Business to business and business to customer
companies might share similar business goals to an extent. There are common
goals such as increasing sales, generating high-quality leads, boosting
traffic, and maximizing profits.
Having said that, the approach to achieve
these goals is different for B2B and B2C businesses. The way their customers
approach them is very different as well. So, the SEO strategies for B2B and B2C
businesses also have some differences.
Keep reading to discover the major differences
in B2C and B2B SEO strategies. Once you understand them, you’ll be able to
achieve your business goals more effectively.
So, let’s dive in.
1. Keyword Strategies
Keyword research for
a B2C campaign includes high search volume keywords defining the niche. B2C
brands generally target keywords which are not saturated but have enough
potential to drive decent traffic. The idea is that these keywords will help
them increase conversion rates in a short period.
On the other hand, B2B brands face a different
and more complex set of hurdles. To generate traffic, you need to use long-tail
keywords that are relevant to your industry. Long-tail keywords specific to
your niche will help you simplify and communicate the technical information to
your target audience.
When compared to B2C, B2B SEO is more
challenging since it involves standardizing technical ideas and/or concepts. If
you are a B2B brand, then you need to state what your company does clearly.
In addition to this, you need to clearly
communicate to your target audience that you have solutions to their problems.
Regardless of whether you have a B2B or B2C
company, you need to check the competitiveness of your keywords to stay ahead
in the game. You can leverage tools such as SpyFu
to monitor whether your competitors are also using the same keywords.
If they are using the same list of keywords to strengthen their SEO strategies, then chances are it might work for your company as well.
2. Conversion Metrics
The life cycle of sales in B2B and B2C are poles apart. In B2C, consumers often make impulse purchases, and the sales cycle is usually short. In B2B, however, the sales cycle tends to be much longer as B2B consumers often take their time to consider the product before buying it.
In the case of B2B, it’s not common to get
visitors to the website and instantly convert them into customers. So, your
primary focus should be to create content which can help you win the confidence
of your target audience.
Then use those materials to get the audience
to visit your website to learn more about your products or services.
The primary factor which dominates the
purchasing power of a B2B audience is the fear of making the wrong choice. A
wrong decision will not only impact your audience but the whole organization
and their operations. So they will carefully evaluate your products and
services against your competitors.
On average, it might take 3 months to 24
months for a customer to complete a B2B transaction. However, the duration may
vary depending on what sort of product or services you are selling. It also
depends on the number of decisions your potential customer has to make during
the buying process.
In the case of B2C brands, you can measure the
conversion rates as the percentage of organic click-throughs that resulted in a
sale. The B2C sales funnel is short and narrow, so the detailed analysis goes
into the conversion ratio.
In B2C, it might take a potential buyer anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks to complete a transaction. The decision and buying process is more simple and straightforward.
3. Content Marketing
In the case of B2B, the purchases are usually
more expensive. So it typically demands a whole committee to make the final
purchasing decision. That’s why you need to create content which will help your B2B brand
increase awareness, generate demand, educate your potential customers, etc.
However, in the case of B2C, the risk is much
lower because the purchases are less expensive. So, if you are a B2C company,
you need to create content which helps you build links and promote your brand.
High-quality content
will help you secure the top rank in search engine results. But it needs to
offer some value to your potential customers. So for B2B brands, you need to
create content which serves both buyers and the search engines. When done
correctly, it will help you boost your conversion rates as well.
In the case of both B2C and B2B, buyers want
to know the exact features and specifications of your product. They need to
understand how your products and solutions will solve their problems.
For B2B, you need to target industry experts
and professionals and create content like blog posts, case studies, whitepaper,
etc. However, for B2C, you need to leverage videos and social media platforms
to create appealing and informational content.
So, create high-quality, appealing content that can help you get the attention of your potential customers. But make sure you don’t oversell and/or over-explain your products.
4. User Intent
The goal of SEO strategies is to help you
secure a high rank in search engine results. In addition to this, SEO
strategies also help you create high-quality content which serves the purpose
of your users.
The key to successfully addressing user intent
is first understanding the intent of your potential customers. Usually, B2B
customers search for solutions to their pain points, whereas B2C customers
search for products to buy. This is the basic difference in user intent between
B2B and B2C consumers.
If you have a B2B business, then make sure to
use your keywords effectively in your content. This will guide your potential
customers through your sales funnel. Effective keyword and content mapping will
successfully educate your potential customers and motivate them to make a
purchase.
However, if you have a B2C brand, then you
need to focus on implementing your SEO strategies on your product description
pages as well. This will help your potential customers to discover your product
easily on your website and make a purchase.
When your audience is looking for your product, you need to make their job easy. Otherwise, there’s a risk of losing your potential customers. Keywords help you simplify the product discovery process.
5. Link Building
Link building is part of the SEO process for
both B2C and B2B companies. It’s easier to build links for B2C companies
because they usually have a broader audience when compared to B2B companies.
If you have a B2B company, you need to invest
more time and energy into building backlinks to your website. When done
successfully, link building helps you get the attention of your potential
customers. It also improves your link profile and helps you secure a higher
rank in search engine results.
The online behavior of a B2C audience and a
B2B audience is not alike. So, it’s important to research where your target
audience spends most of their time online. Accordingly, you can work towards
building backlinks to your website.
Usually, B2B audiences spend a lot of time
browsing through content to educate themselves. And B2C audiences spend more
time on social media platforms, where they discover products through ads or
user-generated content.
Based on this research, you need to create a link building strategy to improve the chances of your content being seen.
Final Thoughts
The nature of SEO is not constant; it keeps on
evolving. So, regardless of whether you have a B2B or B2C business, you need to
keep an eye on the latest SEO trends.
Both types of businesses need to evaluate
their SEO strategies at regular intervals. It will help them identify any gaps
to improve further and strengthen their SEO strategies.
What are your thoughts on B2B SEO vs. B2C SEO?
Originally published May 24, 2019 – Updated January 12, 2022
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Authors
Shane Barker
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO.