Truly Unprecedented Times for Digital Marketing
While a pandemic is not unprecedented per se based on global history, the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly unprecedented from a digital marketing perspective. We all are taking stock of recent operational obstacles, business revenue considerations and lessons learned on how to survive in these unfamiliar times. Marketers need to shift their thinking from traditional SEO to the new SEO environment, understanding how to adjust with a more agile approach when environments change and things are out of your control. Then, no matter what happens next – a pandemic, natural disaster or other crisis – you will be prepared to move forward with the most effective digital strategy.
So, what are the key points to consider with your current digital presence, and specifically your SEO status – and how can you tackle these crucial adjustments sooner than later?
How is COVID-19 Impacting SEO?
It’s a new world right now – working from home, parents in charge of education, social distancing, worrying about health, finances and possible threats to the food chain supply breaking down. These factors have all affected search engine optimization because we’re handling life differently – ordering online more than ever before – with grocery eCommerce soaring and bulk-buying the new norm.
SEO is based on human behavior – and behaviors are changing, sometimes rapidly, so SEO is affected across the board. But every industry will be impacted differently based on trends and behavior changes as a specific result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as healthcare has been forced to pivot with telehealth options and restaurants have been forced to pivot with creative pick-up solutions, we all must pivot on SEO direction.
Data Should Always Drive SEO Decisions
Don’t allow knee-jerk reactions to affect your digital campaigns – or your focus on SEO, but continue to use data to drive your decisions. Take this time as an opportunity to focus on growing your organic search traffic – and building your brand by increasing, not decreasing, your presence. In other words – don’t take your foot "off the gas" with SEO – because increasing your SEO efforts now can make a significant long-term impact on your company’s direction and success when the dust settles, post COVID-19. By always starting with your data, you will be able to guide your success with these SEO-focused steps:
- Find your data, including current keyword terms, top-ranking/visited pages, sources of traffic, bounce rates, etc.
- Analyze your data – it isn’t just about identifying numbers, but make sure you know what to do with the data: what are today’s benchmarks, what’s changed, are you aligned with current organizational goals and objectives, etc.
- Review the basics, focusing on keyword relevancy and metadata accuracy
- Consider a technical and SEO audit for overall SEO health
- Define your immediate SEO strategy, including how to stay top of mind and move ahead of competition – focus on organic search, opportunities for reduced rates and behavior trends while continuing to review your data
- Plan for long-term success by looking into Q4 now, mapping out future launches and anticipating how your organization might be affected by holidays, catch-up PTO, etc.
While it may seem like there is no time or resources to continue with business as usual, SEO should be a critical area of focus for all businesses to ensure they’re not falling behind competitors. No matter what your SEO strategy, this is one area where marketing support should continue in earnest. For more insights into ways to keep your SEO program up and running, check out our list of helpful SEO tools here.