5 Proven Strategies for Winning the B2B SEO War

Are you a business-to-business (B2B) feeling the heat of online competition? A B2B SEO agency helps you win with the right market-driven strategies.

This post shares five:

1. Practice local SEO with schema markup.
2. Target user-intent keywords.
3. Write high-quality content for voice search.
4. Apply B2B SEO to retain customers.
5. Use predictive analytics.

By reading below, arm yourself with the best tools, team, and plan. Let’s go!

Want to learn more about the Digital Authority Partners approach to SEO? Watch this video!

1. Practice Local SEO with Schema Markup

B2B markets can be both local and global. It depends on the nature of the products or services and the target audience. For example, Amazon Business, eWorldTrade, DH Gate, and HKTDC maintain a vast network of international and local suppliers, manufacturers, and third-party vendors. 

However, those currently bootstrapping to increase cash flow, recover from COVID-19 losses, or decrease the impact of financial uncertainties might consider paying more attention to local search optimization for now. 

This online marketing strategy is often more cost effective. It delivers hyper-focused messages to a target audience, boosting click-through (CTR) and conversion rates. It also capitalizes on the fact that most people using “near me” searches (or other similar key terms or phrases) are actively looking for such businesses. (Speaking of click-through-rates, our keyword strategy combined with email campaign, and branding brought client KYROS a CTR of 13.54 percent. The industry average is 2.5 percent.)

Of the many local SEO strategies, one of the best for B2Bs is adding schema markup. It is multipurpose HTML code embedded in the website that builds structured data. It does the following: 

• Informs search engines of your content’s relevance to your targeted keywords.
• Enhances the user experience by immediately presenting valuable information, such as addresses and phone numbers.

Schema markups also increase your chances of being part of the local map pack, a set of three or more sites that search engines think are the closest answers to a user query. Because you are above the traditional search results, it drives more click-throughs and enhances your online credibility. 

2. Target User-Intent Keywords

Because B2B markets have many decision makers, their sales cycles are long. Usually, it takes a few weeks before leads move deeper into the funnel. As a result, these C-suite leaders spend a few more days deciding. 

How can you shorten the stages? A B2B SEO agency targets long-tail keywords based on user intent. Composed of three to four words, these terms are more specific, have a lower search volume, and have higher intent. Ultimately, you attract more qualified leads who will likely convert. 

Agencies use many tools to discover these keywords. Some are superbly efficient in that besides search volume and competition, they indicate user intent. They also:

• Consider industry-specific terms, jargon, or phrases.
• Analyze competitor keywords.
• Check related questions and search suggestions that appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Track customer feedback and inquiries. 
• Analyze website analytics to identify the terms already driving traffic to your site. 

Since SEO results also take time, many online marketing teams pair optimization with paid ads during the early days of the campaigns to boost brand exposure and engage leads. Low-volume keywords, though, have a higher cost per click (CPC). 

Manage your budget effectively by improving your ad quality score (AQS). Under this system, Google rates your ads based on potential CTR, the ad’s relevance to the keywords, and the landing page experience. The higher the score, the better your ad placement, and the cheaper it gets.

3. Write High-Quality Content for Voice Search  

Insider Intelligence forecasts that about 50% of Internet users in the United States will use a voice assistant in 2026. That includes the top decision makers and corporate customers. 

To stay relevant, competitive, and engaging, now is the best time to optimize your content for such technology. 

Begin by targeting the featured snippet. It is a short paragraph, table, or recipe that best answers a user’s question, which is why voice assistants read it first. Like a local map pack, it appears above the traditional search results. 

How do you get it? So far, no specific technique has guaranteed a placement, but you can increase your chances of landing one with these tips:

• Provide direct answers through a FAQ section or a question format heading and an immediate answer as the first sentence of your paragraph. 
• Target long-tail and question-like keywords that align with the queries that usually trigger featured snippets. 
• Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to logically organize your content. 
• Add images and tables that add more value and context to your content. (They can also show up on the featured snippet.)
• If your competitors snagged the snippet, study their content, and try to beat them. Update yours with newer and more comprehensive information, structure, and visuals.

4. Apply B2B SEO to Retain Customers 

Although both B2B and B2C markets benefit from customer retention, it is ideal for B2Bs because it:

• Increases the customer lifetime value (CLV) with their repeat purchases, upgrades, and referrals.
• Lowers customer acquisition costs.
• Promotes a steady cash flow while dealing with a long sales cycle.

Because you cannot impose loyalty, use smart B2B SEO to earn it. Combine quality content creation with exceptional customer support, enhancing the user experience. 

• Conduct surveys and interviews or analyze customer support tickets to identify your customers' most common challenges. Then make content that directly addresses these.
• Create a mix of content formats to cater to different customer preferences, journeys, and learning styles.
• Use topic clusters to explain complex topics properly and improve your link-building strategies.
• Regularly review and update your existing content to remain accurate and relevant.
• Offer multiple support channels. 
• Build a knowledge base.

5. Use Predictive Analytics

As you face more intense competition, especially in fintech or SaaS industries, it pays to be ahead of the competition. This is where predictive analytics become important. It uses the following to determine future events, behaviors, and outcomes:

• Historical data
• Statistics
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence

This strategy transforms you into a market leader by letting you spot trends that mitigate risks and uncover new opportunities before your competitors. It is also useful in: 

• Product development.
• Customer segmentation.
• Lead qualification.
• Uplift modeling.
• Proactive churn prevention.
• Content curation.

Summing Up

No one who is unprepared ever wins a war. If you are a B2B company that wants to sustain growth, remain competitive, and attract new leads, you should add SEO to your digital marketing strategy.

However, you need to do it well. Digital Authority Partners (DAP), a leading B2B SEO agency, helps you develop custom solutions that fit your niche, goals, and markets. Contact us to learn more.