Why Small Ag Businesses Should Concentrate on SEO During the Pandemic

Small Ag businesses find it difficult to do many things during the current pandemic. These include face-to-face interactions with customers and prospects. One thing they can – and should – do, however, is step up their SEO game. This will not only help them to be more successful now, it will allow them to continue to be successful after COVID-19 passes.

Research shows that paid and organic traffic to websites from search results is declining. This may lead some to believe that SEO is a waste of time right now. However, this is not the case. Here are a few of the reasons why:

  1. When people are confined to their community, they seek out local businesses.
  2. The visitors you do attract right now are likely to be highly qualified.
  3. Current SEO gains are long-term gains.
  4. Search will be more ingrained following the pandemic.

There are some important things to keep in mind when developing a COVID-19 SEO strategy for your Ag business. First, you need to be consistent. What you do today will have a significant impact on your business down the road. Next, concentrate on long-term content. Long-term content is a staple of SEO and first-page friendly on Google. With people staying home more it also is more likely to get read. If you don’t have time to create long-term content, focusing on local SEO is critical. Local SEO remains a great way for small businesses to compete with big Ag companies in terms of search. 

Another important thing to remember when it comes to local search is that Google is putting labels on listings for businesses that haven’t added special hours or marked themselves as temporarily closed. If a person is searching for a business near them during COVID-19 and is presented with multiple listings, chances are they will engage with the one they know is open. 

Many small Ag businesses are at a loss as to what to write about in these chaotic times. What follows are some tips to help you determine what to address.

  • Use the Right Keywords. Long-tail, niche-specific searches related to the coronavirus can set you up for ranking success. For example, even if you own a seed store that is closed at this time, “planting gardens is on the rise during COVID-19” can still build domain authority for your store and connect it with future customers and prospects.  
  • Take Advantage of Trending Themes. Consider broader themes that are applicable across all sectors of the Ag market. Terms such as DIY, local, and outdoors are good examples.
  • Create Evergreen Content. COVID-19 is what everyone is thinking and hearing about right now but you need to consider the future, as well. What is trending – and giving you a traffic lift – right now will eventually subside. Evergreen traffic will allow you to accumulate traffic over time and increase your SEO equity.
  • Update Currently Performing Content. A few updates can lead to a big boost. These updates include things like new information, screenshots or images; adding new text to images or keywords to headings; changing out title tags; and adding high-quality outbound links.

Most small Ag businesses are wondering what the best practices are when it comes to marketing during a pandemic. While there are a lot of questions, the most important answer remains SEO.

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If you are struggling with how to help your Ag sales team succeed in these challenging times, don’t go it alone. Call US Farm Data today  at 800-960-6267 or visit www.usfarmdata.com to learn how we can help you set your sales team up for success.