Affordable SEO: How Is Your Business Adapting to COVID-19?

We are the most affordable digital marketing in Sydney. We are offering the following digital marketing services for small businesses such as:

• Affordable SEO Services
• Website Design Company
• Graphic Design
• PPC Campaign Management
• Social Media Marketing
• Content Marketing Strategy and
• Web Hosting

---

Coronavirus and Business

So there’s this little thing going around called the Coronavirus, heard of it? The sad reality is that this is our new reality as we see roughly 13,000 new cases per day. This has obviously had significant business effects, like the crash of global stock markets and changes to pretty much every company (and marketer) there is.

There are a few things that business owners and marketing departments can keep in mind, simple tips like not exploiting the situation or contributing to fear. Businesses will likely struggle for a while, even if the virus slows, as they need to make up for their losses. There is also a significant effect on most business needing to be conducted online.

This happens to be the area in which Grow My Business Online thrives, so let’s take a little look at how your business can adapt to the current landscape and utilise a range of tools to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

What does COVID-19 mean for marketers?

The biggest change marketing departments are having to deal with is the fact that all businesses are cutting back. On everything. We are predicted to go into a recession, and even billionaire investors like Carl Ichan are warning the market will continue to drop.

It’s not all bad; however, as an economic downturn means less competition, which leads to easier and faster results. There are also some great deals, like cheaper pay-per-click advertising (more on this later).

The marketing budget is likely lower than it has ever been before, but there are ways you can mitigate these changes to ensure your business is still seen. The online pool of customers hasn’t gone anywhere; in fact, it has likely grown.

This means the new question is a focus on how to reach these digital customers and pivot your marketing spend to the areas where it will have the greatest effect considering the current climate.

How is Google responding to COVID-19?

Google has been particularly active in a range of ways to help the massive shift to online activity that COVID-19 has created. Some of its most recent changes include:

• New Meet features to improve distance learning (currently 120 million users of G Suite for Education)
• Apple and Google have partnered on COVID-19 contact tracing technology
• Easier ways to stay informed on coronavirus news across Google’s news products
• Support for public health workers fighting COVID-19
• Chromebook accessibility tools for distance learning
• $6.5 million to help fight coronavirus misinformation via The Google News Initiative
• Aggregated, anonymised community mobility data to help public health officials make critical decisions
• A website dedicated to resources including information, safety and prevention tips, and other helpful resources for individuals, educators, and businesses

Affordable web design

Now is the time to make sure your website content is up to date. Images should be fresh, social media posts relevant, and the content of your website should be ready to engage with your audience digitally.

Grow My Business Online can help ensure that your digital assets are working as they should, which is the positioning of your business for growth in the online world.

Your website is your digital storefront, an interactive business card that lets potential customers know exactly what you are all about, the products and services you offer and how to contact you.

A good website can be the defining factor between making the sale or losing the business altogether. In the world of online business, books are most certainly judged by their covers.

Why COVID-19 shouldn’t stop your SEO

As we’ve discussed, your business can thrive in these downtimes, and search engine marketing is one of the main ways to achieve this. Your search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital during this period for the following reasons:

1. Search Engine Marketing means more business

During economic downtimes, cash flow is required to push through the hard times, and search engine marketing produces a great ROI. Both paid and organic marketing reaches consumers who need what you have to offer. This generates sales and leads as you are reaching customers who are searching for your product or service

2. Search is measurable

Focusing your efforts on the consumers with more immediate buying intent is made easier if you can prove whether or not you are successful. It’s easy to see when search engine marketing is effective by looking at sales or leads via analytics, allowing you to pivot your budget and spend when necessary.

 

3. Lots of people are searching right now

The first e-commerce listing for “toilet paper” is unfortunately worth a lot right now. As goods are scarce, consumers for both them and alternatives. Making sure your products or services are ranking well in their topics, and those around them will yield results.

4. People still need stuff

The world is not coming to an end, we still need products and services, and search engine marketing is the best way to reach buyers. Stuff is still being bought, it is just solely being bought online now. Brick and mortar businesses need to accept this and adapt.

Making sure your SEO is on point is easy when you have a company like us helping you, meaning you can make the most out of these opportunities. If you ignore this crucial point, you will be left behind by those who haven’t.

Affordable Social Media Marketing

Branding is the driving force behind why people choose your business over the competitor. While it can be a little harder to achieve brand awareness in turbulent times, social media is the smartest way to build the value of your brand, particularly in the mind of your audience.

Social mediums are nearly-free or really cheap, making them a cost-effective and fast way to secure brand awareness. Not to mention, they are the ideal medium for communication in the current environment.

Show that your business can educate potential consumers and prime prospects with quality content, which will directly determine the level of engagement that you receive.

Make your messaging clear, supportive and straightforward, and remember that folks are stressed out and in shock about what is happening, so ensure your branded content has a purpose and is relevant in the current environment.

Facebook grants on the way

Facebook chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced an AU$172 million grant program to aid eligible small businesses in alleviating the coronavirus crisis.

On March 17, Facebook promised financial support to small-scale businesses around the world via cash grants and ad credits. The money can be used for operational costs, meaning that having your products and services seen on the giant social media platform is now easier and cheaper than ever before.

More information about this is rolling out in the coming weeks.

Affordable PPC

As we’ve mentioned a couple of times in this article, it’s an excellent time for PPC. The advertising landscape has changed, and you can manage your paid search campaigns in such a way that they are very impactful for your business during this pandemic.

You may like to make a shift to promote different products or services that are in-demand. Is your service considered as essential? Do you offer something that makes things easier for people working from home or homeschooling?

Shift your marketing budget to a PPC campaign for products or services that have more relevancy, or are the best performing right now to maximise your results.

It is very possible to manage PPC on a small budget, and instead of focusing on daily budgets, consider lifetime or monthly spend limits to better pace your campaign. It is also a good idea to take advantage of automated bidding features so you can adjust CPC bids in real-time.

Need a little help with all of this?

We understand that it is a turbulent and stressful time for everyone, especially those who run a business. As you can see from the information above, however, it doesn’t have to be bad news.

As a business owner, you are likely no stranger to adapting; this is just another one of those times.

At Grow My Business Online (GMBO) we can help with everything from building you a website, to a range of other services via our full digital service list which includes online marketing and social media.

We work with you to create a personalised strategy that will help you succeed

Our skilled team works closely with all of our clients towards achieving their goals with cost-effective online strategies.

Think of us as an extension of your team. It’s a very strange time for everyone right now, but with our help, you can ensure it’s business as usual. Get in contact today and let’s get started.