Many small businesses reduce their marketing spend during times of crisis. Physical stores see a massive drop in foot traffic and sales plummet.
But what about online stores? Should you reduce your digital marketing spend? Is SEO worth it for small business owners?
This guide looks at search engine optimization for your small business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We examine why companies continue to work on optimization with an eye to the future. And why many incorporate local SEO for small business to boost their ratings.
Read on to learn why 2020 might actually be the best time to increase your online marketing.
1. Online Shopping Continues
As brick-and-mortar shops shut, consumers turn to the Internet to make their purchases.
Figures show a 52% growth in online revenue and an 8.8% increase in conversion compared to last year. The survey was carried out on over 5 billion US retailers over the first two months of 2020
This research indicates that it’s the perfect time to attract new customers who have never shopped online. You need to offer them something they cannot currently get—a product they can buy from their homes.
Many people are also stockpiling for a longer lockdown or second wave.
That means if you offer essential items or non-contact services your website needs to rank well on search engines. Customers rarely go beyond the second page of results so you need to aim for the first ten listings.
2. Small Businesses Will Survive
Once things have settled, life will return to the daily grind. When your business re-opens how are customers going to find you?
Google My Business is a free tool offered by the search engine giant. It offers a powerful small business SEO service to list your company online.
Not only will your details appear in Google search but also on its affiliates’ sites and apps. All you need to do is take the time to set-up your profile and manage it.
Think long-term and prepare for the post-pandemic era.
3. Blog for Knowledge and Rankings
COVID-19 dominates search and people want to know how your product or service can help them through the pandemic.
Blogging provides a way for you to communicate with your customers. By including highly-searched keywords, you will rank higher in Google by writing quality content.
Use Google Trends to see what your customers are searching for. Then make a list and incorporate them into your blog articles.
It’s a huge task and many SMEs use an SEO service provider to help them. But the outlay is essential to attract targeted results. It will attract visitors and help to build your site’s rank for the long term.
Is SEO Worth It for Small Business Owners?
If you’re wondering is SEO worth it for small business, the answer is a clear yes!
You don’t need to spend a fortune on optimizing your online presence to see great results. So take advantage of having more time to work on promoting your company. It will be time well spent.
For all the latest SEO news and information visit our SEO Articles section. We look at all aspects of search engine optimization like organic keywords and affiliates.
Use our free website ranking and keyword research tool for your small business. See your current SERPs and learn how to improve them.