Right now, headlines across the world are all reflecting one thing: COVID-19. The spread of this pandemic will have long-term impacts on the economy in more ways than one, and the key to survival in this trying time comes down to two words: anticipation and adaptation. You can do both by implementing good SEO practices.

Why is SEO more important than ever? Major and permanent shifts in consumer behaviour are on the horizon as e-commerce graduates from a “convenience” to an “essential”. Once brick-and-mortar stores can re-open their doors to the public, there is a big chance that Philippines Photo Editor consumers will opt to continue the habits formed while in lockdown. That is, the migration of consumers from offline to online may become a permanent state of being.

What does this mean for businesses, both online and offline? And the million-dollar question: how can SEO help your business to anticipate changes, adapt to the “new normal”, and recover along with the rest of the world?

Predicting and Projecting: What Does the Current Situation Say About the Future?

Creating a proactive marketing and SEO strategy begins with estimating where the economy is going, and as we all know, the best projections originate in solid data. We must analyse how COVID-19 has impacted on search trends, the popularity of certain verticals, and consumer behaviour online (including social media). This will help us to predict the trajectory of the coming months.

What Does “Right Now” Look Like?

Right now, there are five primary industries that are seeing a jump in online traffic as a result of COVID-19’s impact.

Finance (although this industry saw a decline in conversions).

Healthcare

Pharma

Food

Media

Insurance (this is projected to see a significant increase post-COVID-19).

If you are in one of these five industries, it will be much easier for you to ride the wave and come out on top. Customers are still demonstrating an interest, so now is the time to use that interest to your advantage.

However, if you are in one of the many other industries where online traffic and offline sales have taken a hit, then you need to use this time to adapt as your customer base has. According to a report from Numerator’s Consumer Behaviour Survey, there has been growth in the number of consumers choosing to access goods online. Thirteen per cent have drifted into the online market where they previously had not ventured, but oddly, conversions are still declining in almost all industries.