So much of today’s content is struggling to find its place among the ever growing void that is the world wide web. With big businesses already claiming some of the top spots in industry authority and search engine results, it may feel like what you have to offer will never make it to your potential customer. That can seem a bit defeating. Worry not! This is where a little SEO education can go a long way toward attracting your ideal buyers and growing your indsutrial supply business online.
Good search engine optimization can help you attract website visitors, convert those strangers into qualified leads and hopefully earn some of that highly coveted industrial supply business. But, before we get to signing those contracts and adding another client to your portfolio, it’s important to understand your visitor first.
Why you should and shouldn’t focus on SEO
You can’t deny that you’ve ran to Google more than once when you’ve had a question that needs answering. It’s no different when a potential lead hits the web in search for an answer to their problems. Remember: anyone at any stage of their buyer’s journey could find your website. This is where being consistent with your content comes in handy! Having content for a variety of stages in the buyer’s journey is going to help your prospect find what they need. But how did they find your site in the first place? What was it that drew them in? Well, your ability to create content and optimize it for search engines helped them get there!
But what’s the point in generating all that traffic to your site? Your goal should be more than to just rank on Google. You want to address the needs of your audience and provide them with an answer to their questions. The great thing about SEO is that, if done correctly, it will drive the right kind of traffic to your content. If you prove yourself a trustworthy and reliable source then your visitors will keep coming back – helping further establish your authority in your industry and build a relationship with your visitors.
So, while SEO is a fantastic tool for growth, remember that nurturing your visitors is equally important. It’s about the relationship first, then the numbers.
The Ins and Outs of SEO
The first thing you should know is that there are two types of SEO.
On-page SEO is the process of structuring your website in a way that google and other search engines read your information. Search engines try to find the best answers to a searcher’s query, so make sure the content is relevant. This is where having buyer personas come in handy. They allow you to write the best answers for your persona’s specific questions. Providing resources and consistently updated content will help visitors find lasting value in your site and content, making them want to come back for more.
Off-page SEO plays a somewhat bigger role. You could write some amazing content, but on-page SEO alone will very rarely be enough to get you to rank high enough for your potential clients to find you. Backlinks, or links on another website that leads back to yours, is probably one of the best forms of off-page SEO. Being linked on a website with an authority in your industry will, in turn, prove your authority and drive more traffic towards your site.
What Kind of Keywords Should You be Using?
Believe it or not, there’s a science behind keyword optimization. Longtail keywords are a great way to target your content to your specific industrial client. Search engine spiders will pick up your keywords and decide whether or not your on-page content is the right answer for the reader’s query.
Longtail keywords allow you to do this, as they provide the basic elements of a query and expand upon it; further narrowing down the kind of traffic that arrives at your site. You would yield more specific results searching for something like “fall protection for construction workers” rather than just “fall protection”, right? The same is true here. If you want to provide industrial supplier content you have to write for industrial suppliers. Optimizing your site for your audience will ultimately help you grow your industrial supply.
Focus on the Entire Funnel
It’s easy to see why, when it comes to SEO, one might only focus on the top tiers of the marketing funnel. Attracting strangers and potential visitors is just one part of it. In order to create a truly successful content marketing strategy and SEO that continuously works for you, it’s important to focus on the entire funnel.
Long after you convert your potential visitors to leads or customers, your content should still be working to answer any of their questions or concerns. Make sure you continuously aid your customers and they will eventually turn into avid promoters. Very few things are better than good old fashioned word of mouth and the more highly they speak of you and your content, the stronger your authority becomes, allowing you to grow your industrial supply business!
One Piece of the Puzzle
This is just one small piece of the industrial marketing puzzle. Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy that creates a more intimate company/customer experience, making sure both parties get the most out of the buyer’s journey.
Our 100% free video course, Industrial Marketing 101, goes into great depths about the intricacies of inbound marketing. The best part? It’s only for Industrial Suppliers like you. Enroll today and see the endless opportunities that inbound marketing offers and transform the way you do business.
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