Five B2B SEO Trends to Consider in 2017

B2B SEO campaigns need to account for longer lead times, different routes to market, target users within each business type and ultimately where SEO ROI comes from. In 2017 there will be a number of areas of interest within the B2B SEO sector. B2B SEO agencies and B2B companies alike will be looking to take advantage of new tactics and the evolving search engine algorithms.

Multi-channel routes to conversion

Historically B2B SEO has been desktop focused – this has always been because B2B companies operate within office hours, as do those seeking services. However, the trend of pure desktop SEO as a whole is well and truly over with many industries (such as ecommerce) opting for mobile first SEO campaigns and websites and in 2017 B2B SEO is going to follow suit.

The reasoning behind this is simple – companies around the world are updating technology. Every office has a tablet, meetings are conducted on touch screen computers and people searching for products or solutions within their companies are more willing to do so on transport on the way to the office, with a follow up online later in the day.

This means B2B companies need to consider multi-channel conversations and attribution modelling at a much higher rate than they previously had.

Consider tagging URLs which are shared to maintain visibility on return users and keep in mind times in which people browse the website, and what devices they use.

If 50% of users are on mobile, but 80% of conversions happen on desktop do not assume that mobile is not working, mine the data and understand where users are using multiple channels for final conversions.

Re-engaging users through utilising email data

Email marketing is a powerful tool when used correctly and complete waste of time when used incorrectly. Of note for B2B companies are drip feed campaigns, whereby users are placed in one list upon the email newsletter sign up, and then filter through multiple lists based on the journey they take, the emails opened and the pages visited on the website following click throughs.

This allows for very targeted campaigns which span multiple areas of your business and can lead to an increase in email conversions of up to 50%.

Again, ensure to mine the data from each drip feed campaign to analyse the success of each approach. As a result, weaker campaigns can be improved to bring them up to the level of those seeing greater success.

Fully integrated CRM between phones, forms and leads

Data led return on investment is at the heart of any work carried out by a B2B SEO agency as it allows the question ‘What are we getting for our money?’ to be answered with transparency.

Without doubt the best way to do tie conversion information together is to use a fully integrated CRM, call tracking and lead solution.

Doing this allows any lead – through the website, over the phone etc. – to be attributed to any type of channel on the website.

This then allows for actual market value or business value to be attributed to a channel or service. For example, successful B2B SEO campaigns can be highlighted by the value of the leads, minus the cost of the campaigns – giving a return on investment.

From here, all of the data will fall into the above two points – drip feed campaigns for leads which do not convert, or analysis of routes to conversion for those leads which are hugely value. This would include each touchpoint, key decision moments, the use of online channels vs. offline channels and what prompted the final conversion.

Fully integrating this data with a CRM allows for sales calls, follow up emails and offline activity to be attributed within an overall marketing campaign.

Accelerate mobile use

We have already spoken of mobile use within a website and we should also consider the use of the accelerated mobile pages for those at a research phase of their journey.

ACMs provide a stripped back, text only, version of the page within a standard template of a website. Meaning they load faster, provide greater user experience and rank more favourably within mobile search results. For those using social channels they are also a key component to drive users to the website and engage them on the move.

Data crunching users on your website

The final element of an all-round B2B SEO campaign comes in understanding how users are engaging with elements onsite. Use Google Tag Manager to set up Click attribution, scroll times, on-page asset use and drop offs in the conversion path.

GTM allows for a one-stop shop of all user data which over time can be used to determine everything from popular searches on a website to why a certain percentage of users are dropping off at a key stage of your conversion path.

An SEO agency or consultant can install and setup Google Tag Manager within a day and have full site data within a week. This is invaluable to B2B SEO success as user data is often smaller than mass market websites.

Overall, for the B2B industry, 2017 is all about understanding data, using this data and putting the right information in front of users as they need it.

POLARIS is a B2B SEO agency in London providing a range of data-led SEO services to the B2B sector. This includes full transparent reporting and exclusive use proprietary technology built with B2B clients in mind.