How to Push Blog Traffic During Holidays and Weekends

Typically, web traffic experiences a decline over the weekends and national holidays. If you're not encountering this, you might not be reading this page in the first place.

It's easy to jump to the conclusion that this traffic drop only affects our personal blogs or websites, but it's actually a widespread trend. It's the norm for traffic to decrease from Fridays through Sundays.

TIM shared with his readers that he had consistently been experiencing a decrease in traffic during weekends and holidays, although he noted that the drop wasn't significant. Nonetheless, it was noticeable.

For one of my websites, the average number of daily unique visitors was 5044. However, during the previous workweek, that same site had an average of roughly 5969 visitors per day.

This pattern isn't unique to us; it affects all non-weekend-focused websites and blogs, causing a decline in traffic during weekends and holidays.

In my case, my blogs typically lose about 25% of their traffic from Thursdays through Sundays. For specific niches, traffic declines as the week progresses. For example, on my education blog, I might have 5000 visits on Thursday, 4500 on Friday, 4000 on Saturday, and 3500 on Sunday.

This aligns with the data in the graph below, which illustrates a consistent drop over the weekend days.

This shows a consistent drop over the days of weekends

Bradley Web Group also reported a startling finding of up to a 50% drop in weekend traffic.

Most websites "experience a significant traffic drop over the weekends, often as much as 50%." This underscores the substantial decline in web traffic during the weekend.

However, certain websites and blogs in categories such as food, photography, parties, joints, books, children, and DIY-related topics receive more traffic on weekends compared to weekdays.

Why Your Traffic Declines During Weekends and Holidays

Now that we've established that some websites gain more weekend and holiday traffic while others lose it, you might be wondering why you're among the latter group. Here's a quick overview of the factors contributing to this traffic drop.

1. Internet Activity Drops During the Weekends

Most people prioritize work during the weekdays, and this continues until Thursday or Friday. Research and online activity tend to decrease during the evenings. Similarly, this trend extends from weekdays to weekends. 

If you're witnessing a traffic drop, it could be because your audience consists of busy individuals seeking answers during work hours rather than on weekends.

2. Weekends Are for Relaxation and Leisure:

Many individuals find it challenging to disconnect from the internet during the workweek, as their livelihoods and businesses depend on it. However, they eagerly seize the opportunity to spend quality time offline with family and friends on weekends. 

It's widely accepted that website visits may decline during weekends and holidays due to this shift in behavior.

3. Socializing Takes Priority on Weekends

Weekends are packed with offline activities such as sports, exercise, movies, parties, and outings. People eagerly look forward to the weekends as a break from work. 

If weekdays are spent online, weekends are likely to be characterized by different activities that don't require internet use or engagement with your niche.

How to Maintain or Increase Traffic During Weekends and Holidays

While it's true that traffic tends to drop during holidays and weekends, there are strategies to counteract this trend. You can retain or even boost your typical weekday traffic during weekends and holidays. Here are some effective approaches.

1. Target Google Discover on Weekends

Google Discover is a valuable source of organic traffic. More people spend time browsing Discover on their mobile devices, especially during weekends when there are fewer work-related distractions. If your content is relevant to Discover users, it's likely to attract more attention on weekends.

2. Refresh Your Content on Weekends

Google constantly crawls the internet. If you update your content during the weekend, it's more likely to appear in search results, especially for immediate searches. Keep your content fresh and relevant to capture the attention of weekend searchers.

Recommended: Best Times to Post with Traffic and Ranking in Mind

3. Share Content on Social Media During Weekends

Weekends are an ideal time to share content on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Your followers are more relaxed and receptive during this time, increasing the chances of them engaging with your content and sharing it with their networks.

4. Send Email Newsletters on Weekends

Send email newsletters to your audience during the weekend, particularly to working professionals who have more time to read and share content. Encourage them to share your content with their friends and colleagues.

Recommended: How to Use Email Subscription to Grow Readership and Ranking

5. Engage with Comments on Weekends

Respond to comments on your content during weekends. Some readers prefer to comment and engage during their free time, and they often check the "Notify me of responses" option. Engaging with these readers during a traffic drop can encourage them to return to your site.

6. Consider Weekend Advertising Campaigns

If your budget allows for paid advertising, consider running campaigns during weekends and holidays. Paid ads can help you reach the audience that is still active online during these times, potentially increasing your ROI.

Conclusion

While a traffic drop during weekends and holidays is common, it's not insurmountable. By implementing the strategies outlined in this post, you can maintain or even boost your website traffic during these periods. Consistency in applying these methods will enhance your chances of retaining your visitor count and expanding your reach beyond the usual limits.