The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our definition of normal. It has changed the way the companies conduct business, and marketers promote brands. When it comes to digital marketing, things have changed too. While paid search marketing has lost a little bit of its charm under the present circumstances; SEO is back to digital marketer’s good books.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Search Traffic
Some would say, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has now become more essential than ever because the COVID-19 crisis has spiked up the internet use. But, that’s not entirely true. Well, the first part is: SEO HAS become more essential now. But then, internet use does not only include online search. It includes other activities like electronic transfers, movie streaming, virtual meetings, social media and more.
However, this is not to implicate that online search has not increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So it has, for a select-few and highly relevant industries. At the same time, the traffic to non-essential business websites have gone down. In this article, we will shed light on two important aspects: firstly, why SEO is relevant and essential for businesses during COVID-19. Secondly, why SEO is especially crucial for small businesses during the pandemic.
Reasons Why SEO is Important for Brands during the Pandemic
SEO is always going to be important: SEO is not just about acquiring more traffic for the website. It is also about identifying highly qualified leads for your business. This is precisely why, SEO has become more essential than ever. Working on SEO strategies for your website will help to increase website visibility and generate genuinely interested leads for your business. Thus, doing SEO for your website can help you capture authentic leads, even if, only to be nurtured in the future.
SEO is a long-term process: SEO is not a clever magic trick concealed up a digital marketer’s sleeves. SEO takes practice. If you want to see results, you have to keep at it month after month. You cannot stop working on SEO ranking factors for your brand for a few months, and still expect to pick up where you left off. The minute you withdraw your SEO efforts, there will be consequences. You may face a subsequent drop in the SERP rankings for your site. And, this is not something you’d want, especially during times like these.
Evergreen content is still the key: Yes, it’s true. The #COVID-19 is still trending. It has been in the news for what seems like ages now, and will continue to be around for some more time. While it’s okay to write about trending topics; it is evergreen content that will draw a steady stream of traffic to your website. Unlike trending topic, these content buckets do not die down with time. Since this kind of content stays relevant over time, it helps accumulate traffic over time. And, right now is as good a time as any to create such content for your brand. Doing so will definitely up your SEO game.
Reasons Why SEO is Important for Small-Midsized Businesses
While we have already stated the importance of SEO as a marketing strategy for businesses; let us help you understand why SEO will be of utmost importance, especially for SMBs.
Local Search Has Become Crucial: The pandemic has compromised our mobility to a very large extent. At a time like this, people are really considering local service providers. This can be a really good widow of opportunity for small and medium sized businesses. Local search optimization will play an important role for SMBs, as it will help them rank for “open now” and “near me” searches.
Google My Business Listings Are Important: Especially for small to medium sized businesses. Due to the pandemic, your working hours and the availability of your products and services may have changed. If you keep your audience updated, by up to dating your GMB listings; it will help you get better and more potential leads.
SEO gives SMBs a Competitive Edge: Content creation is an integral part of SEO. According to HubSpot, companies that post 16 or more blogs per month, generate 4.5 times more traffic than those that publish less. By blogging about your products or services, you get to educate your customers about how you can create value for them. It helps create an endearing bond between you and them. This familiarity would mean that, maybe your customers are not inclined to make a purchase right away, but when they do: yours will be the first name to pop up in their head.
The Conclusion
For businesses experiencing financial burdens, and slower pacing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SEO may be a potential solution. It certainly can help your business become more visible on searches being performed right now. And, it will also help you to lay the groundwork for success once things go back to normal.
At IMZ Media Solutions, we have been using our hard-hitting, ROI centric approach over 10 years now to benefit our clients, big and small. If you want to get more digital reach, better quality leads, increase engagement levels and build strong relationships with your target audience; write to us at info@imzmediasolutions.com, or you can call us at 91 22 2368 2245/8998.
