It’s no secret. The RV industry, like other outdoor recreational industries, has seen an increase in interest and popularity in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The search frequency of RV-related keywords is up.
Taking a look at Google Trends – a search trends feature that analyzes how frequently a search term is entered into Google’s search bar over a selected period of time – we can see that the sharp increase in search frequency for “rv for sale” in recent months compared to the data over the last 15 years is right on target for the rise in sales and interest in purchasing an RV dealerships are experiencing this camping season.
The media is saturated with coverage of the RV industry.
Following the initial declaration of the worldwide pandemic, we began seeing the RV industry pop into media coverage through April and May as people were discovering that RV rentals and/or RV vacations would be the way to travel this summer. A lot of the media coverage addressed the rise in sales and surge in rentals with titles like “Get Ready for the Summer of the RV.”
We’ve continued to see media coverage for the RV industry throughout these summer months as the conversation has switched from the idea of traveling by RV for summer vacation to the reality of the RV industry booming this summer; along with, how to make the most out of your RV vacation experience.
The state of your website and digital presence is more important than ever for your RV dealership.
With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are looking to the internet more than ever. They are spending more time at home, browsing the internet, shopping online, scrolling social media, etc. In the same sense, it can be more important than ever for your dealership’s website and digital marketing efforts to prove as a reliable, consistent source of information pertaining to your response to COVID-19 and how it has affected your business operations.
Consider taking some of the following steps within your digital marketing plan that will not only work in the best interest of your dealership, but also that of your customers:
- Closely monitor the search interest and behavior of the visitors on your site. Take a look at what visitors are coming to your site looking for, and then work to expand your site’s impressions by creating new content around those particular products or services.
- Develop more video and YouTube content. With more people at home viewing YouTube and other streaming services, consider developing more video content.
Tip: If you are wondering what type of content you should be developing or just even looking for a direction to get started, this is where you can use your insights you found from the search interest and behavior of your site.
- Create and dedicate a page on your site to your dealership’s response to COVID-19 and how you are working to best still serve customers. This will allow for a customer who comes into your site to easily know what is going on at your dealership, how you’ve adjusted to COVID-19 and see what you have to offer.
- Keep your business information accurate and up-to-date across all platforms. Local search remains crucial. With some businesses closed and people unable to travel fair, we continue to see a rise in searches including geo-based keywords such as “near me.” You want to make sure that you are communicating any changes to regular business operations with your customers, while also continuing to share your message and branding. One of the largest local search signals comes from Google My Business, so we always encourage that you maintain and optimize your GMB account.
