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How to Choose the Best B2B SEO Company: A Comprehensive Guide

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Do you want more organic traffic? Are you fed up with paying large amounts of money for advertisements?

If your answer is “yes,” it’s time to discover a B2B SEO company with a proven SEO strategy that can bring you more traffic and possible customers.

If you’re ready to hire a B2B SEO company, remember not to rush it.

An SEO agency’s influence on B2B companies is enormous. And we don’t just mean a productive effect, but there are risks too.

The right agency can bring thousands of organic, significant, and endless web traffic. They can also create a brand’s reliability as an authority.

Lastly, B2B SEO agencies can increase B2B profits.

TL; DR: Be careful when searching for a B2B SEO agency as they have a significant role to play.

B2B SEO Company: Spotting The Red Flags

In helping you find the best B2B SEO company that provides dependable SEO services, let us help you steer clear of bogus ones.

Aside from a positive assurance in rankings, there are other red flags or warnings to look out for when choosing a B2B SEO agency, such as:

1. Can’t Recognize Practical SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Goals

A reliable SEO agency won’t guarantee you good rankings. Still, they have the top B2B SEO tools, people, and skills to identify SEO opportunities and come up with real improvements.

Aside from that, they should inform you about the work involved and the action plan for improving the organic traffic.

Make sure they can explain every step in detail without depending on SEO jargon. This brings us to the significance of having a direct B2B SEO game plan.

2. No Distinct SEO Roadmap Strategy

A reliable SEO agency should be able to give you a clear and exact road map of where your money will go.

Their SEO strategy should involve short-term and long-term advancement for your website, both on-page, and off-page.

However, the short term in the SEO world is six months to one year. Anyone telling you that you should see an outcome quickly is probably unreliable.

The technique for B2B SEO success needs an array of different things, such as: 

  • Keyword analysis, organizing, and strategizing
  • Substance creation
  • Association
  • Social presence to help with brand awareness
  • User familiarity
  • Content marketing
  • Trustworthy management

3. Emails You Out of Nowhere

You might have received an email unexpectedly from a stranger. That may be the reason you’re reading this post.

You should quickly detect if the email is junk mail. The trouble is that they already have a 20-page SEO survey waiting for me.

In reality, bona fide agencies don’t just prepare an in-depth SEO survey and send them through email for no reason.

Although some agencies offer free audits, you’ll need to request one first.

Normally, it can take anywhere from eight hours to 160 hours to construct.

Primarily, these surveys are generated by free software and consist of a chunk of optimizations that they can attest to will help you enhance your website. 

As a matter of fact, they don’t. For context and position, an audit from any respectable SEO agency would cost around 600 to 10,000 pounds based on:

  • what’s involved,
  • the size of your network,
  • and the difficulties of your website platform.

4. No Online Presence

This sounds like nothing, but if an SEO agency doesn’t have any web-based visibility, then they’re probably bogus.

We’re suggesting an authentic website and social media account, at least on LinkedIn. Even if they are visible on social media, do a closer review and look for trust signals, such as:

  • Endorsements or comments from past SEO clients
  • Reviews
  • Valuables and useful content
  • Actual followers

5. Low-Quality Script

Lastly, please pay attention to their emails and announcements on social media or their web page.

You can immediately tell if an SEO agency is of low quality if they often make spelling and grammatical errors or if it is written in broken English.

Let’s get one thing right: to have a favorable SEO campaign, you need no less than high-quality material.

The top B2B SEO company knows this. That’s why they consistently use accurate grammar and spelling when speaking to potential customers.

Visualize the quality of content they’ll create for you if they can’t provide solid writing for their dealings.

How to Choose a B2B SEO Company

Now that you understand what not to look for, let’s talk about locating an SEO agency.

1. Ask the Right Kinds of Questions

When speaking to an SEO agency, it’s important to ask accurate questions to determine their authenticity.

Genuine SEO agencies should know how important this stage is, particularly for B2B prospects. Here’s a quick guideline of questions you need to ask:

  • What are the usual SEO strategies you use to enhance search engine hierarchy?
  • Since when have you been doing search engine functionality?
  • What kind of outcome should I expect from your SEO assistance, and when can I look forward to them?
  • Besides standard SEO tools like Google Analytics, what extra SEO tools are you using, and for what tasks?
  • Can you provide information about your experience with former clients?
  • What is your client retention percentage?
  • Can I talk to some of your clients?
  • How can I keep an eye on the changes made on my web page?
  • Are there differences between B2B SEO and B2C SEO?
  • What are the experiences you run with businesses in this field?
  • Do you work with various clients in any given industry or segment?

2. Request a Technical SEO Survey

A hi-tech SEO audit is significant to the success of any SEO promotion. This will help your company create baselines, plan focus areas, build a motivating strategy, and keep an eye on improvements.

For clients (you), a thorough SEO survey can serve as consolation that you’re gaining your money’s worth.

Most exceptional SEO agencies will either endorse an SEO audit before going along with a business or use the first two months of the association for auditing the website.

3. Verify That They Do the Majority of Their SEO In-House

An SEO company that does everything in-house is normally a better bet. But in real life, many SEO companies outsource important tasks.

This involves copywriting, online correspondence, and content development.

While there’s nothing wrong with subcontracting, an SEO representative should be transparent about it. It shows that they’re confident in their ability and their ability for success, in-house or not.

If they do subcontract, you should also complete some reviews performed by the individuals or agency they outsource to.

4. Get to Know the SEO Team

Regardless of whether they outsource minor tasks, a legitimate SEO agency should be proud of the individuals in their team. Ask to associate with everybody in the team, specifically those included in your work.

You can then connect with them by phone, video call, or meeting them personally. Ask about their position, knowledge, and plans for your web page.

Remember that SEO is completely a complex process. Every move should be managed by professionals who share the same degree of dedication and capability.

5. Preparing to Work Alongside Each Other

If an SEO agency believes you’re a good fit, ask for a commitment with deliverables. Before signing it, make sure to read the terms thoroughly.

Take a minute to understand the product you can look forward to, and feel free to inquire about them. You can also send it to your legal department for review to ensure the contract won’t harm you in the future.

A logically extensive onboarding process generally follows the contract signing. This includes sharing access to your web page and tools, talking about timelines, organizing communication and reporting, and so on.

website seo

Advantages and Disadvantages of SEO

There are a lot of benefits and disadvantages involved when availing of B2B SEO services. They include:

AdvantagesDisadvantages
Generate visitsTakes time
Close salesThe whole internet is the competition
Increase the visibilityNot guaranteed results
Makes you a market leaderConstant maintenance is required
Give valuable contentZero profit at the beginning
Attract clientsHigh service fees
Generate high ROIRisk of penalty is present
Tested longevity
Avoid disturbing uninterested users

Top B2B SEO Companies

It is crucial to choose the best of the best when it comes to B2B SEO agencies. This will be the difference between having a successful company and a failed one.

Especially in this modern world, you need to always be on the first page of searches to increase your sales.

With that in mind, here is a list of the best B2B SEO agencies for you:

  1. RankWisely: It is a research-based agency that can provide off-page and on-page SEO.
  2. SingleGrain: It provides a wide range of tested and organic marketing services, such as Link Prospecting Recommendations, SEO Campaign Management, Web Analytics Setup, and Site Crawl Review.
  3. KlientBoost: This company offers a variety of B2B SEO solutions; is committed to helping organizations plan their SEO strategy from start to end.
  4. ApolloDigital: It is a full-service SEO and content marketing company specifically focused on B2B brands.
  5. SessionMedia: This company offers campaigns built on content management, keywords, and link building. It also provides B2B companies with a tested approach to improving their online presence.

Is B2B SEO Still in Trend for 2022?

If you are still hesitant about investing in B2B SEO services, let us help you decide as we walk you through the importance of these marketing strategies.

Some people might say that B2B Search Engine Optimization is a waste of time and no longer relevant. This might be because increasing ranking through SEO on any search engine takes time to generate leads, and one needs to be patient.

SEO takes at least six months to increase your domain score and get to the top of the Google search engine. For these reasons, SEO might indeed be ineffective for some companies, but it is the most powerful marketing channel available that can’t be ignored.

B2B SEO drives organic traffic that ranks your business or website high in Google search engines. In this way, users can quickly discover your business through search keywords related to your brands, products, or services.

Once your sites increase metrics, it can be a steady, cost-effective way of leads coming in to sustain your company’s growth.

Most people still trust organic traffic more than paid ads. Paid ads might be more restricted and limited sooner since people have a growing aversion to these ads since it’s highly displayed.

For example, we usually skip the ad pages like it’s some kind of low-quality product being shoved to the users.

Users now seek authentic leads compared to sponsored listings. 

While B2B SEO services may be expensive, they remain the most effective marketing strategies that offer long-term results. You will just need to be aware of the time that it consumes and ready to make an investment up-front.

In addition, some studies show what makes B2B SEO campaigns effective.

According to Gartner, surveys reveal that companies have increased their SEO budget over the past year.

CMO Survey also states that most companies put their money into SEO to achieve digital marketing goals. Moreover, Think With Google says that most B2B buyers use the internet for research and start with common searches.

B2B SEO

What Makes B2B SEO Different From B2C?

One key aspect differentiating B2B SEO from B2C is the audience behavior. In this way, purchasing services and products varies among consumers.

In B2C or business-to-consumer marketing, consumers directly buy products or services from businesses.

Consumers buy whatever appeals to them, and they can find brands/websites, look for products or services, and buy them electronically. In this type of marketing strategy, businesses have a short sales cycle, large sales, and massive channels with real ROI.

However, B2C customers can sometimes be rude, and payments can be sketchy and late.

On the other hand, B2B, or the business-to-business, is where buying products or services happens between business decision-makers.

A B2B business is more complex and takes a longer process than B2C. It is on a stricter scale since it has to deal with multiple decision-makers or client profiles than B2C where businesses can target their ideal client.

However, dealing with B2B customers is easier and more professional since they are usually business owners or executives.

Buying products or services may also take a few months, starting from finding brands, visiting websites, browsing products or services until finally making a purchase.

B2B buyers make crucial decisions for big companies and require data-driven analysis. These buyers take their time and use multiple keywords to ensure that they make the right choice. Moreover, payments are usually on time in B2B marketing.

B2B transactions require advanced SEO content strategies, and the right B2B SEO agency services can provide numerous opportunities for your business. There are a few basic processes to discuss with your B2B SEO agency that can lead to the success of your business.

1. Create and Optimize Content 

B2B audience looks for content matching target keywords’ search intent. For this reason, quality content format is vital in an effective B2B SEO.

There are numerous content formats that you can use to showcase your business to the target audience. These are videos, webinars, podcasts, blogs, and case studies.

Build with SEO-friendly content for your topic cluster, which will generate more engagements for your brand. You can also maximize these contents and rank them to be discoverable to the right audience.

Top B2B SEO companies should give you incredible B2B SEO solutions. Discuss how you want these contents to be included in your SEO campaign. However, SEO companies can’t do this all if your budget is limited.

2. Create a Buyer Persona

Creating a buyer persona is critical in making B2B successful. Buyer persona tells you the type of target audience and how they make their decisions based on market research and customer profiles.

This will help businesses recognize and empathize with their ideal customers and allow them to provide content tailored to their client’s needs.

What kind of services do your B2B clients need? What are their prospects when looking into a product?

Your B2B SEO partner should know these details from your target audience. Your partner agency should present your business not based on what your business can do but on the customers’ needs.

Users naturally go to the company they trust, and one way to build trust is to show concern for their needs.

3. Maximize Keyword Opportunities

Now that you get an idea of your target customers, you can quickly identify the right keywords to boost your ranking.

Keyword searches allow the consumers to stumble on your website. Right keyword searches enable you to target users and make your B2B content visible to them.

You can maximize these to assess your website’s performance and learn important keyword insights.

Keywords should be precisely apt to the buyer’s persona to show their need. It should be detailed as possible to reach the right consumers.

SEO matches the search intent for every target keyword; this leads your landing pages to be seen at the top of the B2B sales funnel.

Google’s algorithm can now quickly help which words are more relevant to your business. Moreover, this will allow users to view specific content in search results according to its intent. This is very important specifically to B2B buyers.

4. Mix Paid Search With SEO

While SEO effectively generates B2B leads, some B2B companies invest in paid search ads.

Organic traffic results sure help your business, but paid ads can also create additional leads to your site. Paid ads, in addition to SEO, work synergistically as they will generate more engagements than those with only a single strategy.

Some organizations said that SEO and paid ads get more clicks and create more profits for their business. Users may prioritize looking for organic results, but customers still look at paid ads most of the time.

Your trusted B2B SEO company should handle these campaigns for your business. However, small-scale SEO companies may not have the resources to do this, but some can.

Discuss this with your agency to see what works well with your business.

Link building helps your business create more organic traffic by linking sites. The more websites link, the better.

Google assumes that it is a good website since more companies are affiliated with it. There are some methods for you to build links to your content. Below are some of its types.

  • Linking

This refers to links from reputable sources such as statistics content. This will build credibility and boost your content authority.

  • Backlinking

Many bloggers use this link type where links are exchanged between other sites. In some cases, paying for a backlink is required.

Backlinking by adding more links allows businesses to boost their search ranking. However, the Google algorithm has grown over time.

Engineers and data scientists figured out that these backlinks may not be a good quality measure since most people spam them. Google now prioritizes sites with content updated regularly.

  • Interlinking

Interlinking is extremely important when managing the flow of rank through your site and pages. This is where blog posts are linked together with landing pages. Blog post and landing page content should be appropriate and interlinks naturally. 

Internal links within content create more importance in the Google algorithm, and this will strengthen and increases organic traffic to your content.

B2B SEO solutions Are Worthy Investments

B2B SEO strategy is one of the most effective methods to help build your business. It may come a bit pricey but guarantees long-term results.

Moreover, there are several ways to make a B2B SEO strategy successful that you can openly discuss with your B2B SEO agency. This includes creating a buyer persona, building the right content, maximizing keyword searches, and building links.

FAQs About B2B SEO

1. What is B2B SEO?

B2B SEO is a marketing strategy that helps your brand become visible to B2B buyers by building your web pages to rank high on any search engine platform such as Google and Bing.

2. What is the difference between B2C and B2B?

B2C, or business-to-consumer, is a marketing strategy that sells products or services directly to target consumers, while B2B, or business-to-business, is when businesses sell products or services to other companies.

3. What things should I consider in creating a B2B SEO strategy?

For a successful B2B SEO strategy, you should know your target audience, maximize keyword searches, build quality website content, and learn link building.

4. What to avoid in building B2B SEO?

Some of the common SEO mistakes are slow site speed, bad site reviews, outdated, low-quality content, and faulty redirects.

5. What are the advantages of hiring a B2B SEO agency?

The benefits of hiring an SEO agency include saving time, increasing ROI, improving customer service, website optimization, and quality content production.

Uday Tank is a serial entrepreneur and content marketing leader. He has a wide variety of interests and enjoys writing, including marketing, productivity, business, health, diversity, and management.