How does the COVID-19 outbreak affect content marketing and SEO?

The Coronavirus has been such an uprooting force that there are many aspects of life that have been deeply affected. Social gatherings have been prohibited, if not discouraged, businesses have been asked to cease operations temporarily or at a significantly lower capacity. And the vast majority of people currently rely on the internet to keep themselves informed and to connect with their friends and family. These effects extend even to the digital world, as is evident in the sudden influx of online activity. Online gaming has never seen such a spike in online users, as well as the increase in the need for eCommerce for the provision of both products and services. More people are relying on the internet for their information, entertainment, and purchases because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, how does the pandemic affect content marketing and SEO? And how can businesses adapt to this change?

Ease off the jokes

It’s important to take care of the tone of voice when writing articles. Make sure that there aren’t any phrases that might offend people during the pandemic. Avoid phrases such as ‘going viral’ in your content. These are very inappropriate during a pandemic and you could be perceived as being insensitive or insincere. Stick to a positive (but avoid toxic positivity) tone while still recognizing the severity of the situation.

Tweak your CTAs

Avoid using high-pressure marketing language. Consider the fact that the vast majority of people are under a lot of stress due to the global pandemic. Not to mention the economic effects of mass lay-offs. Using high-pressure marketing calls-to-action such as ‘Buy now before it’s too late!’ is also going to be perceived poorly. Instead, use CTAs like ‘Book now, pay later’ to help entice your audience.

Be sure to share relevant information

As previously mentioned, the vast majority of people are likely to go online for many of their needs because of the community-wide quarantines. With this in mind, it’s important to share relevant information. When people are under stress, they tend to read carefully and they weigh content based on how helpful it was to them.

By sharing relevant information, you will be able to show your audience that you are sincere and that you care for your audience. Irrelevant content will simply come off as opportunistic and this can harm your brand. You may even want to create a page dedicated to COVID-19-related topics.

This is especially important when you consider that a lot of people are highly-dependent on online information. Share relevant and accurate information, especially when you consider the fact that the internet is full of false information. In fact, 24% of online products have more than 50% of unreliable reviews.

Observe audience feedback

If you’re unsure of the effects that a certain strategy or action might yield, you can always consider checking on how other brands are faring with it. The comment section usually shows how their audience responds to their campaign and this information can be used to determine key points such as what exactly does the audience dislike, how it can be improved, etc. This is also a good way to avoid making SEO copywriting mistakes. You don’t always have to learn things first hand.

And you don’t always have to do things first-hand. As content marketers and copywriters, we all know the value of good SEO. And while it may be a significant investment to make, a good SEO campaign is well worth the investment, especially when it synergizes well with high-quality content.