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Rapid response during Covid using Google trends and SEM rush

In March 2020, as “COVID symptoms” and “testing near me” searches surged overnight, a leading hospital‑acute‑care pharmaceutical client needed to pivot its demand‑planning and digital outreach—fast. By tapping real‑time search signals and launching agile forecasting, we ensured zero product shortages globally while delivering highly relevant COVID‑focused content within 24 hours.

Image by Martin Sanchez

Background

Traditional demand‑planning models rely on historical sales and seasonal patterns, but the onset of COVID‑19 upended every assumption. In early March 2020, search queries for key symptoms and local testing spiked dramatically, signaling a shift in patient behavior and imminent pressure on hospital supplies. Our client faced the urgent challenge of identifying and forecasting emerging demand for COVID‑related emergency‑care products with both speed and accuracy 

 

Challenge & Goal

  • Challenge: Overnight surges in public search behavior—and rapidly evolving regional caseloads—made it impossible to rely on past data. The client needed to pivot from elective‑procedure messaging to COVID‑focused guidance and reallocate inventory under tight regulatory scrutiny.

  • Goal:

    • Detect emerging symptom and testing‑related signals in real time.

    • Develop and publish targeted COVID‑information assets within 24 hours.

    • Maintain a 0 % shortage rate for critical hospital‑care products worldwide.
       

Our Approach

  1. Signal Detection (Google Trends): Configured alerts and visual dashboards for high‑priority queries such as “loss of taste” and “COVID testing near me,” surfacing regional spikes within hours of outbreak news.

  2. Keyword Prioritization (SEMrush): Performed weekly SEMrush audits to identify top‑volume, low‑difficulty COVID keywords across organic and paid channels, enabling geotargeted content and ad buys.

  3. Real‑Time Monitoring (Google Analytics): Built hourly dashboards tracking pageviews, click‑through rates, and conversion metrics for newly launched COVID pages—allowing on‑the‑fly adjustments to budget and messaging.

  4. Rapid Forecasting: Applied a hybrid forecasting model combining epidemiology‑based trend analysis with time‑series ML to translate search‑volume signals into daily demand estimates, feeding directly into the client’s supply‑planning system.

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Results & Impact

  • Zero Stockouts: Achieved 0 % product shortages globally, ensuring uninterrupted supply of critical hospital‑care items.

  • Content Pivot: Published 12 new COVID‑focused articles and 5 “quick‑guide” pages within 24 hours of initial signals.

  • Engagement Uptick: Searches for “loss of taste COVID” jumped +350 % (Mar 8–15, U.S.) and “COVID testing near me” rose +600 % in key metro areas beginning Mar 20

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