<b>Average volume hides seasonal peaks worth 5x</b>

<b>Average volume hides seasonal peaks worth 5x</b>
A single annual number flattens demand that arrives in waves. We pulled 12-month curves for 1,400 seasonal queries and measured peak-to-average ratio.
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Flat queries, peak/avg ▇▇ 1.3x
Mild seasonal ▇▇▇▇ 2.4x
Sharp seasonal ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 5.1x
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A query averaging 800 a month can do 4,000 in its peak month and 200 the rest of the year. Planning publish dates off the average means you arrive after the wave, when the average has already returned.
<b>So what:</b> read the trend curve, not the average, and publish 8–10 weeks before the peak month so the page is indexed and aged.
Benchmark of the week: sharp-seasonal queries deliver 5x their average volume in their single peak month.