Covid Trends: Spike in Hardware Store Searches

Uncertainty over store openings and services pushed customers to hunt for information online like never before in 2020. We focus on the hardware shop industry, utilising PinMeTo data to demonstrate the need of good listing management during Covid - and after.

When People are Uncertain, They Search

When Scandinavian regions began to limit store capacity and many people began to work from home, there was a substantial increase in searches in early March.

We don’t know why these people were looking for hardware businesses, but it’s possible that newly homebound folks were attempting to set up their home offices, or that they now had the time at home to complete hardware jobs that they’d been putting off.

Because these locations were handled using PinMeTo’s Listings, their managers were able to respond swiftly to changing rules, making it easier to keep the information accurate - which helped maximise their visibility in search engine results.

Covid Speeded up the Adoption of Digital, but It’s Here to Stay

“Covid has changed consumer behavior. The businesses that are thriving during Covid are the ones that have adapted… Those changes in behavior are going to stay.” – Greg Gifford, local SEO expert, on PinMeTo’s Let’s Talk Local podcast

See the full interview

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