B2B Keyword Research Strategies to Improve Your Website

In the fast-evolving world of SEO (search engine optimization) B2B marketing, having the right keyword strategy can be a game-changer. 

Sure, keywords are nothing new, but optimizing them in a way that makes your website rank higher in search engine result pages? (SERPs). 

That's where the magic happens. 

After all, if you're targeting the wrong keywords, you could end up with a ghost town of a website or attract visitors who are as likely to convert as a snowman in the desert. Either way, it’s not doing your business any favors.

Let’s dive into how to refresh your approach and fine-tune your B2B keyword research for website success, regardless of your company’s size or scope.

What Makes a B2B Keyword Work Like Magic?

SEO makes your website more visible through organic (nonpaid) means in search engines like Google. Your B2B SEO strategy aims to bring more traffic to your website and make it more relevant. (See #1 below: high searcher intent.) 

One of the easiest ways to write website copy that gets the attention of humans and Google's ranking algorithm is to include B2B keywords your audience uses in their searches. 

Let’s say you’re a metal parts manufacturer trying to target electric vehicle designers. Depending on where that designer is at in their buyer’s journey, they might search for their problem or opportunity in a variety of ways:

When it comes to a successful B2B SEO strategy for small and medium-sized businesses, three primary factors determine keyword quality, listed in order of importance:

1. High searcher intent
2. Low difficulty
3. Monthly search volume
   
   

1.  High Searcher Intent

"Searcher intent," in a word, means relevance. Above all, the B2B keywords you choose should be relevant to your business, product, and customer pain points.

Targeting irrelevant or overly broad keywords will decrease your traffic quality. This will affect two website performance stats that indirectly -- but immensely -- impact your SEO:

1. Average time on the page: The number of minutes (or, in the case of a poorly targeted or written page, seconds) a typical user spends. A low "time on page" means users find your page unhelpful or irrelevant to their needs.
2. Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who left your site after their first page visit. Much like "time on page," a high bounce rate means your content isn't meeting visitor expectations. And it means they're leaving before you can capture them as leads.

Another key tip: targeting irrelevant keywords is considered a "black hat" SEO tactic. Google doesn’t look kindly on practices like ranking for irrelevant keywords, keyword stuffing, or shady link building. It’s more than willing to drop your rankings if you break the rules. And with over 90% of web searches happening on Google, keeping it happy is definitely in your best interest.

Targeting relevant keywords brings high-quality traffic. These people are more likely to become a lead and eventually make a purchase. To see the difference between what a great SEO B2B marketing keyword looks like vs. an unfocused one, consider these examples:

Example #1: The Wrong Persona

Let's say you're a B2B electronics manufacturer that serves OEMs. You make printed circuit boards (PCBs) inside gas meters, mining equipment, and construction vehicles. And you want to emphasize that you offer post-sale support.

Bad keyword: "electronics repair." This is a wise choice, right? 

Nope. It will attract a bunch of 80-year-olds who accidentally downloaded a virus and "want their Windows Vista fixed." It could also attract homeowners who want someone local to fix their air conditioner or TV.

Good keyword: "PCB repair services." 

Now, you're targeting people who need your specific solution. The traffic you attract is far more likely to be a B2B engineer or purchasing agent, not a grandma or a DIY hobbyist.
 

Example #2: The Wrong Time

Now, let's pretend you're a healthcare staffing agency. You match locum tenens physicians (traveling contracted nurses) to needy hospitals.

You're writing an intro-level educational blog post about locum tenens in this example.

The wrong keyword is "top locum tenens agencies." 

Down, Fido. Remember, this blog post intends to educate, not shill your services. A reader who needs to fully understand locum tenens staffing is still being prepared to shop agencies.

Good keyword: "What is a locum tenens physician?" 

Now, you're directly answering a question your next ideal client could be asking Google. Whether the searcher is on the physician or hiring side, they're researching a potentially massive, career-changing decision. These decisions aren't made overnight, so stick with educational content and the keywords to match.

2.  Low Difficulty

Difficulty is a measurement of how much competition you'll face trying to rank for a given 

keyword.

Many B2B keyword research measure difficulty from 0 (easy) to 100 (hard). For example, in SEMrush, targeting anything in the 60s and above can be challenging.

As a small business, you need more time or resources to fight multinational corporations for the top rankings. 

It is best to find B2B keywords specific to your solution. Trying to outrank Nike and New Balance for "men's shoes" is probably unwise.

The solution? Take the road less traveled and target less competitive B2B keywords. Less competitive keywords will typically be long-tail, location-based, or directly related to your business's name.

Example: Unrealistic Expectations

Say you operate a precision machining service. You want to write blog posts to educate potential and current aerospace customers, but your website is new and needs more SEO traction. Determined to grow your business online, you start by writing a blog post about the pros and cons of machining for aerospace products.

Bad keyword: "CNC machining." 

This exact search occurs 110,000 times per month and has a difficulty of 42 in SE Ranking’s tools. Is your little website going to rank for that anytime soon?

Good keyword: "CNC machining aerospace parts." 

Your blog post will be found for the exact issues/opportunities your most desired buyers are researching. Plus, this longer keyword has "CNC machining" in it anyway—double win!

3.  Monthly Search Volume

Some keywords have little or no competition because no one searches for them. It doesn't do you any good to rank #1 in Google for a keyword no one is interested in.

What's a decent monthly search volume? The answer may surprise you.

Refer back to the examples above. Yes, there are 110,000 "CNC machining" searches per month in Google alone. 

But what good does that do you if you have little chance of ranking for it?

Don't fret if you're a niche B2B or manufacturer and your keyword research turns up a lot of low-volume options. It's better to rank highly for a highly relevant keyword that gets 20 great-fit visitors per month than an unfocused one that will bring in 2,000 monthly visitors your sales team would never work with.

The ideal monthly search volume for a page's primary keyword can be anything above 0, depending on its purpose. Here's a general example of what search volume should look like, based on page type and B2B website best practices for 2022:

• 2,000 and up: Core pages (homepage, About Us)
• 300-2,000: Important secondary pages (Industries Served, Services & Capabilities)
• 10-300: Niche pages (blog posts)

Only consider a keyword's volume after confirming the appropriate search intent and difficulty.

How to Use B2B Keyword Research and Buyer Research to Choose Winning Keywords

These three criteria are discoverable with your helpful neighborhood keyword tool and some B2B buyer research.

Keyword Tools

Most people use Google's built-in Keyword Tool or Keyword Planner (including us, to an extent). Popular free and paid alternatives for B2B keyword research include:

• SEMRush
• Moz
• WordStream
• Ahrefs
• SE Ranking (What we use and most often recommend)

Your Google Search Console will show ALL keywords you're ranking for, and you can use that information to identify ranking opportunities.

The numbers you get from any of these B2B SEO tools are an approximation—not an exact science. 

The Secret Service would be proud of how closely Google guards its keywords and search data. Google's secrecy regarding what exactly people are searching for and the engine's algorithms are part of why it's so successful at providing a searcher-friendly experience.

B2B Buyer Persona Research

A keyword's relevance is easier to quantify beforehand with analysis of past website performance (through an SEO audit) and thoughtful buyer research.

Guessing at target keywords is a surefire way to waste ranking potential. Go back to your buyer persona documentation (or build a persona if you don't have any) to see the following:

• Internal workshopping: This should have revealed your stakeholders' ideas of the best industries and company types to target, your competitive advantages, and buyers' misconceptions about your products/services.
• Buyer interviews: Your current favorite customers can tell you what issue led them to seek you out, how you compared with other suitors, and even what search terms they'd Google to research your product/solution.

From there, you should have a sound idea of the problem-, industry-, and product-specific keywords you should seek.

Are Your Keywords Working as Hard as They Could Be?

Knowing what makes a great keyword phrase is only half the battle. Remember, a top-notch keyword is:

• Perfectly aligned with your content and what you offer
• Not drowning in competition
• Bringing in the right audience for your goals and business size

Need clarification on whether your keywords are pulling their weight? No worries! 

Our SEO checklist will guide you on where to strategically place keywords on your site. 

Need Expert Help With Your Keyword B2B SEO Strategy?

This free e-book has your back, from building a solid foundation for fine-tuning your approach. Let’s transform your website into a lead-generating machine. Request your free consultation today and see the difference!

(Editor's Note: This article was originally published in June 2016 and was recently updated.)