If you’ve been on the hunt for ways to market your manufacturing business, we’re sure you’ve stumbled upon the term “search engine optimization” before. SEO for industrial manufacturing is one of our favorite digital marketing tactics—it’s all about isolating valuable keywords and targeting that content to your audience.
But I’m a manufacturer, you say, not a marketer! How can I master the essentials of SEO marketing, get inside the head of my buyers, and all the rest of it while still running my business? Not to worry, we’ve got your back.
SEO: The Basics
Google’s algorithm is purposefully mysterious, but we know for a fact that it shuffles its search results in your favor for all your future searches. Google essentially pairs customers with websites based on keywords and keyword combos. As a digital marketer, your goal is to get that algorithm working in your favor, placing your business at the top of those search results and letting you stand out as an authority in your field. To do that, you need to know which keywords will get you there.
Easier said than done, right? Not if you invest in a keyword research tool, which offers insight into popular search terms, demographics, and more. This research, when paired with a little healthy scoping-out of industry competitors, will help you discover what keywords and links get you the top results. Determining your business’s unique selling points (USPs), and reevaluating them on occasion, is a great habit to get into as well.
Is SEO Marketing Really That Effective?
Absolutely! SEO marketing for manufacturers is the ideal way to meet, and exceed, digital expectations. Consider, for example, that 75.1% of all clicks go to the first three Google search results. Compound that with the fact that most manufacturers don’t believe they have much competition in the first place. Do you see what we’re getting at here? Outshining your competitors is essential, and it may actually be easier than you think.
Of course, it’s not enough for manufacturers to slap the right keywords on their site and call it a day. Liven up those words and phrases with some compelling written or visual content—information your audience can’t find on other manufacturing sites. In other words, the keywords get your customers in the door, and the substance of your website is what keeps them there.
The Manufacturer’s SEO Guide 2020
Invested in a keyword research tool (or two, or three)? Check. Demographic studies well underway? Double check. Let’s examine a few more pointers to keep in mind, tailored specifically for manufacturing SEO.
Manufacturers Should Be Utilizing B2B Tactics, Not B2C
Chances are, your manufacturing company is a business-to-business (B2B) organization, not a business-to-consumer (B2C) one. SEO is a strong marketing tactic for both B2B and B2C companies, but you, the manufacturer, need to be sure you’re employing B2B tactics instead of B2C. Is your head spinning yet?
There are dozens of B2B SEO marketing tactics we could recommend here, but we’ll keep it simple and share some of our top picks.
- Many B2B manufacturers forgo social media, but in doing so, leave their audience bored and uninspired. And, would you believe it, SEO and social media pair beautifully together!
- Your sales cycles are generally longer than those of B2C customers, so tailoring your keywords and your written content toward longevity is crucial. In other words, continually refine those SEO keywords and the content you’ve worked them into.
Keep An Eye On Changes and Trends for 2020
We’re well into 2020 (tumultuous as it’s been), so we’ve had ample time to review recent SEO trends and incorporate them into marketing strategy. Keeping up with such trends is how you’ll consistently appear at the top of search engine results.
Again, let’s review a few ways the SEO landscape has changed in the past year alone.
- Featured snippets are making quite the impact. Those are the helpful answer boxes that appear at the top of Google’s search results in response to a question. If you directly answer a frequently-searched customer query and incorporate popular keywords into that answer better than the currently ranking pages, chances are you’ll be able to rank pretty high, and capture a featured snippet to boot. Consider the who, what, when, where, and why of your business, and use those keyword tools to see what questions your audience is really asking.
- SEO for videos is a real thing. Go ahead, try a YouTube search to see where your business ranks right now. If you’re not ranking visually, what will it take to do so? As long as you’ve created some visual content, of course, you can incorporate SEO manufacturing keywords into the title, description, and tags of your videos. YouTube not your thing? Try embedding videos in customer emails or company blog posts.
SEO for Industrial Manufacturing Has Never Been So Simple
Snap’s team of strategists and copywriters know SEO like the back of their hand. We’re continually monitoring SEO trends for businesses in all walks of life—manufacturing businesses included. Industrial manufacturers, let’s grow your organization today. Send us a message to get started taking your marketing strategy to the next level.