Coronavirus: Impact on Search Engine. Google Ads and Affiliate Sales
With more people staying at home due to Covid-19, organic search traffic has increased drastically. Ideally, this should lead to an exponential increased in eCommerce business through advertising. But has it really happened? Read our article to know the impact of Coronavirus on Google Advertising and eCommerce conversions.
The dire coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted nearly all aspects of our lives and also for businesses. Businesses everywhere must brace for the negative economic impact and possible economic crisis. More people will work remotely, and many companies will cut down on spending.
So, what about search marketing and digital marketing in general? Since people now stay more at home, more people are using the internet and shop online. Ideally, search marketing is bound to get a boost by pushing sales for eCommerce sites for essential products. But is that really the case?
Here, we will discuss the potential impact on coronavirus on SEO, Google Ads, and Affiliate marketing. Without further ado, let us begin.Coronavirus Impact on Search Engine and Search Marketing
First, does the COVID-19 crisis impact SEO for startup companies? The short answer is yes, but there are two different layers to this answer: the changes in the search engines themselves, and the changes in the user's search behavior. Changes in Search Engines
Remember that the core objective of the search engines is to provide the best, most relevant information to their audience.
So, in the face of this crisis, it would only make sense that Google and the other search engines like Bing adjust and enhance their SERPs to emphasize information related to COVID-19 with alerts, maps, FAQs, and tips. Google, for example, has created a specific page on its main domain to provide information on COVID-19 here.
This, however, wouldn't necessarily mean you should focus on keywords related to the Coronavirus since the search engines will prioritize websites with more EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) factors. This will include government websites, medical organizations, news sites, and so on.
There have also been changes to Google Maps (and Google My Business). For some businesses in certain industries, the Business Posts feature has been disabled temporarily. Changes in User Search Behavior
Here are some changes that have been observed and potential changes regarding user search behavior and search intents: Coronavirus Impact on Google Ads
The very significant changes to how people shop online have reduced spendings on Google Ads. Amazon, for example, which has been one of the most prominent spenders on Google Ads, has cut spending to virtually zero.
At the moment, we can already see these following impacts of COVID-19 in the digital marketplace and especially Google Ads:
Below, we will discuss five industries that are currently seeing an increased spending/CPC cost on Google Ads, five industries that are kind of mixed in performance, and five industries you should avoid at the moment.Industries With Google Ads Performance Increase During COVID-19 Crisis
These are the industries that are experiencing increases in various metrics during this coronavirus crisis and quarantine period. 1. Health
Quite obvious, many of us are actively searching for information related to the coronavirus or about health/medical in general. Also, purchases on medical supplies are obviously on the rise. Google Ads in this industry are seeing increased CTR and conversions,2. Finance
People are actively looking for information regarding financial tips and professional help, with many facing lay-off or even bankruptcy. The finance niche is always famous for the niche with the most expensive keywords with very high average CPC, but at the moment the CPCs have fallen down a little and competition is easier here. 3. Nonprofits
The COVID-19 crisis has allowed Google Ads related to nonprofits and charities to see significant increases in ad impressions (10%) and a 20% increase in conversion rate. Google does offer free advertising for some advertisers in this niche, although keeping them in compliance is quite difficult. 4. Self-care
People are looking for hand sanitizers and soap, and also products related to self-care. ON average, the beauty & personal care niche saw an increase of 41%. Also, many FMCG products have been in very high demand during this coronavirus crisis.5. On-demand entertainment
With many of us staying home and practicing WFH, we are naturally consuming more entertainment. On-demand entertainment services like Netflix and Hulu has more than doubled in conversions during this time.Industries With Mixed Google Ads Performance During COVID-19 Crisis
These industries are currently experiencing mixed performance, and there is the possibility of them seeing major shifts both ways in the coming weeks or even days. Home Improvement
This is an unnatural time for the home improvement niche. On the one hand, not too many people usually perform home improvement during March and April. However, with more people stuck in their homes, many are looking for productive ways to improve their homes (DIY way), especially affordable and easy home improvement projects. So, Google Ads performance in this niche is varying wildly. Real Estate
Another sector with a mixed Google Ads performance. On the one hand, property development is seeing a significant (53%) decline in conversion rates and a 7% decline in search volume. However, searches on real estate agents have seen an increase in volume and a very significant 30% increase in conversions. Also, moving and relocation services have seen an 11% increase in volume. Automotive
As expected with people staying at home, the automotive industry has seen a very significant 30% drop in average conversion rates. However, there is a significant increase in automotive repair and maintenance (44%) and also vehicle window tinting (79%). People are using their free time to repair their existing vehicles at home.Retail
With this situation, we can quite easily expect traditional retail to drop significantly, with eCommerce soaring. However, many families are sticking with traditional brick-and-mortar retails for one reason or another. Also, Amazon is pulling back its Google Ads budget, which resulted in a 9% decrease in CPC. On the other hand, wholesalers seem to be seeing an opposite trend with a 9% increase in conversion rates but a 14% increase in CPC. Industries With Google Ads Performance Increase During COVID-19 Crisis
There are obviously some niches seeing a very significant decline, and a lot of people working in these industries are impacted. Here are some industries hit the hardest so far:Restaurants and bars
Many countries are closing dine-in restaurants, bars, and clubs. Obviously these businesses are hit really hard during this time in social quarantine. Many are learning to shift to delivery services and take-out services, but nevertheless the Google Ads metrics for restaurants have declined with a 59% decrease in conversion rate and an 18% decline in conversion. Keywords for bars and nightclubs have declined even more in conversion by 26% and also a decrease in conversion by 57%. Travel
It's quite obvious that with all the travel bans and consumers avoiding unnecessary travel at all costs, fewer people are looking to book travel today. Search for travel booking services has gone down by 49% and for air travel by 41%.Live events and entertainment
There are strict limitations on group size all around the world and so many performers have cancelled their shows. As a result of this, search volume for live events has reduced significantly by 24% and conversion rates have gone down by 30%. Sports
Many sports events including the upcoming Olympic have been cancelled, and so many niches tied to sports are seeing very significant declines especially related to conversion rates. Conversion rates for sports events have declined by a whopping 74%.Manufacturing
Manufacturing operations have slowed down significantly, and PPC ads for industrial goods have also been impacted. Search traffic in this niche has decreased by 13%. Coronavirus Impact on Affiliate Marketing
The rising trends of people solely focusing on essential products may affect affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketers typically focus on high-margin products, but at least at the moment, Amazon is only shipping essential products.
However, the impact of COVID-19 on affiliate marketing might be mixed because affiliate marketing can cover various industries, each can be impacted differently. Changes in buying trends due to this crisis can cause very significant effects on affiliate earnings. Some will inevitably suffer from very significant declines.
However, in every crisis, there are always opportunities, and here are some niches and verticals that might be the most profitable in affiliate marketing at the moment:End Words
Above anything else, marketers should focus on taking care of their and their family's health and safety in this strange situation. Use this time to stay up to date, as the current situations across all industries are extremely dynamic. Above, we have discussed some key changes in search marketing and affiliate marketing opportunities, but in our opinion, today is the time for survival and not aiming for doubling down.
Be smart about your expenses, and while you can seize opportunities when you are sure, it's best to stay conservative.
However, stay positive and believe this is temporary. This COVID-19 situation too shall pass.
