What is B2B Search Marketing?
First, let’s get clear on exactly what B2B Search Marketing is. B2B Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process and science of attracting motivated customers to your business by increasing its website’s visibility in major search engine results (i.e., Google, Bing, and Yahoo). Research indicates that 72% of all b2b buyers begin their research at a search engine, which shows how important this is to your business.
Search Marketing combines two disciplines: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing).
SEO is optimizing your website to be more attractive to the algorithms of search engines. The end goal is achieving higher rankings in organic (unpaid) search. Websites that rank high in organic search are considered more genuine by searchers and are more likely to be clicked on. Research on B2B has indicated that organic traffic accounts for 76% of trackable website traffic.
SEM is a collection of internet advertising techniques designed around pay-per-click (PPC) ads. PPC advertising allows your B2B company to pay a set fee to have text-based advertisements appear in paid search results. Regardless of how frequently the listing is displayed, you will only be charged when a searcher clicks on your ad then visits your site.
An effective B2B Search Marketing strategy leverages both SEO and SEM (via PPC). It’s built around a thorough understanding of your customers, what they’re searching for, how they’re searching for it (via specific keywords and phrases), and engaging them where they’re at on their buying journey with precisely what they need.