Dear 2020, can you just not? With the global pandemic affecting everything in our daily lives, it’s no surprise that COVID-19 has affected the digital advertising industry as a whole. One of the biggest areas in digital advertising that is seeing a negative impact is in Google Ads. When it comes to running Google Ads in Greenville NC, Red Shark Digital has some insight into how you can change your attack plan to handle COVID-19 in your digital advertising, specifically within Google Ads.

Amazon & Google Ads

If you hadn’t noticed, industry giant Amazon has cut spending on Google Ads to essentially nothing due to the current events. When analyzing search and buying trends during this time, you will notice that there has been a change across the board on how users are searching and making purchases. Amazon is doing this due to a sudden surge in buying on their platform as most Americans are bunkered down in their homes and making purchases online.

As humans, buying is in our nature. Even when we are cooped up with nowhere to go, consumers still flock to online retailers to get the satisfaction of making a purchase.

Changes in Search Trends

What's going on is that online sales are undergoing an outrageous change in purchasing patterns. Interest for family-oriented products and necessities are spiking to an exceptional level. The change is so sensational that Amazon is enlisting 100,000 new workers to satisfy the need.

One way that you can explore these changes is to use Google Trends! Google Trends is a great tool that allows you to see the way users' search is changing during this global pandemic. For example, when searching things such as Apple Airpods vs Lysol Cleaning Wipes, you will notice that Airpods have seen a significant drop in search traffic, whereas the cleaning wipes have obviously spiked due to COVID-19.

You can use Google Trends to see how searches in your specific vertical have changed. For instance, if you are an auto dealer, you may see that searches for payment deferment specials have increased during this time, as some users are looking to capitalize on low interest rates from banks instead of searching for specific car models.

Messaging is Key

With search trends changing, you will need to make sure your ad copy is updated to reflect current search trends. One of the biggest things you will see is that many brands will actually be halting their campaigns out of fear of losing money. This is where you can excel. Less competition means lower spending for your business. You can focus more on trending terms that your competitors are likely not spending money on and spend less, but still increase your reach! Although it is a scary time for many retailers, having your brand in front of users during this time will help you once this passes. Your brand will have a higher affinity than your competition because you were the one in front of everyone during a time of crisis.

Key Takeaways

Now for what you came for, the key takeaways in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and Google Ads. While navigating this global pandemic, you have to understand how trends have changed and are able to adapt your brand’s messaging to appeal to how things are changing. You will also need to be able to adapt budgets and campaign goals. If you run into any hurdles while trying to adapt your Google Ads in Greenville, NC during this time, contact the pros at Red Shark Digital for more help!