---
title: "Check whether search growth is seasonal"
description: "Compare complete windows and Store history before calling a traffic change a trend."
canonical_url: "https://gscdump.com/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic/growth-trends"
last_updated: "2026-10-03T07:15:31.592Z"
---

# Check whether search growth is seasonal

A month of growth can reflect seasonality, new content, or a change in demand. Check enough history before choosing an explanation.

## Choose a fair comparison

Check [Store coverage](/gscdump-cli/guides/use-data/build-history) for the current and year-earlier windows. Use complete periods and one search type. Google's available history may be too short for a reliable annual pattern on a new Site.

## Run the growth Report

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump report growth --site example.com --period 90d --vs yoy --json
```
::

The growth Report defaults to a year-over-year comparison. `--vs yoy` makes it visible in the command. It combines content velocity, query breadth, intent, and long-tail Sections. It needs enough stored data for its required Analyzers. Read Section coverage and `meta.degraded` before comparing. See [Reports](/gscdump-cli/api/reports).

## Check seasonality

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump analyze seasonality --site example.com --period 365d --json
gscdump analyze trends --site example.com --period 365d --json
```
::

Use the [Analyzer reference](/gscdump-cli/api/analyzers) to check source support. A seasonal pattern needs repeated periods. Missing months and partial months should stay visible, not become zero values.

## Find contributing pages

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump query --site example.com --type web \
  --dimensions date,page --limit 100 --format csv --output page-trend.csv
```
::

Set the same dates as the Report. Check which pages account for the change. A top-row export may miss long-tail changes; inspect the row limit and source metadata. The [query guide](/gscdump-cli/guides/use-data/query-and-export) covers exports.

## Set a monitoring window

Record the comparison dates, Site, search type, and pages to revisit. If growth concentrates in brand queries, use [Brand traffic](/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic/brand-traffic). If one device moves differently, use [Device gaps](/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic/device-gaps). Other questions: [Investigate traffic](/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.