B2B SEO Keyword Research Tips
Writing by Brick Marketing in Keyword Research
Before starting any kind of search engine optimization, it’s important to conduct keyword research for every page of a B2B website. The search engines rank pages individually, so it’s important to focus on all pages, not just the homepage. Each page should target keywords that are most specific to the content on that page. Targeting the same keywords on every page can result in lots of missed opportunities. Since B2B and B2C SEO are slightly different, here are six B2B specific keyword research tips:
Have an Open Mind
No matter how long you’ve been in business or how well you think you know your audience, keyword research is still necessary. Don’t assume that you know how all prospective clients or customers are searching. The proof is in the numbers. As long as a keyword or keyword phrase is relevant and has a significant search volume, you should consider it.
Avoid Too Much Industry Jargon
While the keywords of a B2B SEO campaign are often more technical than those of a B2C campaign, you don’t want to go overboard. The goal of an SEO campaign is to attract new website visitors that may be in need of your product or service, but may not know or understand all of the terminology. This doesn’t mean that the keywords should be “dumbed down”, just be aware of all of your target audience members’ needs.
Consider the Sales Cycle
The buying cycle in the B2B sector is typically much longer than that of the B2C sector, so it’s important to include keywords that attract an audience at different parts of the cycle for both informational and transactional search. B2B products and services are typically more expensive and involve a bigger commitment, so it’s important to establish trust over time.
Check out the Competition
Don’t copy your competitors’ strategy and target the same keywords that they are using. There’s a good chance that they didn’t do their research and aren’t even targeting the right ones! Instead, use this information to find new opportunities and target some long tail keywords that have search volume that they have ignored.
Check Analytics
What search terms are already generating traffic to your site? This will show how the search engines perceive your business and site. Is it an accurate portrayal? If yes, consider targeting those keywords. If not, you have a fair amount of optimization work ahead of you.
