How do I make this interesting?
As an SEO practitioner in the area of B2B online marketing, I ask myself this question regularly. Generally speaking, the optimization of B2B websites is far less glamorous than its flashy counterpart, business to consumer (B2C). B2B sites involve an understanding of products and materials, typically only relevant to a segmented market – not exactly conducive to a standard SEO campaign focused on driving up traffic.
While B2B SEO is different, I have found that it’s nothing to shy away from. The fundamentals of SEO are still inherent in each project. The nature of B2B even allows some freedom with copywriting and keywords that B2B SEOers should not shy away from.
B2B: Think Different
B2B websites fall into a different sector of online marketing. Search volume is typically lower and brand interaction is not an everyday concern like it is with many B2C companies. But the challenge still remains: How do you get more organic traffic to a B2B website?
Copywriting
The key to any SEO campaign is traffic-driving content and that’s what I focus on with any B2B campaign. Many B2C sites achieve this by installing a blog, but with B2B, think outside the box! Case studies, online demos, press releases, webinars, whitepapers, videos, newsletters, PDF articles…Adding this kind of fresh, insightful content to your B2B website not only makes the site more interesting (and more likely to draw links), but also presents search engine spiders more to gobble up and index for keyword searches.
Blogs still have a place in B2B projects, but in order to be successful they must fit client goals and achieve a sense of authority in your area. Many B2B industries are complicated, dealing with topics that take years of formal education to master, therefore it’s important (albeit difficult) to find a blogger with the right tone, knowledgeability and skill set to handle a B2B blog. If a blog isn’t in your client’s best interest, a strong social media presence can help SEO efforts.
Nuts and Bolts
Don’t skimp on the details. Whereas B2C copy needs to be concise and direct, B2B writers can expand on their thoughts a bit more, explaining their complex products, leaving valuable opportunity for keyword placement.
In addition to expanded copy, here are a few KPI’s to keep in mind for your next B2B SEO project
- Keyword traffic and the source
- Branded keyword traffic compared to non-branded
- Example: “Computer” vs. “Mac Computer”
- Popular pages and indexation patterns
- Inbound links and traffic earned
