The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered our lives in recent weeks. With travel restrictions, school closures, and government responses, many of us are confined to our homes to curb the spread of the virus. Numerous small businesses have been forced to scale down or halt operations, experiencing the financial repercussions firsthand.
As people’s routines shift, so do their online search patterns. The impact of COVID-19 on Google Ads Results across various sectors has been remarkable and unprecedented. While some industries were prepared for the changing market dynamics, many were caught off guard.
However, change doesn’t have to equal failure. As data becomes available and trends emerge, there are ample opportunities for small businesses to adapt to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and navigate through these difficult times.
At nexus-security, we’re analyzing data from tens of thousands of advertisers to understand the effects of COVID-19 on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. This article examines several trends that have surfaced in recent days and weeks as COVID-19 has spread, offering practical and effective strategies for advertisers to adjust their campaigns and mitigate the negative impacts of the crisis. Want more info? Watch Mark’s webinar on-demand today!
Trend: COVID-19 Causes 90% Drop in Store Visits Within a Month
As people practice social distancing, avoid non-essential outings, and businesses face closures or limited capacity, physical stores are experiencing a significant decrease in foot traffic.
Many advertisers rely on Google Ads to track store visit conversions and gauge the offline impact of their online advertising. Numerous local advertisers optimize their PPC campaigns using these metrics but have encountered substantial challenges in the past month as COVID-19 has virtually eliminated unnecessary in-person visits.
Store visits started to decline slightly in late February, dropping by 24% in the first week of March. As the virus spread rapidly, this figure reached 46% at the beginning of the second week. Following the president’s address and the CDC’s global travel warnings, remaining store visits plummeted by 80% on Thursday, March 12. In the past week, with nearly all non-essential store visits ceasing, the decline hit a low of 90% compared to a month ago.
Response: Transition Your Small Business Online
With traditional brick-and-mortar businesses unable to depend on foot traffic, shifting focus to online presence is critical. As Google search traffic hasn’t declined significantly since the outbreak, now is the time for small businesses to enhance their online visibility.
Here are five recommended steps:
1. Create a Simple Website
A company website is the cornerstone of online presence. It doesn’t have to be complex; a basic site can be set up quickly. Google even offers a free website builder for small businesses! Ensure your landing pages are optimized for Google. How strong is your website and online presence? Find out in 90 seconds with the free LOCALiQ Grader!
2. Utilize Google My Business
With businesses shutting down due to COVID-19, people are turning to Google to check if establishments are open. By creating a Google My Business account, you can readily display your business hours, address, posts, photos, and reviews on Google Search and Maps.
If you’re already using Google My Business, make sure to update any of your business operations if they’re changed by COVID-19.. This includes updating your operating hours and phone number and posting notices about any changes related to COVID-19.
3. Engage Customers on Social Media
Customers anticipate potential business changes during the pandemic and seek updates on your status. While some will check Google or your website, many turn to Facebook or Twitter for recent posts. Not being present on social media can erode trust and make customers unsure if you’re open. Create a free business page on Facebook and provide regular updates to reassure customers that your business is operational.
4. Sell Products Online with Google Merchant Center
While traditional retail faces challenges with reduced store visits, e-commerce presents an opportunity to maintain sales even when customers are housebound. To start selling online, create a Google Merchant Center account and upload your products. You can even utilize an automated product feed to manage and update your product information, pricing, and inventory on Google.
Once your products are online, optimize your Google Shopping feed by following best practices for product titles, descriptions, images, and taxonomy to ensure easy discoverability.
5. Promote Your Business Online
Reaching customers online is achievable with simple tools. However, even the best SEO can benefit from additional traffic. Advertising across search and social platforms is effective for driving traffic, boosting sales, and attracting loyal customers, even on a budget.
- Google Ads: Connect with customers actively searching for your keywords, paying only when they click on your ads. You can also reach your target audience on Google Maps, display ads, Gmail, and YouTube.
- Microsoft Advertising: Expand your reach to the second largest search engine in the US. Many advertisers experience lower costs per click compared to Google.
- Facebook ads: With a vast user base on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, Facebook Ads provides extensive reach at a low cost.
While online advertising might seem daunting, learning PPC can be straightforward with the right guidance.
Trend: COVID-19 Dominates New Searches
As both the virus and related news spread rapidly, people are seeking information in real-time, leading to a surge in searches containing “coronavirus” and “COVID” on Google. These terms are often combined with everyday search queries like “travel booking” or “tax preparation.”
Google search interest for the coronavirus in the United States:
Even beyond direct virus-related searches, the implications of our changing world are prompting new questions on Google. While many of these questions typically have simple answers, uncertainty is leading to confusion.
Searches for medical supplies, basic necessities, government advisories, and even seemingly unrelated topics like Tom Hanks and the movie “Tangled” are witnessing a surge in popularity. This means online marketing efforts are reaching new audiences, often for unforeseen reasons.
Response: Adapt PPC Campaigns to New Search Terms and Volume
1. Regularly Review Your Search Terms Report
Monitoring your search terms report is crucial now more than ever. With the rapid emergence of searches related to COVID-19 and its disruptions, it’s essential to stay informed about the traffic your ads are attracting and add negative keywords promptly. This prevents your campaigns from reaching irrelevant audiences driven by panic or misinformation.
2. Identify New Negative Keywords Early
As new keywords emerge, they carry the risk of attracting irrelevant or unwanted search traffic, wasting your budget. Using a keyword tool, proactively identify and add new negative keywords to prevent this.
3. Track Trending COVID-19 Searches
Google Trends is a valuable resource for understanding online search behavior. In response to the surge in coronavirus-related queries, Google Trends recently launched a dedicated Google Trend Coronavirus Hub. Regular monitoring of this hub will provide insights into evolving search interests and priorities.
Download our free small business guide to COVID-19 and navigate the evolving online advertising landscape.
Trend: Mobile Search Traffic Declines Nearly 25% in March
With stay-at-home orders, reduced commuting, and travel restrictions, people are spending more time indoors, resulting in a noticeable decrease in mobile activity. This behavioral shift translates to lower mobile search activity, reflected in paid search campaigns.
While Google search ad traffic is declining across all devices, the impact on mobile and tablets is significantly greater than on desktops. Since March 16, mobile traffic has consistently been down an average of 24% compared to the last week of February. Tablet traffic shows a similar trend with a 19% drop during the same period. Desktop traffic remains relatively stable, with an 18% decline during the week and only a 7% decline on weekends.
This decline in US mobile traffic challenges Google’s “mobile-first” philosophy. As mobile traffic generally offers lower costs for PPC advertisers, this shift has significant implications for campaign strategies in the coming weeks.
Response: Adjust PPC Campaigns for Reduced Mobile Traffic
1. Reassess Device Bid Adjustments
Given the rapid changes in search behavior, it’s crucial to review and adjust your device bid adjustments based on current data. As more users switch to desktops, expect performance fluctuations across devices.
2. Consider Smart Bidding
Google’s Smart Bidding strategies can assist advertisers in navigating unexpected shifts. These strategies analyze real-time data and automatically adjust CPC bids to align with campaign goals. When selecting a Smart Bidding strategy, factor in your objectives and budget constraints.
Trend: Cross-Network Opportunities Expand as Google Search Traffic Decreases
While brick-and-mortar visits and Google search activity decline, overall internet use is up nearly 50% has increased since the pandemic began. The positive takeaway is that customers are still accessible online—they’re just engaging on different platforms.
Despite drops in Google Search and Shopping traffic since early March, opportunities persist. Bing Search and Google Search Partners remain relatively stable avenues for reaching customers and typically offer lower CPCs compared to Google Search.
Exploring options beyond the traditional search engine results page (SERP) is becoming increasingly viable. Traffic from the Google Display Network has grown by 13% since the beginning of the month. YouTube views are also experiencing a surge, up by 21%. For tips on display advertising during COVID-19, click here.
Response: Expand Your Reach Across Networks
1. Prioritize Cross-Network Advertising
Navigating the volatility of the Google SERP requires a multi-faceted approach. Advertising across multiple networks mitigates the risk of relying solely on Google Search. Furthermore, this strategy can unlock new audiences and potentially boost organic search traffic in the long run.
2. Include Google Search Partners
These partners encompass smaller search engines powered by Google, such as ask.com and numerous local search engines. While Google dominates the market, a portion of searches occur elsewhere. Including search partners in your campaigns can help recapture some of the lost traffic due to COVID-19.
To enable this, simply check the “Include Google search partners” box within your campaign settings. To analyze performance on partner networks, segment your data by “Network (with search partners).”
3. Explore Display and YouTube Advertising
With increased online activity, reaching your audience through display and video advertising becomes highly effective. Start by remarketing to past customers and website visitors to re-engage them and maintain brand visibility. Return visitors often have a higher conversion rate.
It’s evident that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact our lives for the foreseeable future. Prioritizing safety and health while practicing social distancing remains paramount. During this period of uncertainty, actively monitor your PPC accounts and stay informed about evolving best practices for adapting your campaigns.
Our blog will continue to provide updates, data-driven insights, and actionable strategies to navigate these challenging times. Still have questions? Check out Mark’s webinar on-demand today!
Data Sources
This report draws upon data from a sample of 15,759 US-based nexus-security client accounts across various industries. The analyzed data encompasses advertising campaigns running on Google Search, Display, and YouTube throughout March 2020.
More Resources for SMBs and Online Advertising During COVID-19
- How the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic is Affecting Small Businesses & Marketers
- 6 Strategies for Facebook and Instagram Advertising During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program: What You Need to Know
- Marketing During COVID-19: 4 Essential Copywriting Guidelines
- Navigating COVID-19: A Simplified Guide to Resources for SMBs
- [How COVID-19 has Impacted Google Ads Results for 21 Industries [Data]]
- Updated Google Ads Benchmarks for Your Industry During COVID-19 [Data\
- How COVID-19 Is Shaping Google Search Trends & Patterns [Data\