Search engine optimization is a big talking point at the moment, with many people believing that the area is about to be phased out by AI platforms. But those within the industry know that SEO isn’t dying, it’s simply evolving. While that might be music to the ears of brands that have mastered the art of SEO, there’s one industry that consistently overlooks and under delivers when it comes to organic search: B2B. In this article, we explore the SEO mistakes that B2B companies continue to make, and what they should be doing to correct them.
Content Isn’t Created For Search Intent
When creating content for SEO purposes, a common mistake is to simply focus on optimizing content so it ranks. While this is obviously the first step, content becomes somewhat redundant if it doesn’t generate the required action from users. This could be a product purchase, a newsletter signup or simply providing an answer to a query. Regardless of how you measure conversions, content must be aligned with search intent for it to be successful.
First, B2B firms need to understand the different types of search intent. Here’s how each could apply to a personal injury solicitors.
Informational – the user wants to learn or find an answer to a question. An example of an informational search query would be “am I eligible for compensation if surgery has gone wrong”
Navigational – the user wants to be taken to a specific page. For example, a user searches for a specific law firm by their brand name. E.g. ‘Bond Turner”
Commercial – a user is gathering information around a future transaction or conversion. E.g. “who are the best personal injury solicitors in London”
Transactional – the user is ready to make a transaction or become a client. E.g. “personal injury solicitors with free consultation”
When creating content—whether it be a web page or an article—it’s important to first determine which category it falls into. Then decide whether your content would be better suited in article form or if it should be a service page on your website, for example. For informational queries, articles and blog posts are usually better suited. When targeting commercial queries, product and service pages are usually the most appropriate option.
Too Self-Focused
Many B2B companies are guilty of being self-absorbed when creating content, ignoring what their audience actually wants to see. For example, posts about new members joining the team, office moves, and company socials are a common sight on B2B websites, but from an SEO perspective, your audience isn’t likely to be searching for these topics.
Instead, try to cover industry news, updates to regulations, and so on. These are far more likely to relate to informational search queries that you can capitalize on.
Ignore Algorithm Updates
Many B2B firms will have dipped their toe into the SEO waters at some point. The problem is that many fail to realize that the SEO landscape changes every time there is an algorithm update. If your SEO strategy hasn’t changed in 15 years, there’s a strong chance that some of the things you are doing will be causing more harm than good.
In recent years, we’ve seen Google favour EEAT signals: expertise, experience, authority, and trust. Signals that showcase awards, professional credentials, and positive reviews all contribute towards being seen favorably by search engine algorithms.
Final Thoughts
In truth, there are many more mistakes that we see B2B firms make when it comes to SEO, but above are the key mistakes that consistently pop up. If you are trying to put more time into your B2B SEO efforts, start by keeping up to date with the latest news in the industry. That way, you can optimize your website in line with algorithm updates while expanding your SEO knowledge at the same time.
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