As the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Google has developed a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Updates page for businesses that are learning to adapt. This excellent resource is a series of checklists and guides that help companies adjust their digital presence so they provide clear information to consumers, and adjust advertising efforts based on timely discoveries. Here is a quick rundown of the business assessment tools Google has provided to help your company adapt to the coronavirus crisis.
Search
Here you will find guidance on how to run Search campaigns. Google offers advice on language to avoid, proactively communicating necessary changes, and instructions on how to pause ads for services that you cannot currently offer.
If you’re looking for a way to adapt your message or pivot your focus to a new audience, Google includes links to Google Trends and Google Alerts that help you stay on top of local conditions.
Display
If your company uses Display ads to engage customers, here you’ll find all the tools you need to manage their use and frequency as the pandemic situation changes in your area. There are tools to control what time of day ads appear and to monitor their performance if you’re fine tuning things.
You can also find extensive Google audience insight tools here. With consumer habits changing from week to week, these tools help your business make smart changes and increase the effectiveness of your advertising.
Discovery
With more and more consumers spending increased amounts of time at home and on their devices, Discovery ads that appear in personalized feeds are a great way to reach customers. Here you’ll find advice on how to automate these campaigns appropriately.
Included are campaign budget resources, location targeting tools, and even machine learning-powered conversion features. In addition, a creative asset guide helps improve ad structure and drive better results.
Apps
App use has increased over 20% during the first quarter of 2020 and will continue to rise. App developers are offering resources to help their customers in this checklist.
Included are tools that send relevant information to app users, as well as asset collections and themes for food delivery apps, which may be relevant to restaurant owners. Tools to reconnect with lost users are also featured.
Video
YouTube ads are a vital tool to reach customers who are streaming content while at home. YouTube has the greatest number of viewing hours among ad-supported streaming services, and here you’ll find advice on how to take advantage of that market.
Conversion trackers help gauge campaign effectiveness, and brand lift surveys measure how your company’s image is holding up. There is also a video experiment section that offers insight into how new advertising approaches are landing with audiences.
Search Ads 360
Google's Search Ads 360 program helps enterprise organizations run cross-platform advertising campaigns. If your company is engaged in a program such as this, it's vital that the messaging is sensitive to a large community's needs, and Google offers messaging advice to achieve this.
There are tools included that help automate bid strategies to get new ads into the marketplaces they need to be in. You can also find budget management features to plan and pace the resources you're investing in your advertising.
Display & Video 360
Like Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360 helps marketers transmit video advertisements across various platforms, including traditional television channels. This checklist has advice on how to structure content for these mediums.
One of the most significant options included here are category exclusion tools. These help filter out content that may be unwelcome by groups affected by the COVID-19 situation. There are also bulk tag wrappers to include if you're distributing content across many different services at once.
Measurement
Assessing new customer behavior during this unprecedented period is more important than ever. Here you will find data-driven attribution reports and modeling to help you understand the paths that different individuals take to complete the conversion process.
You will also find resources to help you visualize how the new environment is affecting business trends. Links to Google Data Studios and curated marketing templates are included to help re-allocate marketing budgets to the most successful campaigns.
Local
This section contains all of the tools you’ll need to prepare for dynamic shifts in local marketing efforts. One of the most important inclusions here is the “Business Profile on Google” section, which lets you adjust hours or announce reopening with ease.
Customers are looking for real-time updates for business changes, this is perhaps the most essential place they will go to find that information, especially for retail and small business operations.
Retail
In addition to the “Business Profile on Google” tools, this section helps retail owners keep stock of inventory as demands change due to business closures and pandemic restrictions. Business owners can specify pick-up procedures, and Auction Insights help owners understand how industry dynamics are changing.
There are also tools that will update customers automatically on the availability of items. “Estimated delivery time” tools keep customers informed on the status of items they ordered.
Mobile Gaming
Interest in mobile gaming has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 crisis. This section offers game developers tools to build interest in their products or re-engage users who may now have more time for their product.
This section includes advice on how to align your company’s creative strategies with player interest. Many users are looking for new ways to interact with friends while social distancing, and online gaming is both a fun and practical solution.
Hotel
The hospitality and travel industry has been forced to reckon with difficult challenges during this period. These tools help hotel businesses inform travelers of modified business hours and closures, in addition to providing Google Forms, which can answer inquiries on cancellations, travel insurance and refunds.
Access to tools for video meetings, email lists and chat rooms are also provided to keep in contact with staff that may be hard to reach.
Food and Beverage 
Restaurants are being forced to change how they serve customers. Google provides restaurant owners with new options to specify takeout, delivery, and curbside pickup options.
This page introduces Google's new delivery application, The Ordering.app. This customer online ordering site helps restaurant owners avoid fees charged by delivery services.
Google Trends
Last, a portal to review the comprehensive Google Trends tools is offered. These analytics are vital for marketers to understand how consumers are modifying their behavior and search patterns.
Detailed instructions for performing effective Google Trends diagnostics are available at local, national, and global levels.
While the COVID-19 crisis has changed the landscape of many different businesses, Google's Coronavirus resources page offers a lot to help you serve your clients. Spend some time with these tools to find new ways to continue to engage your core audience and reach new ones.
