In the fourth episode of Boostability’s new series Search Sessions, Amanda Price (Vice President of Marketing) hosted a conversation with Duane Forrester, the Vice President of Industry Insights at Yext, to explore the way consumer behavior has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not all search categories have seen a decrease in traffic.
It’s true that COVID-19 has drastically changed the way we do just about everything—business, shopping, family time, vacationing. But while there are industries that have experienced an expected decline in traffic, that hasn’t been the case for everybody.
Trending Down
Let’s start with what’s trending down: clothing and luxury goods, hotels, car rentals, and restaurants. For the latter, restaurants are still experiencing some business, but at a vastly reduced level, and only take-out where permitted. For everything else, web traffic, phone calls, and in-person visits have dropped incredibly low.
Trending Down, Kind Of
Out of all the industries Mr. Forrester shared, there were only two that, while trending lower than normal, were still experiencing growth spikes in a few areas. The industries? Insurance and doctor’s offices. As Mr. Forrester explained about insurance,
Search volume for insurance agents in the U.S. and Germany has trended down less than -25% compared to last year. Foot traffic is most impacted as many Insurance agents have shut down their offices—however website and phone call volume remain close to normal levels indicating that business is in fact continuing.
He continued with insight into doctor’s offices, saying,
With more people searching for healthcare information without having to visit a doctor while sheltering in place, search volume and driving direction clicks decline for doctors, specialties, and clinics. However, consumer uncertainty around COVID and cancellations of procedures result in phone call volume spikes across these sub-verticals.
Trending Up
As expected, there are industries that are experiencing a higher-than-normal amount of traffic: grocery and pharmacy; specialty retail; banks and ATMs; and investments and mortgages. People are, understandably so, worried about their financial investments as well as their supplies for key items. With so much time spent at home, it’s natural for consumers to need larger quantities of certain goods, meaning the stores that supply them have experienced unprecedented growth.
Businesses can shift their strategies when the market does.
The market changes are mapped—now what? Updating your SEO strategy is the next logical step.
Colton Miller and Mike Marsh, Boostability’s SEO experts, explained the key steps businesses should take when they need to create an SEO strategy that matches the market. Organizations should
- Redo keyword research
- Create new landing pages
- Find new and emerging topics to create content around
- Add your site to important places
- Engage on Social Media
- Work on conversions
Boostability will help you develop an SEO strategy that can compete with big market changes.
Boostability has helped more small businesses than anyone else, which means we know how to help your organization thrive online. As we manage this global pandemic together, allow Boostability to help you find the right solution to your digital marketing needs. Start getting found online by the people who matter.
