Check your website now. Does it mentioned the upcoming season? If it's August and your homepage still talks about "EOFYS Deals," you look out of date and out of touch. 3. Update your Google Business Profile. Post a photo of a recent job you did that is relevant to the current weather. If it's storm season, show a roof you just repaired or a tree you just cleared. 4. Write for humans, not robots. Don't worry about "algorithms." Just write a page that answers the questions your customers ask you on the phone every day during that season. 5. Be realistic about the time. If you want results for the Christmas holidays, you need to start moving
now.Is It Worth Doing Yourself?
Look, you’re busy. You’re running a business, managing staff, and trying to have a life. You can absolutely do some of this yourself—updating your own photos and writing a few blog posts about your work is a great start.
But if you want to truly dominate your local area and make sure your phone never stops ringing, it pays to have experts who know the Brisbane market.
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about fancy reports or technical jargon. We care about how many enquiries you got this week. We work with Brisbane tradies and small businesses to make sure they are the first choice when a local customer picks up their phone to search.
Summary: Stop Chasing, Start Planning
Marketing shouldn't be a stressful emergency you deal with when the bank balance looks low. By planning your Google presence around the seasons, you take control of your growth.
Start 3 months early. Focus on local suburbs. Solve the customer's seasonal problems.- Don't waste money on generic SEO packages.
Ready to get more phone calls? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get to work.