With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the global economy has taken a huge hit. This has affected businesses of all types and in all industries. Many companies have experienced significant reductions in PPC and SEO budgets and a drop in demand for the services and products they offer.
If you are like many of these businesses, you may wonder what the right response is to this crisis. Do you need to cut your budget and wait for a sense of “normalcy” to return?
While there is no black and white answer to crisis management and your ad campaigns, there is some information that will help you continue your efforts in this unprecedented time in history.
Don’t Panic
When everything first started to close, there was a lot of panics. Some businesses halted all PPC efforts altogether. However, for those who stayed the course, many began to see pretty impressive results.
While conversions may have dropped, those who were converting were doing so for a fraction of the cost compared to pre-COVID times. This lower cost per conversion is something that is helping businesses spend less while maintaining their profitability.
Before making a knee-jerk decision regarding what to do, take a breath. See what is going on in your industry and niche, then make changes and adapt as needed.
Ensure Your Campaigns Continue Targeting Brand Related Terms
You should keep bidding on brand keyword terms. This is true even if you are making budget cuts in other locations for your Google ads efforts.
You can always rely on brand-related terms. People searching for brand keyword variations are usually prequalified, at the least, and are in the consideration phase – even if they search your brand instead of the competition. If you have to cut your budget, take branded terms off of the paid search chopping block.
Also, brand terms are usually more affordable than other PPC keywords. Since these are high-intent and cost-effective, they should be one of the last things you get rid of.
Rethink Customer Avatars
Customer avatars are like personas, but much more focused on the specific detail of your ideal customer. You need to reassess your avatars with the current state of things.
When there is a crisis, people change. You have to think about how COVID-19 is affecting your customers. Their goals, challenges, priorities, and beliefs will be impacted by any global crisis, and the economic impact it has. This is why you should carefully consider how you fit into the landscape.
This is relevant for two reasons – first, regarding how your offers related to your audience’s pain points. The second way is how the audience feels and what they want to know before making a purchase.
Seek Help to Ensure Ongoing Success
In the trying times that we are now facing; it can be challenging to know how to move forward with PPC advertising. Rather than cutting your PPC budget, now is the time to ramp up your paid search spending. If needed, hire the professionals for help to ensure you get a great return on your marketing investment
By, Peter Roesler, President of Small Business SEO. 25+ years in marketing! Yippee.
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