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In times when people are facing lingering uncertainty and businesses are battening down for the worst, the winner is the one who has a viable recovery strategy. It is those who not only know how to prepare for an economic crash but avoid cutting critical investments that end up sitting in the catbird seat.
And digital marketing (see SEO) is one of those investments.
Let’s crunch some numbers to keep up with what’s going on in the industry.
Source: https://ww2.conductor.com/rs/149-ZMU-763/images/The_Impact_of_COVID-19_Conductor_research.pdf
As strange as it seems, two out of three marketers realize that SEO can be the key to surviving an economic depression, but only one of them is ready to invest more in it.
The stalling economy is the culprit. Lockdowns, stagnation, lost customers, and tons of other COVID-19 hits do hurt from a financial viewpoint.
As they loom large, these woes ruthlessly twist every business owner’s arm to slash the existing marketing budget. But do you really have to save at the expense of your success in the days to come? Don’t make a rookie mistake today because it will come at a price tomorrow.
As they loom large, these woes ruthlessly twist every business owner’s arm to slash the existing marketing budget. But do you really have to save at the expense of your success in the days to come? Don’t make a rookie mistake today because it will come at a price tomorrow.
It won't hurt to squeeze more ROI for business recession survival
You need resources to overcome the heavy blow of the pandemic. What fortifies the value of SEO during today’s economic recession is that it can serve as a rich source of some.
Take its ROI.
According to this research, SEO drives 41% in returns, on average. This is more than the ROI of content marketing, social media, and paid ads.
A word of SEO advice: Do not underestimate marketing with paid aids, though. As the crisis deepens, placements get a bit more affordable, so you may consider blending SEO with PPC to increase organic and paid traffic at the same time.
Such a high ROI can provide your business with a safety net, which is central to surviving an economic downturn. Despite lost customers and sales (thank you, COVID-19), you will be able to get extra cash to make up for financial losses.
SEO can help increase sales in the recession
Pandemic things are severe enough to wreak havoc on almost every company’s budget. If your one takes the brunt, think of this as a telltale sign to shift your focus.
Despite the gradually aggravating crisis, people still go online. And they will do so, either to keep in touch with their loved ones, to seek entertainment, or to shop.
This tendency opens doors for businesses that are on the lookout for new ways to make money in a bad economy. The buyer intent is changing (not necessarily in favor of essential goods), and you need to meet the demand.
By investing in SEO as part of your COVID-19 marketing strategy, you can:
- make sure people can find your website among zillions on the web
- promote your goods with the targeted keyword campaign
- meet customers’ needs for scarce essentials
- turn your online store into the starting shopping point with Semalt’s E-Commerce SEO
- adapt to new buying behaviors
Putting it all together: The crisis shifts markets into fluctuating stages. SEO can help swiftly respond to changes in the buyer intent and thus boost your sales.
Know where you currently are and where you're headed
“What gets measured gets improved.”
It’s been almost half a century since Peter Drucker perpetuated these words, albeit their meaning has hardly been changed.
In business, you have to know how your investments work or, at least, whether they work for you. Throwing your money around on things that bear no fruit is a surefire way to go broke.
With SEO, you can breathe a sigh of relief as all your marketing efforts can be easily measured. There’s a bunch of free SEO tools, such as Google Analytics and GSC, that allow you to view what’s going on with your rankings and help you act accordingly. Repurposing your tactics is pivotal for a small business to survive any recession.
A word of SEO advice: Knee-jerk reactions are detrimental in most cases. Stay updated with how your SEO works and analyze insights to make better-informed business decisions.
The bottom line
Businesses are now bracing for the violent storm blown by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly, most owners are confused about how to overcome this economic recession.
SEO is not a “magic pill”, but it can help – as most marketers say.
It’s easy to adjust to ever-changing consumer demands, while its ROI is higher than that of other marketing solutions.
During these trying times, you want to stay safe, and you want to keep your budget unaffected. SEO is a way to ensure the latter.
Are you ready to dive in?
