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PPC Strategies: COVID-19 Search Trends

Due to COVID-19, people around the globe are wondering what the new “normal” will look like. Everything from the economy to consumer behavior has witnessed drastic changes. People are looking to buy their products online to avoid getting or spreading the virus.

Just within the first week of quarantine, screen time shot up 33% ! Now is definitely the time for business owners to get creative and move their marketing efforts toward the internet. The search landscape has changed across almost all industries. However, here are four industries that should definitely be taking advantage of the current situation with PPC campaigns:

Travel

It’s no surprise that travel continues to be an industry facing major challenges during the global pandemic. Search volumes related to flights, hotels, and other related subjects have decreased by 90% over one year. Consumers are hesitant to travel due to the shelter-in-place restrictions and 2-week self-quarantining required after traveling internationally.

However, now more than ever people are searching for things they can do close to home. This is the perfect time to focus your ad dollars on regional and local areas since many other travel services already have.

If your business is dependent on international travel, there are still ways to keep your business relevant. Jet2 sent out an email campaign asking what their customers were looking forward to most after the pandemic ends. The responses were:

  • 53% beach lazing.
  • 15% uncovering culture.
  • 12% cuisine tasting.
  • 8% getting active.
  • 8% experiencing nightlife.
  • 4% souvenir shopping.

Although this email poll doesn’t give Jet2 immediate sales, they now know that beachy destinations should be a large portion of their future online marketing efforts.

Marriott Hotel and Resorts went another direction with their marketing by pulling on heart strings. They went to social media to show that they are still here for their customers during the shut downs.

 

instagram post from marriott

 

Even if sales are not through the roof it is important to keep your name in the game through ads and social media!

Retail

Retail has been one of the stronger industries during the global pandemic. However, growth has massively shifted from in-person to online shopping. At-home beauty products ranging from hair dye to press on nail searches are up year over year.

There has been a 36% increase in searches around hair dyes and coloring and a 118% increase in clicks. Simultaneously, the personal grooming category has seen a 79% increase in searches and a 146% increase in clicks.

Hobby stores are also experiencing an increase in searches. There is unmet consumer interest as growth in searches outpaces the click growth for hobby-related queries. This includes genealogy, arts and crafts, birding, outdoor recreation activities, camping, gardening, cooking, model building, and home brewing.

Running a PPC campaign will ensure that your retail store shows up for customers who are in need of products like yours.

Automotive

With everyone working from home the need for a new car was brought to a grinding halt. However, in-market purchase queries increased in March, despite the shopping patterns and search themes shifting.

With job security up in the air, most people are hesitant to buy such an expensive item. That being said, search terms are showing that as people adapt to the “new” way of life they are taking advantage of the time-limited offers that dealerships and auto-related industries are offering.

A few trends that Search Engine Journal has seen include:

  • Consumers are trying to understand which dealerships are open versus closed due to varying policies related to “essential” businesses. Creating clarity for your customers is increasingly important, especially if you are open today.
  • Shoppers are increasingly looking for dealers, dealerships, and specific models “near me”, with these types of queries up 22% in the last 30 days over the previous 30 days.
  • Shoppers are looking for “affordable” vehicles, with affordable related queries up 85% year to date.
  • Leasing queries are up 51% in the last 30 days over the previous 30 days – indicating the consumers are looking for more affordable payments.

Car sales aside, automotive insurance searches are up 44%. The spike in searches is caused by consumers who are searching to lower their insurance premiums. This may seem bad for business, however, now is the perfect time to adapt and begin a PPC campaign and feature limited time coverage specials on your site.

We recommend bidding on terms related to quote comparisons, affordable policies, and pay-per-mile insurance.

Health and Wellness

With a global pandemic in motion, it’s no surprise that health and wellness is a popular topic. Searches related to the coronavirus symptoms, vaccines, and treatments are up year over year.

There was also an increase in searches related to masks, sanitizer, and disinfectants. Searches for the flu vaccine increased 478% year over year with nearly 21% of searches containing a coronavirus related term in the query.

As the months of quarantine stretch on, the searches around depression have increased 3X and anxiety 2X. With emotions running high, it’s the perfect time to get your wellness brand or product out for everyone to see. A PPC campaign can ensure that people who are searching for advice or a similar service will see your site on Google.

Do you need assistance with your PPC campaign? Get in contact with us today. SeoTuners can offer an affordable solution for your business to increase exposure and SERP rankings with organic SEO strategies like keywords. We’re confident we have a solution for all your marketing needs. 

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How SEO and Search Trends are Impacted by COVID-19

COVID-19 will undoubtedly have long-term impacts on the economy and global market as a whole, with its effects possibly spanning far into the future. Unfortunately, some businesses may never recover from the detriment it has caused. When hopefully, in the coming months, businesses begin to reopen and we attempt to return to a normalized state, one has to wonder what that state will look like in the aftermath of COVID.

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