Coronavirus: How Have Consumer Search Volumes and Trends Changed Since the Pandemic Began?

What if everything you knew about customer behavior was wrong?

COVID-19 and the global pandemic have changed many things about customer priorities and patterns. This is especially true when it comes to search volumes and other major trends.

Wondering what all has changed? Keep reading to discover the answers!

In-Store Visits Are Down

Some of the changing trends weren't really that surprising. For example, Wordstream reports that grocery store visits declined by a stunning 90% between February 17th and March 16th of 2020.

There were many factors influencing this, but the primary driver was fear of COVID-19 infection. Even though grocery stores remained open because workers were considered "essential personnel," most grocery shoppers seemingly questioned whether they really needed to make another trip to the store when it involved so much risk.

Ultimately, this is part of a larger trend where in-person visits and business declined but online searches increased. For better or for worse, COVID-19 cemented online shopping as the norm for many consumers.

Overall Search Volume Is Up

Despite the decline in actual visits to places like grocery stores, consumer interest in local businesses is reflected in their high search volume. For instance, Brandify reports that searches for area businesses went up by 45% across March and April of 2020 compared to the same time period last year. This helps highlight the need for many businesses to improve their local SEO.

What drove such an increase in search volumes? Two basic factors: curiosity and practicality.

In terms of curiosity, many consumers wanted to know how their local businesses were responding to COVID-19. This included things like changing store hours, mask policies, options for curbside pickup, and so on.

This was driven by practicality as well. Consumers were very worried about infection needed to figure out which stores were safer and which had adapted to the global pandemic (and which had not).

Hobby Searches Are Up

One fairly inevitable effect of the pandemic is that people were spending more time at home than ever before. And this led to an unprecedented spike in hobby searches.

Search Engine Land reports that hobby searches were up 16% this year compared to this time last year. And while "hobby" is a pretty broad umbrella, this illustrates how badly people wanted something to do while they were otherwise bored in their homes.

These searches have focused on everything from learning how to draw to learning how to make homemade beer. Basically, if it entertains and keeps someone busy, its searches have risen in 2020.

Pharmacy Boost

As with grocery stores, pharmacies had to stay open throughout the entire pandemic. COVID-19 or no, customers continued to need their medicine. 

According to Brandify, pharmacy searches were up 206% in March and April compared to last year. On top of that, pharmacy views are up by 150% and actions are up by 29%.

Thanks to the sheer necessity of medicine, pharmacies were destined to weather the COVID-19 storm better than most businesses. And many pharmacies took on leadership roles in helping test for COVID-19.

However, other businesses can learn from the ways in which pharmacies have adapted to consumer needs during this time.

More Banking Searches

The pandemic has had a variety of effects on consumer finances. And consumers are quite interested in staying on top of this shifting financial landscape.

And that's why banking and finance searches are up by 156% in March and April compared to the previous year. Views are up by 101% and actions have increased by 51%.

One of the reasons banks handled the pandemic so well is that they spent years developing robust online banking infrastructure. Compared to banks, many other businesses have scrambled to adapt to this brave new world of consumer searches.

Pet and Animal Searches On the Rise

Hobbies aren't the only thing keeping customers busy while they stay at home. Because consumers were largely cut off from their friends and family due to various quarantine procedures, pet and animal searches skyrocketed.

According to Search Engine Land, pet and animal searches are up 16% this year compared to last year. But if you look closer at these trends, some pet-related searches have performed better than others.

For example, clicks for pet sitting and veterinary services are down about 66% compared to last year, and dog walking services are down about 34%. The messages clear: while consumers were interested in getting new pets and pampering existing ones, any business that involved bringing an animal to other people suffered.

Suffering Hotel Industry

Sadly, one of the biggest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic is the hotel and accommodations industry. Searches for these businesses were down 32% from last year, with views declining by 42% and actions declining by 69%.

While this is a big decline, it is not a big surprise. Many people held off on major travel plans due to fear of COVID-19. And while some people resumed travel later in the year, other travelers seemed to be holding out for a reliable vaccine.

And unlike some other businesses, hotels have no real way of altering their business model. Like airlines, the only thing they can really do is put out some attractive prices and other deals to try to lure customers in.

Hardware and Home Improvement Thrive

What do people do when they are mostly stuck at home? Try to improve their home!

Reports show that hardware and home improvement searches were up 114% compared to last year. Compared to that, views are up by 79% and actions are also up by 79%.

Hardware and home improvement occupy a fairly unique niche among consumers. For some would-be handymen, working with these tools is similar to a hobby in that it brings personal fulfillment through a unique challenge. Others are more practical and simply want to improve their home for reasons that range from comfort to improving the resale value.

Changing Search Volumes and Other Trends: What's Next?

Now you know about how search volumes and other trends changed thanks to COVID-19. But do you know who can help you market your business in this totally different landscape?

We specialize in site design, SEO, Google Ads marketing, social media marketing, and more. To see what we can do for your business, contact us today!