Companies that sell their products and services to other companies face unique challenges. Learn how to overcome those using a B2B SEO.
Choosing a high-quality B2B SEO company is essential because astoundingly, B2B businesses generate twice as much revenue from organic search than any other marketing channel. And to add to that, 68 percent of all online experiences start with an online search.
Capitalizing on the searches that businesses are making when they are looking for answers to challenges they face related to the products and services you offer is an essential part of operating a B2B business.
But with quality SEO work comes a variety of other marketing activities because SEO does not operate on its own. You’ll also need:
While there are plenty of other marketing activities you could use as well, these are the primary marketing functions that go hand-in-hand with SEO.
But finding an SEO agency that actually understands B2B with the depth and expertise necessary to win at search engine optimization is challenging. There are many companies out there that claim to be SEO experts who know little about the full strategy behind attracting business customers.
On the surface, SEO doesn’t seem too hard. You research some keywords, incorporate them into your website and start to see traffic increases.
But there’s more to it than that. SEO also includes link building, content production, on-site optimization, as well as keyword selection, monitoring and analysis. If you aren’t tracking your rankings, you won’t understand how changes to your site impact your results. And if you aren’t tracking your competitors, you won’t know what emerging search terms are out there and what opportunities you have.
As you evaluate when and how to add a B2B SEO company to your team, here’s a look at some of the benefits you can experience by doing so.
The best agency for one B2B company might not be the best one for another B2B company. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to succeeding at SEO. And with that comes the challenge of knowing when you’ve found the right company for you.
Here are several surefire ways to interview and find the best company based on your unique needs and characteristics.
Once an SEO company has found success with a similar business, they can apply those learnings to your strategy. Every industry has its nuances and while you don’t want an SEO company that is also serving your direct competitors, you do want them to know proven success tactics within your industry.
For example, commercial construction companies will target a very different type of business than a SaaS company that provides accounting software for businesses. So while both companies sell B2B, their target market and industry type are exceedingly different.
You should not have to question where you are succeeding with SEO. You should know with incredible clarity the keywords that are delivering true ROI to your company and the areas of opportunity where your SEO team will be focused in the coming months to deliver even greater results.
If analytics and reporting cost extra or are an optional add-on service, you’ll know this isn’t a focus area for the SEO agency. Look for a company that promises regular reporting updates alongside explanations of what the pie charts and bar graphs mean each month and how the services you paid for impacted those results.
You should be able to respond to those analytics emails with questions or clarifications without incurring added costs. Reaching your SEO agency should not be challenging, and you should experience outstanding customer service from the team.
Whether you need a few quick edits on the content marketing that the writing team produced or you’re looking for new keyword research around an emerging topic within your industry, communication should feel seamless and easy.
Ultimately, the SEO company should be like an extension of your team that feels like it is a part of your team. The SEO team should be responsive, helpful and available to you at all times.
One way to know whether the agency you’re evaluating will perform in this way is by reading online reviews about the company.
Many SEO professionals promise fast results, such as 10 keywords in the top 10 within 1 month. These promises are not realistic. You need to understand that SEO is a long game and getting your website established within search engines takes time.
Be leery of companies that promise hundreds of backlinks in just a few weeks. Generally, these are not high-quality backlinks and could do more harm than good. Slow and steady truly wins the race with SEO.
Ideally, you don’t want to have multiple agency relationships to manage. Having a company that handles one type of marketing and an SEO company that handles other types of marketing will make things more complicated and can reduce the total value of the results you experience.
Finding a B2B SEO company that can engage in additional marketing services through high-quality experts will provide incredible benefits for your company and lead to the greatest results.
As you interview SEO experts, look out for companies that exhibit these red flags.
If you’re seeking a B2B SEO partner, consider New Light Digital. Our team has demonstrated proven results for a variety of clients and is poised and ready to do the same for you. Schedule your free consultation now to learn more.
Further reading:
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