Top 5 Halloween Trends on Search for 2023

‘Tis the season to be spooky.

But look, we know that marketing your business for a one-day event is always trick(y), and never a treat. And we also know how worthwhile it is for brands like yours to keep up with trending keywords and topics, whether seasonal or brand new.

SO, Count Drac-yourselves lucky because – aside from some ghoulishly good puns (and boy, do we have a lot of those) – we’ve got some sneak peeks into what the internet is telling us about online Halloween trends for 2023.

With Similarweb insights, we offer a super fresh look at digital trends, keywords, and key players for all things Halloween and beyond. So, grab your broomstick, and let’s get going with some of our findings about Halloween 2023 trends on search.

A quick run-BOO! through

👻 Most Halloween trends pointing towards you being frightfully last minute

🧟 Your parents’ best cotton sheets aren’t cutting it anymore for fancy dress

☠️ Cream of the (costume) crop = Halloween Costumes and Spirit Halloween

🎃 From decorations to dishes, you’re really making the most of pumpkin season

🕷️ Paid ad spends so high it will give you acrophobia

1) Let’s start with the basics: Halloween

Seeing as Halloween is the theme, let’s make it the core keyword on our Keyword Generator to see those Halloween trends, shall we?

With the date range on ‘All time’ view, we get a really good insight into Halloween-related keywords and their yearly trend – most of which skyrockets in the spooky season around October. Go figure.

The search term “spirit halloween” is the only branded keyword within in the top 20, whereas most of the top keywords come with informational (or inspirational) search intent: “halloween costumes”, “halloween movies”, “when is halloween”, “halloween costume ideas”.

It seems like our organization for Halloween costumes is a little last minute, so it’s no real wonder “easy halloween costumes” is at number 16, and multiple Halloween stores are seen as the web traffic leaders for various search terms. In fact, the very specific search term, “last minute halloween costumes” can be found at number 38.

Big shout out to Heidi Klum for making her love and dedication for Halloween a key personality trait of hers, and making it to number 15 in the top trending keywords.

2) Costume inspo(ooooky)

Okay, so it seems like a lot of you are struggling for Halloween costume ideas this year, making it one of the latest Halloween trends.

What happened to the days of sticking our parents’ best Egyptian cotton bed sheets over our heads and calling ourselves a ghost? We’re not sure, but what we do know is that a lot of you need some inspiration.

We created a keyword list of search terms used to find costume inspiration or places to buy outfits, and looked at where most of that traffic was going. Despite Spirit Halloween being specifically named in the top trending Halloween keywords, the very cleverly-named-for-good-SEO halloweencostumes.com received most of the US traffic share (48.8%) for keywords in this list.

So, let’s take a closer look at the pages on halloweencostumes.com that are doing particularly well on organic search (using our Organic Pages tool):

Is it a case of safety in numbers, given the popularity of couple and four-person Halloween costumes? And given the last-minute nature of these search terms, it looks like none of you are getting creative or doing-it-yourself this year.

3) Give ‘em pumpkin to talk about

What’s up? “Pumpkin” as a search term is what’s up. ☝️

With Similarweb, you can see exactly how popular a keyword is – whether that’s a one-off or a repeated trend that comes around year on year.

Taking a look at our Last 28 Days view on our Keyword Generator tool, we can see an uptick in search volume for pumpkin-related keywords. The Yearly Trend shows the keyword’s seasonality; it starts to gain some momentum in September, shooting right up for the month of Halloween, then fading off in November and December for most of the search terms.

This trend pattern doesn’t include “pumpkin pie”, which has a lot more interest in the month of November when all those supermarket pumpkins are put on special offer. It also doesn’t include “smashing pumpkins” because rock fans are rock fans, no matter what the season.

Other than how to make pumpkin pies, what do people want to know about pumpkins? You can use our Question Queries tab to answer that one:

4) Terrifyingly tricky keywords to rank for

We know all too well that getting your business ranking – both for organic and paid – can send shivers down anyone’s spine. It’s a monster of a job. 👹

However, we are here to hell-hell-help. Let’s take a look at some of the keywords you should be using – and the ones you only wish you could rank for. Why don’t we start with the negative first in the “surprise” spirit of Halloween?

We’ll start with the negative first, in the spirit of Halloween – the keywords that are generally very difficult to rank for, in the US specifically:

An SEO expert’s worst nightmare = that 🔴 and a high keyword difficulty next to the keyword the CEO has told them to win.

Ideally, you want to be aiming for the middle group when it comes to keyword difficulty. That shows it has search volume behind it, but isn’t impossibly competitive. Your secret ingredients here? Catching trending keywords as their search volume rises (and their CPC is still low), and including long-tail keywords in your strategy.

5) No need for paid ads? That’s witchful thinking

In the very competitive landscape of search comes competition in organic search, but also paid search.

Knowing that people are looking for Halloween costumes then writing a blog post or optimizing your product descriptions probably won’t cut it anymore – especially if you’re as last minute as these 2023 trick or treaters.

That’s where paid search comes into it. But what are the big Halloween brands playing with for their paid activities?

Answer: The big bucks.

Just look at how halloweencostumes.com’s spend go up in September 2023:

And using our comparison feature, we can see Spirit Halloween following a very similar pattern. The other websites spent next to nothing throughout the year, but starting upping their PPC spends in August, and more again in September.

Our Paid Website Analysis even gives us a look at what their search ads are. Comparing the two big competitors, halloweencostumes.com and spirithalloween.com, we can see a difference in the tone of voice in the ad copy.

With a straight-to-the-point name of halloweencostumes.com, their copy is indeed very straight to the point. But Spirit Halloween gives us a little more personality – particularly the top one, which gains the most traffic share out of all its ads. Take note, copywriters. 📝

Creepin’ it real with Similarweb

Like what you see? We’ve got a whole lot more data where that came from.

Whether you’re marketing for a big seasonal period (and it’s good to get seasonal with your keyword strategy), or you just want some insights into what your audience is searching for all year round, Similarweb can help.

Our data is as real-time as it gets, making sure you stay ahead of the game, whatever your game might be.

If you like the sound of getting the most accurate and freshest keyword data for your keyword research and content ideation, get in touch.

FAQs

Why are seasonal keywords important?
Seasonal keywords are crucial because they cater to real-time consumer interest and behavior. When users search for particular seasonal terms, it indicates their current needs and intentions. By optimizing for these terms, businesses can capture this timely interest and drive more traffic and conversions.

How do Halloween search trends differ from year to year?
While some search terms like “Halloween costumes” or “Halloween decorations” remain consistently popular each year, new trends emerge based on pop culture, global events, and evolving consumer interests. For example, a blockbuster movie or a viral meme from a specific year might influence costume searches for that Halloween season.

What’s the benefit of tracking Halloween search trends for 2023?
By staying updated with 2023’s Halloween search trends, businesses can understand the current market demand, which allows them to craft timely content, offers, and promotions that resonate with their audience. It’s an opportunity to be relevant and cater to specific consumer needs for that season.

How can I incorporate Halloween into my marketing strategy?

To weave Halloween into your marketing strategy, create themed content like blogs and videos, offer special promotions, engage on social media with Halloween-themed polls and contests, send themed newsletters through email marketing, and introduce limited-time Halloween-inspired products or services if suitable for your business.

Are seasonal keywords only important for B2C businesses?
While B2C businesses often see the most direct impact from seasonal keywords due to consumer purchasing habits, B2B businesses can also benefit. They can leverage seasonal themes for content marketing, client outreach, or special promotions targeted at other businesses.

When should I start optimizing for Halloween search terms?
Ideally, preparation should begin at least two to three months in advance. This gives search engines enough time to index and rank your content. However, it’s also beneficial to monitor trends year-round, as planning can help you identify opportunities early.

by Leah Messenger

Senior Content Marketing Manager

Leah is a Senior Content Marketing Manager with a passion for turning complex topics into engaging, educational content.