Do your Amazon sales spike in some months and drop in others? That’s called seasonality, and it affects your ad results just like it affects customer demand.
According to Statista, online retail sales in the U.S. jumped from $185.5 billion in late 2019 to over $284 billion in late 2023, mostly because of big shopping events like Black Friday and Christmas.
If your ads don’t change with the season, you might waste money during slower months or miss out when sales are high. Seasonal products need more than one plan.
You’ll need one strategy for busy seasons, a smaller one for slow times, and a flexible setup for the periods in between.
Seasonality affects everything: your bids, keywords, ad setup, and timing. If you don’t keep up, your results will drop even if your product stays the same.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to spot seasonal trends, adjust your Amazon PPC ads, and protect your budget while staying ready to grow.
Seasonality in Amazon PPC means your ad results change throughout the year based on how people shop at different times. These changes are tied to holidays, events, or weather, and they impact your ad clicks, views, and sales.
Several things can cause changes in your PPC results:
Understanding these trends helps you plan when to adjust bids, set budgets, and focus on the right keywords.
Product demand on Amazon often changes with the time of year. For example, winter coats sell better in colder months, while beach gear becomes more popular in summer.
Each product category has its own cycle. Cold-weather products like jackets, scarves, and gloves usually see more sales in late fall and winter when people are getting ready for cold temperatures.
Summer products like flip-flops, beach towels, and sun hats tend to peak between May and August, when vacations and beach trips are common.
Knowing these patterns helps sellers plan their ads and stock ahead of time instead of reacting too late.
Some demand is seasonal, but outside factors can also change how people shop.
Big events like the Olympics can drive more interest in related products, like sports gear or national flags.
Social media trends, especially on TikTok or Instagram, can suddenly boost interest in certain items. For example, fidget spinners became super popular very quickly because they went viral.
Larger lifestyle changes, like the rise of home workouts, can also create off-season demand for products like resistance bands or yoga mats. That’s why it’s important to track both seasonal trends and cultural shifts so you can act fast when something starts gaining attention.
Your Amazon PPC ads work best when they match how people shop throughout the year. Seasonality affects what people search for, how much they spend, and how strong your ads need to be.
Here’s how you can adjust:
Update your keywords before each season begins. This helps your ads build performance before demand picks up. For example, in winter, keywords like “thermal boots” or “winter coats” start getting more searches.
Around events like Halloween or Valentine’s Day, keywords like “costume ideas” or “gift for boyfriend” may perform better. If your category changes quickly, keep an eye on TikTok, Instagram, and Google Trends to find popular keywords early.
Run separate campaigns for big sales events. A Christmas-themed Sponsored Brand ad with festive images can stand out more than a regular one.
For big days like Black Friday or Prime Day, use deal-focused campaigns to promote your bundles or limited-time offers. These help you get noticed during busy, competitive times.
During busy seasons, make sure your campaigns have enough budget to keep running all day. Running out of budget too early hurts your ad performance.
You may also need to raise your bids on your best seasonal products to stay near the top of search results. For example, if you sell swimwear in June, you’ll probably need higher bids to beat the extra competition.
Your ad results can change fast during seasonal peaks, so it’s important to check your performance often. Use Amazon’s ad tools or a third-party platform to track things like click rate, conversion rate, and return on ad spend.
If you see a big drop or sudden jump, make changes right away, like adjusting bids, rewriting ad copy, or replacing low-performing keywords.
Big Amazon events like Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday bring lots of shoppers and lots of competition. Watching what your competitors are doing can help you stay ahead.
During these high-traffic times, higher bids are often needed to stay visible. If a top ad spot normally costs $1.50, it might jump to $2.50 or more.
Make sure your ad copy and offers stand out. A message like “Buy One, Get One Free This Weekend Only” grabs more attention than a plain “On Sale” label.
If you want expert help building PPC campaigns that stay sharp through every season, Brandefyn helps e-commerce brands scale with strategies that work when it matters most.