SEO ranking for B2B customers
Companies not only want to attract B2C customers, B2B customers are also a popular target group for which a company wants to be visible. But SEO couldn’t be more different depending on the target group – especially when it comes to keywords and SEO texts. It is important to internalize and know how search engine optimization is implemented in the business-to-business sector. This guide serves as orientation to help you reach your target group perfectly with specific SEO measures.
This is SEO
Search engine optimization refers to special measures that have a positive effect on the search engine algorithm. This achieves a high ranking in the organic search results and correspondingly more visibility/traffic. While this is the main goal of SEO optimization, compared to SEO it is a long-term and free measure for the search engine (no CPC). The traffic generated by these measures will also generate leads, which account for a large proportion of e-commerce sales.
These are just some of the many measures that an SEO expert/an SEO agency carries out:
- Web design
- Create unique content
- Analysis (competition, keywords, PageSpeed)
- Keyword research, keyword mapping
- Link hierarchies, structures
- Set backlinks (various links)
- Title tags and meta descriptions
- mobile SEO (keyword: responsive design)
- and much more!
The differences
SEO is an important marketing strategy – also for B2B customers. However, they can be reached on a different level than B2C customers. What are the key differences when it comes to organic search?
Keywords: The search volume of keywords for B2C customers is significantly higher than in B2B SEO.
Competition: On the other hand, competition in the B2C sector is much higher, which is definitely an advantage for B2B SEO.
E-commerce: There are also many more online stores that are designed for B2C customers.
Content: On the other hand – and this is an important point – special and specific content is needed to successfully reach B2B customers with SEO.
Define B2B keywords
As already mentioned, the search volume in the B2B sector is significantly lower when it comes to keywords. Conversely, this does not mean that it is any less relevant. On the contrary. A good SEO takes advantage of this fact by determining the search intention and conducting extensive keyword analyses to compile the ideal search terms and include them in the strategic optimization. After all, it doesn’t mean that less competition is no competition. Using WDF*IDF analyses, you can take a close look at your competitors’ keywords and decide for yourself which search terms are ideal for ranking in organic search.
Long-tail keywords are particularly recommended, as they cover specific and more complex search intentions better than short-tail keywords. These keywords are much more recommended as secondary keywords to support the main keyword and to adapt them semantically.
If you then integrate these keywords into the corresponding headings (H1, H2, H3 etc.) and also include them in the content, as well as the meta tag and title tag, you have not only optimally determined your keywords, but also created a basic foundation for further SEO measures.
Create B2B content
Both the search queries and the content on your website must be implemented differently for B2B customers than for B2C customers. There is one point in particular where the consumer differs from the business customer. If you want to reach a B2C target group, you know that a purchase impulse is triggered by emotional content and ultimately leads to action or a purchase. This usually involves just one person. A business customer is subject to a more rational intention. If you want to make a purchase for your company, you have usually thought about it for a long time, informed yourself extensively, checked your budget and much more. In most cases, there is an organizational team behind it that has agreed on the purchase decision. The customer does not necessarily want to be emotionally stimulated to buy. It is more important to explain why your product/service is the best decision compared to the competition. This must be clearly written and communicated in the content.
If you would like more detailed information about what an SEO text is and which factors are important, we recommend this article. Because content itself is a very complex and in-depth topic.
But to what extent can a B2B customer be optimally reached and convinced of the product/service?
In a nutshell: Put yourself in the role of a B2B customer. You enter your keyword into the search engine and end up on a website with an eternally long text about the product you are looking for. In most cases, a product should be acquired as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is good content if the text provides all the important information about the product/service in short and concise sentences. With a rational search intention, the customer wants to know what the core characteristics of your offer are and what makes you stand out.
Specialist knowledge: A B2B customer is expected to be knowledgeable in their field and the associated services. It will provide important added value for him if he can filter out from your content what specific details characterize your offer. So you are not necessarily addressing a layperson. For example, does your product have the very latest technology and consist of a grandiose innovation? Mention this.
Service integration: Questions may well arise about your product/service. These questions are best answered as quickly as possible, which is why it is advisable to integrate live chats or similar forms that allow customers to contact a service employee without obligation.
Videos, blogs, newsletters: Nothing emphasizes better how unique your offer is when you present it in a beautiful presentation. This can be a video that shows the many facets and functions, for example, or blog posts with exciting topics in this regard, as well as newsletters that bring the customer up to date on the latest developments.
Regular customer offers: If you want to win customer loyalty, you have to offer your customers a special feeling. Added value. These can be special insights or discounts.
Don’t forget that B2B customers are often dealing with high investment sums or long-term contractual commitments. If a product does not fit, this can lead to serious losses. A customer wants to be given the impression of security, which is best achieved through informative content. For example, via technical reports or videos that explain the use/maintenance of a product in more detail. Any form of clarification helps the customer to build trust in you. To further strengthen this trust, you can present a direct contact person with the product/service who will take care of all specific concerns. After all, you are not usually convincing a single customer, behind a B2B customer there is the sales department, controlling and even the management – you need to convince them all with relevant content.
Conclusion
B2B SEO is a complex topic in itself, with an equally complex target group. This is more than ever about long-term search engine optimization. Only the best optimized content will ensure that your website ranks well and generates the desired leads in the long term. If you understand what is important when it comes to keywords and content, you have already taken a huge step. But B2B SEO is not just about creating specific content or filtering out important terms and words that serve as keywords.
For example, do you know what and how essential alt tags are? How does the HTML structure have to look so that the crawler of a search engine can capture it? Dos and don’ts of SEO? Good search engine optimization is only effective if all areas function optimally and have been implemented. This can be time-consuming and cost a lot of resources. That is why it is always a safe decision to entrust yourself to an SEO agency or an SEO expert who will share their knowledge with you and optimize according to your wishes.
Don’t leave search engine rankings to chance and benefit from the advantages of quality search engine optimization in the long term.