Covid-19 is wreaking the kind of economic destruction that few of us have ever witnessed before. The impacts of the pandemic on businesses vary from industry to industry, but SEO has so far got off relatively lightly. While the lockdown is ongoing and many workers are in self-isolation, there are still opportunities for SEO experts to take advantage of.

Monitor Google Trends

With so many people stuck indoors, internet searches are through the roof. People are spending even more time online than usual, stretching broadband networks to their limits. All this online activity presents a serious opportunity for SEO professionals. By monitoring current Google Trends, businesses can gain a heads up on what people are looking for. The questions and topics that users are searching for will give you an idea of the direction that your industry is headed in.

Once you know what direction your target audience is leaning in, you can then begin to craft content that appeals to them. Not only will this enable you to produce the content you need to keep your SEO score high while the lockdown is ongoing, but once things begin to return to normal, you will be ready with the right kind of content.

Try to use what your users are searching for to give you an idea of what their current needs are. You can then produce content that meets these needs and delivers the most value to your target audience.

Keep An Eye On Your Search Console And Keyword Rankings

While there is a widespread lockdown, website owners need to be paying even closer attention to either their Google Search Console or another third-party tool that enables them to monitor keyword changes. This is something you should be doing anyway, but right now it is even more important than ever.

Whenever there is a significant shift in the level or nature of demand, the way that users use search engines changes accordingly. This includes both the keywords that users search for as well as their intent when searching. If you aren’t monitoring keyword changes, you will inevitably miss your opportunity to revise your strategy.

Build Up Your Content Library

While many people have had to make some adjustments to their working schedules to account for home working, a lot of SEO professionals have been left mostly unaffected by the changes. But whether you have noticed a slowdown in the amount of work you are receiving or not, this newfound downtime represents opportunities for everyone. Any additional time that you now have for yourself throughout the day is time that you can spend expanding your content library.

There are several advantages to having a bank of high-quality content ready to go at a moment’s notice. While lots of businesses will be adjusting their content slightly to cater to their users’ changing wants and needs, it is also worth having some classic content to fall back on if you need it.

Make Plans For The Future

Although it might not feel like it right now, the current coronavirus outbreak will ultimately end. When it does, businesses will be scrambling to return to normalcy. If you take the time now to prepare for your reopening and to make strategic plans for the future, you will be best positioned to recalibrate your business when the time comes.

Although no one knows how long the present situation will last, most people are expecting it to continue until at least the end of the year. You should be prepared to spend until at least Q4 under the current circumstances.

Line Up Some Top Talent Hires

The current pandemic is creating economic shocks that are forcing a number of businesses to close their doors. While job losses are never something to celebrate, they do present an opportunity for SEO businesses looking to expand their talent pool. Keep an eye on your key competitors and be aware of any smaller SEO outfits that are wrapping up their operations.

There is a whole wave of SEO experts who are now free agents, and who could form the backbone of your SEO team in the future. If you are still in the position to be hiring people during the current crisis, this is a great way of signaling your strength to the market. However, if you need to pause your hiring decisions, it is still worth lining up your preferred candidates for a future recruitment drive.

Embrace New Approaches

The shifting landscape that we currently find ourselves in presents numerous challenges for businesses, but it also presents opportunities. Namely, there is an opportunity for businesses to experiment with different approaches to their SEO. With brick-and-mortar retail outlets across the world closing down, there are now many businesses who are depending much more heavily on their online arms than they ever have before.

SEO experts who are able to adapt to these new circumstances and create marketing proposals that embrace the new approaches required are going to thrive while others are going to struggle. For example, the number of people using streaming and online video services like Netflix and YouTube has increased precipitously since much of the world went into lockdown. By targeting these channels specifically with your SEO and digital marketing efforts in general, you can reap even bigger returns than you would normally be able to.

Do Some Housekeeping

While there are plenty of opportunities to experiment with new strategies in the current climate, it is important that you don’t forget about your basic housekeeping. If you fall behind with this, your SEO is going to slip unnecessarily.

Make sure that you update your website, maintain a consistent URL structure, and that you continue to prioritize technical aspects such as page speed that Google values.

No one relishes being in isolation, it is a significant challenge for everyone involved. However, isolation presents opportunities as well as challenges. SEO experts who play their cards right can come out of this crisis in a relatively strong position.