With SEO, the approach you take can be vastly different depending on who your audience is or what you are targeting. Businesses of all forms engage in B2B (business to business) communications to get things done while B2C (business to customer) communications are more of direct selling of goods and services to customers. Knowledge of such differences is of vital importance when it comes to addressing the issue of creating the SEO strategies which the audience would appreciate.
Audience Targeting
In B2B SEO we are looking at businesses and professionals. Industry specific keywords, used for decision makers e.g. CEOs, managers, procurement officers. Such a B2B content has to do with the challenges faced by these professionals and find the solutions and insights with which they can make the right decisions. Typically, this requires a deep dive in analysis, grabbing data driven insights and gathering information at length.
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In B2C, however, B2C SEO focuses on individual consumers who are searching for products or services to meet their needs. Here, items are designated more broadly, and more consumer oriented. Emotions, experiences, and lifestyle choices are the focus areas of the content that needs to appeal to a greater audience. It’s about knowing what gets people to buy something, and creating content that speaks to that reason for getting people to buy something.
Keyword Strategy
B2B SEO often has a focus on long tail keyword. And these are more niche and specific kind of keywords, that is because businesses are looking for specific solutions that are best matched with their needs. Let’s say that a B2B company may optimize their keywords around like “best CRM software for small businesses” or “how to optimize supply chain management.” Of course, these keywords have less search volume but lead to a higher number of higher quality leads who are further down the buying process.
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B2C SEO, however, is normally concentrated on high turnover, short tail keywords. For example, they might be things like ‘best running shoes’ or ‘top rated coffee makers.” But competition is stronger because the audience is bigger and the intent is more general. As a rule, B2C strategies usually focus on a combination of short tail keywords and long tail keywords to attract a larger audience and satisfy at the same time specific consumer’s interests.
Content Types
While content is valuable in both B2B and B2C SEO, the types of content are radically different.
Specifically, what content in B2B SEO is more formal and data driven. Often businesses will create whitepapers, case studies, eBooks, webinars and detailed posts recorded in their blogs about the expertise they draw from the industry. The goal is to develop authority and trust in front of potential clients through thought leadership by offering insightful solutions to their problems. For example, a software company could write up a case study that outlines how their product saved a client money, or sped up work processes.
Content in B2C SEO is more engaging and entertaining. Especially for B2C companies, blogs, videos, social media posts and reviews of the products it offers can help attract consumers. Content of these sites are meant to be emotional and establish connection with consumers on a personalized level. To name an example, a fashion retailer can make style guides, how to videos or customer testimonials to showcase its products and to motivate the customer.
Sales Cycle
In B2B sales cycle, sales cycle is typically longer and more complex. B2B SEO strategies revolve around lead nurturing, which in turn brings many touchpoints to educate a potential client to help make the decision. Which usually involves remarketing campaigns, email marketing, and continuous content engagement keeping your relationships with leads going.
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On one side is the B2C sales cycle which is generally shorter and simpler than that for the B2B customer. B2C SEO strategies use content to create any type of urgency or to spur impulsive purchases to generate quick conversions. Typical methods of compelling the consumer into buying are promotions, discounts, etc that the consumer offers a limited amount of time.
Backlink Strategy
In SEO, backlinks matter a lot and have their own strategies to acquire from B2B or B2C.
In B2B SEO, the most important backlinks (and there should be many) will be from respected industry sources, trade pubs, or niche blogs. It becomes essential for businesses to build credibility and authority in their industry, and getting links from sites that are reputable in that industry is critical. Building a strong backlink profile can up your business’s visibility, and helps it rank higher in search results.
Backlinks from high traffic websites, blogs and social media platforms are pivotal for B2C SEO as it’ll help in increasing visibility and bring the traffic. Partnerships with Influencers, Guest Blogging opportunities and Social Sharing is common play for B2C companies to grow their reach and build their backlink profile.
Social Media and Engagement
While both B2B and B2C SEO also benefit from social media, the way to engage is quite different.
Essentially, social media is used in B2B to either achieve thought leadership or going through the talent pipeline. Today, an industry that you want to learn more about or establish connections with other professionals in, is more likely to be engaged via LinkedIn platforms, which includes sharing various insights in the industry, discussions, and more. Social media is also useful for B2B companies if it becomes the platform for promotion of their content, and participation in relevant industry conversations, and sharing case studies.
B2C companies however often tap into social media to communicate directly with their customers. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and many other platforms are common for showing your products, conducting promotions and the connection between product and customers. Popular with B2C brands are contests, giveaways, and other interactive content which they use to build a community and increase brand loyalty.
User Experience and Website Design
It’s a crucial element of both B2B and B2C SEO, but at times the focus differs depending on who and what you’re trying to reach. In B2B, website design focuses on how functionalities, how easy things are to find on my site, has things I need? Your B2B website could be filled with loads of resource libraries, case studies, and easy clear CTA’s to guide the user through the sales funnel.
For certified SEO expertise, check out my professional services where I offer personalized SEO strategies for B2B and B2C businesses.It is about presenting information that will help decision makers evaluate their different decisions. When it comes to B2C, the website design tends to be more visually engaging and a focus is on creating an engaging shopping experience. Vibrant images, user-generated content and easy to process checkout processes can be used on B2C sites in order to spur on quick purchases. The aim is to provide a smooth experience which enables users to remain engaged in the process and tempt them to complete their purchase.