Is SEO Important for B2B Marketers?
Your restaurant equipment supply company undoubtedly runs a website as part of its marketing efforts. The website probably utilizes search engine optimization (SEO) to maximize its website’s reach. But is your company’s B2B SEO strategy effectively targeting the right market?
If you did not know there is a difference between B2B SEO and B2C SEO, you should probably answer “no” to that question. If you answered “no,” you should read on to learn about the differences between the two. Then adopt a B2B SEO strategy for your restaurant equipment supply company.
What’s the Diff, You Ask?
From a technical standpoint, there are no differences between SEO for B2B and B2C. Google and other search engine companies do not use a distinct B2B algorithm for ranking purposes. SEO best practices apply in equal measure to both B2B and B2C. SEO is also equally important for each, with organic search driving more than 50% of website traffic to B2B and B2C websites.
Thus, the core elements of successful website optimization—
- Technical SEO
- On-Page SEO
- Off-Page SEO
- Well-written, relevant content
—should serve as the underpinning of your SEO strategy, whether for B2B or B2C.
The difference between the two lies within the target market. While B2C markets are generally broad-based, the B2B market consists of a few critical decision-makers within all targeted companies. For the B2B restaurant equipment supply industry, this means foodservice operators.
B2B SEO involves using focused keywords and other SEO best practices designed to precisely capture these key decision-makers. And we’re not just talking about slipping in some “restaurant equipment supply companies near me” style keywords. B2B SEO requires a much more refined approach and a deep-level understanding of the decision-makers.
B2B decision-makers tend to be exceptionally busy. With limited time to consider the sales-related messaging and content that confronts them every day. The more you know about your targeted decision-makers, the better you can craft relevant content designed to specifically address their needs.
Uncover Decision-Makers with a “Buyer Persona”
Effective B2B marketers develop a buyer persona to help them gain a deep-level understanding of their B2B market decision-makers. Based on the concept of “knowing your audience,” a buyer persona can help you craft more personalized and purposeful content. Such content tailored to a buyer persona can help boost rankings on search engine results pages. Therefore, capturing the decision-maker’s attention—and sales.
There is no one-size-fits-all buyer persona, but they typically include a mix of basic and detailed information about the decision-maker(s). From basic to detailed, this could consist of:
Getting some of this information might be challenging, but there are workarounds. For example, consider interviewing existing loyal customers.
Use Your Buyer Persona to Develop Sales Funnel Keywords
Along with developing the most relevant content for the decision-makers, you should use your buyer persona to help choose the most effective sales-funnel keywords. Given your niche B2B market, you can expect to use low volume keywords and low click-to-sale conversion rates compared to B2C. Thus, your keyword search needs to be distinctly tailored to capture your market and search engines through all phases of the sales funnel. With the low click-to-sale conversion rate, crafting powerful bottom of the funnel—ready to purchase—keywords are especially important.
By combining such B2B-focused keywords with relevant content and other SEO best practices, you will likely boost your SERP rankings and capture more leads. Marketers who use both organic SEO and pay-per-click ads tend to see an average of 25% more clicks and 27% more profits than those who rely solely on one.
Consult with Beedash to Strategize the Most-Effective B2B SEO
Many of our restaurant equipment supply industry partners don’t have the time or resources needed to adopt B2B SEO strategies effectively. Thus, they rely on Beedash to develop and manage powerful B2B SEO campaigns that deliver measurable results.
Beedash has been developing websites and providing digital marketing solutions to the foodservice equipment supply industry for more than 10 years. Because our success depends upon the marketing success of our FES partners, we keep abreast of all digital marketing and B2B trends to deliver the most effective and comprehensive digital marketing possible.