5 Kick-Ass SEO Tips for Your Content Strategy

The B2B buyer's journey is long, time-consuming, and full of choices. Most of those top choices will be found on the first page of search results--which 75% of users never scroll beyond. If you want B2B buyers to be able to see you, you need a kick-ass SEO strategy that is strategic, valuable, and, most of all, visible. 

Why Does SEO Matter for B2B Content?

You're marketing to other businesses. Do you need to focus on SEO? The reality: yes! Search Engine Optimization helps organically drive traffic to your site from search engines (including Google). Organic traffic means that you're not paying for ads. Instead, you're creating useful, valuable content that attracts people where they already are searching for information about your industry.

Furthermore, organic content serves your business 24/7 and offers a compounding effect that continues to draw in traffic long after it's created. With the right SEO strategy, your B2B business becomes more visible online. When people are looking for content about your industry, they find it on your website, not your competitors. That increased visibility goes a long way toward attracting potential leads and driving growth.

What a Kick-Ass SEO Strategy Needs 

Several key elements should be at the top of your list as you start developing a kick-ass SEO strategy designed to help you stand out from the crowd and get the notice your brand deserves. 

• Start by looking into what keywords customers are already searching. Not only does keyword research give you a better idea of where you need to focus your content creation efforts, but it can also provide you with untapped content ideas and even improve your current content. Optimizing your site for those keywords then aids in driving traffic to your site. 
• You need high-quality content on your website that will resonate with potential buyers, guide them through the sales funnel, and help them connect with your brand. Quality content includes images, videos, and original insights. Written content should ideally include engaging, easy-to-read long-form blogs, white papers, and other types of content. Aim for 1500-2000 words. The best-performing content is easy to skim, well-structured, and user-oriented.
• Get to know keyword optimization best practices about meta descriptions, title tags, and headers--and keep in mind that they change regularly. You don't want to engage in keyword stuffing, but you do want to make sure that keywords appear in those key areas so that search engines can find and prioritize your information.

Keep in mind that your SEO strategy isn't one-and-done. If you want to keep kicking ass and taking names (or rising to the top of the list of them in search results), you need to carefully review your strategy each time search algorithms change--not to mention regularly checking your metrics to make sure that your strategy is getting you the results you're looking for. Iteration is a big part of SEO. If you aren't checking in regularly and refreshing your content, your website may quickly decrease in search ranking.

Beyond the Basics of SEO 

You've got the basics in place--but there's a lot more than the basics that go into a highly effective SEO strategy. Check out these five kick-ass SEO tips and how they can help you accomplish your goals.

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1. Optimize for Search Intent, Not Just Keywords

Keywords matter--but always remember that it's not just about the keywords. Understanding the search intent behind them is crucial for creating content that answers users' questions and provides them with what they're looking for. 

Look at it this way: you can fill a page with random search terms or buzzwords, and it might get some attention from search engines in the beginning. It won't take long, however, for the search algorithm to show that users quickly navigate away from your page, because it's not giving them what they're looking for. As a result, your page will quickly drop to the bottom of the search rankings because it's not adding value.

Now, chances are, you aren't creating content that's just a random list of keywords. However, if you want to make sure that you're delivering on readers' expectations, get to know the type of content they're looking for and make sure you're giving it to them.

• Informational: Users want to learn more about something. 
• Navigational: Users are looking for a specific website or platform. For example, a user might search "Steel Croissant Portfolio" to be taken there.
• Transactional: A user has a specific product or service in mind, and they're already prepared to make a purchase.
• Commercial: A user intends to buy something (a product or service), but needs more information--including feature comparisons, reviews, or other information--before making an informed decision.

As you design your content, consider what it has to offer to your readers and how you're providing for them. Tools like People Also Ask on Google and SEO analysis sites like SemRush can help you refine your content and ensure that you're meeting those key goals. With the rise of AI, algorithms now use machine learning to understand search intent. As a result, the meaning behind your words is what matters--and search engines are going to take those meanings, and the associated value, into account more than ever before.

2. Build Authority with Thought Leadership Content

Google wants to give users high-quality content. It uses a strategy called EEAT to rate content quality--which means you can use those elements to develop your SEO plan and ensure that it's positioned to accomplish your goals. 

• Experience: Strive to show that your content is created by people who have direct experience with your topic. That includes industry experts, people who have used your services, or people who are deeply familiar with the challenges users face regularly. 
• Expertise: Your B2B brand is an expert in its field. Provide accurate, in-depth content that showcases that knowledge. In addition, try to provide content, information, or value that your competitors aren't to help yourself stand out.
• Authoritativeness: You're a reputable source of information. That means other websites are linking back to your content and connecting with your brand.
• Trustworthiness: You offer transparency, offer helpful customer service solutions, and follow ethical practices across your brand. 

There are a lot of elements that can contribute to your EEAT credibility, but a focus on data-driven, opinionated content can help boost your score.

Kick-Ass SEO Tip: Create pillar pages, or authoritative content that broadly overviews a main topic, then build supporting content clusters that link in-depth articles on specific subtopics.

3. Create Content that Ranks and Converts

Clicks are one measure of your SEO strategy's effectiveness, but let's face it: ultimately, your kick-ass SEO strategy is about driving leads. If the people visiting your website aren't making purchases, ultimately, you aren't accomplishing your goals. Focusing on creating content that not only ranks high but also helps convert, is essential. 

Conversion-Focused SEO Tactics

Ultimately, the goal of your SEO marketing strategy is to increase overall conversions. There are several strategies you may want to use. There are several elements to take into account.  

• Compelling CTA placement, like leading the eye and including it above or below the fold, can increase engagement.
• Strategic internal linking to your website's most important content creates a link between different pages of your site so search engines can understand your content and improve navigation.
• Interactive content, like quizzes and slideshows, enhances user engagement, keeping them on your site longer and showing search engines your content is valuable. 

These simple solutions can help users better engage with your site and show off everything you have to offer.

4. Understand the Importance of Long-Tail Keywords

Why are long-tail keywords good for B2B SEO, in particular? There are several reasons to take into account, but most notably, users often have specific questions and expect an exact answer to those queries. Long-tail keywords get you closer to providing exactly what the customer is looking for, which ultimately helps you rank.

Take a look at the short-form keyword "SEO tools," for example. While it can be an important keyword, it includes a very wide range of content. "SEO tools for keyword research and rank tracking," on the other hand, may get closer to providing what users are looking for when they seek out that specific information.

5. Take Advantage of AI and Automation

If it seems like there's a lot that goes into creating an SEO strategy that accomplishes your goals, there's good news: you don't have to do it alone! AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper can speed up SEO research, provide you with content ideas, or offer insight into the most relevant topics to engage with your target audience. AI and automation tools can help reduce or eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing your team to focus on creativity and strategy. 

Note, of course, that while AI tools can be incredibly valuable, they can't take over your content creation on their own. They still need human oversight to sound natural and authoritative--not to mention providing unique, original, and expert insight into your industry. At our agency, we may use AI to gather insights or organize thoughts, but we never use it to create content directly. AI can provide a wonderful tool that can help you generate unique, fresh content, but it can't replace that human touch.

Kick-Ass SEO Tip: Implement marketing automation to streamline the content creation process and workflows. 

How Do You Measure B2B SEO Success?

Rankings alone don't paint the whole picture of your SEO success--though they're certainly one way to see how your site is performing based on specific keywords. Your strategy needs to be consistently adjusted based on actual business results, not just vanity metrics. Keep an eye on the metrics that are making a difference for your brand, like:

• Organic traffic growth (Google Analytics can help with tracking)
• Engagement metrics, including time spent on your page and bounce rate
• Actions taken, including filling out a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a case study

Pay attention to how those numbers change over time and make adaptations as needed so that you can continue to see results.

Do you Want a Kick-Ass SEO Strategy? Steel Croissant Can Help

SEO is constantly evolving, and your SEO strategy should be, too. Your B2B company needs to constantly be testing and adjusting to optimize your content to help you achieve your goals, reach your target audience, and see the increased conversions you want. Whether it's content strategy, keyword research, or an SEO overhaul, Steel Croissant can create a B2B SEO strategy that's just what you need.

Are you ready to see the SEO results you need? We'll make sure your SEO is kick-ass! Reach out today to learn more about how we can help you accomplish your SEO goals.