The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its head, almost every industry would have been affected one way or another. If it has not affected you work wise, it would have from a personal perspective as isolation & lockdowns became the new norm.
As we slowly re-open different industries, I wanted to take a look at how the pandemic has specifically affect the SEO industry. When the pandemic first hit, I saw desperation from some parts, suggesting now was the time to invest in digital marketing. In some cases that might be correct, in other it might be a bad move. Our approach to digital marketing during this period should be calculated and well thought out.
What Changes Have We Seen So Far?
Well according to a survey carried out by conductor, although 65% of marketers expect to decrease their budget, more than half expected SEO to be of more importance during this period.
A quick look into Google trends will give you an idea of what is being searched across the globe. As you can see from the above covid, face masks and health related terms are increasingly on the rise as people search for guidance online.
It is increasingly important that what we put online has substance and is not just for our benefit.
Increase in Online Search
When people say that SEO increased because more people are at home in lockdown searching online, it is out of context. When we are online, we do more than just search via a search engine.
Yes, there was an increase in search engine use, but we also saw an increase in.
- Emails being sent
- People using news websites
- Social Network Use
- Online Banking
- Sent instant messages
So there certainly has been an increase in search volume, it seems to be more across health-related & news websites or industries highly relevant to the pandemic.
SEO will look different for each and every industry, new website is seeing an increase in traffic and could potentially demand more from advertisers based on this.
Whereas non-essential shops or businesses who have been forced to close, SEO will be a lot less important for them.
Demand For SEO?
According to Google Trends, the term ‘SEO Agency’ is the highest it’s been in the last 5 years. This fully supports the idea that marketers are looking to engage in SEO as a cheaper form of advertising through this period.
As an SEO it shows there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of the industry, as a business owner it shows that rankings for your most profitable keywords is going to get more and more competitive.
Why What We Put Online Is More Important Than Ever
As mentioned at the start of the pandemic I saw sales managers from large digital marketing agencies & PR agencies essentially suggesting that everyone should pump more money in digital marketing. This might be ok for some industries, but what about the travel industry for example?
Some companies who rely on travel to the US will have to wait a whole 12 months before they can send customers away on their holidays. Should they pump loads of money in while conversion is low?
Conclusion
There is no doubt that this pandemic will go down as a dark time in world history. As marketers should strive to provide expert advice to any brand looking to increase or decrease their spending without thinking of our own gain.
The trend suggests SEO is a marketing channel companies will use to find their feet again. I have worked with a few companies’ other past few months who although their industry has been struck badly, they’ve performed well against their competitors because of their long-term SEO strategy.
If you are looking for any SEO advice, get in touch today.
