How Search and Digital Marketing are Changing - and How We Should Adapt

Amidst the changing climate, most businesses are doing everything they can to build up their digital presence, as many consumers have shifted their consumption online. At the core of the digitization of these companies is demand for SEO, or search engine optimization.

There are a few trends that are emerging in the market that marketers should look out for when planning their shift to digital:

1) The traditional customer journey is changing. Companies that used to rely on trade shows and field to field meetings, like IBM, Adobe, and Salesforce, are now forced to turn their attention to almost purely online means of garnering interest and creating content. They are investing heavily in their websites, as well as virtual connections, to make up for the loss of what consumer would gain from in person events. 

2) Marketers are needing to widen their range when looking at metrics to see trends in search. It is important to not be too narrow with metrics or it will be challenging to capture important Business Intelligence to understand shifts in the market that help inform search strategy. Marketers should invest time and money into understanding user data, as well as market data.

3) Real time data is becoming more and more critical. COVID has drastically changed consumer behavior, and marketers need to be highly attentive to the changing needs of consumers by regularly collecting data, and making sure that the data they are looking at it up-to-date. This will enable them to respond quickly and adapt with the changing climate.

4) It is increasingly important to look at granular data, not just overall trends. Valuable insights can be gleaned by looking at specific shifts in consumer behavior and search to see where opportunities lie. 

5) Businesses are changing their strategies with the rapid increase of online shoppers. As many shoppers spend more time and money online, physical retailers are needing to change their strategies. Q4 will present an opportunity for marketers to dig deep to understand user intent to pivot their strategy for the upcoming holiday shopping season.