Food Content Trends in October

Happy October, friends! Can you believe it?

We’re in full-on fall mode here in the Northern hemisphere, and I’m just so darn happy about it. I know I’m not unique by saying that fall is my favorite time of year. The cooler weather, the changing leaves, the cinnamon-spiked food; this time of year just screams comfort to me.

As you probably know, readers are starting to search for some fall-centric recipes and ideas to help them embrace autumn and the upcoming holidays. Luckily, this is the perfect opportunity for creators to give these readers some inspiration for the season.

Here’s what readers are searching for in October:

Pumpkin

Okay, this really isn’t a surprise, is it? It certainly isn’t a surprise for me who is currently typing this with three cans of pumpkin puree sitting in her pantry just waiting to be used.

Pumpkin searches soar in October and the Google Trends graph perfectly visualizes that fact.

This is an example of a super cyclical search term (and no, that’s not a technical term 😉). Searches for pumpkin sharply spike in October and then quickly decrease.

This is a sign that you should post your pumpkin-centric content sooner rather than later. Homemade PSLs, pumpkin curry, pumpkin bars, or my personal favorite: pumpkin bread… no pumpkin-packed treat is off-limits!

Halloween & Thanksgiving (& Christmas. I know.)

Searches for Halloween and Thanksgiving recipes clearly spike in October. In fact, you’ll be able to tell from our other “Food Content Trends” topics this month that people have Halloween on the brain. We’ll talk a bit more about Thanksgiving next month, but keep in mind that Canadian Thanksgiving takes place in October!

And you know where you might want to focus some of your efforts? Pinterest!

Because Pinterest is a huge source of Halloween ideas for readers, try and think about content that will do especially well as a pin. Perhaps create some step-by-step photos and put them into a pin. You can also think like a reader this fall, and put yourself in their shoes: what are they wanting to see this Halloween?

And as much as you might not want to start thinking about it, those A+ planners in the world are already starting to think about Christmas. I’m talking gift guides! Meal planning! Tips for holiday celebrations! Your readers are looking for advice, and you can find ways to help them out.

Candy

Not that it should come as a surprise, but searches for “candy” spike in October… just in time for Halloween!

Candy cookies, brownies, cakes, milkshakes — the sky is the limit on candy-centric recipes this time of year!

Apples and Caramel

‘Tis the season! Yep, I’m talking about apple season.

We talked a bit about apples last month, but apple searches really spike this month. Apples will never taste juicier, sweeter, or all-around more mouthwatering than they do this time of the year.

This opens up a world of possibilities to us as food bloggers. Make applesauce, apple pie, or apple dumplings if your readers like their sweets. You can also go the savory route with pork and apples, apple salads, or cabbage and apples.

And what goes perfectly with apples this time of year? Caramel, especially because searches for “caramel” start their three-month spike in October!

Caramel-dipped apples, caramel apple blondies, hot caramel apple cider, apple and caramel crepes – you can’t go wrong with this incredible, fall-inspired duo.

Oktoberfest

Bier, Essen, Spaß…oh my!

If you’re a beer or travel fan, or of German descent, you might want to plan some content around Oktoberfest, a huge fair held in Munich, Germany.

What are some of your favorite beer + food pairings? What’s the difference between various types of beer? Do you have any beer-spiked recipes you’ve been waiting to share?

Holidays to Remember

Like I mentioned above, we’re quickly getting into the holiday season, and holiday pins are already starting to get some traction. Here are some holidays to remember as you’re planning your editorial calendar for these next few months of 2024:

• National Cookbook Month: October
• Canadian Thanksgiving: October 14
• Halloween: October 31
• Veterans Day: November 11
• American Thanksgiving: November 28
• Start of Hanukkah: December 25
• Christmas: December 25
• Kwanzaa: December 26
• New Year’s Eve: December 31

And for those around the world…

We’ve already mentioned Oktoberfest and Canadian Thanksgiving, but we are just getting started!

While we’re embracing pumpkin spice season here in the Northern hemisphere, we want to acknowledge that those in the Southern hemisphere are experiencing their spring at the moment, so some of these fall trends really don’t make sense for them. Instead, they might be looking for lighter dishes that are full of fresh, seasonal produce.

For example, a lot of seafood (like Australian Salmon, Red Mullet, Ocean Trout, Stripey Tuna, Eel, and Oysters) is in season in October. Fresh herbs and veggies like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, globe artichokes, and even pumpkin would also be delicious focal points for your in-season dishes.

Questions: Where are the majority of your readers located? How do you make sure you publish seasonal content for them?