It's no secret to digital marketers that SEO is critical to gaining online visibility.
People regularly use search engines like Google to find the products they're looking for, and the higher the ranking of your website on results pages, the higher the chance you'll be able to convert more sales.
We know SEO can be effective in B2C, but is it that important when trying to generate B2B leads? Considering that 71% of B2B researchers begin brand research using generic search, the answer is clear.
SEO can be highly valuable when trying to not only help other businesses find you online but also establish more authority and credibility for your brand.
Although the SEO process can take time, you can follow some easy steps to start and launch your own B2B SEO campaign.
1. Identify Your Ideal Customer Persona
Before attracting more B2B customers to your products or services, you first need to identify who those customers are.
Chances are, not all businesses or their procurement teams place the same value on your offerings—which is why it's important to speak more directly to those who do.
Think about your ideal customer persona, whether purchasing managers, directors, or members of the C-suite. Consider their familiarity with various industry concepts, or their primary pain points, which they're probably looking to address.
Also consider where they go to source their information. Do they frequently connect with other brands on LinkedIn or other professional sites? Maybe they engage with brands on industry-specific forums instead. Use those various platforms to learn more about what questions they're asking or the problems they're researching.
2. Use Effective Keyword Research Techniques
Like consumers, B2B audiences also use relevant search terms and phrases to find what they're looking for. It's therefore important to conduct thorough keyword research to identify those terms and incorporate them into your campaign.
There is no better place to start your keyword analysis than Google itself. You can research Google Search's autocomplete feature to help find related terms surrounding a keyword or topic. You can also use Google's Keyword Planner tool to help create large clusters of semantic keywords you can start targeting.
Other tools, such as Answer the Public, are also invaluable when planning your content strategy. By just entering a few keywords, you can generate a large volume of frequently asked questions that can help you fine-tune your keyword strategy.
3. Design Your Content With Purpose
Although there are numerous elements in a successful B2B SEO strategy, the content you create is by far one of the most important. It not only helps you to rank for more keywords on search engines but also constitutes the first impression that potential buyers will get when researching your brand.
Accordingly, the content you create should be purposeful and formatted to showcase both your expertise in the industry and your overall professionalism. Although there is nothing wrong with having a good mix of some self-promoting content, you'll also want to showcase your thought leadership by providing informative and unique content designed to help answer common questions about various industry topics.
Having a balanced approach when generating content helps you to create an impactful and effective lead funnel.
4. Create an Optimal Landing Page
The landing pages you create are a critical starting point of your buyer's journey. Even though these pages rarely will lead to conversion out of the gate, if formatted correctly they can be a major stepping stone for buyers in deciding whether to look into your brand further.
Every supporting advertisement, social media post, or email you send should also complement the information you're listing on your landing pages. Consistency in your message is critical to help increase your trust factor.
To further buttress your credibility, you can also look for ways to incorporate customer testimonials into your content—a great way to give potential customers more peace of mind and help them progress through your sales funnel.
5. Incorporate B2B SEO Fundamentals
With the right foundation in place, you can start incorporating other foundation elements of your B2B SEO campaign.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is a critical element of fine-tuning your website so that it resonates with your ideal customer profiles. By optimizing your content with the words and phrases potential buyers use in their searches, you signal to Google that you're a reliable source of information and worth ranking higher on results pages.
An effective on-page optimization strategy involves integrating relevant keywords (both general and specific), creating clear and specific internal links, using keywords strategically in page titles and headings, optimizing image descriptions (alt-text), and creating helpful meta titles and descriptions that attract more clicks in search results.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is all about building your brand's reputation and influence outside your website. It essentially helps you generate more organic word-of-mouth (WOM).
To garner WOM and more reference links from other sites, focus on maintaining an active social media presence, engaging in digital PR efforts, participating in podcasts, or even collaborating with influencers. All those activities help to demonstrate your authority and expertise to search engines.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website that impact how search engines view and interact with it.
That includes factors such as page-load speed, sitemaps, security settings (SSL), user-friendly navigation (breadcrumb menus), and making it easier for search engines to index the site. It also involves optimizing your site for mobile users, fixing broken links, and ensuring optimal web server performance.
Start Building Your B2B SEO Strategy Today
Creating a B2B SEO strategy is critical for modern businesses looking to create more visibility for their brand while differentiating themselves from the competition.
By following these basic steps, you'll be able to create a winning SEO strategy that increases your conversion rates and brings you more leads.
More Resources on B2B SEO Strategy
The Difference Between B2B and B2C SEO (Yes, It Matters)
The Top Three B2B SEO Recommendations to Consider
