The year is coming to a close, and while venture capitalists might joke about missing out on IPOs, the reality is that 2020 has been a challenging year, especially for businesses. This marketing blog has been a constant companion, providing strategies for survival in these turbulent times. As we enter the holiday season, let’s revisit the top 10 online marketing and advertising trends of 2020. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our PPC 2020 year in review!

10. COVID-19 Reshapes Consumer Shopping and Search Habits.

The onset of COVID-19 marked a turning point for in-person retail. Google advertisers witnessed a 90% plummet in in-store visit conversions as e-commerce became indispensable for businesses.

The pandemic not only transformed how consumers shopped but also how they searched online.

US Search Interest Related to COVID-19.

Ordinary questions took on new significance and saw a surge in search volume:

Mobile searches decreased by about 25% as people spent more time at home. Businesses had to swiftly establish online stores, keep an eye on the newly introduced Google Trends Coronavirus Hub, and even adopt smart bidding strategies to keep pace with evolving search behaviors.

9. Businesses Unite in Boycotting Facebook Ads for Social Change.

The Facebook ads boycott, initially known as #StopHateForProfit, gained momentum in mid-June. Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the US, joined forces with the NAACP, ADL, Sleeping Giants, and others, urging Facebook advertisers to pause all ad spending throughout July.

Frustrated by Facebook’s inadequate handling of hate speech, these organizations hoped that a month of revenue loss would compel the platform to prioritize measures against hate, racism, and harassment.

Numerous large companies, including Adidas, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola, participated in the movement. Small businesses faced a dilemma, balancing social responsibility with the potential loss of ad revenue during an already difficult economic climate.

The movement succeeded in impacting Facebook financially. However, while still an effective platform for advertisers, Facebook’s efforts to curb hate speech and misinformation since the boycott have been inadequate.

8. TikTok & YouTube Thrive in the Age of Zoomers.

Generation Z, or “Zoomers,” are increasingly influential in today’s culture. With YouTube influencers even challenging (and winning!) against the likes of Floyd Mayweather, YouTube remains a crucial platform for reaching younger demographics. Don’t miss our tips on how to do just that.

2020 also witnessed the meteoric rise of TikTok, surpassing 2 billion downloads by August and becoming the world’s fastest-growing social media platform.

By mid-year, TikTok had solidified its position as another highly effective channel for brands targeting younger audiences.

Advertisers interested in leveraging TikTok can refer to our comprehensive guide on advertising on the platform.

7. Google Unveils the Page Experience Update and Core Web Vitals.

In May, Google introduced Core Web Vitals, new metrics for evaluating user experience (UX). These metrics aimed to provide marketers with better insights into load speed, interactivity, and visual stability concerning UX.

The metrics are:

• Largest Contentful Paint (loading): Evaluates perceived load speed and identifies the point during page load when the main content is likely to have loaded.
• First Input Delay (interactivity): Measures responsiveness and quantifies the user experience when first interacting with a page.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (stability): Assesses visual stability and measures the amount of unexpected layout shift of visible content.

Google complemented this with Search Console reports, allowing marketers to easily identify pages needing improvement.

Following this, Google announced that UX would become a more crucial ranking factor. The Page Experience Update, rolling out in 2021 (specifically May), would integrate Core Web Vitals with existing search signals for a comprehensive UX evaluation.

This marked a significant shift in how Google analyzes and presents page experience, offering more transparency compared to previous algorithm updates. Marketers received a clear roadmap and specific metrics to optimize for the upcoming change.

6. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): A Lifeline for Small Businesses

Economic hardship necessitated stimulus packages, and the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was crucial for business owners.

The Paycheck Protection Program was a Small Business Association (SBA) loan program intended to support small businesses in maintaining payroll and covering essential expenses.

Funds utilized for these purposes during the eight-week loan period were eligible for forgiveness.

By late spring, lockdowns and social distancing severely impacted businesses like restaurants. The PPP provided much-needed financial relief for many, including some larger companies that arguably didn’t require it.

5. Advertisers Grapple with Reduced Visibility in Google Ads Search Terms Report.

On September 1, Google announced that its search terms report would only display terms reaching a certain volume threshold, limiting visibility.

This change raised immediate concerns among advertisers and agencies, as the report is essential for identifying negative keywords and minimizing wasted ad spend.

Many marketers perceived this as a move by Google to increase revenue while hindering optimization efforts and promoting automated bidding.

To adapt, we advised Google Ads advertisers to utilize smart bidding for discovering hidden keywords, experiment with dynamic search ads, and expand their expertise in other areas of digital marketing.

4. SEO Gains Importance in the Wake of COVID-19.

The significance of SEO intensified during the pandemic. Many businesses faced significant drops in discretionary spending and staff reductions. “Free clicks” from organic search results, particularly local listings, became even more valuable.

Paid search traffic dwindled as the pandemic took hold.

Optimizing Google My Business profiles became paramount for local businesses. This involved updating operating hours, adding online ordering links, and optimizing for local keywords, including LSI keywords.

As part of our COVID-19 SEO recommendations, we advised marketers to prioritize high-quality long-form content, balance short-term and long-term goals, target pandemic-related keywords found in Search Console, re-optimize older but newly relevant content, and more.

3. Paid Search Landscape Shifts Due to COVID-19.

The pandemic’s impact on Google Ads data and benchmarks became evident early on. Industries like Health & Medical, Finance, Business Management, Nonprofits, Beauty & Personal Care witnessed improved performance.

The Google Display Network (GDN) gained prominence as news consumption and browsing increased. Google’s release of Customer Match for GDN in late May further contributed to this trend.

Conversely, the Travel, Bars & Restaurants, and Conferences sectors suffered significant performance declines due to obvious reasons.

Paid search saw some recovery as summer approached, but this largely depended on the nature of the business, industry, and other factors.

2. Lead Ads, Audience Building, and Creative Testing Emerge as Essential Social Media Strategies.

COVID-19 brought changes to paid social media, particularly Facebook. Strategies highlighted in May for relevance during the pandemic included:

• Maintaining consistency and extending high-performing ads.
• Prioritizing brand awareness as a key performance indicator (KPI).
• Utilizing lead ads for list building.
• Focusing on remarketing efforts.
• Testing new creative approaches.
• Leveraging Facebook and Instagram Live features.

Using sales-focused creative in Facebook ads proved effective during the pandemic.

LinkedIn Ads strategies also required adjustments. Recommendations included leveraging sponsored InMail, lead ads, video ads, and frequent communication with customers.

1. Small Businesses Demonstrate Resilience in Adapting to COVID-19.

2020 was an incredibly challenging year for small businesses. This blog provided guidance to small business owners and marketers navigating the unprecedented difficulties of marketing during a pandemic.

In addition to the topics covered in this post, we also addressed:

• Free Marketing During COVID-19
• Retention Strategies for Agencies During COVID-19
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Businesses
• Strategies to Help Small Agencies Survive COVID-19
• When to Ramp Up Ad Spend During COVID-19

Towards a Rebound Year for Small Businesses in 2021

As the saying goes, “The only way is up.”

This past year has been undeniably difficult for small businesses globally. While those who adapted quickly might have fared better, nothing could fully prepare anyone for the events of 2020.

If your business has weathered the storm, find encouragement in the approaching vaccine rollout. Revisit the insights shared in this post and explore our strategies for marketing in a post-pandemic world, which is on the horizon.

Here’s to a year of recovery and growth in 2021.