Top COVID-19 Search Trends
No matter how you look at 2020, it couldn’t ever be considered a ‘normal’ year for marketing and businesses. While some small businesses have been left relying on help from external sources to survive, multinational corporations have been forced into big changes. Though cases have slowed in many locations around the world, the idea of COVID-19 disappearing any time soon is an unlikely one. With this in mind, we’re having to embrace this new world and adjust our marketing practices based on what consumers are searching for during these difficult times.
If you aren’t currently using Google Trends, this is always an effective starting point. For many businesses, it’s invaluable because it explains exactly what consumers are searching for. We know that some are struggling with their marketing strategies, and Google Trends can help to spot advertising opportunities. As we transition to this new market, this is particularly important.
In this guide, we want to discuss some of the biggest trends right now. Hopefully, you’ll uncover an opportunity by learning what consumers want and need in the world currently.
Popular Trends
One of the most obvious Google search trends is masks and medical supplies. As you can imagine, everybody is looking for surgical masks, and the market has also moved towards branded and fashionable masks.
If you are to take advantage of this trend, be aware that interest will eventually drop. In fact, demand for masks and medical supplies has already fallen compared to earlier in the year. Again, the best solution is to keep an eye on Google Trends because this will help to create content that resonates.
After masks, there are lots of other markets that have enjoyed a boom during the pandemic of 2020. Some of these industries include skincare, home gym equipment, work from home (WFH) equipment, games, and more. For a while, the sale of hair clippers and trimmers increased for this very reason.
With kids out of school, parents have been turning to Amazon and the like for entertainment. While puzzles and board games were previously growing into a niche product, they have enjoyed somewhat of a revival since the start of lockdown. At the end of this guide, we’ll present some more examples of current trends.
Taking Advantage of COVID-19 Search Trends
If you work in one of the trend areas mentioned today, you’re perfectly positioned to create content based around these topics and draw people in. After creating content, share it on social media, and spread the word. If done correctly, you’ll get a portion of the searching market and some authority and credibility among the masses.
We recommend ensuring that all product pages are in the new free listings from Google shopping. Each category and product page should have strong on-page content. Also, it’s critical to note that nobody wants to make a return in this day and age. Consumers are more cautious because they don’t want to go through the hassle of returning products. Therefore, you need to create content that guides consumers through the purchasing process. Help consumers to make the right decisions and purchase the right products at the first attempt.
Real-World Examples
In this next section, we’re going to look at some real-world examples and how you can take advantage of current search trends.
Instrument Sellers (Les Paul and Fender)
We mentioned a need to entertain, and this goes for both adults and children. At some stage over the last six months, a significant number of people in lockdown have thought about buying an instrument and finally learning a skill they’ve been dreaming about for many years. If you’re in this niche, now is your time to shine. Normally, you have to tempt people into being interested. Now, people are already interested and it’s a case of converting as many of these leads as possible.
If we look at Les Paul and Fender as examples, both have produced how-to guides in the shape of videos and blog posts. They have recognized the market trend and reacted with content that will help people pick up an instrument for the first time. Although these are two huge names in the instrument world, you don’t need millions in the bank and worldwide acclaim to meet the needs of your audience in this way.
If the budget allows, team up with a musician and get them producing tutorials for new players. If not, create your own content because people are looking for help as they spend on guitars, violins, keyboards, ukuleles, and more.
Home Gym Equipment
Home gym equipment is another market that has grown significantly since the start of lockdown. We may be coming out of the pandemic now, but this hasn’t stopped people from purchasing home equipment, and this is because a significant number are working from home and can’t (or don’t want to) access their normal gym.
How do you make the most of the current trend? As we saw with instruments, you can produce helpful content because this will help people to get started with your equipment. Lots of people are lost without their gym and their instructors, so it’s a good time to step into their place. Not only can you provide how-to guides for your equipment, but you could also upload classes to follow from home.
In addition to content, we recommend launching an ad campaign with a time-sensitive offer. Many consumers get excited about buying new gym equipment, but may click away if they’re not ready to spend the money. If you can get a well-placed offer in front of somebody who has visited your website or abandoned a cart, you may be able to convince them to act on this excitement and spend on your equipment.
Loans and Financial Services
Unfortunately, not everybody has the luxury of learning a new instrument or investing in home gym equipment. On the other side of the coin, there are lots of Americans who have been laid off or had hours reduced as a result of the pandemic. Again, those in this niche have an opportunity to help people who are struggling financially.
If you offer financial services, share videos and helpful content online. If you can provide advice that saves a family from financial ruin during the pandemic, they will remember your name forever. Not only this, but they will also recommend your service to everybody else they know who needs financial assistance.
It could be a video on cutting back during hardship, consolidating loans into one manageable plan, knowing what schemes to apply for through the government, or how to find work in a competitive market. The more help you provide, the more people you get back on their feet, and this makes a real difference. You do something more than just sell a product; you become a leader in the market and a service with authority. If done in the right way, people will continue to look for your service even after the pandemic is long gone.
Current Market Trends
As promised, we’re going to finish with some of the current trends. Perhaps you can use one as leverage for your own service? Thanks to a study from Perion and CodeFuel, we can see the search trends as we enter what some are calling the ‘Exit Phase’ of the current situation.
In what is one of the largest jumps, interest in video conferencing tools grew by well over 5x between January 2020 and May 2020. During the same period, the demand for antivirus software almost doubled. As companies are reluctant to bring workers back to the office, and some workers are reluctant to return themselves, working from home looks like a new norm, and we think searches in these areas will continue.
The following markets also saw growth:
- 44% for leisure activities
- 19% for art and other hobbies
- 70% for home gym equipment
- 86% for live streaming and TV services
- 54% for essential goods such as food
In addition to the increases, decreases in searching activity can help a marketing strategy just as much. For example, travel searches were cut in half. Can you use this information for your own strategy knowing that people are preferring to stay at home or take domestic trips?
These are the top COVID-19 search trends, and you can learn more on Google Trends. Keep an eye on how the trends change and leverage this information for your own marketing strategy. There could be an opportunity to become a market leader in these challenging times.
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