You're a B2B marketer in 2024, and staying on top of the latest SEO trends is crucial to driving leads and sales for your business. SEO has come a long way in the past few years, and B2B marketers need to keep up to gain an edge over the competition. In this post, we'll walk you through the most important SEO strategies you should focus on this year to boost your visibility, gain more qualified traffic, and ultimately convert more leads. Whether you're marketing a SaaS product, professional services, or any other B2B offering, optimizing for these key areas will set you up for success in 2024 and beyond.
Personalization and Segmentation in B2B SEO
Personalization and segmentation are essential for B2B SEO in 2024. As search engines get smarter, they’re delivering results customized to each searcher. To rank well, you need to optimize for different audience segments.
Think about your key buyer personas and what they’re searching for. For example, you may target CMOs, VPs of Marketing, and Marketing Managers. Each role has different priorities and pain points, so optimize pages for their specific needs. For CMOs, focus on high-level strategy and thought leadership. For VPs, emphasize solutions to operational challenges. For Managers, provide tactical advice and tools.
Within each persona, consider factors like company size, industry, location, and more. Smaller companies have different needs than enterprises. Tech companies search differently than manufacturing. Buyers in California may have unique interests compared to those in the Midwest. The more you can tailor content to specific segments, the better.
To optimize for personalization, use on-page elements that search engines consider for ranking, like:
- Page titles and meta descriptions: Include keywords and phrases your target audience uses. For example, “Marketing analytics for enterprise” vs. “Free social media tools for small businesses.”
- Headers: Use headers to highlight content for different segments. For example, “Strategies for enterprise marketers” vs. “Tips for marketing managers.”
- Keywords: Sprinkle in keywords and phrases throughout your content that your audience searches for. For CMOs, include terms like “growth hacking” or “brand positioning.” For Managers, use words like “content calendar” or “social media scheduling tool.”
- Internal linking: Link to other pages on your site that would interest each audience segment. For example, link to case studies about companies in their industry or location.
Personalization is the future of SEO. By optimizing for your key B2B buyer personas and the factors that make each segment unique, you'll provide the tailored experience searchers want and rank higher in results. Stay on the cutting edge with personalization and your B2B SEO strategies will thrive in 2024 and beyond.
Video Marketing for B2B Sales and SaaS Companies
Video marketing should be a key part of your B2B SEO strategy in 2024. Videos are highly engaging and help to build authority and trust. Here are some ways B2B companies can utilize video for sales and lead generation:
Educational Videos
Create videos that educate your audience about topics related to your industry or product. These help establish your company as a thought leader. Keep them under 2 minutes and be sure to include your company name, product, and CTA. Post them on your website, blog, and social media.
Product Demos
Short (under 3 minute) videos demonstrating how your product works are extremely helpful for visitors on your website and social media. Keep them casual, fast-paced, and focused on the key features and benefits. End with a CTA like "Start your free trial today."
Customer Testimonials
Hearing from happy customers is one of the most effective ways to build trust in your brand. Interview clients who love your product and are willing to share their experience on camera. Keep these under 90 seconds. Post on your website, especially product pages, and promote on social media.
Live Video
Use live streaming on social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to engage with your audience in real time. You can host Q&A's, product updates, or interviews with industry experts. These feel more authentic and help to build relationships. Be sure to promote the live video ahead of time so people know to tune in.
YouTube Channel
Creating your own YouTube channel is a major undertaking but can have big payoffs for B2B companies. Upload all your video content in one place, ranging from quick tips to full webinars. Engage with viewers in the comments. Collaborate with other channels. Over time, you can become an authority in your industry.
Using a mix of video types and posting them on multiple platforms is the key to success. Start building your video marketing strategy now to stay ahead of the trends in 2024 and reach more potential customers. Keep it authentic, provide value, and stay consistent. Video really is the future of content marketing and SEO.
The Importance of Quality Backlinks for B2B SEO
Quality backlinks are becoming increasingly important for B2B SEO in 2024. Backlinks are links from other websites that point back to your site. Search engines like Google use backlinks to determine authority and rank websites. The more high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your industry, the higher your search rankings will be.
Build Backlinks Strategically
Don’t just build random backlinks. Develop a strategy targeting industry-leading sites, influencers, and resources. Comment on blog posts, offer to write guest posts, build relationships, and don’t be pushy. Provide value to others and backlinks may come in time. Some ways to build quality backlinks include:
- Guest blogging: Contact industry blogs and offer to write an informative post for their readers. Include a bio with a link back to your site.
- Leave thoughtful comments: Comment on other influential industry blogs, news sites and forums. Share insights and opinions, not just “Great post!” with a link.
- Conduct outreach: Build relationships with industry experts, influencers and media. Provide value by sharing their content or offering to interview them. They may link back to you in return.
- Apply for awards and directories: Apply to be listed in top industry resource directories and for reputable awards programs in your field. They often provide a backlink.
- Promote content on social: Share your latest blog posts, tools, and resources on LinkedIn, Twitter and other social platforms. Engage with those who share and like your content. They may visit your site and link to your content over time.
Monitor and Analyze
Use tools like Ahrefs, Majestic or Moz to see who’s linking to your site and competitors. Check the authority and quality of sites linking to you. Look for opportunities to build more high-value backlinks and disavow any spammy ones. Measure how new backlinks impact your search traffic and rankings over time. Building a strong backlink profile, like any good SEO strategy, takes continuous effort and optimization.
Optimizing for Featured Snippets and People Also Ask
Optimizing for featured snippets and “People Also Ask” boxes is key for ranking in 2024. These rich results dominate the search engine results page (SERP), so you’ll want your content to have a shot at appearing in one.
To optimize for featured snippets, focus on creating content that thoroughly answers common questions in your industry. Look at existing snippets in your niche to identify the types of questions and responses that rank. Then craft content in a question-and-answer format to match. Use keywords in questions and include key terms in the response, but write naturally. The algorithm favors content that reads as if a real person had a genuine conversation.
For “People Also Ask” boxes, anticipate related follow-up questions and answer them within your content. The search engine pulls these automated questions and answers from your page to display as a snippet, so make sure you cover all the bases. Aim to have at least 3 to 5 related questions and in-depth answers on your page. Like featured snippets, include important keywords but don’t overoptimize. Your content should read naturally to rank.
To improve your odds of ranking in rich results, here are a few other tips:
• Focus on topics that get lots of searches. The more people search for a topic, the more opportunities for your content to appear as a snippet.
• Pay attention to search intent. Provide the most helpful response for the question to match what the searcher needs.
• Use an engaging headline with a question. A question headline signals you’ll provide an answer in the content.
• Have a clear and concise opening paragraph. The first few sentences should reiterate the question and begin to answer it. Search engines often pull from here.
• Use schema markup. Adding FAQ schema and Q&A schema helps search engines understand your content's question-and-answer format.
Optimizing for featured snippets and related questions is the top way to gain visibility in search results. By focusing your content around answering users' questions thoroughly and naturally, you'll set yourself up for more traffic and greater success in 2024 and beyond.
Leveraging Intent Data for B2B Keyword Research
To rank well for B2B keywords in 2024, you’ll need to leverage intent data. Intent data provides insights into what searchers want and expect to find for a given query. By understanding searcher intent, you can optimize your content and technical SEO to better meet those needs.
Identify commercial intent
Look for keywords where searchers have a high potential for becoming customers, like “CRM software” or “marketing agency services.” These indicate commercial intent and are prime targets.
Match content to intent
Create content that matches the intent. For example, if the query is “best project management tools,” provide a post comparing the top project management solutions. For “digital marketing pricing,” discuss what factors into agency fees and typical price ranges. Matching intent builds trust and authority.
Optimize for transactional intent
For keywords with strong transactional intent like “buy CRM” or “hire marketing consultant,” make sure you have clear calls-to-action for contacting sales or scheduling a demo. These searchers are ready to buy, so remove any friction in the conversion process.
Leverage related terms
Expand your keyword list by including semantically similar terms, synonyms, and related phrases. For example, for “CRM software,” also target “customer relationship management software” and “sales enablement tools.” The wider your net, the more opportunities to rank for commercial intent keywords.
Technical optimization
Technically optimize your site to boost rankings for these strategic keywords. Build internal links between pages using keywords, and earn high-quality backlinks containing your target keywords. Optimize page titles, URLs, image alt text, and content headers to place keywords prominently.
By analyzing search intent and optimizing around it, you'll gain more high-quality traffic and conversions from B2B keywords. As searchers' needs evolve, make intent data analysis an ongoing part of your SEO strategy. Keep your content and technical SEO fresh and you'll stay ahead of the competition in 2024 and beyond.
Local SEO for B2B Lead Gen - Optimizing GMB and Citations
Optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing and local citations are two of the most impactful ways to improve your local SEO and generate more B2B leads.
GMB is Google’s free business listing service that pops up in local search results and Google Maps. Claiming and optimizing your GMB listing should be a top priority. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across the web. Include photos of your office, staff, products or services. Write an engaging business description highlighting your key services and value proposition. Ask happy clients to leave reviews on your GMB listing—Google loves fresh, positive reviews.
Local citations refer to your business listings on sites like Yelp, Facebook, Bing, and industry directories. The more places your accurate NAP information appears, the more authoritative your local ranking becomes in Google. Aim for at least 25-50 citations to start, focusing on the most relevant sites for your target customers. Check each listing to ensure your business details are correct and consistent. Consider paid advertising on some of these platforms to raise your visibility.
Build internal links between pages on your own website that mention your business name and location. External backlinks from other authoritative local sites also signal to Google that your business is genuinely established in the community. See if you can score guest blogging spots on local industry blogs or news sites. Engage with your local chamber of commerce and business organizations to network and possibly get exposure.
Local search intent accounts for a large portion of B2B queries, so investing in your local SEO strategy will pay off through increased organic traffic and leads. Stay on top of changes to Google's local search algorithm and update your citations and GMB listing regularly to maintain your rankings. While it can take 6-12 months of work to achieve a strong local SEO presence, the rewards of being at the top of Google's local pack for your target keywords will be well worth the effort.
Content Pillar Strategy for B2B SaaS SEO
To rank well for B2B SaaS keywords in 2024, you need a solid content pillar strategy. A content pillar is a collection of in-depth content resources focused on a specific topic that establishes your authority. For B2B SaaS companies, the ideal pillars center around your product, industry, and buyer personas.
Build Content Around Your Product
Create resources explaining how your product works, its key features, and how customers can get the most value from it. Some ideas include:
- An overview of your product and how it solves customer pain points. Discuss the problems it addresses and key benefits.
- In-depth feature guides. Explain how each feature works, who uses it, and the benefits. Include screenshots and examples.
- Case studies and customer stories. Share how real clients found success with your product. Discuss the challenges they faced and how your solution helped.
Focus on Your Industry and Buyer Personas
Develop content tailored to your target B2B audiences like executives, managers, and sales reps in your industry. Some options:
- Industry reports and trends. Analyze data and trends affecting your customers. Discuss how companies can take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges.
- Buyer persona guides. Create resources profiling your different buyer types, their responsibilities, challenges, and how you can help. Discuss their goals and priorities.
- Topic clusters. Group related resources around issues important to your audiences like “Improving Sales Productivity” or “Reducing Customer Churn.” Include blog posts, guides, case studies, and more.
A strong content pillar strategy establishes your brand as a knowledgeable industry authority. When building pillars, be sure to use related terms and phrases throughout to optimize search ranking. Keep content balanced, constructive and inclusive. Aim for an 8th grade reading level and short sentences for easy digestion. Numbered and bulleted lists also help.
With a focus on your product, industry and buyer personas, your content pillars will drive more targeted traffic and higher quality leads in 2024 and beyond. What content will you build?
FAQ - Answering Common B2B SEO and Lead Gen Questions
As a B2B marketer in 2024, you likely have questions about the latest SEO trends and how to generate more leads. Let’s go over some of the most frequently asked questions.
What SEO strategies should I focus on?
For B2B, focus on keyword research to find buyer intent keywords and keyphrases. Optimize your content around informational keywords that show expertise and thought leadership in your industry. Build a blog and resource center. Publish long-form content like guides, whitepapers and case studies. Improve page load speeds and mobile optimization. Earn high quality backlinks from industry publications and influencers.
How can I improve my page rankings?
To rank higher in Google, optimize your page titles, URLs, headings, and content. Use your target keywords in the page title, URL, and first heading. Include keywords in your content, especially in the first 100 words. Make your content scannable using headings, bullet points, images, and short paragraphs. Build internal links between pages on your site. Get other sites to link to your content. Focus on earning links from high-authority sites in your industry.
What social media platforms should B2B companies use?
For lead generation, focus on LinkedIn and Twitter. Build a following of your target audience on LinkedIn through posting status updates, joining and engaging in relevant LinkedIn groups, and connecting with industry influencers. Post updates about your content, events, news, and thought leadership on Twitter. Other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest depend on your specific product or service. Choose 1 or 2 to be active on, and be consistent.
How can I optimize my site for voice search?
Voice search continues to grow, so make sure your site is optimized. Use conversational keywords and phrases in your content, like “How can I” or “Do you have any tips for”. Answer common questions from your potential customers. Structure content in a question and answer format. Include keywords in page titles, headings, alt text, and content. Make content scannable, with short paragraphs and bullet points. Voice searchers want quick answers, so get to the point.
With focus on these key areas, your B2B company can achieve higher rankings, increased traffic, more leads, and higher sales in 2024. Stay on top of trends, keep optimizing, and don’t forget the human side of your digital marketing!
Conclusion
So there you have it, the latest SEO trends and strategies to crush your lead gen and sales goals in 2024. It may seem like a lot of changes, but if you start implementing just one or two of these tips each quarter, you'll be ahead of your competitors in no time. Focus on building a cohesive content strategy, optimizing your site for voice search, and leveraging influencer marketing. Measure and track your key metrics to see what's working. And remember, SEO is always evolving, so stay on top of trends and make continuous improvements to your strategy. With hard work and persistence, you've got this! Now go out there, optimize your site, generate more leads, close more deals, and grow your business. The future is br
