The competition is fierce in the B2B marketplace. Having the right B2B SEO strategy can be the difference between showing up at the top of organic search results or on page three.
According to BrightEdge Research, 68 percent of online time starts with a search. Busy decision-makers will not spend the time it takes to get to page three. This article will discuss formulating your B2B SEO strategy for success in the new year. So, what is B2B SEO?
The Crucial Distinction: B2B SEO vs. B2C SEO
SEO is the crux of all digital marketing, but how is it different between B2B and B2C companies? The primary difference is the objective. Both SEO strategies strive to result in purchases, but B2B buying is more complex.
There is a process that businesses follow before making purchases. They may have to get approval from several people, for instance. Many also require bids from more than one brand. B2B buying takes time.
For that reason, B2B SEO strategies place a greater emphasis on increasing brand presence and generating leads. The goal is to give your sales staff names to contact and convert.
B2C is geared more toward immediate buying. Consumers are more prone to impulse buying and tend to purchase quickly.
Why SEO Matters for B2B Businesses: Unpacking the Benefits
Effective SEO helps B2B businesses optimize their websites and content marketing to rank higher in search engine results. Why SEO is essential for B2B is that it gets the right people’s attention and steers them to your website.
A well-thought-out B2B SEO strategy enables companies to:
- Solve problems that might exist for their target audience
- Evaluate their sales cycles and the audience’s buying process
- Put the right information in front of the right person at the right time
- Track their marketing results
- Follow the trends and get ahead of the competition
Creating an SEO strategy can be time-consuming, but it will pay off.
Crafting a Winning B2B SEO Strategy: Step-by-Step
A successful SEO strategy starts with understanding your target audience. Creating buyer personas will help the team understand what drives the decision-making process.
Focus on the sales funnel
Look at SEO statistics that help you better understand the sales funnel associated with your products. You may need to take a deep dive into the sales and marketing data. Look at:
- Crucial touchpoints
- Customer lifetime values
- Average customer retention
- Average time to purchase
- Bounce rates
Analyzing your website traffic data can provide insight into the sales funnel.
Do keyword research
Use everything you’ve learned from the personas and data analysis to build a list of critical keywords. Apps like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool and Google Analytics can help you discover which keywords your audience uses in searches.
Develop topic clusters based on major keywords
Topic clusters are pages that revolve around central themes. They start with a pillar page. The pillar page includes links to cluster pages. This process enables you to build keyword-rich pages that improve your SEO.
Optimize your website pages
At least once each year, do an SEO audit of all your online pages. This will help you stay ahead of the trends and fix non-performing marketing assets.
Build a content marketing strategy
If you don’t have a content marketing strategy, now is the time. Build budget-friendly content around the keywords, and find ways to put it in front of your potential buyers. Some examples of beneficial content include:
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Webinars
- White papers
- Ebooks
- Case studies
- Newsletters
- Apps
These tools can establish your brand as an industry authority and increase your online presence. Use them to build backlinks that drive traffic to your website.
Navigating the Challenges: Common Issues in B2B SEO
B2B SEO can be challenging. Consider some of the common issues that businesses experience.
Poor keyword research
Keywords are the foundation upon which you build every other marketing asset, so you must get them right. Don’t rely on your knowledge or personal experience. Use tools that verify the keywords you choose are the most effective.
Lack of regular content
Content creation is how you make the most of those keywords. Post blog entries regularly. Use social media to its full extent. These are the things that keep your brand active online.
Ineffective link building
Link building is probably the biggest challenge. It is what builds trust and authority for your brand, though, so make the effort. Add links to your content, and contact vendors or industry publications about doing guest blog posts.
Not testing the website pages
People on the internet have little patience for poorly loaded pages, dead links, or difficult navigation. To ensure everything is working at its peak, run tests on your webpages several times each year.
Future Trends: What’s on the Horizon for B2B SEO?
What does B2B SEO look like for 2024? Here is a glimpse into the new year.
Voice search becomes pivotal
The use of voice search will continue to grow, even in the B2B market. Add conversational keywords to your list to compensate for it.
Also, try to align them with natural speech patterns. For instance, you might create an FAQ section or Q&A with industry influencers or company stakeholders. Implement schema markup for these sections as well.
Quality content continues to be a sticking point
Search engines don’t just look for content; they seek quality information. This has been the trend for several years and will continue to be critical in 2024.
Make user experience a priority
This is another trend that continues in the new year. Websites must be responsive, adaptive, easy to use, and engaging.
One way to add quality content and customer engagement to your pages is to use WriterAccess. It can help you scale up your content production. Get a 14-day WriterAccess trial today to see how it can improve your B2B SEO strategy.
