If your business development has tapered off and you’re losing potential sales to a competitor, poor visibility on the internet may be the cause of your woes. Your website may be up and running with the web pages filled with content, but what’s missing are the leads and sales. Here’s how search engines have become crucial in the B2B space.
Google, along with other search engines, are changing the way people do business. Here is an example of how keywords can affect search engine results. Due to recent changes in Food & Drug Administration guidelines, a large food manufacturer has to replace an artificial colorant with a natural alternative. The Purchasing Manager in charge of this procurement might begin with a Google search using the phrase “natural red food colorant.” The results pages list recipes, retail sites, and other educational resources. It is unlikely that the manager would find a relevant vendor for the industrial quantities sought. However, adding the word “supplier” to the search query yields resources that are closely related to the manufacturer and the sales of natural food colorants. These results include directories for sourcing ingredients, industry journals, and home pages of both manufacturing and distribution companies.
The conclusion drawn from this scenario is simple. Google understands that a searcher is generally looking to use a food colorant in a recipe, learn how a colorant is manufactured, or purchase a small quantity of colorant. The first search query sets up results that provide this information. However, the second query is more specific and indicative of larger industry-level transactions. Search engine optimization (SEO) understands these challenges in online marketing and can create viable solutions for B2B e-commerce. An SEO company crafts their clients’ web sites to draw in customers with a variety of search keywords.