Over the past couple of months, the whole world is in a war against a common enemy called COVID-19. The times are unfortunate, and most of the countries are in lockdown, meaning every aspect of our lives has changed. The impact of the pandemic will surely be long-lasting for the world market and global economy, and it has probably influenced your business. The struggle is real to keep making enough profits considering the circumstances, but there are some things you can do in order to keep your brand awareness. Since people are spending more time online, we’ll discuss some SEO techniques you can use to your advantage.
Staying visible
You’ve been building your brand and establishing your position on the market for a long time, and this is not a viable reason to stop doing so. The pandemic may have resulted in the decline of your profits, but you need to understand this is a period of crisis, and it will be over at some point. Rankings on search engines are directly related to the reputation of your brand, and considering that every person on the planet is being more engaged in a virtual world, the time is now to offer them even more content.
Showing empathy is amazing and the most human approach in the situation, so our recommendation is to invest in SEO even more than usual and show people you care. This can have a massive impact on your customer loyalty, which almost by rule leads to new audiences, per recommendations. Marketing is a dynamic field anyways, so adapting to the latest trends in customer behavior is a necessity. Having an up and running site, sharing content on social media and sending newsletters has never seemed so important is you want your business to successfully overcome this obstacle on the road.
Remind your loyal customers you are still relevant and offer some educational and entertaining content on a daily basis. Provide a video message from your CEO, encourage people to stay home, build a relationship that will end up being even stronger after the pandemic. Regardless of the limitations, people still need both products and services, and they will use engines to search for stores that are open or offer delivery. Stay on top of this market game by being relevant and visible.
Focus on the locale
It is highly recommended to increase your brand awareness in the local area, because of the travelling restrictions. Try to really engage your local community and focus on converting local site visitors to buyers. If you make the right move and provide a service of delivery during the unfortunate times, people will appreciate it and remember for future reference. This is another aspect of showing empathy, and changing the brand corporate image leads to something more relatable to consumers, more human.
By investing in localization of SEO you will definitely earn the trust of your current customers, but also attract new ones. There will be more organic searches featuring phrases such as “near me” and “that are open”, so pay attention and adapt your SEO targeted keywords to include such searches. It is recommended to consult with a team of professionals from a digital marketing agency to help you implement these changes, and adapt your marketing strategy for the time being. We’ve done the research for this area, and a lot of agencies working with SEO in Perth are offering online meetings via platforms such as Google Hangouts and Zoom. Schedule your consultation and use this time to reassure your visitors and buyers their needs are still your top priority.
Analysis for future reference
This is no doubt a type of a situation that no one could’ve predicted, but we can use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. By a thorough analysis of changes in traffic, use of devices and similarly, you can learn a lot about human behaviour and try to predict what goes next. Once your brand has lived through the pandemic, when everything goes back to “normal”, you will gain so much valuable input. The best practice is to connect with people on a different level, and the connection will still be there after the pandemic.
Investigate their reactions and act in accordance, be something stable in your clients’ lives, something they can rely to. Investing in these difficult times will pay off in years to come. SEO is a long-term strategy anyway, and the more patient you are, the more will you benefit. You can ask for feedback in your shared content, and engage people to interact. Any feedback can help you improve, and there is always room for improvement.
Ahead of the competition
Be aware that many of your competitors may not be an option for the buyers in your local area. There are many people who were loyal to a certain brand, but it’s not an option during the restrictions of movement. This is your chance to shine and convert them into buying from you. Put an additional effort in user experience and customer satisfaction factors, as there are many opportunities for you if you play it right.
While analysing your site analytics, try comparing it to the competition. Monitor their targeted keywords and changes in methods they are using, and you can always be a step ahead of them. Offer something they haven’t yet, and try to be innovative and creative. No one knows how long will this last, so you need to adapt as soon as possible, and continue, even increase the efforts to be in the top rankings.
Conclusion
The struggle is real, but you are not alone in this, nor are your clients. You need to show them that, by providing support and hope for the future. Being flexible is the key in such situations, so simply try to anticipate your customers’ behaviour by meticulously analysing and tracking changes. Explore some new options and develop a strategy to promote health issues by subtly promoting your brand, raising awareness of it. Real-life is on pause, but the virtual reality is busier than ever. Don’t miss an opportunity to change this into an opportunity!
