B2B Agility™ Podcast Summary
Episode #21: Doing B2B SEO Right with Sam Dunning, Breaking B2B
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Host: Greg Kihlström
Guest: Sam Dunning, Founder at Breaking B2B
Introduction
In Episode #21 of B2B Agility™, host Greg Kihlström delves into the intricacies of B2B SEO with Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B. The discussion centers on effective SEO strategies tailored for B2B marketers, the unique challenges they face compared to B2C, and the evolving role of AI in search optimization.
Guest Background: Sam Dunning and Breaking B2B
Timestamp: [01:46]
Sam Dunning introduces himself as the founder of Breaking B2B, a consultancy that assists B2B tech, SaaS, and service companies in improving their organic search rankings. He highlights the common frustration among these companies when competitors outrank them on Google, thereby capturing potential leads and sales. Additionally, Sam runs a podcast similar to B2B Agility™, focusing on interviews with B2B practitioners who share growth strategies and marketing insights.
The Importance of B2B SEO
Timestamp: [03:21]
Sam explains that SEO is crucial for B2B organizations because their lifeblood is sales, which depend on a steady stream of leads. He recounts his own experiences in previous agencies where marketing efforts failed to generate consistent inbound leads. Discovering the power of Google Organic Search SEO provided a solution by capturing prospects actively searching for their offerings. Successful SEO, combined with effective content and website trust-building, leads to qualified sales calls and demos. This realization drove Sam to focus on B2B SEO to address similar challenges faced by other companies.
Quote:
"SEO was a great way to drive a steady stream of kind of organic, fairly qualified sales calls or demos for some of the companies I worked at."
— Sam Dunning [03:45]
B2B vs. B2C SEO: Unique Challenges
Timestamp: [05:30]
Greg probes into what makes B2B SEO distinct and more challenging compared to B2C SEO. Sam responds by emphasizing the complexity of the B2B buying cycle, which often involves multiple decision-makers and higher contract values. Unlike B2C, where decisions can be made quickly, B2B decisions require nurturing a prolonged marketing ecosystem that includes SEO, paid ads, content marketing, and social media to maintain mindshare among various stakeholders.
Quote:
"B2B buying is quite complex... SEO can work really well to capture some of that demand and drive some leads and demos, but it can also partner up with the other B2B channels..."
— Sam Dunning [07:10]
Common Mistakes in B2B SEO
Timestamp: [07:50]
Sam outlines several pitfalls that B2B companies encounter when implementing SEO strategies:
- Neglecting SEO: Often placed at the bottom of marketing budgets, leading to minimal investment and effort.
- Tackling SEO as a Checkbox: Treating SEO as a one-off task rather than a strategic, ongoing effort.
- Focusing on High-Traffic, Low-Intent Keywords: Prioritizing informational queries that generate traffic but yield few leads.
- Lack of Strategy: Without a strategic approach, SEO efforts fail to align with business goals, resulting in ineffective lead generation.
Quote:
"It's not done strategically. So folks end up going for kind of high traffic search terms... with long tail search queries that are informational based."
— Sam Dunning [09:30]
The Continuous Nature of SEO
Timestamp: [11:45]
Greg and Sam discuss misconceptions around SEO being a "set it and forget it" strategy. Sam insists that SEO requires ongoing effort and should be viewed as an evergreen activity. He compares SEO to YouTube content that continues to generate views months or years after publication, emphasizing that consistent content creation and optimization are essential for sustained traffic and lead generation.
Quote:
"SEO is more of an evergreen, evergreen thing... it's got that value that you can drive traffic and leads for weeks, months and even years to come."
— Sam Dunning [12:25]
Vanity-Driven SEO vs. Revenue-Focused SEO
Timestamp: [12:58]
Sam introduces the concept of “Vanity-Driven SEO”, where marketers prioritize metrics like traffic and rankings without considering lead quality or revenue impact. This approach often involves generating high-traffic, low-intent content that doesn't convert. In contrast, Breaking B2B focuses on SEO strategies that drive revenue by targeting keywords with higher buyer intent, ensuring that the traffic generated is more likely to convert into qualified leads.
Quote:
"We focus on SEO and websites for revenue, not vanity."
— Sam Dunning [13:21]
Effective B2B SEO Strategies: Examples
Timestamp: [15:40]
Using a hypothetical example, Sam illustrates the difference between top-of-funnel (ToFu) and bottom-of-funnel (BoFu) keywords. For a B2B proposal software company, ToFu keywords like “how to write sales proposals” attract informational searches with low conversion potential. In contrast, BoFu keywords such as “best proposal software for HR teams” target prospects ready to purchase, resulting in higher-quality leads.
Quote:
"Someone actually already has identified, they have the problem, they're already aware they need to get a solution... much more likely to drive a lead."
— Sam Dunning [17:41]
The Role of AI in B2B SEO
Timestamp: [20:56]
Greg shifts the conversation to the impact of AI on SEO. Sam acknowledges that while AI tools like ChatGPT can assist in keyword research, content drafting, and optimization, there’s a risk of producing generic, low-quality content. He warns against over-reliance on AI for content creation, citing Google's spam updates that penalize AI-generated content lacking in expertise and authority. Sam advises using AI as a supportive tool rather than the sole content creator, ensuring that content remains authentic and value-driven.
Quote:
"If you're using all these crazy words that I probably never say in a normal conversation... doesn't build trust."
— Sam Dunning [22:59]
Future of SEO and AI Integration
Timestamp: [25:48]
Looking ahead, Sam speculates on the evolving landscape of SEO with AI advancements. He mentions Google’s experiment with AI-generated instant overviews in search results, which faced backlash due to inaccuracies. Although Google has scaled back this feature, Sam anticipates AI will continue to influence search behaviors. He emphasizes that B2B marketers should focus on creating niche, customer-centric content that AI tools cannot easily replicate, ensuring long-term SEO success despite changing algorithms.
Quote:
"When you get to more specific, more niche, relevant, more customer relevant content... that's probably where you're going to win more in SEO with the commercial value in mind."
— Sam Dunning [26:18]
Actionable Advice for Improving B2B SEO
Timestamp: [28:54]
As the discussion wraps up, Sam offers practical steps for B2B marketers looking to enhance their SEO:
- Experimentation: Hands-on practice is the most effective way to learn SEO. Utilize available resources and apply strategies directly to your website or blog.
- Target Commercial Intent Keywords: Focus on keywords that indicate a high intent to purchase, aligning content with the specific needs and decision-making processes of your target audience.
- Content Quality: Ensure content is valuable, informative, and tailored to address the real problems and goals of your prospects.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and refine your SEO strategies based on performance metrics and evolving best practices.
Quote:
"The best thing my SEO probably improved the most when I tried to do stuff myself."
— Sam Dunning [28:54]
Conclusion
Greg concludes the episode by reiterating the importance of strategic, revenue-focused SEO for B2B marketers. He encourages listeners to leverage the insights shared by Sam Dunning to refine their SEO approaches, ensuring alignment with business objectives and customer needs.
Final Quote:
"Stay focused and stay agile."
— Greg Kihlström [30:57]
Resources Mentioned:
- Breaking B2B Website: breakingb2b.com
- Greg Kihlström's Book: Priority as Action available on Amazon
For more episodes and insights, visit www.b2bagility.com.