Businesses of all sizes are currently concerned about the Coronavirus outbreak and how it’ll affect them. Unless you run a supermarket, you’re likely to be worrying about whether your business will survive, and for many businesses, the first instinct is usually to make cuts. Many companies will therefore be cutting their SEO budgets, but this may actually be counterproductive, creating a negative impact on their business in the short and long term. Here are some reasons why, if anything, you should invest more into SEO during difficult times.
Local businesses may see a surge in searches
If people are staying close to home, whether they’re out and about or at home, they are going to want to use local businesses more. It’s worth considering a boost to your local SEO strategy if you are a business that’ll have more customers during a lockdown, from takeaways to farm shops. This helps you get better results when people are searching for services ‘near me’.
SEO offers good ROI
Having SEO work done by a professional is not cheap, but if you can get high in the rankings for certain search terms, then search engines will bring in the clicks. If you have a good product and a decent website, then these clicks will hopefully convert into customers if you take into account the generational traits of your target market. SEO usually has one of the highest ROIs when compared to traditional marketing methods, so even a small extra investment could bring good returns.
Stopping SEO activities could see your ranking slip
You’ve no doubt invested time and money in getting your business ranking well on Google, so the last thing you want is for it to slide into the obscurity of page two, three or even four over night. A number of things could see your website’s ranking drop:
- Algorithm changes – if Google makes algorithm changes, your website’s ranking can tank, especially if you don’t use social media and cross-channel initiatives
- Newer, more relevant content is available on certain topics, so Google will list that higher
- A big Google update – if an update is on the way, your SEO agency should help you prepare for this
- Your page hasn’t been updated for a while
- You’ve used an out of date or spammy backlink strategy – if you aren’t an SEO professional – try to avoid doing your own links, otherwise you can end up being penalised
It’s very easy for your ranking to slip, and SEO isn’t one of those tasks you can just ‘do’ and then expect it to work forever. That’s why it’s important to work with an agency such as Move Ahead Media, who you can find out more about on https://www.moveaheadmedia.co.uk/, on a regular basis.
If you cut your SEO budget to save cash, you may notice a drop in visitor numbers, which can be devastating for a small business that’s trying to balance its books. While coronavirus is making businesses understandably nervous, it could potentially create a new customer base for your brand, meaning that investing more in SEO now could pay off in future.