For ten years now, search engine optimization (SEO) has remained a highly successful approach in B2B marketing, helping marketers boost website traffic organically. This is largely because a whopping 62% of people prefer to seek answers from search engines instead of talking to a sales representative.
But what previously worked in B2B SEO may not yield the same results now. This is because search engines regularly update their algorithms to deliver the most relevant search results. And if you’re serious about thriving in a competitive digital market, you can’t afford to be left behind.
Where do you start? In this blog, we’ve compiled a roster of SEO trends for 2023 that will affect how B2B marketers leverage SEO.
1. Greater focus on website architecture and technical SEO
Anything that hinders Google from crawling your website can negatively affect your ranking. After all, Google values the user experience above all else and will assume that your website is not helpful to humans if it is difficult to crawl.
Several problems can affect your site’s crawlability, including:
- Slow load time
- Lack of mobile responsiveness (the website does not adjust in size proportionally to fit various screen sizes)
- Code Bloat
- Missing XML site map
- Unsecure site (missing SSL certificate)
- Unoptimized images
- Broken links
SEOValley can run a site audit to uncover hidden problems with your website architecture and technical SEO. We’ll also recommend the best solutions for them.
2. Understanding search intent
Stop using excessive keywords in your content. The upcoming trend for SEO in 2023 is centered around optimizing for search intent instead of just keywords. This means understanding the primary objective of users when they input a search query, whether it be to purchase something (buying search intent), learn more about a topic (informational search intent), or seek guidance on how to do something (how-to-do search intent).
3. Optimizing for visual search
Visual search offers a new level of convenience to customers searching for products, allowing them to use images to find new items. This can be especially useful for those who don’t know the product or brand name they’re looking for.
The ability to search screenshots has been added to Google’s Shopping Graph. If a user sees an image on Google Photos, they can use the Lens feature to locate where they can purchase the product in the photo. They can also take photos using their mobile devices and upload them to the search engine.
To take advantage of this new way of searching, you can incorporate images into your website content and include keyword-rich alt text to direct potential customers straight to your website.
4. Optimizing for featured snippets
Featured snippets are positioned above the first organic search results but below the top paid results (which is why they are also called Position Zero results). They typically appear as concise boxed results that may contain how-to instructions, short definitions, or numbered lists. If your website offers well-structured and valuable content that people frequently search for, you have a good chance of being featured.
In line with SEO trends for 2023, B2B marketers need to prioritize understanding the intent behind search queries and optimizing their content accordingly.
5. Regular assessment of Core Web Vitals
Brands across the globe are placing greater emphasis on providing a positive user experience, and the B2B sector is no exception. User experience encompasses important elements such as visual stability, load time, and interactivity—all of which are core web vitals that Google takes into account as ranking factors.
Now more than ever, you need to ensure that your website users have a positive experience. For example, research has shown that if a page takes longer than three seconds to load, more than half of users will abandon it. By measuring core web vitals, you can identify areas that need improvement to enhance user experience on your website.
6. Focus on on-page SEO
On-page SEO involves informing Google about the content of each page on your website. Think of Google as a detective that is always searching for clues. By providing more clues on your pages, you can improve your website’s ranking.
The easiest and most effective way to provide clues is to include keywords in your:
- Title tags
- The first sentence of the first paragraph
- Page headlines and subheads
- Metadata
- Categories and tags for blog content, and
- Semantic markup
Incorporating keywords in these locations can result in higher rankings for important search terms, which can lead to increased website traffic.
7. Rewriting web page URLs
Google analyzes the URL of each page to gain insight into the page’s content. This can be a problem if you use WordPress, as the platform automatically generates the URL from the page title—which often results in a super long and complicated URL.
The solution? Optimize your URL by shortening it to contain as few words as possible, while still including the primary keywords. Ensure that the URLs of your main pages are descriptive enough to show Google (and human readers) what those pages are about.
8. Reviewing links
Both internal links and backlinks continue to be crucial ranking factors.
Internal links are often overlooked in B2B SEO, but they can affect Google’s ability to map out your website. After all, web crawlers follow links to index web pages, so having more internal links can positively impact your website’s ranking. To improve the user experience and indicate a hierarchy and flow of content, create internal links between pages that reference related topics.
External or backlinks from reputable websites can also boost your rankings. They signal to search engines that your website is trustworthy and valuable. However, creating fake backlinks from spammy websites can negatively affect your SEO and may result in a ban.
Instead, put your efforts into creating authoritative content and valuable resources that will gain links from credible websites. Consider guesting on industry-related podcasts or guest posting on industry websites or blogs to provide quality content and receive high-quality backlinks.
9. Focus on long-tail keywords
Keywords are the backbone of B2B SEO strategies and the heart of search engine rankings. B2B marketers need to focus on the key phrases and keywords their customers use when looking up products or solutions that they offer.
Look for competitive and long-tail keywords and write blog posts around them. Long-tail keywords are commonly used by potential buyers who are in the early stages of their research and are actively seeking solutions to their problems. These phrases will typically contain words like “what,” “how to,” “guides,” “examples,” “action plans,” “best practices,” and “tips.”
As these long-tail keywords have less competition, you have a better chance of ranking higher in search results. This will result in increased traffic and lead generation from potential buyers who are just starting their buying journey, providing you with a better opportunity to win their business.
10. Rethinking content
Following the best practices in B2B SEO won’t make much of a difference if your content does not offer real value to your customers.
Think about it: B2B buyers often use Google as their first step in the buying cycle, and they revisit the search engine multiple times. They use Google to look for options, solutions to their problems, and how others have solved similar problems. This makes it very important to create content that helps buyers find answers and make informed purchasing decisions.
Google’s recent “helpful content update” is designed to prioritize original, human-created content in search results. Now more than ever, B2B marketers need to shift their focus to high-quality content that serves the customer.
Final word
There is more to choosing the best keywords to rank better in Google. If you want to boost your SEO strategy in 2023, contact SEOValley. Our team of experts is always updated on the latest industry trends, ensuring that your website adheres to the best SEO practices at all times. Talk to us today to see how we can improve your B2B company’s visibility and search engine ranking.
