Covid-19 SEO News & Resources Roundup [Updated March 26th]

It’s a tough time for everyone, but local businesses and their suppliers are going to be some of the hardest-hit by the outbreak of Covid-19. However, it’s not all doom and gloom – we’ve all had to think in ways we never have before, and for some that means being more kind and more creative.

This has led to tech companies rolling out updates to help consumers stay informed, SEOs providing their tips on surviving what’s to come, tool providers offering special deals and free features to their customers, and community organizations rising up to support local businesses.

There’s so much of this great stuff going on every day that we thought we’d publish a roundup, updated weekly, so you can waste no time in making the most of the goodwill out there, keeping up to speed with developments in the SEO world related to Covid-19, and do everything you can to put yourself and your business in a position for continued success.

We’ll be updating this page with more resources and articles as they become available, so keep this page bookmarked! Seen something that you think we should include? Leave a comment below!

Tech and Tools Updates and Offers

26th March Update

Google has suspended or limited a number of Google My Business features, including review replies and Q&A, to reduce pressure on businesses.

Google has released a new Google Post type, called a ‘COVID-19 update’, which businesses can use to let searchers know about any changes to their operations, such as opening times, and product and service availability.

Google Search and Maps will now display if a place, like a school or local business, is ‘temporarily closed’ (though some reports suggest that it took a long time for this option to be available). Bing also offers this functionality.

Google is recommending businesses update their opening hours, but they’ve also acknowledged that some edit reviews will need to be prioritized over others.

BrightLocal is starting a new online Q&A that will go live every week with a local SEO expert, allowing the local search community to get their questions answered and chat to one another.

BrightLocal has made their local SEO sales pitch deck templates available to everyone and is offering free online walkthroughs.

Yelp has launched a tranche of financial initiatives to help support local businesses, including “$25 million in relief… in the form of waived advertising fees, and free advertising, products and services”.

Yell (UK) has sent an email encouraging users to use the free ‘Yell for Business app’ to update their listings.

Schema.org has added structured data types related to Covid-19.

Bing has announced support for the ‘SpecialAnnouncements’ structured data type, specifically for businesses affected by the coronavirus.

Facebook has launched a business resource hub with ideas and guidelines for continuing to retain business during the Covid-19 outbreak.

LinkedIn is offering a series of learning courses on working remotely, including topics such as boosting productivity, communicating effectively, and managing stress.

Calendly is offering free Zoom and GoToMeeting integrations to help remote workers connect.

Moz has made its SEO training course completely free.

Ahrefs has made its ‘Blogging for Business’ online training course completely free.

Initiatives and Ideas from SEOs and Businesses

26th March Update

Search Engine Land has collected some great ideas from SEOs for pivoting and planning for a future after Covid-19.

Wriggle (UK) is running an ‘Indie Kitty’ fund to help support local, independent restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Phil Rozek (US) is kindly offering pro bono SEO help for businesses locked down by the coronavirus.

Artrepublic (UK) is offering a personal, virtual tour of its art gallery and shop, so you can buy art from your home.

Groucho’s Deli (US), along with many other restaurants worldwide, is promoting its delivery service and enabling curbside pickup.

VCA Animal Hospitals (US) have sent out new safety guidelines for visiting its hospitals and provided information on how to care for your pets without a trip or call to the hospital.

Starbucks (US) has announced its going completely ‘to-go’ only throughout the US, and offering free coffee to front-line responders.

Other Useful Articles and Resources

26th March Update

Search Engine Journal has written about thirteen ways businesses can use SEO and marketing to combat the impact of Covid-19.

Search Engine Journal has broken down how the coronavirus has already impacted search traffic and suggested how SEOs can respond.

Search Engine Journal has some advice on how to keep SEO clients during this period of unease and uncertainty.

Street Fight has written an article on treating the economic symptoms of the coronavirus with proactive brand management, including location data management and communicating your brand’s message at scale.

Street Fight has laid out how the leaders in location technology have responded and how they’re offering to help support businesses.

Search Engine Land has published a great piece on developing FAQs and ‘coronapages’ for SEO.

The Points Guy has collected an absolute tonne of resources and key articles for US-based small businesses, breaking down offerings and governmental relief packages, state-by-state.

Something to add?

The situation is always evolving, and with so much going on and changing around us, I’m bound to miss something that can help SEOs and local businesses. If you’ve read something useful online or have seen some resources or free offers out there, leave them in a comment below and we’ll look to add them in the next weekly update!

The post Covid-19 SEO News & Resources Roundup [Updated March 26th] appeared first on BrightLocal.



source https://www.brightlocal.com/blog/covid-19-seo-news-and-resources-roundup/

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