Publishers missing out on ad revenue hope to turn site visitors looking for COVID-19-related stories into longer-term readers to help bring in more advertising once the crisis ends, says Searchmetrics Senior Content Marketing Manager Stephen Bench-Capon.

The time from first website visits to purchases fell from 37 hours in February to 27 hours between March 22 and April 4, NetElixir data shows.

More than one in three small businesses -- at 37%, down from 40% in 2019 -- don't have a website, according to a recent survey.

For small businesses looking to cut costs due to COVID-19, SEO is an affordable strategy to improve online visibility and traffic, yet few use it, according to a recent study of more than 500 businesses.

Apple and Google announced Friday they will team up to build software in smartphones to alert people who recently came into contact with someone with COVID-19. The technology will use Bluetooth on phones to allow users who opt-in to tap into an app from health authorities.

Microsoft Advertising on Thursday introduced new conversion option settings related to reporting for Search and Audience Network campaigns.

Social distancing makes people want to hear more from brands willing to be sensitive, positive and kind. Hearing from brands they love is one constant consumers have these days.

Cuebiq now provides free access to data reflecting patterns in mobile and store visits to help businesses as they adjust strategies to meet a new and uncertain market. The data changes daily.

"The entire customer journey is changing" as new search terms and strategies emerge, yet SEO principles remain the same, says BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu.

Advanced bots make it easy to exploit platforms and spread disinformation about COVID-19. Fifty-eight percent of bots identified in February could mimic human behavior, a study released this week found.