When the economy takes a hit, most businesses hit the brakes on marketing. But if you’re in the business of staying visible, staying booked, and staying profitable, that might be the worst move you can make.
Because here’s the thing: SEO is one of the few marketing strategies that keeps working even when you’re not.
Let’s break down what actually happened during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic—and why smart businesses (especially in B2B and health/fitness spaces) didn’t just survive… they came out stronger.
History Doesn’t Lie: SEO Wins in a Downturn
During recessions, businesses that keep investing in marketing (especially SEO) tend to recover faster and capture more market share. According to OneBite, brands that maintained marketing output saw 3.5x more brand visibility than those who pulled back.
Want a famous example? In the Great Depression, Kellogg’s doubled its ad budget while Post cut theirs. Kellogg’s saw a 30% profit jump and took over the cereal aisle. Fast-forward to today? SEO is the modern-day version of that same strategy.
Why SEO Makes Sense When the Economy Doesn’t
Here’s what makes SEO a power move during tough times:
✔️ Cost-effective traffic: Inbound leads (like those from SEO-driven content) cost 62% less than outbound ones (Hubspot).
✔️ Organic > Paid: The top organic result on Google gets a 27.6% CTR, while the top paid ad sits at just 3.17% (Digital Hydra).
✔️ It compounds over time: Unlike ads that vanish when the budget dries up, SEO content keeps showing up—weeks, months, and even years later (WebFX).
✔️ Search behavior shifts—not stops: In recessions, people don’t disappear. They just Google different things. Think: “affordable workouts,” “low-cost therapy,” “budget-friendly supplements” (Oneupweb).
✔️ More people online = more eyes on your content: During COVID, internet traffic jumped 50% (WebFX), and guess what surged? Interest in SEO services (Search Engine Journal).
✔️ It’s more stable than other channels: While ad costs spike and social algorithms do their thing, search rankings stay fairly consistent once you earn them (WebFX).
For B2B Brands: SEO Is Your Digital Lifeline
B2B buying doesn’t stop in a downturn—it just moves online. And if your company isn’t showing up when people start researching? You’re not even in the running.
BrightEdge found that 76% of all trackable B2B traffic comes from search, and organic drives the majority of that (BrightEdge).
During the 2008 crisis, the B2B brands that leaned into content and SEO saw faster recoveries and stronger pipelines. Same thing happened during COVID—when events got canceled, budgets shifted into SEO. One study found that SEO budgets rose by 30% in 2021, with B2B companies leading the charge (Adam Audette).
And in 2023? 80% of CMOs at $1B+ companies said they were maintaining or increasing SEO budgets (The Creative Alliance).
For Health & Fitness Pros: SEO = Visibility, Authority, and Survival
Let’s talk about your world—wellness, fitness, and nutrition. These industries didn’t slow down during COVID. They pivoted.
Searches for “at-home workouts” and “immunity-boosting foods” exploded. And businesses that showed up in those searches? They thrived.
🏋️♀️ Case study: Prevail Fitness
Moved online, optimized for SEO, and saw a 604% increase in traffic and 10× web conversions, leading to a +214% ROI (M&P Creative).
🧘♀️ Case study: Local yoga studio
Paused marketing in 2020, came back to SEO in 2022, and saw traffic double in 45 days. Revenue returned to pre-pandemic levels within months (Creative).
These aren’t outliers—they’re proof that meeting your audience’s new needs with the right content = more leads and better conversions, even in chaos.
SEO vs. Other Channels
- Paid Ads: Great short-term, but cost per click adds up fast. The second you stop paying, you disappear.
- Email: High ROI—but only if you’re getting fresh leads. SEO feeds your list.
- Social Media: Cool for brand presence, but organic reach is ~5% and most content is gone in 24 hours.
- SEO? It’s the long game. Evergreen, compounding, and still the #1 traffic driver for most businesses (BrightEdge).
Oh—and a fun stat? SEO traffic delivers a +275% ROI, compared to -90% for social media in one case study (Profitworks).
SEO is the Recession-Proof Strategy You Can’t Ignore
When budgets tighten, strategy matters more than ever.
SEO is strategic. It’s scalable. And it builds trust in a way no Instagram post ever could.
So if you’re asking, “Should I invest in SEO during a recession?” here’s your answer: Only if you want to come out ahead.
