B2B SEO Essential Concepts

Conversion rate optimization: Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the practice of optimizing a page for conversion – period. It means working on a web page or website until you believe it is adequately equipped to increase the number of visitors who become paying customers (or at the very least, fill out the contact form). After all, the most tricked-out website is useless unless it results in conversions.

Lead management: If you want leads to become customers, then they must be managed like customers. Lead management denotes the processes and technologies that help B2B businesses & their marketers move potential customers down the funnel (so to speak), meaning that they are first captured, then scored, and then routed before they are nurtured into becoming customers. Capturing the lead is offering them an initiative; scoring them is assigning them “points” based on conversion likelihood and sending them down the right channels; routing a lead is leading them to the most favorable opportunities; nurturing them is exactly what it sounds like, and we’ll discuss that next.

Lead nurturing: Lead nurturing expands on the management concept; it’s really about moving the visitor down the path to making a purchase. Lead nurturing programs can help foster the relationship between your B2B business and its website’s visitors, so that those visitors become sales ready prospects. In terms of SEO, you can help your firm (or B2B SEO client) nurture leads by suggesting keywords that are designed to attract those sales-ready prospects (as opposed to the merely curious). Yes, prospective buyers do search differently than “window shoppers” and its important to tailor your messaging in a manner that uniquely addresses each group of potential clients.

Converged media: When two or more channels (paid, owned and earned media) work together to enable brands to reach their target audience across multiple devices, that is defined as converged media, a breakthrough concept in B2B SEO. Here are examples of each channel:

• Paid media: Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, etc.
• Owned media: Company websites and blogs
• Earned media: User-generated content created or shared by users

There has been chatter in the industry that taking advantage of the converged media concept can greatly contribute toward optimizing conversions for B2B SEO and B2B SEO customers.

You can help your own B2B business, or B2B SEO clients, achieve better rankings, greater visibility and more conversions by deploying these essential concepts. If you have more questions on how evaluating these metrics can help you, or have other ideas on B2B SEO metrics that should be closely evaluated, contact us or let us know in our comments section.