Build Customer Confidence, Loyalty, and Trust with SEO
We are in a recession. This is a fact. Life is stressful.
But recession or not – your company is still here. You still have top-notch products and services. Products and services that your customers need and want.
So, why why are you thinking about cutting your marketing budget?
Why would you do this? It makes zero sense.
Yes, you need to make changes. Cutting your SEO and marketing investment is not the change that will help you in the long-term.
You need to invest in your SEO. You need to keep spending on marketing. You need to adjust your SEO and marketing strategy to meet people where they are right now.
Remember that popular word from April 2020? Agility…
Yes, it’s back and it matters more than ever. You need to be agile.
People are still shopping and spending – but they are thinking about it and doing it differently. You need to respond to this. You need to be what they need right now.
And this is exactly why investing in SEO during this recession is critical. People still want and need your products and services. In both B2B and B2C, people are searching, clicking, reading, and buying.
The demand is still here. The customers are still here. Your company is still here.
Proven SEO strategies keep you competitive today and position you for success when we are through the recession. Think long-term not short-term.
Marketing and SEO Investment is a Must Have During a Recession
Article after article reinforces the absolute necessity of marketing and SEO investment during a recession. Don’t believe us? Read these articles:
- Why Marketing Is Essential in A Recession
In the recessions of 1981-82 and 1974-75, companies that continued to invest in advertising saw more growth than their competitors that shrunk or eliminated their budgets – and in 1981-82, that growth was a staggering 256%. In the 2008 recession, many businesses debated whether to trust the economy, and advertising expenditure dropped by 13%. Yet statistics showed 3.5 times more brand visibility for companies and organizations that maintained their marketing output. - Why Businesses Should Continue Marketing During a Recession
SEO is often one of the most profitable marketing channels for a company—yielding over $22 for every $1 spent…We must remember that Google’s algorithm is not driven by the current state of the economy and will continue to look for fresh and relevant content. - Four Steps Marketers Can Take to Drive Growth During a Recession
Increasing advertising spend or launching a new product during a recession can boost margins and drive revenue, studies have found, allowing a firm to increase its profile as competitors decrease communication. Companies that increase their marketing spend during a recession gain market share three times faster after the downturn. - Don’t Cut Your Marketing Budget in a Recession
Take the case of Reckitt Benckiser: In the recession following the 2008 financial crash, the company launched a marketing campaign aimed at persuading its consumers to continue purchasing its more expensive and better performing brands, despite the harsh economic climate. Increasing its advertising outlays by 25% in the face of reduced marketing by competitors, Reckitt Benckiser actually grew revenues by 8% and profits by 14%, when most of its rivals were reporting profit declines of 10% or more. - Marketing During a Recession: Critical Choices to Preserve Your Pipeline
If you continue creating SEO content and participating in link-building activities while others cut back, you can usurp their keyword positions. Competitors who “stop” SEO create a white space that businesses who double down on SEO can take advantage of. Essentially, you can reap the benefits of short-term gains with long-term reach. - 13 Massive Companies That Started During a Recession
Well, if history proves to be any sort of reliable predictor, recessions have actually served as the launchpad for some of the world’s most incredible businesses. General Electric, General Motors, IBM, Disney, HP, Hyatt, Trader Joe’s, FedEx, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Google, Salesforce, Facebook, and more…
The customers are still here. They still have problems that need solutions.
Use marketing and SEO to tell people why they need to choose you.
Use marketing and SEO to tell people why you are the best choice.
Use marketing and SEO to tell people how you help solve their problems.
Stay silent and you disappear. Stay silent and your competitors win.
3 Benefits SEO Investment Gives You in the Short- and Long-Term
Your customers are being careful about how they spend their money. People need to know they’re making smart choices with their money during a recession.
Smart SEO and marketing give your customers the confidence they need to spend their money on your products and services.
- Establishes Your Expertise
No one wants to take any risks right now. SEO allows you to show your industry expertise quickly and clearly, reinforcing why you are the best and only choice. The value of high-quality content, well-written meta descriptions, and a website that clearly demonstrates your corporate vision gives customers confidence in your company and brand. - Educates About Your Products and Services
People are feeling stressed and don’t have the energy to hunt for answers to their questions. When you get the basics of SEO right, you can easily give customers the information they want. Clear content that educates, informs, and empathizes is key right now and for future success. - Demonstrates Your Industry Authority
Recession or boom time, the competition is still there. You need to stand-out and show customers why you are their best choice. The content that helps improve your SEO – whitepapers, long-form blog posts, webinars, strong meta descriptions, infographics, videos, paid search ads, landing pages, email newsletters, and a strong social media presence – also proves your industry authority and expertise with customers.
Think about the brands and companies you trust. What makes you trust these companies?
SEO lets you establish the same confidence and trust with your customers – and this is what you need for both short- and long-term success.
How To Optimize Your SEO in 10 Steps
Maybe your company has gone through a round of layoffs. Maybe your salary has been frozen. Maybe a friend or family member has been laid off. Things are not good right now.
You need to do everything in your power to keep your company going, to keep your employees employed, and to keep earning a salary. You need to keep investing in SEO and marketing.
Keep your lights on. Optimize your SEO with these 10 steps:
- Measure Your Website Speed. Your website should load in two seconds or less.
- Review Your Keyword List. Keywords are always changing. The list you generated 5 weeks ago is no longer relevant.
- Share Your Content On Social Media. Sharing content on social media helps create social signals with search engines and helps you connect with people.
- Evaluate Your Internal and External Links. Internal links help your Google E-A-T score and make it easier for people to navigate your site. External links help reinforce your industry authority and expertise.
- Revisit SEO Training. Make sure everyone on your team understands the value of SEO and how it works. Remind them how important it is use keywords naturally, to share useful content on social media, and to include external and internal links.
- Refresh Old Content. Refreshing old content is a chance to incorporate your new keywords, to update links, to address new questions, issues or developments, and show that you’re staying up to date with the latest industry trends.
- Start An Email Newsletter. An email newsletter is an ideal way to connect directly with your customers and anyone interested in your company. Remember to be empathetic and to include content that adds value and helps.
- Review and Update Meta Descriptions. Meta descriptions are the two or three sentences that display below page titles on SERPs. People read your meta description and then decide to click your link (or not).
- Update Blog, Whitepaper, and Article Titles. The first thing people read is the title. Make sure your title is informative and attention grabbing. Your page titles are listed on the search engine results pages and are as equally important as meta descriptions.
- Update Paid Ad Campaigns. Update your landing pages and paid search copy with new keywords and language. Make sure your ads and landing pages are relevant and in-step with customer search intent and queries. Make sure your ads and landing pages tell people how you solve their problems and challenges. Make it easy to buy from you.
A global recession is a scary time. People have questions. People are nervous. This is your opportunity.
Make it easy for people to trust and believe in you. This makes it easy for people to feel good about how they’re spending money.
Be the company that makes it through the recession. Be the company that people are talking about. Be the company that your competitors are copying.
Contact Know Agency talk about SEO and how Know Agency can help you be here today and tomorrow for your customers.
About the author
Jane Phelps is the CEO and co-founder of Know Agency, a specialist in organic search and paid search marketing expertise and leadership for health and wellness brands. Jane started Know Agency in 2010 focused solely on the nutritional supplement space. With her hands-on experience working in the health and wellness space, Jane is a public speaker and conference presenter at industry trade shows, networking events, and conferences on search and digital marketing strategies for wellness and nutrition brands. Jane and her team are instrumental in creating results for leading companies including Pure Encapsulations, Garden of Life, Learning Tree, Avocados From Mexico, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Jabil, and many start-ups and entrepreneurs.
