Tips To Build A Strong SEO Program During COVID-19 - Semalt Expert Opinion


Content

Why Is SEO Important?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the biggest factors in digital marketing. If your business is ranking on the first page of Google search results for a keyword or phrase relevant to your industry, that's a sign of good SEO. Improving your SEO is one of the best ways to gain reliable traffic from across the internet and boost engagement and conversion rates.

Good SEO is important because it proves you are an authority within your industry. You can prove that you are knowledgeable about your niche and are the go-to source for your clients searching for information. Optimizing your website for mobile browsing and building a thorough backlog of blog posts on your site are two key strategies for boosting SEO. Maintaining a solid online presence (such as on social media channels) can also help to improve your SEO, and vice versa.

But as times are changing so rapidly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, how can you continue to improve your SEO throughout these circumstances? Your business will benefit from shifting your focus to timeliness and trustworthiness. Here are four of our biggest tips for improving your SEO throughout COVID-19.

Build Trust With Your Audience

SEO, at any time, is all about trust. Your audience should be able to come to you for relevant, timely, and accurate information about your industry and its trends. Aspects of SEO like backlinking and consistent posting can help to build your trustworthiness in normal circumstances, but things look a bit different in the times of COVID-19.

Your reputation will not be helped by urging people to come and purchase from your company right now. Instead, audiences are looking for accurate information and hopeful content to uplift them during these difficult times. Invest in high-quality content that provides value to your reader beyond simply promoting your business. 

If you're able, you might consider offering discounts on your products and services, but this shouldn't be your focus. By putting your profits aside and truly caring about your audience and their concerns, you'll gain a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy company that will last for years to come.

Audit Your Upcoming Content

You may already have a content calendar of scheduled posts for the foreseeable future. While these topics may have been good ideas six months ago, and they may prove relevant at some time in the future, your content right now should focus on timeliness. Make sure you're aware of customers' sensitivities in the present moment.

You don't want to dwell on the negative or go on about the catastrophe that is the coronavirus. But by ignoring the seriousness of the pandemic altogether, you run the risk of appearing tone deaf. Look through your scheduled content and see if anything can be altered to be timelier, and if not, consider putting those pieces on the backburner.

Reoptimize Old Content

You shouldn't only be looking to improve and optimize content that's yet to release. Instead, your business should also be reviewing content that's already been published and consider whether it can be updated within the lens of COVID-19. Optimizing old content is important for SEO in any circumstances, but the benefits can be particularly impactful during the pandemic.

Check in with your analytics and see if there are any older posts suddenly gaining traffic. Could these posts be updated with new information relevant to COVID-19? Is there an older post that's not getting as much traffic anymore but could easily be updated with time-specific content? Spruce up these posts and republish them with updated keywords to bring in more traffic.

Look Into Your Security

Unfortunately, the digital space has seen an increase in hackers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hackers appear to be using these circumstances to exploit businesses by offering fake discount codes and specials. Skimping on your cybersecurity measures can drastically impact your trustworthiness if your customers' information falls into the wrong hands, not to mention the financial costs and the time spent remedying the situation.

Take the time to check in with your security measures and address any shortcomings. Secure your website with SSL, update any plugins or apps you might use, and implement SSO (Single Sign On). Not only will these efforts help thwart hackers throughout COVID-19, but they will also help safeguard the information of your customers and employees once the pandemic has run its course.

Balance Short-Term And Long-Term Goals

It's easy to get caught up in all things COVID-19 right now. But don't sacrifice your long-term goals just to meet the demands of today. Take some time to consider how your business needs to shift focus during the pandemic in order to keep everyone safe, engaged, and hopeful. Steps here might include posting content that's relevant to your industry during the coronavirus or updating your website with timely search terms.

As far as the long-term, consider what your customers might be wondering about your industry post-pandemic, and aim to address those concerns in new content. You will also want to consider building a log of non-pandemic content that you can slowly start integrating as the situation improves. It may seem like a difficult balance, but taking the time to address both short- and long-term goals will prove instrumental in your company's future.

About Semalt

Semalt is a full-service SEO and marketing agency. The company offers business tools like web development, analytics, website SEO promotion, and more. Semalt has been operating since 2013 and is proud to have assisted countless satisfied clients over the years. 

A few of Semalt's most sought-after services include FullSEO, AutoSEO, and E-Commerce SEO, among others. Clients love Semalt for their reliable services, competitive price points, and unmatched customer service. Contact Semalt today to schedule a free SEO consultation or website performance report. 



mass gmail