B2B SEO is one of the most effective and proven techniques for attracting new customers and growing your business revenue. However, many B2B companies these days give up on SEO too soon because they feel it’s highly competitive and time consuming.
None of that is true.
There are several misconceptions and myths about B2B SEO, particularly surrounding the purpose and technicalities. Before you shy away from SEO, you should understand at least the basics of it.
B2B SEO — An Overview
In case you don't know it, SEO stands for search engine optimization. Simply put, it's a method of getting your website (and web pages) to show up in search engine results.
SEO is not a secret method to tweak the search engine’s algorithm to boost your ranking. B2B SEO comprises a variety of optimizations (content, site structure, images, internal links, external links, and so on) to align your website better with the search engine’s standards. After all, the mission of search engines (e.g., Google) is organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful. So the more accessible and useful your B2B website and content is, the better your search engine ranking will be.
Types of B2B SEO
There are three types of B2B SEO techniques that can be used to improve the search engine page rank (SERP) of your B2B company. These include:
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Technical SEO
Here's a look at each in a little more detail.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is a collection of all factors that help in making a particular page rank. The most critical factor of on-page SEO is your content. (It is also known as “content SEO.”) So, when you are talking about top-ranking keywords, headlines, meta-titles, meta-descriptions, readability, engagement, and so on, you are talking about on-page SEO.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is everything that doesn’t happen directly on your website. Off-page SEO is more about utilizing link building (backlinks from other sites), social media, and other promotional methods beyond your website’s content and design to help your site rank higher in the search results.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves technical aspects of your website, such as if it's a mobile-friendly website, whether you have SSL certificates, and how your website is structured.
B2B SEO can get somewhat confusing at times with different types of SEO overlapping. For example, the time taken by a web page to load can affect the search engine ranking of your website — that’s both on-page and technical SEO. So you have to keep in mind the relationship between the different types of SEO when you are examining how to improve your ranking.
How are B2B and B2C SEO Different?
There’s a world of difference between B2B and B2C SEO. Even though the same basic principles apply, B2B SEO is more about reaching multiple decision makers. For example, if your B2B SaaS company is selling an online reputation management (ORM) tool, your target audience will include:
- A CMO searching for an ORM software
- An ORM manager searching for keywords related to online reputation
- An startup founder looking for ORM tools
Not only this, but B2B SEO relies on low-volume keywords as opposed to high-volume keywords used in B2C SEO. Every month, there are over 50,000 searches for “water heaters” but only about 15-20 for “HVAC automation system.” This is why a B2B SEO strategy should account for low-volume, high-value keywords.
Lastly, B2B SEO stresses the importance of branding and thought leadership. Since B2B search engine audiences are less likely to convert immediately, you need to establish your B2B brand in your audiences’ memory to compel them to consider and ultimately buy your products/services.
How to Get Started With a B2B SEO Strategy
Now that you know the basics of B2B SEO, it’s time to start thinking about building an effective B2B SEO strategy.
B2B SEO revolves around three key questions:
- What are your audiences looking for?
- How will you provide them with what they are looking for?
- How will you convince search engines that you are providing your audiences with what they are looking for?
We’ll help you with a quick step-by-step SEO guide for your B2B company. There’s no chance SEO will get overly complicated if you keep it simple.
Want to learn more about B2B SEO? Contact us today!
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