Nothing like COVID 19 has ever happened before, and no business is immune from its impact. Survival in these turbulent times and recovery and growth once the crisis has passed must be the imperatives of every business. With business operations at a virtual standstill and customers forced to stay home, people are spending more time than ever online, searching for all kinds of information. Putting your business out there where people will notice it is what is going to become the foundation for your recovery once the pandemic has passed.

Search is an indicator of consumer intent and interest. This is what savvy businesses will use to position themselves to survive today and make the most of the recovery tomorrow. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the most cost-effective way of maintaining market presence and creating a platform for future growth. Now is the time to optimize your SEO program.

Read Also: 12 Most Important Tips for an Effective SEO Strategy

Create Content That Is Trusted

The content you use must be right for the times. Telling people about the virtues of expensive champagne is not going to win your business loyalty today. What you must do is provide content that people can relate to in the present circumstances – content that is real and which generates hope and trust. Now, more than ever, put yourself in your customer’s place and try to provide what he wants. Be transparent about what you are doing and say and why you are doing/saying it.

Be Proactive In Managing Your Online Presence

Regularly update your company information. In bad times, people are always eager for new and positive news. If the business lockdown means there are no current matters to talk about, give viewers inputs on your company history, significant achievements, plans and anything else that creates a positive image. This aura will remain with the customer and impact behavior when the pandemic has gone.

Audit your Planning

COVID 19 has altered the way people behave. Any marketing plans or programs, sales pitches or promotional events that include person-to-person contact, remarks about isolation or being alone that could be misinterpreted as making fun of the COVID 19 issue, images of people eating wit their hands, and so much more could easily be mistaken and create a negative image of your business. Audit everything to bring it in line with the current social and cultural situation.

Increase Security

Hackers and cybercriminals thrive in times of trouble. Fraudulent “special offers”, especially related to finance, insurance, and medical spa marketing, are designed to appeal to people troubled by the problems COVID 19 has caused them. If your brand or business name is used for nefarious online purposes, the damage to your reputation will last long after COVID 19 has gone. Check on your website security and update it if required. It is a small expenditure that offers excellent dividends.

Unless you are in the digital business space, managing these aspects of building up your SEO program is not going to be easy. There is an immense amount of technical knowledge that is needed to optimize to the point where your web presence becomes a significant or even major part of your business volume and profit. On top of that, in these times of uncertainty, you need to focus on other issues such as maintaining relationships with customers even if no business is possible at present, controlling costs, meeting ongoing expenses, maintaining staff morale, etc. Using a professional SEO company with the expertise and track record to give you the SEO you need, and the online presence that will build your business at the highest level is the wisest and most cost-effective investment you can make to protect your business for today and position it for growth in the future.