skill-148-seasonal-keyword-calendar-planning

Skill 148: Seasonal Keyword Calendar Planning

Purpose

Ensure seasonal keywords are created and active 4-6 weeks before peak periods. Late keyword launches miss the critical learning period - Smart Bidding needs 2-4 weeks to optimize, and Quality Score requires impression history. Launching during the peak means competing at a disadvantage.

Data Requirements

Data Source: Custom GAQL Required

Standard 30-day export may not include prior-year seasonal queries. Need historical search term data for seasonal periods.

Standard Data:

• data/account/campaigns/*/ad_groups/*/keywords.md - Current keyword coverage
• data/performance/campaigns/*/ad_groups/*/search_terms_metrics_30_days.md - Recent search terms

GAQL Query (Historical Seasonal Queries):

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  ad_group.name,
  search_term_view.search_term,
  metrics.impressions,
  metrics.clicks,
  metrics.conversions,
  metrics.cost_micros
FROM search_term_view
WHERE campaign.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND segments.date BETWEEN '[PRIOR_YEAR_SEASON_START]' AND '[PRIOR_YEAR_SEASON_END]'
  AND metrics.conversions > 0
ORDER BY metrics.conversions DESC
LIMIT 500

Run via /google-ads:get-custom to identify high-converting seasonal queries from prior years.

Analysis Steps

1. Map seasonal calendar: Identify all seasonal periods (holidays, industry peaks) for next 60 days
2. Check current keyword coverage: Search existing keywords for seasonal modifiers (e.g., "black friday," "christmas," "2026")
3. Pull historical queries: Query prior-year search terms during seasonal periods
4. Identify gaps: Find high-converting seasonal queries not covered by existing keywords
5. Verify timing: Confirm seasonal keywords are active 4+ weeks before event start

Thresholds

Condition	Severity
Event within 4 weeks with no seasonal keywords active	Critical
High-converting prior-year query not covered as keyword	Warning
Seasonal keywords launching <4 weeks before peak	Warning
No seasonal ad copy variations prepared	Warning
Year-specific keywords (e.g., "2025") still active	Info