Stuck at home, more time to explore and seeking information, American’s have been spending more time online. In fact, NJ Advance Media has seen a 137% average weekly increase in content views on NJ.com between February 20 and April 1, 2020 (Source: Google Analytics).
With the increase in time spent online, it’s more important now than ever to make sure your business remains visible.
BEING HIGHLY VISIBLE TO CONSUMERS IN SEARCH WILL PLACE BUSINESSES IN A BETTER POSITION TO PROVIDE SERVICES OR PRODUCTS NOW.
Daily essentials, from groceries to pet supplies, household products and even some essential services are still needed. Consumers seek help with changed routines, such as home office furniture and supplies. We’re all looking to be entertained, educated, and connected with one another. When consumers search online, your business can be their answer.
One of the critical approaches to being visible online is through organic search results. Those aren’t the Google Adwords paid search ads. Rather, it’s the regular results in the middle of page. Just over 45% of Google searches on desktop and mobile combined result in clicks to non-Google websites such as a business site, and about 41% of those clicks are from organic search, according to a 2019 study by Jumpshot / SparkToro.
Both have their purpose in the customer journey – organic search helps most when customers are researching and considering alternatives, and paid search helps most as customers get ready to take action.
THINK LONG-TERM: BUSINESSES THAT RETAIN THEIR OVERALL VISIBILITY ONLINE WILL BE ABLE TO REBOUND FASTER AS BUSINESSES AND THE ECONOMY BEGINS TO RECOVER.
So, be prepared. Following are SEO tips for getting and staying visible when consumers are searching for you.
Have a strong local presence.
Make sure changes in hours or available offerings are updated in Google My Business and other listings. Not being on top of this causes poor location trust from search engines like Google. That negatively impacts you local search rankings.
When your competition dials back, you dial it up.
Many businesses are slowing down or stopping their SEO efforts right now. If you push on through, you will outpace them in just a few months.
Don’t stop your SEO and move backwards.
Consistent work on regular basis will maintain your website’s authority and relevance. Without attention, your visibility will break down – things like links and business listings naturally degrade over time.
It will be like a giant sea swell.
Once people have returned to work and move about, the demand will be enormous. Consumers will start making those purchases they have been putting off. If your businesses has a prominent place in search results, you will be considered earlier and more often.
It’s about investing in the long-term.
SEO takes patience and consistency. It’s not something you can simply “pause” and resume later and think you’ll pick up right where you left off. It takes time to experience the result after the work is done. Consistent work on content and backlinks will provide search-based revenue months well into the future.
Reach consumers with buying intent.
Having good rankings in search results is the best way to turn searches into customers. Remember, more than 40% of clicks from Google to business websites are from organic search. When combined with the fast visibility Paid Search provides, you’ll be well-positioned to get higher conversions.
Businesses that focus on these details will find opportunity even in these challenging times and for a long time into the future. So, be sure to adjust your strategy for a successful future, keeping today’s consumer needs in mind to bring you customers. Need help? Let us know.