How SEO Will Boost Your B2B Sales Funnel

All marketers are familiar with the sales funnel, but not all of them realize just how useful it can be in both tracking buyer behavior and developing marketing strategies to meet the needs of your specific audience. The sales funnel follows largely the same order and design for both B2C and B2B companies but there are unique characteristics that apply depending on your sales structure. Today’s consumers increasingly complete their entire buying journey online while business deals are usually finalized in person. However, B2B SEO strategy in Boston can still help in every stage of the sales funnel. 

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Why Is SEO Important for B2B Companies?

There is a school of thought that search engine optimization (SEO) is only relevant for companies that directly serve consumers, but this argument does not make much sense. In reality, business buyers complete an extensive amount of research from the very beginning of their purchasing process, and much of this is done online. With an increasing number of B2B buyers under the age of 35, it is no surprise that remote interactions are preferable whenever possible. This trend has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Organic search is the best way to get your brand in front of the people who need it most, and a good B2B SEO strategy does just that. 

SEO Best Practices for B2B Brands In Boston

The rules of SEO are similar for B2C and B2B brands, with some slight variation in practice. Keep these top principles in mind when creating your B2B SEO strategy:

Keywords

Where B2C relies on high-volume keywords, B2B keywords should be relevant and focused on conversions. Because of the long research process involved in B2B buying,top-of-the-funnel keywords are most effective. Make sure your keywords are relevant to what your company offers, and not just what people are searching for, or you will end up with low-quality leads that are unlikely to convert. 

Content

In B2B marketing, quality is always more important than quantity. Any content created should be thoughtful and respond to user intent. Business buyers may use search engines to find a particular site or brand, gather more information about what they need, compare and contrast different offerings, or find the best prices and sites to make their final purchase. Intent depends on where in the sales funnel your audience is, and your content should consider this. Content can also be used to establish your brand as an industry leader and improve brand reputation. 

Tracking Progress

ROI is particularly important in B2B SEO strategy. Keep an eye on your campaigns and use analytic tools to track your progress. If something is not working, find out why as soon as possible so you can alter your strategy. Google has tools that can track conversions, new backlinks, SERP ranking, click-through rate, page speed, and more

Keep An Eye On The Competition

There are reasons for the success of your biggest competitors. Research what is working for the competition and apply it to your campaigns if relevant. Find ways to capitalize on their efforts, but beware that they can use the same strategy!

B2B SEO Strategy In The Sales Funnel

For SEO to result in conversions and increased revenue, a good strategy needs to exist. Consider how SEO plays a role in the different stages of the sales funnel, from top to bottom:

Awareness and Attention

At this stage, the buyer is simply becoming aware that your company exists and discovering how your products and services meet their particular needs. The case for SEO here is fairly obvious, as improved online visibility is its first and most important objective. Since most internet users click on the first results they see, it is important to consider your position on the search engine results page (SERP). At this initial stage, generic keywords and linking help online researchers move further down the funnel. 

Interest

Now that buyers know that your company is providing relevant services in their area, it is time to prove your worth. This is where more specific brand keywords come in handy, to draw buyers in and help them find out why your company is an industry leader. Be vigilant of competitors using your SEO efforts to drive business to their sites. It is also helpful at the interest stage to link to website content such as video and blog posts on your social media channels for consistency.

Desire

At this stage of the sales funnel, your potential buyer is researching several companies to see which can best meet their needs. High-quality content that has been optimized for search engines establishes your brand as an industry expert. Customer reviews, comments, and other user-generated content can be analyzed in Google and may improve SERP ranking. You can also use your social media accounts to encourage customers to review your brand on Google My Business.

Action

As those buyers get ready to make their final purchasing decisions, SEO comes in handy once again. Here, accessibility and user experience come into play. Slow or glitchy websites cause users to disengage with your brand and abandon carts, instead of buying from your competitors. If links do not work, it will affect SEO rankings. Your content should include clear calls to action and links to your social media pages and other content to enhance engagement and increase purchasing.

Loyalty

This stage at the end of the sales funnel is particularly important for B2B brands. Because business buyers put a lot of effort into their initial research and buying journey, they tend to continue to purchase from the same company unless something happens to change their minds. Indeed, in the B2B world, it is more cost-effective to nurture existing customer relationships than to hunt for new buyers. Satisfied business customers are also likely to refer your company to their colleagues and other members of their social and business networks, making for free advertising. Remarkable content makes it easy for your customers to share their experiences with others. 

Get in Touch With Boston’s Top B2B SEO Company

Developing an effective B2B SEO strategy is important yet complicated. Reach out to GoingClear for help applying industry best practices to your digital marketing campaigns in Boston.