How to Do B2B Keyword Research: 10 Steps to Rank & Convert

Imagine you're trying to find the perfect words to help two businesses talk to each other online. That's what B2B keyword research is all about.

Start by developing your market niche and making a list of seed keywords. Analyze the keywords your competitors use, identify the most relevant ones, and group them by search intent. Finally, build a list of relevant topics that align with the B2B buyer's journey.

In this blog post, we’ll explore B2B keyword research essentials, practical strategies, and techniques for targeted marketing success.

How to Do B2B Keyword Research: 10 Proven Tips

In B2B marketing, good keyword research is key to reaching the right audience and boosting conversions. Here are 10 tips for improving your B2B keyword strategy and optimizing your content.

Resources and Communities for Industry Ideas

Join industry forums to find the best B2B keywords. These are great places for new ideas. Here's how to use them well:

Explore Industry Forums

Experts and enthusiasts hold discussions about important topics at industry forums. By browsing these forums, you can find keywords that are currently popular and relevant.

• Identify Key Discussions: Look for popular threads and topics that recur often.
• Note Common Questions: Pay attention to questions people ask repeatedly.
• Observe Vocabulary: See what terms and jargon are commonly used by participants.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

Social media is a lively place where businesses and people share ideas. It's great for finding new trends and popular topics.

• Join Relevant Groups: Participate in LinkedIn groups or Facebook communities related to your industry.
• Follow Influencers: Keep tabs on industry leaders and what they talk about.
• Monitor Hashtags: Track industry-specific hashtags on Twitter and Instagram for real-time insights.

Read Industry Publications

Industry publications provide expert opinions and in-depth articles about the latest happenings. They are excellent resources for keyword inspiration.

• Browse Articles: Look for articles that cover new trends and technologies.
• Check Headlines: Headlines often contain key terms that reflect current priorities.
• Review Reports and Studies: These documents often highlight important industry terms and statistics.

Build a Comprehensive Keyword List

Building a strong keyword list is key to successful B2B keyword research. Ensure it aligns with your business goals. Here's how to create one:

• Brainstorm Initial Ideas: Consider the terms and phrases your customers might use to find your products or services and industry-specific jargon.
• Analyze Competitors: Research your competitors' keywords. This can provide insight into potential gaps or opportunities in your own strategy.
• Use Keyword Research Tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush will help you enrich your keywords and check their frequency.
• Activate Customer Feedback: Use customer feedback to find the common words they use. This will help you identify the right keywords for your audience.
• Focus on Long-Tail Keywords: These are longer, specific terms that attract targeted traffic.
• Align with Business Goals:  Always ensure your keyword choices reflect your overall business objectives and target market.

Research Competitors' Keywords

In B2B marketing, competitor keywords are a source of advantage. Like discovering what it is that magnetizes the audience of your competitors. By understanding their interests, you can find new ways to connect and stand out.

Tools and Techniques to Identify Competitors' Keywords

Use these methods to find out what keywords your competitors are using:

• SEO Tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz offer data on your competitor's keywords, including performance, search volume, and ranking difficulty.
• Competitor Website Analysis:  Visit competitor websites and examine their content. Look for repeated phrases or terms that seem central to their content strategy.
• Google Search: Perform Google searches using terms related to your industry. See which competitors appear at the top and how they use keywords.
• Social Listening Tools: Tools like BuzzSumo and Mention can help you track what keywords are used in online industry discussions. This can highlight trending topics and commonly used phrases.

Uncovering Opportunities

Once you know your competitors' keywords, look for gaps and opportunities:

• Keyword Gaps: Identify keywords your competitors rank for that you don’t. These are potential areas for growth.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Discover long-tail keywords your competitors might be overlooking. These are less common but often bring in more targeted traffic.
• Content Ideas: Use competitor keywords to generate new content ideas. Offering fresh perspectives or additional information can help you attract your audience's attention.

Organize Keywords Into Topic Clusters

Keyword clustering is key for B2B marketing. It helps with content planning and boosts SEO, thus facilitating search engine crawling and allowing your audience to understand and navigate.

Why Use Topic Clusters?

Topic clusters organize your content efficiently. By assembling related keywords, you map out content that comprehensively addresses a subject.

• Enhances user experience by offering comprehensive information.
• Encourages search engines to recognize your site as an authority.
• Streamlines content creation by providing clear direction.

How to Create Topic Clusters

Building topic clusters involves several steps. Each step ensures that your content is both relevant and impactful. Here's how you can do it:

• Identify Core Topics
• Start by selecting broad subjects that are central to your business.
• Your products or services should be the focus of your topics.
• Consider industry trends and customer pain points.

• Research and List Keywords
• For each core topic, find related keywords and phrases that potential customers might use. Use keyword research tools to gather data.
• Include long-tail keywords for specific queries.

• Group Keywords into Clusters
• Organize your keywords into groups based on related themes.
• Create subtopics under each core topic.
• Ensure each cluster answers specific questions or needs.

• Plan Content Around Clusters

• Make sure all keyword groups are thoroughly covered in your content.

• Every cluster should have a blog post, an article, or a guide.

• Link related content internally to strengthen SEO.

Benefits of Topic Clusters

Using topic clusters provides numerous advantages that can significantly impact your marketing efforts:

• Improved SEO: Search engines rank your site higher when they see comprehensive coverage of a topic.
• Better User Engagement: Visitors find it easier to navigate your site and discover relevant content.
• Increased Authority: By addressing all aspects of a topic, you position your business as a knowledgeable leader.

Prioritize Your Keywords Based on Suitability

When doing B2B keyword research, it's important to choose the right keywords. Here are some ways to find the best ones:

1. Volume: Checking How Many People Search
• Look at how many times people search for a keyword.
• Keywords with more searches can reach more people.
2. Personal Keyword Difficulty: Seeing the Competition
• Check how many others are using the same keywords.
• Even if others use the same keywords, choose ones you can rank well for.
3. Topical Authority: Showing Your Expertise
• Use keywords that match what you are good at.
• This helps show you know a lot about your topic.
4. Cost per Click (CPC): Managing Your Budget
•  Find out how much it costs when someone clicks on your ad.
• Pick keywords that give you good value for your money.

Connect Keywords to the Buyer’s Journey

Connecting keywords to the buyer's journey is crucial for successful B2B marketing. This approach ensures your content reaches potential customers at the right time. Let's explore how different keywords align with each stage of the buyer's journey.

Awareness Stage: Brand Visibility and Engagement

At the awareness stage, potential customers realize a need or problem. In order to increase brand visibility, we need to engage them with helpful content.

• Use broad keywords that describe your industry or main services.
• Incorporate educational terms that address common problems or questions.
• Focus on building trust and awareness through blogs, guides, and videos.

Consideration Stage: Detailed Information and Comparisons

The consideration stage is where buyers consider various options in more detail. This is when to emphasize your differentiation.

• Employ comparative keywords, showcasing the features of products versus those of competitors.
• Use terms that suggest solutions or benefits specific to your products.
• Detailed case studies, webinars, and product comparisons.

Decision Stage: Facilitating Final Purchase Decisions

In the decision stage, buyers are ready to choose a solution. Keywords here should facilitate their final purchase decision.

• Utilize action-oriented keywords that prompt buying decisions, like "buy," "get," or "sign up."
• Highlight promotional offers or testimonials.
• Ensure easy access to free trials, demos, and direct purchase options.

Informational, Navigational, Commercial, Transactional Keywords

Understanding the keywords types is key to effectively targeting each buyer’s journey stage.

• Informational Keywords: Best for the awareness stage, these are used to find information on a topic.
• Navigational Keywords: Help users find a specific company or website.
• Commercial Keywords: Indicate a user is in the consideration stage, looking to compare products or services.
• Transactional Keywords: Perfect for the decision stage, signaling readiness to buy or complete a transaction.

Conduct Audience Research to Create Better Content

Knowing your audience is the essential ingredient for great content. If you understand what your audience needs, you will be able to provide content that caters to those needs better. Here's how you do audience research:

Identify Your Audience

• Define Your Ideal Customer: Know who your target audience is. Consider factors like age, job title, industry, and interests.
• Create Buyer Personas: Identify your ideal customers and develop detailed profiles of them. This helps them understand their challenges and goals.

Listen to Your Audience

• Use Surveys and Polls: Ask your audience directly what they need. This can give you insights into their preferences and pain points.
• Monitor Social Media: Track conversations on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to see what your audience is discussing and interested in.

Analyze Audience Behavior

• Review Analytics: Use tools such as Google Analytics to dive into the ways users interact with your website. Look at which pages they visit most and how long they stay.
• Conduct Interviews: Speak directly with current customers to get feedback on your products and services.

Apply Your Findings

• Tailor Content: Use the insights from your research to create content tailored to specific audiences.
• Refine Messaging: Adjust your marketing messages to resonate more with your audience’s interests and challenges.

Explore Branded and Non-Branded Keywords

Successful B2B marketing depends on understanding different types of keywords. Branded and non-branded keywords each play a unique part in attracting customers.

• Branded Keywords:

• These are directly related to your company.
• They include your product or service names.
• Use them to reach people who already know about your brand. 

• Non-Branded Keywords:

• These are broader and related to your industry.
• They attract potential customers who may still need to learn your brand.
• Helpful in reaching people earlier in their buying journey.

Target Long-Tail Keywords for Higher Intent

Finding the right keywords is very important for business success, especially in B2B marketing. Long-tail keywords are a great way to reach people who are more likely to be interested in your offer.

• Specific and Detailed: Long-tail keywords are usually longer and more precise. They help you connect with people looking for particular solutions.
• Better Leads: These keywords attract visitors who know what they want, making them more likely to become customers.
• Higher Conversion Rates: These keywords address exact needs, so they often lead to more sales or sign-ups.
• Industry Focused: Long-tail keywords often include industry-specific terms, making them perfect for niche markets.

Use Negative Keywords for Precision Targeting

Negative keywords help your business reach the right audience by filtering out irrelevant searches. This ensures your ads reach people who matter, saving money and focusing on your target market.

• Filter Out Irrelevant Searches: Negative keywords help avoid showing your ads to people searching for something unrelated to your business.
• Boost Campaign Efficiency: By reducing irrelevant clicks, you can reduce costs and make your ad budget work harder for you.
• Improve Audience Targeting: Your ads will be precision-targeted to people who are interested in what you offer, which will increase your chances of conversion.
• Enhance Content Relevance: Using negative keywords ensures that your website visitors find the information they need, improving their overall experience.

The Importance of Keyword Research in B2B Marketing

In the world of B2B marketing, keyword research is a game-changer. Businesses can reach the right audience and meet their goals. Let's dive into why this is so important.

Driving Targeted Traffic

Keyword research is key to attracting the right visitors to your website. Here's how it helps:

• Reaches Specific Audiences: Using the right words, you connect with people actively looking for what you offer.
• Improves Visibility: Good keywords help your business rank higher in search engines.
• Supports Business Goals: Targeting the right keywords can benefit your business.

Understanding Niche Markets

B2B markets are often niche and specific. Knowing your market is crucial:

• Industry-Specific Language: Use terms and jargon that your audience understands.
• Tailored Content: Write content that addresses the needs and challenges of your niche market.

Grasping B2B Buyer Behaviors

Understanding how B2B buyers think and act helps refine your keyword strategy:

• Longer Decision-Making Process: B2B purchases usually take longer. Keywords should reflect the research phase, not just the buying phase.
• Multiple Decision-Makers: Tailor your keywords to different roles within a business, as many people are involved in B2B decisions.

Launching Your B2B Keyword Strategy

Starting a B2B keyword strategy is crucial for getting your business noticed online. Here's how you can implement and enhance your plan for the best results.

Steps to Implement Your Keyword Strategy

To get your keyword strategy off the ground, follow these steps:

• Identify Your Goals: Determine whether you want to increase website traffic or boost sales with your keywords.
• Choose the Right Keywords: Use tools to find keywords that potential clients might use to find your products or services.
• Optimize Your Content: Use these keywords in blogs and product descriptions.
• Create a Content Calendar: Create a schedule for updating your website with new content.

Monitoring Performance

Once your strategy is in place, it's important to keep an eye on how it’s doing:

• Track Website Traffic: Use analytics tools to see how many people visit your site and which pages they view.
• Measure Engagement: Check how long visitors stay on your site and what actions they take.
• Analyze Conversion Rates: See how many visitors turn into leads or customers.

Adapting to Market Changes

Your strategy must be flexible because the market is always changing:

• Stay Updated on Trends: Keep an eye on industry news and changes in consumer behavior.
• Update Keywords Regularly: Refresh your keyword list to include new terms your audience uses.
• Adjust Content Accordingly: Modify your content to match new trends and customer interests.

Refining Content Based on Data

You can refine your content using data-driven insights:

• Evaluate Content Performance: Look at which pieces of content perform well and why.
• Make Improvements: Use this data to tweak underperforming content or to replicate successful strategies.
• Test and Learn: Keep trying new methods and learn from them to improve your strategy.

Conclusion

As we discussed, B2B keyword research is not a casual thing. It's a multi-dimensional strategy that, if correctly done, would give a complete revamp to your marketing game. From the creation of extensive keyword lists to further segmenting them into topic clusters, to matching those keywords with the various stages of the buyer's journey, success from digital marketing depends on every step.

Pay attention to market dynamics and monitor performance constantly to improve your methods. Engaging visitors and ensuring conversions are more important than traffic.