Businesses In New York Hit Hard By Coronavirus: Can SEO Help?

New York has one of the largest economies in the world, with an impressive GDP of around 1.67 trillion that makes New York one of the top three richest states of the country.

With large organizations and approximately 2 million small businesses in New York functioning as the backbone of the U.S. economy, the unprecedented disruption brought about by coronavirus was an upheaval that most businesses are struggling to recover from.

With New York as ground zero for the coronavirus, experts posit that the outbreak might drive the United States into a recession. Amid stay-at-home orders, business owners in New York struggle to understand what that means for their business growth. With the ever-growing challenges in meeting business goals, quarterly KPIs, and profit targets, the uncertainty about whether businesses should continue to stay functional is staggeringly high.

Marketing is No Longer Vanity; It's Crucial

There's no denying that the unforeseen circumstances have changed the world we live in. With limited working hours and safety precautions that must be followed to ensure the well-being of everyone, businesses in New York must adapt to the changing economic dynamics in order to thrive.

As businesses all over New York struggle to avoid customer attrition at the precipice of this global outbreak, resorting to an effective digital marketing strategy is the only logical way to move forward and to keep your business afloat.

One may think that with the shift towards a more digital world, most businesses would have tried to cultivate an online presence, but statistics show that a shocking 59 percent of businesses haven't undergone the transition at all. Now that businesses need to fix business costs, increase brand visibility, boost sales revenue, and drive up customer outreach, there's only one way to do it all while everyone's holed up indoors--through SEO services in New York.

Let's see how this vital digital marketing tool can assist business owners in New York mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their business.

How SEO Can Help You Stay Afloat

The world came to a halt overnight as the coronavirus outbreak hit New York hard. As governments of the world struggled to get their bearings, non-essential businesses in New York were asked to practice social distancing to flatten the curve.

To keep up with the significant changes in economic behavior, 63 percent of marketers say that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is now more important than ever. Even though it's difficult to predict how long the COVID-19 crisis will continue to impact business in New York, luckily, SEO fits into both short-term and long-term marketing strategies.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to SEO. Depending on the needs of your business, the SEO strategy must be tailored accordingly. If the priorities of your business are to focus on business continuity, boosting outreach to local target markets, and retaining existing customers by increasing your brand visibility, your business can greatly benefit from SEO.

If your business isn't generating as much revenue due to the economic slowdown, now's the time to strengthen your brand's market position to ensure that this doesn't continue to happen once the coronavirus outbreak has subsided. Whether you're a landscaping business, a family-owned restaurant, or a brick and mortar retail shop, here are a few ways SEO can help you in these testing times when the future of your business is at stake.

Leveraging SEO Amidst the Coronavirus Crisis

It gets you better conversion rates

Surveys show that conversion rates may be immune to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, they're even speculated to increase.

As New York prepares for quarantine, statistics show that there has been a significant increase in online shopping in the past few months owing to the pandemic. A consumer survey from March 2020 shows 9 percent of female consumers bought online products for the first time because of quarantine practices and social distancing.

This indicates that the world may have come to a halt, but customers are still looking for products and services--and if you're in their line of sight, you'll benefit. By boosting your website's visibility when locals search for products and services on search engines such as Google, SEO services can help you drive business sales in New York.

It keeps your brand visible

The search behavior of consumers is changing fast. Google search trends show a sharp increase in worldwide searches related to the COVID-19 over the last three months. To weather the coronavirus storm, businesses need to find a way to stay relevant and visible to the audience--and boosting your SEO strategy is a good way to ensure that.

By providing relevant and helpful content that's in line with your brand, you can maintain a credible reputation in the eyes of your target audience and current customer base. SEO services can create relevant content for your New York business, depending on your industry. For instance, if you're a software company, you can create content focusing on disinfecting devices to showcase your brand's dedication toward your customer's well-being.

It strengthens client relations

The entire world is focused on one thing, and one thing only right now: survival. If you want your business to come out of this crisis stronger than ever, showing solidarity with your customer base is the best way to do it as this is the time when loyalty can be built.

Using SEO to update your audience about the nature of your services and how you're going about to deliver those services, can go a long way in affirming your customer's belief in your services. Letting your customers know that you're willing to assist them during difficult times, with the help of SEO, can build lasting and fruitful relationships with them.

Not only is this helping the audience understand what options are available to them regarding your business, but it's also alleviating you from the financial burden of having clients cancel your services because they have no clue about how to avail them.

It's important to understand that there's no right way to go about your business in these trying times. As businesses in New York face the threat of closure and limited working hours, leveraging SEO tools is the only way to ensure your business isn't driven into the ground.

SEO can help you achieve your business goals during the coronavirus pandemic, no matter what industry you may belong to. Generate website traffic, boost customer reach, and keep your business afloat with proven and effective SEO strategies!

This guest article was written by Aaron Tyler, an SEO specialist for Search Berg providing New York SEO services. Tyler is a leading SEO expert who has long dealt with SEO services for New York businesses, as well as cities and states all across the U.S. and beyond.