There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed almost every aspect of our daily lives. Already, monthly U.S. web searches totaled 12 billion. With many Americans still working and learning from home, it’s clear that we now depend on technology more than ever.
If you run your own business, the last six months have probably been filled with uncertainty. But knowing how digital marketing has changed can play an important role in your company’s survival. Once you understand how search engine marketing has evolved as a result of our current health crisis, you can make smarter decisions that will allow your organization to thrive.
Emphasis on Local and At-Home Solutions
It should come as no surprise that, starting in March, search engines were filled with queries for nearby products or services. Local SEO was especially important at the beginning of the pandemic — but now that we’re six months in, consumers are still looking for solutions that are close to home. Whether they’re looking to support a restaurant in their community, get curbside pickup for a product right away, or find a convenient and safe location for an essential service, customers are often willing to pay a little more to get something right away and be assured that their safety is a priority.
Of course, at-home solutions also continue to be popular. Despite the fact that many businesses have reopened, many Americans are unwilling to take unnecessary risks. From home gym equipment and herbal remedies to home cooking and online clothing orders, many consumers are still interested in staying home whenever possible without sacrificing their creature comforts. While you’ll want to let customers know if your business has reopened its doors, you’ll also want to keep creating content — and even offering new products or services — that can make it easier for customers to stay home and stay safe.
Web Users Want Trustworthy Information
In our era of “fake news,” consumers want to find brands they can trust. That means you need to create valuable and factual content that can improve their lives, rather than trying to capitalize on coronavirus concerns. Content marketing has always been about providing high-quality information over slick sales pitches, but you’ll definitely want to keep that in mind as you focus on your search engine marketing strategy throughout the end of the year. Continue updating your site with credible solutions that can help your audience and do whatever you can to position yourself as a trusted leader in your industry.
Social Media Traffic Is On the Rise
At the start of the pandemic, many business owners went into crisis mode. If you were desperate to cut costs, you might have abandoned your diversified marketing strategy in order to put a pause on PPC and even SEO. Generally speaking, stopping all internet marketing during times like these isn’t an advisable move; in fact, data shows that businesses that maintain or even increase their marketing during periods of economic downturn can really come out on top once widespread recovery takes hold.
However, even if you decreased your PPC and SEO efforts, you might have seen the value in continuing with your social media marketing. If that rings true for you, that was probably a good choice. Social media usage hit some impressive highs during lockdown because most people were stuck at home with little else to do. Leveraging that opportunity to connect with your audience may have been a profitable decision.
Social media continues to play an important role in internet marketing, of course. Even as many states have eased their restrictions, consumers turn to social media for both information and escapism. By making sure that your social media campaigns align with consumer needs during the pandemic, you can reach new people with your creative content and advertisements. Keep in mind that seasonal content can be especially powerful right now; with so few events to look forward to, content centered around holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas can be quite effective on social media channels.
Now that you know how search engine marketing has evolved over the last few months, you can focus on ways to improve your search engine marketing plan in the new year. For more, contact us today.
