Are you trying to figure out when to launch your seasonal Google Ads campaigns in Minnesota?
Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. Our team at Matter Solutions has worked with dozens of Minnesota HVAC companies and clients across related services. So, we know about the timing mistakes that cost companies thousands in wasted ad spend.
In this article, you’ll learn when to launch your campaigns (hint: it’s way earlier than you think). We’ll also share how to use your own data to find your peak seasons and the best approach for structuring your seasonal campaigns.
Ready? Let’s begin.
What Are Google Ads Seasonality Adjustments?
Seasonality adjustments are a tool that lets you tell Google Ads when you expect your conversion rates to change for a short time, like during a sale or special promotion. It helps Smart Bidding understand that the change is temporary and adjust your bids more accurately.
We’ll now explain how these changes work.
Short-Term Conversion Rate Changes
The best part about seasonality adjustments is that they help your bids stay competitive during unexpected demand spikes. You don’t even need to manage your campaign manually for that.
Here’s how it works. When you create a seasonality adjustment, you’re telling Google’s Smart Bidding to expect a temporary conversion change.
For example, if you’re running a weekend furnace special and expect about 40% more conversions, you can set a +40% adjustment for those dates. Smart Bidding will use that adjustment only during the event and will return to normal once the promotion ends.
Without your input, it might underbid during your promotion, and you’d miss valuable leads.
Best for 1-7 Day Events
Google recommends using seasonality adjustments for events lasting one to seven days for ideal performance. Why? It’s because Smart Bidding works best with consistent data patterns. When you extend adjustments beyond two weeks, you confuse the algorithm.
For Minnesota HVAC companies, this duration works perfectly for flash sales like a weekend furnace special (you’d be shocked how many furnace tune-ups book in just one weekend).
Pro tip: Create a naming system for adjustments so you can quickly compare past event performance and decide which promos are worth repeating.
How Do You Find Your Business’s Peak Seasons in Minnesota?
If you want to find your busiest seasons in Minnesota, your Google Ads account and website analytics are the best places to start. They show when customers truly search and convert, and that gives you a far clearer picture than any general HVAC calendar.
Here’s how to figure out your busiest periods:
- Review Your Historical Google Ads Data: Look through your monthly performance from the last couple of years. Focus on leads and conversions, since that data shows when people were ready to contact you rather than just browse.
- Analyze Conversion Rates by Month: You may see that Minnesota’s patterns do not match national trends. So, you should try to identify months with clear jumps in conversion rates. For example, heating inquiries often rise in late September, right when the first cold snap makes everyone realize they forgot to test the furnace (ugh!).
- Check for Weather-driven Patterns: Minnesota’s fast temperature swings can cause sudden increases in demand. Look for recurring spikes that appear right after a cold front or heat wave so you can prepare your campaigns before the next one arrives.
You’ll feel more in control of the weather for once with that insight.
When Should Minnesota Businesses Launch Seasonal Campaigns?
Now that you know your peak seasons, you must time your campaign launches strategically. The goal is to show up right when customers start thinking about the season.
Let’s get into more detail about when to launch your campaign.
Start Campaigns 6-8 Weeks Before Peak Season
Most Minnesota service businesses should launch seasonal campaigns six to eight weeks before their peak demand period.
Why so early? By late October, every HVAC contractor has the same idea. But if you launch in September, you’re already showing up when homeowners first think about winter prep. Also, Google Ads has time to optimize, and you’re capturing leads before the mad rush (which means lower costs).
Adjust Target CPA During High-Demand Periods
When Minnesota’s winter hits, all the HVAC companies in your area increase their Google Ads bids simultaneously.
Here’s what happens. Your normal Target Cost-Per-Action (CPA) is usually $50 during spring. That gets you decent leads for tune-ups.
But that same $50 won’t even get your ads on the first page when January comes, since everyone else is bidding higher for urgent repairs and installation services.
Honestly, though, a homeowner facing a broken furnace in minus 20 degrees will pay almost anything to get heat back. That’s why raising your Target CPA to $75 or even $100 during the coldest weeks keeps your ads visible when demand peaks.
Increase Budgets Before the First Cold Breeze
Did you know that increasing your campaign budget before extreme weather can help you capture emergency service calls when customers need help most?
Let us explain. If you’ve ever lived through a Minnesota winter, you know what happens when the polar vortex rolls in. Furnaces break, pipes freeze, and suddenly everyone’s searching “emergency furnace repair near me” at 11 PM. That’s your moment.
We recommend monitoring weather forecasts so you can adjust your budget before demand spikes. And when you see a brutal cold front coming, bump your daily budget two days ahead. That way, when furnaces start failing, your ads will dominate search results (seriously, Minnesota cold creates instant search traffic).
Pro tip: Test shorter ad headlines during extreme cold. People spend less time reading when they’re freezing and panicked.
Should You Create New Campaigns or Adjust Existing Ones?
The decision between creating new seasonal campaigns or adjusting existing ones depends on your promotion length and budget control needs. But how do you pick the one that makes the most sense for your campaign?
It’s time to dig deeper into your options.
New Seasonal Campaigns
New seasonal campaigns give you full control over your budget, your messaging, and who you want to reach during a specific time of year. With a separate campaign, you can set aside a clear budget just for winter or summer promos without draining your main campaigns.
Another nice perk is how easy they are to manage. Like, you can pause them when the season ends and turn them back on next year without rebuilding anything from scratch. This setup works specifically well when you’re running limited-time offers.
Take something like a “Winter Furnace Safety Check” promo, for example. A campaign built around that message usually performs better on its own than getting lost inside a general year-round campaign.
Seasonality Adjustments
Ever run a short promo and wonder if it’s really worth building a whole new campaign for just a few days? That’s where seasonality adjustments make life easier. They let you quickly boost your existing campaigns for a short period without changing your whole setup.
More importantly, they work best for brief sales that last one to seven days. During that time, you simply tell Google to expect higher conversion rates, and it responds by adjusting your bidding.
Once the promo ends, everything snaps back to normal on its own. You stay organized, save time, and avoid cleaning up extra campaigns you never really needed in the first place.
Get Your Seasonal Google Ads Timing Right in Minnesota
You now know that the timing of your seasonal Google Ads campaigns plays a huge role in how well they perform in Minnesota. This is something many businesses overlook.
If you want steady leads throughout the year, rely on your own data and Minnesota’s weather patterns instead of broad national calendars. And for stronger results, launch your campaigns early, raise your Target CPA during busy stretches, and increase your budget.
We at Matter Solutions have supported Minnesota HVAC businesses with seasonal strategies that consistently perform. If you’re ready to make your next seasonal campaign your best one yet, contact us today.