COVID-19 Industry Demand Forecaster

The most valuable thing we need during this time of uncertainty surrounding coronavirus is information. We are hoping by having access to the information we uncover you can make better decisions and respond more proactively in the face of unprecedented shocks to our economy and way of life. Leveraging predictive analytics, our data scientists have built a real-time industry tracker to monitor the effect of COVID-19 on category demand. You'll also find resources from our team on steps you can take now to ensure success down the road.

Continue to take care of yourself and others as we navigate this time together, and let us know how we can help.

Demand Forecaster

Monitoring COVID.

Our analytics team is paying close attention to searches directly related to COVID-19 symptoms, which we see as a leading indicator of the pandemic itself. Based on daily search data (from Mar 1 to today) and looking at the seven-day moving average trend line, we can see the correlation of Covid symptoms searches compared to the wave of cases.

Track industry demand in real-time.

We developed this COVID-19 Category Demand Forecaster, which uses real-time search trend data on a list of category-relevant keywords that have been carefully curated by our SEO specialists. Select your industry in the drop-down above and check back weekly for updates.

Based on historical data patterns prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. (early March 2020), our Advanced Analytics team has built a predictive model that projects category demand into the future, taking into account both seasonality and long-term trends. This projected category demand serves as our counterfactual, or what demand would have been if there had been no COVID-19. Comparing that counterfactual with the actual, we attribute the difference to the effect of COVID-19 on category demand.

Request My Industry

Our stories.

Automotive Digital Marketing Strategies During COVID-19

Digital advertising is highly competitive for auto dealerships. Our job is to make sure that car buyers find our clients' inventory first and keep their vehicles top-of-mind until the keys are handed over. In this video, AJ Gallion (Sr. Specialist, Paid Media) shares insight into how Forthea had to think fast and come up with strategies to drive car sales while shoppers stayed at home and could not access dealership lots.

Automotive Digital Marketing Strategies During COVID-19

Digital Strategies for Multifamily During Coronavirus

We understand the opportunity cost of empty apartment units is huge. When occupancy is low, you are losing money. Our job is to execute digital marketing campaigns that increase occupancy as fast as possible and keep it there. In this video, Sr. Account Lead Jenny Prause discusses digital marketing strategies to engage with potential leasers during the COVID-19 stay at home period.

B2B SEO Digital Marketing Strategies During COVID-19

This is the best time to focus on organic rankings. SEO takes time to establish and results are manifested in 2-3 months or longer. In this video, SEO Lead Natalie Hoben explains how the effort you invest now will pay off when things return to normal. Since your organic performance is a function of the competition, this is the time to accelerate content development and technical optimizations to take advantage of the downtime and distraction.

E-Commerce Digital Marketing During COVID-19

Account Lead Adam Aldred explains how we are closely monitoring category demand for the hardest-hit industries and markets in real-time so that our team can present different scenarios and strategies to our clients. This partnership allows them to make cool-headed, data-driven decisions, as opposed to relying on gut feeling or instinct as they may in a time of unprecedented public health and economic crisis.

Insights from Our Experts

Working from Home during the Coronavirus Outbreak: Best Practices to Stay Focused and Organized

Affected by COVID-19? Digital Marketing Tactics Your Business Can Do Now

Why SEO Is Crucial During Economic Downturns

See the Impact of COVID-19 Unfolding by Industry in Real Time

Cut the Fluff & Get Smart: How to Tighten Up PPC When Demand Is Down

Houston's Greatest Virtual Tours 2020

FAQ

What can we do while search demand is down?

Many companies are asking this question. There are three key decisions to consider and we dive deep into this topic on a recent blog article, "See the Impact of COVID-19 Unfolding by Industry in Real Time." Should you cut and conserve? Increase spend for more market share? or Stay the course with respect to marketing spend? It comes down to your overall growth goals and performance objectives.

Should we scale back on our SEO efforts?

This is the best time to focus on organic rankings. SEO takes time to establish and results are manifested in 2-3 months or longer. The effort you invest now will pay off when things return to normal. Since your organic performance is a function of the competition, this is the time to accelerate content development and technical optimizations to take advantage of the downtime and distraction. Learn more at "Why SEO is Crucial During Economic Downturns."

How should our marketing strategy shift during a recession?

Now is the time to focus more on the upper funnel to build brand awareness. Consumers aren’t ready to “pull the trigger” as quickly now and many users that were lower in the funnel are on pause or gone entirely. Strategies to fill the upper funnel will pay off later and position you for success when things return to normal. Upper funnel tactics are about educating and providing resources to engage with users including relevant SEO content supported by branded advertising.

Do we scale back or cut paid media during a crisis?

We are seeing both cuts and increases in digital media spend during this coronavirus pandemic. By leveraging demand data and not relying on gut feeling or instinct in a time of unprecedented public health and economic crisis, brands can make an evidence-driven decision. There is an argument for maintaining advertising during an economic slowdown. Category segments have reduced noise and competition, and those looking to gain market share and come out of the crisis strong will continue to advertise. Ask us which scenario works best for you!

Should we be doing CRO right now?

Absolutely. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) helps to maximize leads from your website traffic, whether your visits increase, decrease, or stay steady. This becomes more important during periods in which visits decline because CRO focuses on converting the traffic that remains.

Help! Some of my vendors are shut down.

We understand that not everyone is set up to work remotely or handle the influx of client demands during a crisis. None of us expected coronavirus or the effect it would have on business as usual. Our team is up and running and helping clients navigate this time together. If you need assistance, please call us, fill out the form on this page, or contact a team member.

Resources

Google - YouTube Claims & COVID-19

Google Coronavirus Daily Search Insights

Google Small Business Hub

eMarketer: How COVID-19 Has—And Has Not—Affected Global Ad Spending