The Importance of SEO During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Have a Long-Term Mindset In times of instability, many businesses feel pressure to step back from the market in order to regroup and prepare for the short-term consequences affecting their industry.

But digital marketing—and especially SEO—isn’t an area that benefits from this retreat. Now is a key time for businesses to invest in SEO so they can set themselves up for success in the future. We firmly believe in the power of small businesses—the market has experienced pandemics, recessions, and upsets before, and many businesses have thrived in the aftermath. This current concern will be no different. Use this time as one of growth; maintain your business presence and prepare yourself to flourish when the market regains its footing.

While short-term plans are necessary due to rapidly changing circumstances, they cannot be made at the expense of long-term strategy. The COVID-19 pandemic, like its predecessors, will not last forever. Position yourself to address the world post-crisis. Your actions during this time will inevitably affect the fate of your business when normal operations resume.

SEO: Every Business Needs It! Organic searches make up the bulk of all clicks on Google, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gets businesses to show up at the top of these organic search results.

Google Search Statistics

Why is it important to be at the top?

• 5.6 billion Google searches every day

• 63K Google searches every second

• 2.3 trillion Google searches in 2019

• 84% of searchers skip paid ads and click on organic search results

• 90% of people never scroll to page 2

• 61% of clicks go to the top 3 organic listings 1

• 33% of clicks go to the #1 organic position

Starting SEO Now Positions Your Business For Success in the Future

1. SEO Takes Time

• We get 86% of our clients on page 1 in 6 months

• If you start SEO now - you will be positioning your business for success in the future

2. Get in the Game—Don’t Let Competitors Beat You

• If you drop the ball, your competition can pick it up and run with it

• With so many competitors stepping out of the arena, use this time to grow your business and position it strongly when the market stabilizes with SEO

• Competitors who stay strong during this time have the perfect opportunity to outrank you- don’t let them, start SEO today

3. Invest in SEO Now to Improve Your Rankings

• Keywords take time to rank, so its important to start now

• Within six months, your keywords could be on the first page of Google

• If you start SEO marketing now, your business will be positioned for success in the future. Look ahead and see where you want your business when this pandemic calms down

4. Consumer Behavior Has Not Stopped In fact, with people staying home due to this pandemic, more people are spending their time online! Make sure they find you! • Organic inbound SEO leads convert 8x higher than outbound leads

• Moving up one spot in the Google Search results can improve a site’s CTR by up to 30.8%

• 81% of people research online before buying

SEO process

For more information on how SEO works for your business, contact me at james@jamesgarrismarketing.com or book an appointment here