With the rise in COVID-19 daily cases, governments all over the world have taken drastic measures to restrict how people interact with each other. It has a direct impact on people to engage with businesses and brands.
Though internet usage has increased, the search traffic to websites has decreased substantially for some industries.
Does this mean SEO is useless during this pandemic? Well, SEO is still crucial for all businesses if you want to reach a wide range of audiences.
In this post, we will talk about the importance and power of SEO during this pandemic.
How COVID-19 Has Affected Search Traffic
We all know that internet usage during novel coronavirus has increased greatly. Some people believe that SEO is important now more than ever. Well, this is half true; SEO is important. But why? That’s what we will talk about.
Everyone is talking about high internet usage, but it does not only refer to online search. Internet usage consists of plenty of activities like gaming, social media, virtual meetings, movie and TV series streaming, electronic transfers, mobile apps, and much more.
Online searches have increased for some industries like news, health, and other relevant industries. The online search traffic has reduced for businesses that are not essential for the pandemic. Such businesses have seen a decrease in traffic from both, organic and paid results.
So, it means that SEO is different for every business depending on the industry they are in.
- For non-essential businesses, SEO might seem useless right now, but it is critical for long-term survival.
- For essential businesses, SEO is imperative to stand out from the competition and increase your reach, so customers choose you.
Why Businesses Need SEO?
Before you can move on to the importance of SEO during the outbreak of a pandemic, there are certain things that you should know.
COVID-19 Will Subside
COVID-19 will not stay forever. We all know right now the most trending topic is a coronavirus. Some people spend the whole day knowing more about it. No doubt, it does feel like it has been forever. Keep in mind that COVID-19 will have long term effects, but it will not direct search traffic for long. However, the evergreen questions of the customers will be relevant even after COVID-19.
SEO Is Essential for Long-Term Survival
Without a doubt, SEO works best with good digital marketing. Businesses focus on gaining the trust of search engines to improve their rank. Effective ways to do so include paid advertising and quality content creation. Unfortunately, it might take at least 3 months to show results. So, this gives you plenty of time to work on your digital marketing strategy along with SEO.
Appearing on Top Search Results is Still Important
There was a time when people used to rely on word of mouth communication or conventional media like a radio for updates. In this pandemic, people are relying on Google for all information and updates.
In present times, website traffic might have dropped, but search engine traffic is hitting the roof. Thanks to COVID-19, it has increased dependency on search engines. Thus, making SEO crucial for every business
Quantity Does not Matter, Quality Does
Many people are not aware of the fact that the purpose of SEO is to increase qualified traffic to your website. It means the customers visiting your website are interested in what you have to offer them. This is how SEO helps in identifying quality leads for businesses.
Evergreen Content is Essential
By now, we all know it is good to write about trending topics, but the traffic will decrease with time. Not many people know that writing on such topics in the first place will not produce great results. This is because the authority or leading brands will dominate page one on the search results.
What you can do to stay relevant in the industry is to provide answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). When you create content that will answer the questions of people, you will see an increase in traffic. Hence, it is better to create evergreen content.
Importance of SEO During COVID-19
So far, you might know SEO is important for all businesses. Now, let’s take a look at why small businesses should get on the SEO bandwagon today.
Get Local Support
In tiring times as these, people are more focused on supporting the local businesses. This is a great movement that will help small businesses to grow. You need SEO for reaching a wide range of audiences and making it easy for them to find you.
It is essential to keep your business information up to date. Not only this, but it must also be consistent on all your social media accounts and the website. SEO will make it easy for people to support your business.
SEO Will Not Burn a Hole In Your Pocket
If you haven’t jumped on the SEO bandwagon yet, now is the right time to do so. You can put in efforts and time yourself, or you can even get the help of an SEO agency in Melbourne. There is no time for experiments, you need to make sure you are doing things the right way. By getting a professional to help you, you can work on SEO and keep the ball rolling. The best thing is it is affordable.
Local Search is the Key
Local SEO is what you should focus on. This is because there are travel restrictions, many people are looking for businesses and services near them. It means you can appear on the searches like near me or open now with the help of local SEO.
Moreover, if your business is closed for the moment, you can offer them online alternative services. Or you can even provide them reopening details. This will help the customer remember your business.
Build Trust and Authenticity
One of the main reasons to focus on SEO is to build trust and familiarity. We all know how many efforts it takes to turn a visitor into a customer. By providing relevant information to your customers, you can keep them updated. Also, this will help in building trust in your brand as you will be providing them authentic and relevant information.
Have A Great Online Presence
Some businesses, still, do not focus on online presence, which is a huge mistake. In order to stay relevant to the target audience, businesses need to maintain an online presence. This is because people tend to spend more time on their mobile devices, especially during coronavirus.
For having an online presence, you need SEO. More and more people are shifting to online shopping because the brick and mortar stores are closed. It made digital advertising and presence crucial for the survival of businesses.
According to Statista, in France, online fashion retailers have seen a 6.1% increase, supermarkets have increased traffic by 4%, and pharmacies traffic rates increased by 15%.
In the US, Adobe found there is an increase in online shopping as well. Products like food, anti-viral protective equipment, medicines, and others have seen a great increase.
With the help of a great SEO strategy, you can engage more customers. You will have to provide quality content and make the digital experience smooth and exceptional.
Why SEO Should Be Your Priority?
Are you still wondering why you should focus on SEO? Here are some reasons why it must be your priority.
Evergreen content is what people will be looking for no matter what the situation is. If you think it is a bad time to publish such content, think again. There is no such thing as bad timing. It is a life-long content that will always be relevant. So, just start doing it.
Another reason for making SEO your priority is that the lead you will be generating, will be qualified. This means people coming to your website will actually be interested in what you are offering. For turning them into loyal customers, make sure you provide them with the right information.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that it will take time to see SEO results, at least 3 to 6 months. Hence, you have to be patient; it will pay off in the long run.
SEO is an excellent solution for businesses that are hit hard by the COVID-19. By focusing on SEO, you can be more visible on the search result pages. Not only this, but it will help you remain relevant once everything goes back to normal.
Top SEO Strategies That You Can Use During This Pandemic
By now you know the importance of SEO. It can help strengthen your business and set you up for success. The SEO strategy should be an integral part of your marketing plan. Here are some strategies that will help you attract customers that you were not able to attract before.
Content Must be Relevant
Though it is a good practice to write about trending or popular topics, you should make sure it is a relevant topic. SEO is about creating quality content that your customers will consider helpful or valuable. If you are writing about the topics that your customers want to read, chances are people will see you as a reliable source and trust you for more information.
There are somethings that you need to keep in mind. This pandemic has adversely impacted customer sentiments. It means people are not following up on the offers and campaigns introduced by companies.
So, as a business, you must try to comfort and reassure people. Try to make your content informative and educational to build trust. During the time of crisis, it is essential for businesses to understand the needs and emotions of customers. You should cater to their needs through your content.
Talk About How Your Customers Can Use Your Services Safely During COVID-19
Everyone is impacted by this outbreak. Businesses have to change their day to day operations because of coronavirus. It will be beneficial to share it with your customers when they visit your website.
For instance, you offer electronic repairing services. You can share how people can get their electronics repaired safely during this pandemic.
Interact With Your Customers
Another great tip is to connect with your customers. Since people are locked up in their houses, they are spending more time on social media platforms. This is the right time to connect with them through paid ads, emails, and organic searches.
An important thing to keep in mind is that when you are using paid ads, make sure you are targeting keywords that will grab the attention of your customers.
Be Prepared for Post-Coronavirus World
SEO is not only useful for your business during this pandemic, but for the future as well. When you have a good SEO strategy, you will be able to create demand for your services and products in the future. It will help in building a good relationship with your customers. Besides this, it will help in having an excellent online presence and enhance your online reputation.
Bottom Line
Therefore, in times of COVID-19, SEO is still important for businesses. It will help build a life-long relationship with your customers if you provide relevant information. By having an online presence, you can reach more audience. Try to be more understanding and comforting towards your customers. It will help in building trust in your brand.
Now, you will have more time, so use it to your advantage. It is the right time to put in the effort to grow and by the time coronavirus ends, your business will be stronger than ever. You have to make a change today. If you have trouble with your online marketing, don’t worry. We are here to help you, we offer SEO services in Melbourne.
We are here to help you with an excellent SEO strategy. Our team has the experience, skills, and comprehensive knowledge on how effective SEO can be for your website. For more information, kindly get in touch with our experts.