How to Adapt your Strategy during the Coronavirus Pandemic

We are seeing unprecedented times full of uncertainty and paths not walked before. But the question on everyone’s lips is, what does this outbreak mean for online business? The effects of Covid-19 are fast-changing and the way a business adapts to these changes is imperative to its survival of this pandemic.

Many businesses have seen a decline in organic traffic and consumer spending due to the uncertainty that the public face. However, as consumer needs are changing, businesses also need to change to meet these needs. Additionally, this is not a time to panic and despair that you cannot invest in marketing strategies or protect your employees.

However, now more than ever, rational and long-term thinking is needed to help your business adapt in these turbulent times.

Your Customers

Just because the majority of the world are facing lock-down and closures, it does not mean that your customers no longer exist. They are still out there and they will still need your business, service or product now and in the future.

This is why thinking of long term survival is essential. SEO is a great way to maintain and even build your business for the long term. Even though consumer focuses have changed at the moment, once they settle, their habits will probably return to normal.

Therefore, you do not want this time to let your business lose traction and potentially suffer in the future.

Working From Home

Many businesses have adapted to their staff working from home and it is heavily suggested by the UK Government. This will help protect your staff from infection that they can contract on their journey to work or at work itself.

This adjustment will help protect your business and provide security for your staff. Many people are worried financially of the implications of Covid-19 on the economy and their lives. Therefore, setting up work from home gives your employees job security and peace of mind for their personal future.

Additionally, keeping your employees working and your business well equipped online, it means your business is still open and trading. Even in such a crisis, there is money to be made.

What should Your Business Focus be Now?

Although your business may still be able to trade online, there will definitely be some significant changes to be made. For example, some websites have already seen huge drops in traffic, and cuts in marketing budgets. This is why your strategy for online business needs to be adapted during this pandemic and the future.

Perhaps your business is not receiving a lot of sales or attention right now. However, that does not mean you stop working towards sales in the time to come.

Therefore, businesses can focus on more long-term focused goals such as SEO. Search engine optimisation is an essential activity for businesses to gain organic traffic from search engine. Investing in SEO now will bring huge returns in the future such as passive traffic and therefore, sales.

There has been plenty of research within SEO and Ahrefs revealed that it can take years for content to rank high in Google search:

This graph shows that nearly 60% of top 10 results are over 3 years old. This is why SEO is important to implement as content gains traction over time.

What can your business proactively do for SEO right now?

• conducting thorough keyword research
• email outreach for link building
• guest posting for link building
• improving on-page SEO

Link building

Link Building is especially important for SEO and contributes to ranking significantly. Marketing agencies can include this in their in packages, however, during this pandemic is can be less of focus.

Outreach Lab can help businesses and marketing agencies with their outreach. With thousands of industry contacts and experience, you can outsource link building for your SEO.

Content Creation

This is also essential for SEO as the content ranking in the Top 10 of SERPs are valuable, high quality and unique. Therefore, your business can focus on creating the top content in your industry. This can be with skyscraper content, expert interviews, ultimate guides or re-purposing content in audio and video content.

Long form content can take time to construct and build to a high quality for your audience. Additionally, this content will be your leverage for obtaining natural backlinks and pitching for links in email outreach as part of your adapted strategy.

Importance of Online Presence

In this time of lockdowns and closures, brick and mortar businesses may be suffering. However, a business’s online presence will contribute to its survival.

To help with this businesses can update their Google My Business listing with their opening/closing times and the website. This can greatly help local businesses as customers can easily navigate to the businesses website when searching in their area.

Your online presence is how your customers will find you now and you have to adapt and embrace this for your business. Therefore, the business strategy in more than just marketing.

How can you serve your customers online?

You can adapt the way you serve your customers online. Utilising calls or video calls and engaging with customers on all platforms, especially social media can be impactful. This maintains a strong connection and trusted relationship with your customers.

Being active across platforms and your website gives accessibility to your customers to your business. Therefore, find the best way you can serve your customers right now with their needs through your business’s online presence.

Additionally, investing in SEO increases your businesses online presence for organic traffic. Outreach Lab can help you obtain links and guest posts that can bring in new potential customers and boost your content’s ranking. Ultimately, providing improve traffic and potential for the future of your business.

Using this Time Wisely

As a result of this pandemic, it is changing the business world and the economy. However, due to the benefits of SEO and SEM, online content and contact with customers, your business can survive and adapt.

Now is not a time to panic and withdraw all investments and marketing in fear of large overheads. Instead, you can invest wisely in long term solutions to improve your businesses future outlook.