As consumers navigate the new normal, it’s no wonder that search engines are one of the first places they turn. A recent study found that search behavior saw increases in some surprising areas as COVID-19 took hold of the globe. For example,

• Travel - though much travel has been banned during the pandemic, travel saw a 50% increase in search volume as consumers research airline and government travel policies, how to rebook trips, etc. 
• Pets - with more at-home time, many people searched for ways to foster or adopt a pet. In fact, some animal shelters have seen 10x their average pet adoption rates during COVID-19.
• Home Improvements - while stuck at home, it never seemed like a better time to make those home improvements that had been put off. Instead of hiring professionals, people looked for ways to DIY as a home project to keep themselves busy. 
• Food & Cooking - comes as no surprise as consumers had to take a major step back from eating out and learn to fend for themselves. 
• Gaming, TV Streaming, Social Media and Tech - also come as no surprise as people looked for ways to entertain themselves at home. 
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As marketers, we know search behavior is a significant indicator of consumer trends. It’s why we use them so frequently to influence marketing overall; however, 86% of us believe marketing goals will be difficult to achieve in a #stayhome environment. Ouch. 

But here’s the good news. We, at The Cirqle, are helping marketers with this very issue. Influencer marketing is one of the best ways to execute engaging content without the need for a content studio. Simply ship product to the influencer, approve their copy and visuals through our online system, and the advertisements go straight to market. Not to mention, influencer marketing has been a proven means of accelerating search goals. As influencers include backlinks to important websites/pages associated with your brand they help drive search volume around that topic and the credibility of your site. Additionally, influencer blog content can be promoted via SEO to drive traffic to a voice beyond that of the brand. In doing so, you build credibility and authenticity for the messaging you want consumers to understand. 
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If this got some gears churning on how you could use influencers a bit differently to improve your search goals despite COVID-19, be sure to reach out and we’ll help you get started - steve@thecirqle.com. 

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