Why Your SEO Marketing Strategy is More Important than Ever in a Pandemic

Yep, SEO still matters, even in the wake of a pandemic. With the toll COVID-19 is taking on businesses, there’s no better time to invest your money in one of the only clear, effective strategies to make more money: search engine marketing. As a business owner, you have a lot of people to support: your staff, your clients, your patients, and your own families. In times like these, there are still opportunities for businesses to thrive—and it all begins with SEO.

Why SEO Still Matters

People still need products and services, even for their pets. They need prescription refills, surgical procedures, exams, vaccinations — but they also need trusted information. As an animal hospital, you’re in a unique position to offer authoritative medical advice and services that promote the health of pets during these trying times. With search engine marketing, you can get your animal hospital in front of the many pet parents who are looking for products, services, and information regarding their furry family. Here are some ways to optimize your search engine marketing strategy in a pandemic:

• Answer the questions people are asking. This is where your invested dollars in SEO will really pay off! Folks are concerned about COVID-19 not only for their human families but their furry friends, too. Answer some of the top questions like “Can my dog get coronavirus?” on your website via a blog or a resources page.
• Emphasize the precautions you and your staff are taking to keep yourselves and your clients safe. Write about all the measures you’re taking to stay safe and be clear that pets still need veterinary care. Be sure to mention how you follow the guidelines laid out by the AVMA, CDC, and other trusted sources.
• Direct your clients to your online store. Flea and tick preventatives, supplements, prescription diets, and other pet care necessities can still be purchased online.
• Promote your telemedicine services. Don’t have those? There’s no better time to get started!

You can promote all these points on your website, your social media accounts, through Google Ads, and even on your YouTube channel!

Doing SEO Now will Pay Off in the Long-Run

While there still might be a pretty steady decline of business for veterinarians and many other small businesses, a strong SEO marketing strategy can help you mitigate your losses. Pet parents will likely have more and more time at home in the coming weeks, and that means more time to search. Developing an SEO strategy focused on framing your services around the coronavirus will not only pay off in the short-term, but it’ll also have benefits in the long-term, too. After things begin to normalize, there will likely be a surge to consume the services pet parents didn’t have available to them before, and who do you think they’ll turn to? Their trusted veterinarian during the coronavirus pandemic, of course!