SEO for B2B

The motto for copyrighting and SEO tends to be KISS – keep it short and sweet. Or, if you prefer, keep it simple, stupid. The one exception for both of these domains is when you are speaking to an audience that is more sophisticated or targeted. For instance, if you were talking to a group of plumbers, you would not talk about unplugging a sink with Drano. You would discuss more pressing problems, using more advanced, professional vocabulary because you are not talking to the layperson who doesn’t know a closet flange from a compression fitting. With B2B SEO, content needs to be in-depth and sharp. You need to be able to teach the experts something – or at least give them something to think about.

In business-to-business content, you are essentially asking a company, business owner, or other professional to trust that you are an expert. This is not always the case, and indeed, non-experts who are skilled writers often write the best copy. Information and data need to be accurate, but you also have to appeal to that particular audience’s level of sophistication.

If, for instance, you are providing content for medical professionals, you would use terms like “double blind,” “meta-analysis,” “ADR,” “PRN,” and other specified terms without worrying if your audience knows what they mean. And if you are writing to SEO experts, you can use terms like “SEO” without worrying if your audience knows what they mean.

B2C SEO rules apply, such as using carefully chosen keywords, but those rules need to be modified to suit the B2B world. With keywords, for instance, you would target more specific, technical terms. While these are less searched for than more generic terms, they are what your audience is looking for. Again, it is vital that you speak their language, even if it is a second language to you.