Going against the grain

In times of uncertainty, businesses’ natural first instinct is to cut back their digital marketing across all areas, including SEO, online advertising and content marketing. It’s a normal reaction as companies try to safeguard their revenues and keep trading. But a number of studies have actually shown that taking this route may not actually be the best way to go, for a number of reasons. 

Should you maintain SEO activities during a period of uncertainty?

While some industries, like travel and hospitality, have seen a substantial decline in searches due to the global lockdown, other industries have experienced an increase in search volumes. For example, searches containing the word ‘online’ have risen – as people search online for items they would normally look for through other means/channels. 

A recent survey commissioned by the global commerce services company PFS, found that 53% of consumers have shopped more online, since the lockdown started, with 77% of them expecting to continue to purchase online more often once the lockdown is over. This clearly indicates a new shopping behaviour. Such changes have been noticeable in grocery shopping for example, where online purchasing has seen a huge spike, even if users know they have to wait weeks for their deliveries. But as ever, in adversity, there is a silver lining, and this shift in buying behaviour is opening up new opportunities. This means businesses stand a real chance to increase their SEO impact, by adopting an SEO strategy tailored to this new searching behaviour. This is an approach that ramps up instead of cutting down, and which needs continued creation of fresh content to attract more users and drive conversions even during an economic slowdown. 

SEO is, in fact, more crucial at this moment in time because trust becomes even more important to users, who look for information they can rely on when business is difficult. More than ever your content must be written by experts that really know your industry inside-out. Your company’s expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness – commonly known as ‘EAT’ in SEO – must be reflected in this content. Moving your efforts toward informational content therefore, establishes more trust in users,  which in turn, positively boosts your brand perception and pushes your company top of mind when users reach the buying stage. 

SEO can also be a cost-effective strategy in a period of economic downturn, due to its relatively low-cost, compared to tactics such as paid advertising, where bids tend to go higher with the increased online demand. And once a website has done well enough to reach the top of the search engine rankings, it can stay there for some time, as opposed to paid advertising ranking positions, which are far more volatile. Paid advertising is competitive, but also far more expensive across most industries.

Why cutting down on your advertising budgets can do more harm than good

Whilst a lot of companies have cut down on their advertising budgets since the start of the pandemic, previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of maintaining, or even increasing, advertising budgets in a weaker economy. 

During the big recession of 2008 for example, those businesses that maintained or raised their advertising spend were successful in increasing their share of voice online, which positively impacted sales. 

Cutting back on advertising budget contributes to a brand’s decrease in its online share of voice, which can translate into a drop in sales. Simply speaking, an increase in “share of voice” typically leads to an increase in “share of market” and consequently an increase in conversions and eventually sales. Moreover, if your competitors lower their advertising budgets, your brand could actually benefit, as you’ll be spending less for the online exposure you are getting. This could also benefit a new product launch or help with a product repositioning.

Generally, the cost of advertising drops considerably while in a recession or gripped in a global crisis. Studies have also shown that tactics such as direct mail advertising, for example, could provide greater short-term sales growth during an economic slowdown. 

Maintaining your presence through digital advertising can also project a more positive and solid perception of your brand, instilling an image of stability and reliability even in challenging times. 

Keeping a careful eye on your data

Search volumes from SEO or advertising tools are commonly based on an average of 12 months worth of data. This, of course, makes total sense in a stable economy, but might not be as valid in a crisis situation. It becomes even more critical for businesses of all sizes, to better interpret trends in an unpredictable business landscape, to make better-informed decisions.

Accurate, up-to-the-minute data is therefore paramount for smarter decision-making. And at times when businesses are forced to switch most, if not all of their operations, to function remotely, it’s critical to be able to distinguish between internal traffic (i.e. from employees) and prospects/customers’ visits. Ensuring employees use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or other remote network connection is very important in these circumstances.

Monitoring geographical trends

If your company is trading internationally, it’s good practice to run ‘regional’ checks on search volumes, for each one of the countries you are trading in, readjusting your digital campaign budgets accordingly.  Google Trends can be a useful tool to look into search trends in countries that have been affected by the pandemic. Such information can help your planning and forecasting not only for the countries you are currently trading with but also for any other country that is following a similar trend, which you may wish to break into in future.

Preparing to bounce back

All economic downturns and even global crises such as this pandemic, will get under control and eventually come to an end, so it’s important to have a solid recovery and rebound strategy in place. Demand will return and so businesses must look ahead and be prepared. Some users may choose to go back to their pre-crisis buying patterns, but trends show us that new ways of searching and purchasing adopted during a prolonged period of time, such as the current pandemic, can become part of users’ new normal buying behaviour. In some instances the new ways take over almost entirely.  

Companies that are able to adapt their digital marketing strategy, maintain their SEO and PPC campaigns in times of a crisis, will not only benefit from an increase in share of voice and market share, but also tend to recover faster, bounce back leaner and more agile than ever before.

If you’d like to find out how we can help you adapt your Digital Marketing Strategy please get in touch with one of our experts.

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