SEO Tips for Reopening After Lockdown, Plus Content Strategy Advice (2020)

No one knows yet what life “after COVID-19” will look like, or how the recovery will unfold. But to give yourself every chance, here are a few SEO tips for reopening, along with advice on content writing. They can help your business bounce back after a period of global slowdown and win back the attention of online searchers. (For the lockdown period itself, see our COVID-19 marketing strategies.)

Focus on Backlink Quality

COVID-19 has caused a great deal of financial damage, and it will be felt from the end of the summer onward. We can expect a rise in poor SEO practices from newcomers rushing online without the know-how. That makes it more important than ever to earn quality backlinks: unique content, no duplication, clean writing, flawless spelling, and so on.

Keep Applying Sound Content Strategies

The post-lockdown period will be a real challenge for most businesses. It’s essential to sharpen your understanding of what prospects need, then answer those needs clearly or offer a specific service that matches the demand exactly. Our SEO content writing tips can help you turn those answers into pages that rank.

Communication Comes First as Businesses Reopen

People need to feel safe and reassured. You have to communicate with complete transparency: delivery times and fees, stock availability, restocking dates, opening hours, health and safety standards, and more.

Keep communicating about the safety measures your staff follow, such as masks and social distancing, and the precautions taken across your business.

Answer Frequently Asked Questions

If the same questions about the current situation keep coming up, whether through customer service, specific requests, or other channels, write a dedicated FAQ. Prospects and customers will feel reassured, and it will have a positive impact on your brand image.

Work on Your Internal Linking

Internal linking is a very effective SEO technique. In these unprecedented times, optimize your site’s internal links to strengthen the connections between your pages. And remember to review your keywords regularly to spot new trends.

Update Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Don’t hesitate to revisit your title tags and meta descriptions (keeping in mind that Google often rewrites meta descriptions): add relevant, reassuring information about the current situation (safety measures, temporary hours, delivery, and so on).

Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Once again, communication is key. Use this time to fine-tune the information on your company’s Google My Business listing. Add details about your hours during this period and the safety measures you have in place.

Need help adapting your SEO and content to a fast-changing situation? Référenceur is a French-speaking SEO agency from Belgium and Luxembourg that works with U.S. businesses remotely, through video calls and shared screens. Get a free assessment.

Where Things Stand in 2026

Google My Business was renamed Google Business Profile in November 2021. Keeping its hours, services, and updates current is still one of the simplest local SEO wins, as our Google local SEO guide explains.