An interview about the challenges of search engine optimisation and search engine advertising in B2B. With our online marketing experts Severine Thiel and Philipp Schade.
SEO and SEA in B2B: The challenges and how it works!
SEM, SEO and SEA - What may sound like a hip-hop refrain at first are elementary disciplines in online marketing today in order to be visible on the web with one's own products and solutions. But in B2B, the marketing world still looks a little different than in B2C. In order to be successful in B2B, numerous special features must be taken into account for search engine marketing that differ from classic B2C online marketing. Our online marketing experts Severine and Philipp give an insight into how to develop the right strategies for SEO, SEA and SEM in B2B - and where the differences lie compared to B2C marketing.
Hi Severine, hello Philipp! Today, we wanted to discuss SEM, SEO and SEA in B2B. First question: Are there significant differences in B2C versus B2B online marketing?
Philipp: Definitely. It starts with the target groups; the business and consumer sectors are considerably different. The target groups in B2B are often much, much smaller. Moreover, the search style is very different. It’s significantly more targeted because the B2B users have a well-founded knowledge and more precision when it comes to their search.
Severine: Exactly! In B2C, users browse the internet and are inspired by hits. Like when they are looking for a new pair of trainers or the latest bestselling books. It’s the online version of window shopping at the mall - you can always find inspiration and new products. In B2B, on the other hand, people often search very directly for precise solutions to a specific problem.
Philipp: Yes, the searchers have entirely different “pick-up points” – the touchpoints where we can reach them. It is very important to note that conversion time takes a lot longer in B2B because it requires a more complex decision-making process.
Why does the conversion time for B2B take longer?
Severine: Clicking on "Buy now" for a pair of trainers is much easier and faster than investing 5 million Euros in a machine. The process requires intensive research and evaluation by multiple people in an organisation before a decision is made.
Philipp: With very large purchases in B2B, we’re talking months or even years until the actual deal is closed. Leading up to that, we need to establish many different touchpoints with the potential customer to keep their attention. By providing quality content, we can connect with potential customers and attract their attention. This starts with online research, which sometimes involves searching for a hard keyword, i.e. a very specific keyword. You have to understand exactly what the potential buyer in B2B wants to know: Who understands my problem, and who can offer me a solution?
Severine: That's why relevant, high-quality content sprinkled with the appropriate SEO keywords is so important. This requires expertise, and we need to build trust with potential customers. They need to be assured that they will find the solution to their problem here.
Philipp: With relevant content, we establish a good ranking in the search results of Google and other search engines. This introduces the user to our client's products or services. From there, additional points of contact can be created – for example, SEA measures such as paid advertisements, trade fairs or direct contact with sales.
Is it difficult to track the influence of SEO or SEA measures on subsequent leads, for example, at trade fairs?
Philipp: It is difficult to track. For example, the time between the first reaction to a Google Ads campaign and the actual purchase decision is usually very long. With the many touchpoints in between, measurability is often very difficult here.
Severine: This is something we discuss in detail with our customers from the start. The long runway for take-off in B2B can sometimes be problematic. On the other hand, our customers are already familiar with this. Even their sales teams do not immediately close a deal after the first call. It always requires an extensive dialogue with expert advice. Incidentally, this advice should be made into content on the company website so it can be offered to searchers during their research.
Philipp: Provided the user agrees to accept the cookies, we have excellent opportunities to determine which ads are worth the money and where we can optimise. We can see what the searcher looked at and clicked on. For example, if they make a contact request via the corresponding form. We can also see if a keyword that costs eight or even 20 Euros has led to promising leads. Even if the assignment is highly complex, we can optimise our SEA campaigns well with this approach.
Are there ways to evaluate this more precisely?
Philipp: It is always interesting to include micro-conversions on the website, such as a factsheet or whitepaper for download. These are touchpoints that take place before the initial contact is made. Of course, these can be measured and indicate a potential lead.
Severine: When our client receives new enquiries, it is important for us to also get feedback on what triggered the contact request. For example, did the prospective customer come across the solution via an online advertisement or a landing page. Collaboration with our clients is key.
What happens when the user does not agree to our cookies? Can you still measure the success of the online campaign?
Severine: One could compare it to a trial with circumstantial evidence (laughs). Having a landing page used explicitly for an ad makes it much easier. We can measure the advertisement's effectiveness with this setup via clicks. If the ad runs on the general website, it is hardly possible to track performance.
Philipp: A separate contact form is an excellent way to measure the success of an ad, especially on the landing page. After all, only those who ended up on the landing page via the ad will fill it out. The same applies to downloads that we offer on the landing page.
You talked about keywords earlier. Are there differences between SEO and SEA that need to be considered?
Philipp: There are differences between the two disciplines, especially when compared to B2C. In general, we first distinguish between KNOW keywords and BUYER keywords. KNOW keywords pick up those who want to know something. BUYER keywords are used by those who have a purchase intention.
Severine: We use the advice or KNOW keywords more content-related website optimisation, while we use the BUYER keywords for paid ads.
Philipp: That's right, because then you're in the same place twice online - in the ads and the organic hits.
But where is the difference between B2C?
Philipp: Well, KNOW and BUYER keywords are much more blurred in B2B than B2C. Let's take the example of buying trainers again. Here, typical search terms are “running shoe”, “buy” and perhaps “size 45”. When searching for a B2B product or service that requires a multi-million investment, the keywords are no longer generic. So-called long-tail keywords are often used, which consist of several specific words strung together. These can also be six niche words like ISO standards, speeds and technical terms.
Severine: Speaking of technical terms … this is also a crucial and highly underestimated point when choosing keywords in B2B. Finding the "right" keywords is not as important in B2C, but they have enormous potential if you use the right ones in B2B. To find them, you need expertise, time and a deep dive into the search behaviour of the potential customers.
Philipp: Using accurate technical language is fundamental. When writing SEO texts, you have to know what you're talking about, whether it's about laws, standards or specific abbreviations. We always have to check whether certain terms are only used internally by our customers - or are valid terms industry-wide. Powertrain versus drivetrain is one example, and there are many more that also vary by language. We, therefore, always have to look for alternatives and offer them as keywords.
Severine: Of course, the best approach is to address the topics accurately and strategically. But we also must consider that the person doing the preliminary research on the internet maybe not be a specialist – they could be an intern, category buyer or administrative assistant. Therefore, we address all relevant target groups with varying degrees of technical depth.
In SEO, content depth and content accuracy are critical. What about paid ads?
Philipp: Searchers often google the names of competitors as brand names.
Severine: Popular examples here are Kleenex instead of tissue or Stihl instead of chainsaw.
Philipp: In consultation with our clients, we can also run brand campaigns on competitor names or product names. When done correctly, it is a legal and sound opportunity for smaller companies. Such an approach can significantly reduce wastage.
Severine: Competitors often bid on the brand names of our clients. If you know that your competitor is the “Porsche” of CNC milling machines, you can use this approach and still comply with trademark and competition laws.
Philipp: It’s also a great way to describe and highlight the advantages of your products over your competitors.
What are the advantages of SEO over SEA in B2B and vice versa?
Severine: Both SEO and SEA have their own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. With extensive content on the website, we can cover search term combinations in the SEO area that you can't think of in advance. Users combine all kinds of product features and functionalities. We can achieve a good organic ranking by combining different content in the website copy. With long-tail keywords, we can generate traffic that is difficult to accomplish through SEA.
Philipp: But many people think that an SEO-optimised website will be enough for them and that paid ads are too expensive and ineffective.
... so, they think they can save on ads because they already appear at the top of the search results thanks to strong content?
Philipp: Exactly, but I wouldn't leave it at that. You need a lot of time, energy and a decent budget to get relatively high organic hits. SEA is an excellent way to get to the top quickly and effectively. I like to compare it to running a marathon: depending on my training condition, I can run a marathon in under five hours, under three hours - or never reach the finish line. In other words, if my name is no-one-knows-me.com and my competitor is Siemens, then I have to use SEA. Establishing the brand organically is nearly impossible. From a search engine point of view, you need a reputation and a comparable number of backlinks. If that’s the case, ads are a great way to be at the top.
Severine: I’d like to add something to that. It’s also important to cover all possibilities in search behaviour, or at least try. Some users consciously don't click on ads, many don't care, and others are not even aware that they are clicking on an ad. Google also does a lot to ensure that the hits look similar.
Philipp: My advice is to always place additional ads for keywords that signal they are close to a deal. I convey brand expertise and know-how in the long tail via SEO, and ideally, I'm always there with additional ads for the final push.
Severine: So, always use the BUYER keywords in SEA. When we understand which keywords really bring in leads, we can further strengthen the SEO. A tailor-made SEM strategy that combines both aspects is always the ideal approach.
What kinds of ads are most effective in B2B?
Severine: First, we have to distinguish between search engine ads and social ads. It is often assumed that they are all the same but it's not! With Google, the user is actively searching, and we say: Look, we have a solution for you! With social ads on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram, for example, it's more like a cold call.
Philipp: We try to interrupt the user's experience in social media - it's comparable to the advertising you see when watching your favourite TV series. This leads to higher scattering losses because it doesn’t include keywords. Social media is mainly suitable for building awareness or for remarketing campaigns.
So, there is no way to narrow down target groups with social ads?
Philipp: There is if you use geotargeting ads. It works well if the target group is large enough or you take temporal and/or geographical highlights into account. Trade fairs are interesting for social ads. If I know that a trade fair in Frankfurt is relevant for the customer, then I draw a radius around the city. I know where the target groups can be found at that time – not only in the trade fair exhibition halls but also hotels and restaurants in the surrounding area.
Severine: This is also a good tool in social media to reach the target groups with higher accuracy. This is an excellent approach if the client wants to offer appointments at their trade fair stand.
The media costs are significantly higher than the effort for conception and implementation at many classic SEM agencies. But that’s not the case with us, why?
Severine: That is true – many agencies out there have a different type of cost structure. We put a lot of energy into researching, selecting and reducing wastage in the ad campaigns.
Philipp: As mentioned earlier, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating B2B ads. You always need to develop a customized plan. You have to understand the client’s business model, the target groups and the product. You have to offer compelling and specific technical content. Often, the best strategy is a well-conceived and flexibly coordinated mix of SEO and SEA. That's why we invest a lot of time in planning to avoid overspending on actual media costs.
Severine: In the B2C sector, it’s possible to use a campaign template. But in B2B, you almost always have to start from scratch. Keywords need to be researched, competitor sites analysed and discussed intensively with the client. In the end, what really counts are the enquiries, leads and conversions.
Philipp: That only happens if we do our homework upfront. You always have to consider that the B2B user already has a lot of knowledge. They want to receive relevant, new information - not a page filled with empty words or marketing blah-blah. Therefore, it is better for a client to focus on the cost per lead, also in relation to the expected turnover per order, instead of the overall cost distribution.
Final question: We support many companies that are international players. What should clients pay attention to when they are marketing across several countries?
Severine: A lot of attention to detail is also required here. In addition to German and English search engine marketing, we manage SEM projects in Italian, Spanish and French. We find that that 1:1 translations are rather ineffective, so we actively involve our native-speaker copywriters.
Philipp: Agreed, professional competence is also needed here. Online translation programmes cannot provide the linguistic and cultural transfer required for a successful campaign.
Severine: Exactly, search behaviour changes from country to country. It’s essential to take this into account.
Philipp: The topics must be understandable in the user’s language. Not only are the users extremely grateful when they are offered texts in their mother tongue, but they are also more successful. English texts in France, for example, are not ideal. This gives our clients a competitive advantage because click prices in the regional languages are more favourable and attract positive attention. We usually focus on SEA here because you can't build up elaborate SEO rankings in every country. With paid ads and relevant landing pages, clients get better, faster and more effective results.
Thanks for sharing your insights and your time!