B2B search engine marketing - how do you plan your activities?

Did you know that 78% B2B buyers start the buying process by typing a query into a search engine? Interested parties are no longer waiting for a vendor to approach them with a proposal. They themselves actively search the web for information about contractors and their offers. For this reason, search engine marketing is now a key sales factor in the B2B model. Read on to find out how to get started so that potential customers can easily find your company.

Before we start - the differences between B2C and B2B

What is B2C?

B2C (Business-to-Consumer) is a business model in which companies offer their products and services directly to consumers rather than to other companies. In B2C relationships, transactions are carried out by end users or consumers who buy products or services to satisfy their needs, rather than for resale or use in production processes.

Examples of B2C include online shops, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, i.e. companies that offer their products or services directly to end customers. In a B2C relationship, it is important for a company to build a positive image and gain the trust of its customers, which will contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty, resulting in increased sales and business success.

What is B2B?

B2B (Business-to-Business) is the term for business relationships between companies that involve selling products or services to other companies. In a B2B relationship, one company can be a supplier and the other a customer, or both companies can be both suppliers and customers. In this business model, products and services are sold exclusively for resale, use in production processes, service provision or other business activities, rather than directly for end use.

Within a B2B relationship, companies can enter into different types of collaboration, such as contracts for ongoing supply, one-off transactions, contracts for specific projects or services, collaboration on product distribution or group purchasing. In the case of B2B, it is crucial to build long-term and beneficial business relationships based on trustprofessionalism and a mutual understanding of needs and expectations.

B2B marketing - what are its characteristics?

B2B marketing focuses on building relationships with business partners and creating marketing strategies that will attract the attention of businesses as potential customers.

In B2B marketing an important aspect is to learn about the needs and expectations of business customers, as well as gaining knowledge of the market in which the company operates. On this basis, a marketing strategy can be developed that is effective in attracting potential business customers. B2B marketing focuses on building long-term relationships with business customers, who often make purchasing decisions after careful analysis of the offers available on the market.

B2B marketing activities use various tools, such as advertising campaigns, public relations activities, among others, content marketing, social media marketing, SEO, SEM, email marketing, as well as trade shows and industry conferences. All of these tools are aimed at increasing brand recognition, attracting new business customers and maintaining long-term relationships with existing business partners.

B2B search engine marketing - how to act?

Let's focus on an organic presence on Google search, as most B2B enquiries start there. Of course, there are other channels that are useful for downstream B2B marketing, but below is a basic plan of action that can be put in place in a few months and that, if implemented consistently, will result in increased enquiries.

Target group analysis

As with any other effective marketing strategy, it is important to understand the preferences, needs and problems of potential customers and to identify their main business objectives. This allows us to develop a more effective marketing strategy that is better aligned with customer expectations.

Keyword analysis

The next step is to analyse the keywords that are most important for the industry and products offered by the company. It is necessary to analyse what keywords potential customers type into search engines to find relevant products and services. In doing so, it is worth paying attention to the popularity of these phrases and their competitiveness, as well as considering the long tail, i.e. less popular but more specialised phrases.

Website optimisation

The next step is optimisation website to make it search engine friendly and display higher in search results. Consideration should be given to factors such as page structure, content, titles, descriptions and meta tags.

Tailoring the website to business customers

You need to carefully plan the process of taking a customer through the buying process. If the aim of each sub-page is to make a sale, potential customers who are so immediately 'attacked' may feel discouraged. Therefore, you need to segment your chosen key phrases by user intent and tailor your landing pages accordingly. If, for example keyword this question, problem, it is worth referring the potential customer to a valuable blog article.

Creation of relevant content

In order to attract customers and increase your website's visibility in search results, it is worth ensuring that you publish valuable and unique content. This can be, for example, articles, tutorials, case studies or e-books that will attract customers' attention and build their trust in your company. Regularly add on blog Substantive texts that will be useful to your audience, but remember that quantity and quality count. Entries must also match your overall SEO strategy - only then will you gain meaningful traffic to your site.

Measurement of effects, analysis and optimisation of activities

In order to continuously improve your marketing strategy, it is useful to regularly monitor the results of your activities, analysing website traffic, time spent by users, conversion rates and so on. This allows you to react quickly to changes and optimise your actions to achieve better results. Above all, use the tool Google Search Console.

B2B search engine marketing - a company visible online is a must!

B2B marketing is extremely important for companies that want to attract new customers and increase their sales. One of the key tools in this process is the Google search engine. A properly run SEO campaign allows you to gain organic traffic to your website, which in turn leads to more enquiries and new leads.

Some may be sceptical about the use of Google in B2B marketing, but it is worth noting that A properly run SEO campaign can be the cheapest source of new customer acquisition. Of course, it requires work and patience, but the business results are certainly worth it.