Today I'm sitting at my desk looking out the window at the snow. The temperature is below zero and has been for longer than normal. Yet despite the cold I'm thinking summer.

Not because I hate the snow. In fact I kinda like it. No I'm thinking summer because some of our client's busiest seasons online are the summer time. So I thought I'd give some pointers here.

Remember that even if it's snowing and cold where you are, summer is just a few short months away. Now is the time to start planning and budgeting for your summer search marketing campaign. Whether you are going to be running a PPC campaign, or strictly organic SEO, you have to begin preparing.

If you are a seasonal business and rely on summer sales, you should start researching key phrases for the summer. Consider what you sell, and what your competitors sell.

Be sure to review your visitor logs for last year to see what brought people to your site. Of course with the many changes in search over the past few months they won't all be relevant phrase but perhaps some phrases will help you come up with ideas for additional phrases you can market.

Assess your current website's condition. Does it look dated? Perhaps it needs a face lift. A simple redesign of a site can bring about a fresh look and perhaps drive more traffic. Sometimes a good indicator of what your site needs is your competitors. Those who aggressively market on the web have developed a formula for maximizing return on their web investment so take some pointers from them.

If you do consider a redesign, please consider the implications. We wrote an article quite a few years ago on this subject but the same rules still apply. If you are working with an SEO company, above all consult with them before you do anything. They can help you minimize the impact of your new site. If you determine that a redesign is in order, now is a good time to do it – particularly if you're key business occurs in the summer. If it's done properly, the impact can be minimal and you will likely recover by spring.

Consider the current web environment. Again, many techniques and tactics used last year don't work on today's engines. Therefore you may want to revisit your optimization.

If you perform these simple tasks now, in preparation for your summer season you can help your site reach its potential without negatively impacting your online visibility.