[box type=”note” border=”full”]Note: In my last post, we dug into the strategy work that is foundational to any successful search campaign. Before proceeding, be sure to read part 1 and understand the importance of having a strong set of target personas & how answering their questions is crucial to success.[/box]
Looking for part 1? Click here to read it now!
Executing the keyword strategy
Defining your target personas and the questions they’re asking is all well and good, but if you don’t know how to effectively execute a keyword strategy, that foundation will get you no where fast.
In this post, we’ll work through the best SEO tips for manufacturers to establish a presence on google. Using pain and solution based keywords, manufacturers can drive more visitors to their websites and even generate leads. Let’s dig in.
1. Utilize a blog to gain attention, build authority, and take keyword ownership
When I first mention the idea of maintaining a blog to the president of a manufacturing company, I typically have to swiftly follow it up with a clever joke just to keep them engaged.
“A blog? Listen – I know my industry, and nobody wants to listen to what we have to say.”
I’m here to tell you that a response like that couldn’t be more false. In fact, companies who post to their blog 15 times per month see 5x more visitors than companies that don’t blog – and that includes B2B companies.
(full report).
You see, up to this point the misconception has been that people search for keywords.
That’s only half true.
People search on Google almost exclusively to find answers to their questions and solutions for their problems. The key is to provide helpful and relevant answers to their questions, and solutions to their problems.
2. Target keywords using pain-specific blog posts
When you’re ready to write your first blog post, think about the frequently asked questions that you worked with your sales team to identify. If you were to put yourself in the shoes of the person seeking this answer, in what way would you ask the question? Which keyword would you use?
Don’t worry so much about your specific branding or positioning but instead hone in on the approach taken by your typical prospect to find the answer they’re seeking. After that, draw out common keywords and key phrases that don’t have a ton of competition online, but are commonly used by your prospects.
Be sure to incorporate these keywords and key phrases into your title, body, and meta description naturally and intuitively – Google’s algorithm is smart enough to know when you’re stuffing content with keywords just to gain rank.
Ultimately, it’s all about being helpful. If you are investing in an understanding of the questions that your prospects are asking, and you’re taking the time to create truly helpful content, you will be rewarded by Google for your efforts.
As a result being helpful and getting found, you’ll begin to see that people start to view your company as a trusted leader and advisor in your field, and they’ll trust you enough to do business with you. Better yet, people will become more educated as they read your posts, and will be better educated and more sales ready than ever before.