With the pandemic continuing to spread throughout the world, updates and statistics are coming in left right and center. It’s probably the first and last thing in most peoples’ minds these days, and there’s no question as to why. During recent weeks online search terms of the keywords ‘Covid-19’ and ‘coronavirus’ have skyrocketed. These newly trending search terms are usually added on to other common searches such as ‘unemployment claims’ and ‘travel restrictions.’
But search engines are witnessing a shift in the way users are searching for information and content online. Besides the direct searches for information regarding the coronavirus pandemic, users are searching for topics that would commonly be common-sense answers. However, the Covid-19 crisis has given birth to an overwhelming sense of fear and uncertainty, pushing people to turn to Google for all the answers.
Anything from personal hygiene, coronavirus updates, governmental statements, to TV series and box sets, new and old searches are trending more and more as the pandemic lockdown drags on.
What does this mean for online marketing? Online marketing campaigns are now reaching a wider audience. With most countries around the world imposing strict social lockdowns, most people are confined to their homes, which has driven the number of daily online users through the roof over the past month. For instance, content about optimizing social media campaigns and using social media live features to market business offerings are becoming more and more popular.
What does this mean for the future success of my PPC campaigns? You need to fine-tune your PPC campaign to newly trending search terms and the increase in online traffic.
The tricky thing when it comes to trends is that they’re hard to predict so it is crucial that you monitor your search terms report religiously so that you know what kind of traffic your ads are gaining as a result of this coronavirus crisis. You should also make sure that you update your negative keywords to reduce the risk of unnecessary and wasted ad spend as fearful searches raid the internet for Covid-19 related content.
Try and pinpoint negative keywords ahead of time
Now, you may be saying to yourself ‘but I thought keywords and trends were hard to predict?’ And you’re perfectly right, but, new keywords can quickly gather irrelevant search terms that can end up wasting a lot of your ad spend. Stay updated with what is trending in terms of search terms can help you to add new negative keywords.
Keep a close eye on trending coronavirus search queries
There are plenty of online tools at your disposal that can help you to gain an accurate insight into the latest trends and popular search terms.
Another important trend that has been triggered by the coronavirus is the drop in mobile search traffic.
With most of the world’s population now stuck in their homes, there has been a noticeable drop in mobile search traffic.
As mobile traffic takes an unexpected fall in recent weeks, a well-known foundation of online marketing campaigns has been turned on its head. Mobile traffic is usually cheaper than desktop traffic for PPC campaigns, therefore this turn of events will have an impact on PPC advertising.
Configure your PPC ad campaigns to compensate for a reduction in mobile traffic
As desktop traffic increases and mobile traffic takes a dive you could consider adjusting your bids as more leads, conversions and impressions are more likely to come from desktops rather than mobile devices.
Find your target audience on a range of different networks
We can expect the impact of the coronavirus to have a domino effect on Google’s algorithms which will then have a direct effect on SEO tactics and fundamentals. YouTube for example has witnessed a massive increase in online traffic as users turn to the video-sharing platform to pass the time. Marketing across a basket of networks is the best approach to avoid the uncertainty of depending on a few networks, such as Google Search, that have seen a drop in online traffic due to the pandemic. Furthermore, by putting your online marketing campaigns through a variety of popular networks you can maximize your customer reach and you may even see an increase in the number of quality leads, conversions, impressions and CTRs.
Consider Google display ads and YouTube ad campaigns
With an increase of online traffic, it is easier to reach your target audience and potential clients as they browse through the internet and social media platforms. Consider remarketing to previous customers and users who commented, liked or shared your social media posts. Customers and users who have shown a previous interest in your business offering are more likely to reengage with your ads if you approach them again.
Adapt to your surroundings…
Whether we like it or not the Covid-19 pandemic has and is likely to change the way we live for the following months. But change doesn’t have to be bad, keep an eye on developing trends and adjust your online marketing campaigns to adapt to the shift in online traffic and where that traffic gathers.
