Keyword Research Tips for Your B2B Organization
Effective B2B keyword research helps marketers determine which “key words”, or best phrases, can be used to help you meet your marketing goals. Careful research, strategic thinking and data-driven analysis can help hone your PPC placements – and therefore your spend – to be sure your ads are in the right place with the right presentation. While keywords might seem obvious, our clients are often surprised by the results. What many companies use internally as standard terminology are often unknown to customers. From descriptive statements, to application-specific “long-tail keywords” (see terms below) to generic terms related to a product category, knowing where to place and how to bid effectively, are critical for success. Some media will present PPC advertising like a quick and easy way to increase your leads. Google even offers recommendations and tips on how to run your campaigns. But remember, Google is a for-profit company driven by revenue… their tips are not necessarily designed to maximize your ROI (return on investment). And more importantly, they are not offered with a detailed understanding of your products and services – which is vitally important when working in a B2B space. Here are a few keyword research tips so you can maximize your targeting to improve click-throughs and ROI. Of course, the best approach is an expert approach, and our Google Certified team is always ready to help your company in its digital and PPC marketing, with our expertise in manufacturing, industry, medical and technology verticals. Data-Driven. Human-Focused A plan for B2B keyword research involves analysis and interpretation – combing data with input from your sales team to identify the words and phrases that will lead customers to your site and your products/services. We want to build a bridge between your keywords – a search query typed into a search engine – and the content you have on your website. Effective B2B keyword research is not just about getting visitors to your site. It’s about getting the right visitors to your site, those who match your target customer, meet your marketing goals, and are the most likely to make a purchase. Let’s assume your marketing team already has the right input from sales and leadership and is clear on your company’s target audience and business goals. The first step is to brainstorm an extensive list of potential terms to target. Next, we use that list to determine important data points that can help us identify which B2B keyword targets will work best. We look at information like: Keyword Expansion and Refinement Now that you have key data points, we want to expand and evaluate. If some terms are too broad (or too expensive), look deeper at the opportunities. Are more specific phrases available with good search traffic volumes? Are some keywords showing lots of search traffic and relevancy, and we should explore similar phases, synonyms, etc.? One effective strategy to help determine keyword viability is to simply conduct a Google search – see the results that appear and be sure what you expected to appear is what is displayed – and appropriate for your marketing goals. If more than 50 percent of search results are not relevant – especially when using a long-tail B2B keyword phrase – this should be a signal. Either you have identified a great opportunity, or you are not using the right phrase. The more irrelevant the expected search results are, the more likely the target that you want is going to change their search query and re-check a new phrase. Getting a final keyword target list is time-consuming. It takes evaluation, review, additional research and discussion. Balancing the Right Types of B2B Keywords When evaluating your B2B keyword list, you want to be sure you have included a variety of terms. While highly-focused, long-tail keyword phrases probably are very specific, very relevant and will use your budget effectively (due to low bid estimates), you may have an extensive campaign with very little traffic. Balancing short, medium and long-tail B2B keywords can help you get good quality clicks, but also increase your website traffic. If you maintain positions in the preferred top-three search results, sometimes a simpler phrase will serve your ad to a customer who is just starting on their buying journey – you will be first to capture their click, and then can drive them into your sales funnel. When evaluating your B2B keyword mix, one should consider these keyword types: Short-Tail Phrases: Usually consisting of one or two words, and are the broadest keywords, typically with the highest search volumes. These terms can be useful for brand recognition or to increase clicks to your site, but it is sometimes difficult to discern these users’ intentions. These short terms typically have a higher bounce rate (people who only view one page of a website) or may be people who are early in their purchase journey and not ready to convert to a lead. A small selection of these terms can be useful when building out a new campaign, or when your marketing goal is to increase the number of clicks. Actively reviewing these terms is very important and can also provide other relevant data. Medium-Tail Phrases: These are keywords that typically utilize three or four words. While more specific than short-tail phrases, they will also have lower search volumes. Often these users have a clearer sense of what they’re seeking. This makes it easier to optimize your ad content, connect with the consumer, and direct them to the right content on your website. Additionally, if one manually reviews the full scope of search queries, marketers can often find new keyword opportunities. Long-Tail Phrases: Usually a long-tail phrase consists of four or more words and are highly-specific, tend to have the lowest search volume and low competition levels. Statistically, these keywords usually result in higher-quality leads because they capture people later in the sales process and/or are highly-qualified, and potentially ready to convert. Balancing your business goals – brand visibility, increasing site visitors, promoting specific products/services and increasing qualified leads – are all important
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