We all know that we’re living through a defining moment of our lifetimes. And that means life as we know it will change forever — from the way we shop to how we travel and of course what we are searching for on Google.
COVID-19 RELATED SEARCHES SURGE ON GOOGLE
As coronavirus dominates our conversations, news, politics and economy, it’s also dominating our Google searches. In fact, according to various sources, COVID-19 related searches are now the most popular searches on Google, far exceeding searches about other news, weather, politics, Google, Facebook, Amazon and even porn.
In response to this trend, Google has started the Google Trends Coronavirus Hub to help track these emerging searches as well as related searches. Advertisers should review these search trends regularly and be prepared to change their advertising, if needed.
Studies have shown that people are thinking about COVID-19 right when they wake up and before they to go bed. This means advertisers need to adjust their accounts accordingly, says expert Mark Irvine, the head of paid search at WordStream..
AND CHANGES TO SEARCH VOLUME MEANS CHANGES TO AD IMPRESSIONS…
Think about it: as many of us shelter in place and lose our morning commute, we’re staying up and getting online later than we normally would be. Studies show that even in industries not immediately impacted by the Coronavirus-related searches, we’re still seeing large spikes in late-night searches and ad impressions in their PPC campaigns.
OTHER NOTABLE SEARCH TRENDS
Consider this: we’re all working at home, looking at ourselves on a screen all day, trying to home school our kids, cooking a lot more — the list goes on and on. Here are just a few of the unexpected/interesting industries that are doing well, according to search data:
- skincare (people want to look good on Zoom)
- hand lotion
- loungewear
- patio furniture
- cocktail mixes
- kids’ crafts
- gardening tools
HERE’S WHAT BUSINESSES SHOULD DO TO REACT TO THE NEW SEARCH TRENDS
- Revisit your campaigns’ ad schedule performance.
Inspect your website’s most valuable target keywords and see how searches are moving for those items. - Look at the current Google trends and adapt your search planning accordingly. Think timing, keywords and more.
Lastly, speaking of Google trends, it might be time to get your small business online and easily searchable. Traditional brick and mortar businesses suddenly can’t rely on foot traffic, but consumers are still searching for things they need. Small businesses should take this time to improve their online web presence — fast. And as you refine your site’s landing pages, be sure to work with your digital strategist to best optimize your landing pages for Google.
The whole world is changing due to COVID-19. It’s time your online presence matches what’s happening in the digital world.