In this article, I’ll document strategies and insights to help you build a robust B2B SEO strategy that will position any B2B business for growth and visibility in the year ahead, regardless of whether you’re completely starting from scratch or have pre-established authority in search.
That last bit is important – not all SEO tactics are relevant to your business. Some activities will have more of an impact than others depending on your website ‘life cycle.’
What Is an SEO Strategy?
In short, an SEO marketing strategy is a comprehensive plan to get relevant visitors to your website through search engines. It involves setting a goal and encompassing all SEO activities to reach that goal. That requires a bit of joined-up thinking.
When I think of strategy I think of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal FC revolution. Since he took the helm in 2018, the number 1 objective was unification and strategy. Mikel set out to unify the fans, the board, the players and even the background staff with one goal in mind and a strategy to achieve it.
In the same way, your SEO strategy should be a reflection of your overall marketing and business strategy. A strategy requires joined-up thinking with every department of your marketing stack.
Put an SEO plan in place and stay on track throughout 2024 to make real headway in your business goals. Have a plan and a focus. Be like Arteta.
SEO in 2024: What Will Change?
From advancements in artificial intelligence and space exploration to shifts in global politics and societal transformations, the coming year promises to be a dynamic and transformative period. So what will change in the turbulent world of SEO in 2024? In some ways, nothing. In other ways, everything.
- Nothing, the basics are still tried and true in 2024 – In some ways. The basics of SEO never change and they’re never complicated. Optimised content that genuinely helps your prospective client, authoritative links and basic technical optimisation are still en vogue in 2024. Whilst the puzzle changes, the core pieces stay the same.
- Everything, Google will change how search results look and work, probably forever: Any day now, you’ll wake up and use Google to carry out a search and get the shock of your life at how search results are generated and displayed (ok, perhaps just us ‘SEO people’).
In a two-hour-long keynote speech and demonstration, Google gave us a taste of how generative artificial intelligence (AI) will be implemented in search results. If you’re wondering what this may look like, see below:
Google is currently testing an AI-generated answer at the top of search results which is likely to push the traditional ‘first position’ in Google further down the page. This change is expected to make its debut at some point during the year and could potentially revolutionise how search results are presented to users, altering the digital landscape in ways we’ve never seen before. Watch this space! You can read more about SGE here: Will SGE kill my website traffic? - Google will continue to take user experience seriously: Google’s unwavering commitment to enhancing the user experience remains the same this year as it was in 2023. Google knows that user satisfaction is the ultimate goal, and as 2024 unfolds, we can expect Google to continue prioritising user-friendly results that cater to the evolving needs and preferences of its searchers.
- Google will continue to favour sites that are demonstrating that they’re trustworthy, genuine experts and leading brands: In the world of SEO, trustworthiness and authenticity are becoming increasingly valuable currencies. Google recognises the importance of credibility, and the algorithm will likely continue to favour websites that demonstrate trustworthiness, and expertise, and those associated with reputable brands. Just Google ‘EEAT’ and you’ll see hundreds of articles on the topic.
- Google may favour sites that have more than just an organic presence – Here’s the twist. In 2024, we may see a preference for websites that encompass more than just organic reach – which makes sense. A reputable and trustworthy brand will have a digital presence outside of Google. (Social signals maybe?). This could potentially open up a new realm of strategies and debates within the SEO community as businesses aim to expand their horizons and adapt to Google’s evolving criteria.
But won’t SEO be dead in 2024 due to AI updates? The answer is no, but the landscape will change. The pool of ‘clicks’ available is reducing, so when the supply is more scarce, B2B leads via SEO are at a premium and only the companies with serious SEO strategies will reap the benefits.
With that said, you’ll need a good B2B SEO consultant on your side. Get in touch today!
So what should my SEO strategy include in 2024?
Before you jump into SEO, there is a bit of homework to do.
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Assess Your Current Position
Begin by understanding where your website stands in terms of its online presence, rankings, and performance. A comprehensive analysis of your existing SEO efforts will serve as a solid foundation for your strategy moving forward – and you may be surprised y the keywords your website is already ranking for, albeit in lower positions. You can plug your site into a tool such as ‘Serpstat’ to get an overview of your current ranking positions and associated ‘monthly search volumes.’
Of course, if you’re starting from scratch there won’t be much to analyse, but if your site has been live and in the wild for a while, you can use this tool this data is great for assessing exactly where the ‘low-hanging fruit’ lies.
Looking for a free tool to get similar information? Check out your Google Search Console data to see the phrases that your site is appearing for in search and whether you’re getting ‘clicks’ for these phrases.
2. Define Your Business Objectives
Clearly outline the type of business outcomes you aim to achieve through your SEO efforts. Whether it’s increased leads, more sales, brand recognition, or any other specific goals, knowing your objectives will help tailor your strategy accordingly.
3. Figure out ‘who’ you’re trying to speak to.
SEO is no different to any other form of marketing – the aim is to connect your product or those with those who will benefit from it.
Think about who your ideal audience is and create a detailed profile of your target demographic. Marketing managers use personas to officially document the traits of their potential customers and the problems that your product or service aims to resolve.
Understanding your audience’s needs and preferences is essential during the keyword research phase and for crafting content and strategies that resonate with them.
4. Set Realistic and Measurable Goals
This is a big one. What targets will you be comfortable with? You’ll need to establish achievable, and measurable goals for your SEO strategy, starting with the volume and type of enquiries you’d like to generate. Having clear metrics in place will allow you to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed.
Getting Started with B2B SEO
For businesses that are new to SEO
If you’re new SEO your 12-month aim may be to start to generate a consistent stream of relevant leads and build a foundation for future traffic improvement. If I were to do SEO for a B2B site for the first time I would:
1. Implement Measurement Tools:
First and foremost, tracking is key. Set up essential measurement tools to track how your website is responding to changes, including:
The data from these freebie tools will be vital when proving ROI and showing that SEO spend has been worthwhile. Don’t skip this step!
2. Get basic goal conversion tracking set up in Google Analytics
Again, to measure the effectiveness of any marketing activity – track, track, track. What should you track?
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- Track form submissions
- Email address clicks
- Phone Number Clicks
- PDF downloads
- Any other relevant site actions: Remember you can set up site events that won’t contribute towards ‘goal conversions’
By tracking these goals, you can measure and report on the effectiveness of your SEO efforts in generating leads and conversions. Don’t optimise blind.
3. Address any Technical Issues
Technical SEO is the foundation of a successful strategy. Audit your website for any technical issues that might hinder search engine visibility, such as broken links, site speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability.
I use crawlers such as Screaming Frog to identify any issues however, If you’re new to SEO, tools such as SEMrush will give you a basic overview of any technical issues on your site.
Resolve these issues before building out your content. Nipping these issues in the bud early before scaling content will save headaches further down the road.
4. Start your Keyword Research
Armed with information about your ‘perfect client’ or ‘ideal persona,’ conduct thorough keyword research to identify the most relevant and valuable keywords that will generate the right type of leads. Four things to consider:
- Start with Conversion-Focused keywords: Concentrate on discovering keywords that will convert visitors into leads or customers. For example:
- Corporate Lawyers in London
- Commercial CCTV Installers
- Ductwork Contractors in London
Ultimately, these are the keywords that are likely to generate a conversion action, whether that is a contact form submission or a PDF download. Remember to cover all of your services – you’ll be creating pages for each of them!
Remember, in 2024, Google’s algorithms are intelligent enough to rank your content based on ‘topics’ or groups of phrases. For example, if you’re looking to rank for “corporate lawyers in London” there are several similar phrases that Google will also rank the site for:
- Decide whether ranking is even possible – The truth is – some keyword topics simply aren’t worth optimising for. This is due to the type of content you’d need to produce to be able to rank. For example, if you’re looking to rank for ‘Best corporate accountants’ you’ll notice that the top results are occupied by ‘article’ type pages rather than individual accounting firms.
This is why it’s important to review the search engine results pages (SERPs) for your chosen keywords. Evaluate the type of content that is ranking to save a whole heap of wasted time.
- Target Low-Competition Keywords: In the early stages, focus on lower-competition keywords to gain traction and visibility quickly. For example, local keywords are much less competitive than national keywords. Starting small can help build momentum for your SEO efforts.If you’re not sure whether your keywords are low competition or not, get in touch and I’ll help you to assess your keyword targets.
5. Research long-tail content to form the basis of your ongoing ‘blog’ content.
Google will ‘crawl’ all of your site content to establish the context/topic of your site. Creating this content may just be the best ‘bang for buck SEO activity you can do as there are so many benefits:
- Creating blog or guide content will help you to showcase your expertise and answer the questions that your potential customers are asking,
- This also helps to build ‘topical authority’ increasing your chances of ranking in Google.
- If you’re consistently writing high-quality content with original insights, it’s likely to be linked to by other websites. This increases your site authority and in turn your rankings as a wholeDevelop comprehensive content 6 to 12 month that includes creating content clusters around core topics. For example:
6. Optimise Your ‘Services Pages’
Armed with keyword information, create informative and user-friendly landing pages for each service you provide. In 2024, there’s no need to repeat the keyword a specific number of keywords. You’ll want to naturally include variations of the keywords in:
The Meta Title:
The meta title is the HTML title tag that defines the title of a web page. It provides a concise and clear description of the page’s content to both search engines and users, making it a key location for incorporating keywords. It’s been proven time and again that Google use the text used in the meta title to rank web pages.
The First Paragraph of Text:
The first paragraph of text is essential for engaging visitors and providing an overview of the page’s content. Including relevant keywords early in the content helps search engines understand the page’s topic and intent. It also informs users about the primary focus of the page, making it more likely that they will continue reading. However, it’s essential to maintain natural and meaningful content; don’t stuff keywords unnaturally
H1 (Heading 1) tags – also known as the main heading on your page
The H1 tag is used for the main heading or title of a web page. Incorporating keywords into the H1 tag is important because it clearly communicates the topic or subject of the page to both search engines and users. It provides structure and hierarchy to the content and helps search engines understand the primary theme of the page.
H2 (Header 2) tags – also known as subheadings
Similar to the H1 tag, incorporating relevant keywords into H2 headings is a good SEO practice. It helps search engines recognise the key points and topics covered within each section of your content. Naturally mention variations of your keywords as H2s to improve keyword coverage.
Image ALT Tags:
The image ALT tag (alternative text) is used to describe the content or purpose of an image on a web page. Including keywords in ALT tags can help search engines better understand the context and relevance of images, which can be important for image search results and overall SEO.
The Last Paragraph:
The last paragraph of text on a web page is often used for concluding thoughts or calls to action. While not typically as keyword-rich as the other elements, it can still be used to reinforce the primary topic or message of the page. I’ve found that a well-crafted last paragraph that mentions a target keyword can refocus the page and reinforce the topic.
Be sure to interlink between pages!
7. Establish Basic Authority
Build foundational authority for your website by listing it in relevant directories, reaching out to partners to see if there are any collaboration opportunities, and contributing to industry publications. These activities start to build ‘authority’ which will boost site rankings as a whole
9. Scale Content and Full Topical Coverage
As your strategy matures, focus on scaling your content efforts to cover a wide range of topics and keywords in your industry. Providing comprehensive and valuable content positions you as an authoritative source. In fact, at this early stage, you may want to consider producing and posting this content ‘in bulk.’
Once your site is established, you can taper the rate of content to a more sustainable and consistent level. I’ve had great success with this tactic. For example, for this website, I published 3x batches of 30 pages of content, effectively expediting the content strategy.
In focus: Should I use AI tools to generate content?
Good question. Google has traditionally leaned toward favouring human-generated content, but it has faced challenges in accurately distinguishing between human and AI-generated content until websites reach a certain scale. It’s worth noting that Google is expected to make significant improvements in detecting and understanding the subtle differences between AI-generated content and human-generated content by 2024.
In a recent update referred to as the “Helpful Content Update,” Google removed mentions of its preference for human-generated content. This change may signal a shift in attitude toward high-quality AI-generated content. It will be interesting to closely monitor these developments. Watch this space.”
Finally, B2B industries tend to provide more tailored and in some cases very obscure services that are inherently more technical than B2C. Whilst the content that AI tools produce is grammatically excellent, the tools may not ‘grasp’ the intricacies of your services and products. This means it’s not a good idea to rely heavily on AI content tools. This gives B2B companies another chance to showcase their unique expertise.
For sites with some visibility and more established websites. Stay tuned!
