Why B2B SEO brings the necessary change to B2B

Companies often focus their SEO efforts on driving traffic with top-of-the-funnel content and keywords. While this approach can generate traffic, it often fails to convert traffic into leads or sales. In B2B, opportunities exist in bottom-of-the-funnel query and conversion optimization.

Take a closer look at how we turned our agency's SEO strategy on its head and generated revenue as a result.

So why start from the bottom in B2B?

From my point of view, there are several important reasons.

higher conversion rate

Bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) content is all about conversions. People who come from there are already looking for solutions, not definitions.

It’s true that niche content may have lower traffic but higher conversions.

For example, a page about the SDR approach that ranked for the keyword “SDR team outsourcing” received 8 clicks, which resulted in 2 opportunities.

But our best example is our article “7 Best B2B Reservation Setting Companies of 2023,” which reached #1 in less than 4 months. In addition, he received 19 quality leads, from which he received 10 conversions.

We analyzed why this article became so popular. One reason for this is that when we published this article, we already had up to 15 articles and a strong link building strategy focused on the “schedule setting” anchor. We've already been ranked on many lists, including “Best Reservation Setting Companies.”

Showing in-depth coverage of a topic from a variety of angles is important to show that Google is a trusted source of information. Because we have discussed appointment settings extensively, Google may have recognized us as experts in this niche, which contributed to our new posts getting higher rankings. There is a possibility.

Less cutthroat competition, better intent

More specific keywords are easier to move to the top as they have fewer competitors. Let's take an example of the keywords for which our article is ranked number 1.

You can also see that the search intent for this keyword is commercial. People who look into it are in the market to spend money. To convert them, you need to speak their language, address their pain points, and answer their questions. Therefore, you can build trust with prospects and streamline decision-making.

Potential risk warning: When creating a list of competing companies in your field, be prepared to hand over leads to them. Users can click through all the options, compare offers, and convert with other users on your list instead of with you.

Where can Top of the Funnel content be useful?

Don't get me wrong. That doesn't mean you only need to create bottom-of-funnel content. At each stage of the pipeline lifecycle, complex strategies to address potential customer needs are always important. Top of the Funnel (TOFU) content helps you:

• Increase brand awareness. When someone comes across your content or subscribes to your updates, they get to know you. Therefore, you have the opportunity to introduce your services to a wider audience and establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
• Get more leads. It works well if someone Googles the TOFU keyword and downloads your lead magnet. Thus, you can grow your lead database and qualify and nurture leads. In the long run, you can even turn them into paying customers.
• Demonstrate authority on the subject. Once a company becomes a topical authority for Google, it becomes easier to rise to the top. That's if you do better research than your competitors and consistently produce quality content. You cannot get traffic or top positions using BOFU content alone. You should cover the topic completely, including the basics such as “What is…?”

Additionally, by only catering to customers who are ready to buy, you can even turn away potential customers early in the funnel. The calculation is easy. If you don't create TOFU content, you won't increase your general traffic. So the question is not whether or not to write these sentences. The question is whether we need it now. This is about priorities.

For example, right now our agency is looking for revenue. And this potential income lies with those who are ready to spend the money. Therefore, the sooner we can get customers who will buy our services and needs that we can meet, the better. Those who are not yet mature are also interesting to us, but we will save them for later. We also plan to expand into TOFU content in the future. But before that, we want to prepare all his BOFU content related to our niche.

Learn more: A guide to long-form content for B2B marketers

How to do bottom-of-the-funnel SEO correctly

Certainly each case is different. However, you can use some common tactics and techniques to make your BOFU strategy work.

Keyword research focused on purchase intent

Keyword research is not something you can do once and be done with it. There are many changes, both external and internal, and we can't help but evolve with them.

To keep up with market trends and stay relevant to potential customers, use the following techniques to identify high-intent keywords.

• Listen to your prospects and customers. This is your go-to strategy. Conduct user interviews or ask your sales team to record calls with clients. Listen to every call, collect insights, and use those insights to research keywords. This is the most effective way to identify important problems that can be solved. In some cases, you may be able to share ideas for new products, services, or markets.
• Use specialized tools. Google Search Console is the best choice as it provides real, up-to-date data. Ahrefs and similar tools are also good options, but they are more likely to “guess” the right keywords. The key is that you get your data from a purchased database that is not updated in real time. Even if you don't have a tool or search console, Google is a great way to gather relevant queries. Check out Google's autocomplete suggestions. Alternatively, check the “People also ask” (PAA) section of the search results.
• Analyze your competitors' sites. Another way to identify relevant keywords is to look at the keywords your competitors are ranking for. Simply collect keywords and consider whether they are relevant to your offer on the market.

Creating customized content

Create landing pages, lists, and lead magnets that address specific pain points and provide instant solutions. Think case studies, comparisons and expert guides.

An easier way to go here is to add a block to your homepage or service page that addresses your prospect's pain points.

You can also create separate landing pages with their own structure for each service.

For the BOFU lead magnet, consider having something like a scorecard for evaluating lead generation agencies. These magnets are designed to appeal to hot leads looking to do business with a specific company.

However, it's important to test different content formats to see what works best for your company or area of ​​expertise. For example, if someone searches for “B2B sales outsourcing,” we don't know whether they're looking for how-to information, advice on what to do or what not to do, a list of companies, or a specific service. yeah. .

The best way to convert this person is to create content that addresses all of these potential needs, including middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) and top-of-the-funnel content.

Optimize for conversions

Regularly review and upgrade your landing page design to make your call to action clearer and your copy more persuasive. Use A/B testing to refine your approach and maximize conversions. Think of different ways to schedule calls and demos with prospects.

A good option here is to add high conversion blocks to your warm and hot leads. For example, to capture users who visit your website from the Review Her platform, you can add a Lead form that instantly books a call with a sales executive.

Finally, we would like to share some tips from our experience.

It didn't start as well as I expected. The main reason is that we inherited a legacy site with a large amount of content (over 600 pages). But it's all his TOFU content that has turned our company's his website into a sales glossary and job description template. He reduced the size of the site twice and focused on high-quality BOFU content, which resulted in an increase in organic traffic and (spoiler alert) conversions.

Here's what we did:

• Pages with low potential, such as job descriptions, have been deleted.
• Focus on queries that solve customer pain points and drive potential purchases.
• I started writing content that had a level of experience and expertise that couldn't be found on Google.
• We have adjusted the technical aspects of the site. This means improving Core Web Vitals indicators, fixing errors, and improving the user experience.

As a result of these efforts, our conversion rate from blog posts is 7% and growing.

Integrate bottom-of-the-funnel SEO into your overall marketing strategy

BOFU SEO is not an isolated, standalone tactic. This is a strategic shift that complements marketing efforts. Although focused on attracting interested leads, TOFU content still plays a role in building brand awareness in the early stages, while MOFU content nurtures leads further down the funnel. The key is to find the right balance and prioritize content that has an immediate impact on your sales goals.

However, to get the most out of your bottom-of-the-funnel strategy, be sure to adjust your strategy and reuse your content on other channels.

Social media

If your target audience is on LinkedIn and follows your founder, why shouldn't they share your new BOFU content? It's a great way to reach people and generate more engagement.

You can also create a series of posts that promote your content and provide valuable insights and tips. You'll have a chance to grow your database by including a call to action that encourages users to click through to her website or sign up for your email list. Optionally, you can start a lead magnet ad on LinkedIn to capture contact details of potential customers.

Also, find relevant discussions in relevant communities and answer your questions with content.

email sequence

Another way to take advantage of alternative channels is to use email marketing. This is a great way to distribute your content directly to your target audience. When creating an email campaign for your BOFU SEO content, be sure to personalize your message and include a clear call to action. You can also use email marketing to promote lead magnets and other conversion-focused content.

While this typically doesn't affect organic search, it's definitely important to distribute your BOFU content across different channels to enhance your marketing strategy.

Please try. May the power of quality professional content be with you!

Learn more: The power of curated content in B2B marketing