Promoting a B2B project online is different from managing a B2C website. Out of multiple things you should consider, your audience is the first and foremost aspect of defining your optimization strategy. Selling to end users is one thing, but targeting other companies with your deals is different.
So, how do you set up a B2B SEO strategy that will help your brand get noticed and bring your business the required results? Make yourself comfortable; we begin! This guide explains how to set up your B2B SEO strategy step-by-step.
What is B2B SEO?
B2B SEO stands for Business-to-Business Search Engine Optimization, which refers to implementing strategies to attract other businesses as your company’s clients. Unlike B2C SEO, which focuses on individual customers, B2B addresses decision-makers and leaderboards of other companies.
B2B and B2C SEO strategies are similar one to another. That’s the different target audience. A tried-and-true approach to building any SEO strategy covers the following three fundamental steps:
- Finding the right keywords depending on their target audience and the promoted deals;
- Creating SEO-friendly pages matching your business intentions;
- Building links to those pages.
Let’s explore these fundamental steps in detail to understand how B2B SEO works.
Step 1. Make a List of Relevant Keywords
Keyword research is the basis of every SEO strategy. Your B2B SEO efforts will only be worth something if you know what your customers are looking for. There are many ways to build a list of target keywords. However, the best time-tested approach is checking what your competitors rank for.
To get started, choose an SEO tool that will help you proceed with your research. Ahrefs and Semrush are among the leading services in the SEO field. Though costly enough, they provide impressive SEO results, so the investment is worth the results you will get.
After choosing the best SEO tool for your budget and business needs, start working on a list of “seed keywords.” Do you think your potential customers will use these keywords to find your website?
For example, if you are a telecom company selling travel eSIM, you may start your research with keywords like:
- Travel connectivity
- Internet abroad
- Travel eSIM
- Travel eSIM provider
When working on this list, consider the keywords your customers will likely use to find your offers. In a perfect scenario, make a list of up to 10 keywords.
Once done, refer to the chosen SEO tools. For example, if you use Ahrefs, navigate to the Keywords Explorer tool and plug your first keyword there. Next, click By Domains to find search competitors. Copy and paste your competitor URLs next to each seed keyword on your list. Repeat the same for all keywords you’ve chosen, and proceed to the next move.
In Ahrefs, you can find the keywords your competitors are ranking for, which you can also use in your B2B SEO campaign. For this, use the Content Gap tool.
If you find a keyword relevant to your business, running a simple Google search is the best way to check its effectiveness. Copy the keyword and paste it into the Google search bar. Analyze the search results. What kind of content ranks for the selected keyword, and how relevant are the search results to your business?
For example, if you google “internet abroad,” you will see plenty of educational materials. Moreover, you can find your competitor’s ranking for the same search request.
This means that your business can rank for this keyword as well. If your company has a blog, think of creating valuable content that will also appear in search results when users search for “internet abroad.”
Step 2. Do the Content Job
Like it or not, B2B SEO is built around content. Content planning, writing, and posting are the next logical steps after listing the keywords you want your project to rank for. To begin with, make a spreadsheet with a list of keywords, their search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost per click. Besides, create a priority column that shows which category the chosen keyword falls under (high, low, or link-building). Three more columns will represent each search intent’s content type, content format, and content angle.
Search intent answers why users run a search. Did they want to buy or learn something? Were they simply tasting the waters, or were they intentionally looking for a particular website?
Based on your findings, you can further brainstorm what content each selected keyword should rank for. Let’s begin with content types.
1. Type
There are four basic types of content you can create on your website:
- Blog posts
- Product pages
- Category pages
- Landing pages
For the “internet abroad” keyword we previously analyzed, this is a blog post that perfectly matches a user’s search intent. It may be a step-by-step guide explaining how travelers can get internet abroad.
This SERP research aims to determine what kind of content Google favors for a specific keyword so we can create similar content.
This doesn’t mean we should copy the content directly. If Google shows pages with examples of logos and editable logo designs, we should take cues from those. If we only create a page with text and no logo examples, we probably won’t rank well for that keyword since it’s not what people seek.
2. Format
The content format applies only to the blog post content typer. There are six main content formats you can create:
- How-to guide
- Step-by-step tutorial
- List-post
- Opinion piece
- Review
- Comparison
As we’ve previously mentioned, creating a how-to guide blog post for the “internet abread” search request can be a good fit.
3. Angle
The content angle is the unique selling point of the posts and pages ranking in the highest positions on the search results page. By analyzing the “leaders,” you can see what people seek when using a specific keyword.
For example, when searching “travel esim,” you find a list of the leading eSIM providers selling mobile internal packers for international use.
If your business sells or resells similar products, this is a good ground for your thoughts. You can use the same keyword to optimize product or category pages of your website. You can also use it on a landing page. Besides, the content angle gives you insights on what specific work to use in the meta title and meta description of the page you optimize.
Now that you have made a spreadsheet of keywords and analyzed the content type, format, and angle for each, it’s time to write your content. When you start working on your first draft, take your time to:
- Find a topic
- Analyze search intent
- Write an outline
- Write a draft
- Edit your draft
- Make your content visually appealing
- Write a compelling title and description
- Upload your post
Step 3. Outreach and Link-building
A major reason some pages need more backlinks to rank. When working on your B2B SEO strategy, your primary goal should be finding websites in your or relevant niche that are authoritative enough to provide you with a good link value.
Once you’ve published your pages, the last step in our B2B SEO strategy is to focus on building backlinks. A backlink is simply a link from another website that directs users to a page on your site.
Getting these links is known as link building, and backlinks are considered one of the most important factors for ranking on Google.
There are several effective ways to build links. Here are a few you can try:
- Guest blogging involves writing articles for other websites in your industry or niche. In return for providing valuable content, you typically get a link to your website within the article or in your author bio. This helps you build backlinks, exposes your brand to a wider audience, and establishes your authority in the field.
- Resource page link building. This method involves finding website resource pages that compile useful links or information on a specific topic. You can reach out to the owners of these pages and suggest that they include your content as a valuable resource. If your content is relevant and high-quality, they may agree to add your link, giving you a valuable backlink and more exposure.
- Broken link building is finding broken links on other websites that lead to dead pages. Once you identify these links, you can contact the website owner to inform them of the broken link and suggest your content as a replacement. This method helps the website owner fix their broken links while also allowing you to earn a backlink to your site.
How PRNEWS.IO Can Help with B2B SEO
When it comes to building a robust B2B SEO strategy, quality backlinks and authoritative mentions are essential for ranking on Google and establishing credibility within your industry. PRNEWS.IO offers a unique solution by helping you gain valuable media placements that not only increase your brand’s visibility but also provide high-quality backlinks that boost your SEO efforts.
PRNEWS.IO connects your B2B company with relevant media outlets and publications within your niche. By publishing press releases, articles, or guest posts through PRNEWS.IO, you ensure that your content reaches the right audience — decision-makers, executives, and other businesses in your target market. This type of exposure is crucial for enhancing your B2B brand’s recognition and building your online authority.
Unlike traditional link-building methods, PRNEWS.IO’s media placements create long-lasting SEO value. As your content is shared across the web and picked up by other publications, it continues to generate traffic and backlinks, driving long-term growth for your SEO efforts.
Closing Words
Besides learning the B2B SEO theory, we recommend you check out real websites of other B2B businesses that have successfully applied the theory in practice. Make a list of such websites, analyze their content and structure, and check if there is anything you can use for inspiration. Learning from the leaders is always a good practice. Why don’t you do the same with B2B SEO?
Read more:
- The Best B2B Digital Marketing Agencies You Should Know
- B2B Lead Generation That Works
- How Instagram Can Work For B2B Marketing & PR
