Wait! SEO Is Not As Effective For B2B SaaS Anymore?
Recently, I saw a post on Linkedin that made me reconsider my career path.
I am a growth marketer that specializes in crafting good content for a B2B software company.
So I mostly create content that will bring more people into our funnel and eventually turn them into PQLs - or, even better, customers.
Nevertheless, I’ve never been fond of writing SEO content. I found it robotic.
Back to the point, here is the post I saw on Linkedin:
Not liking SEO content is one thing; hearing that your past efforts might be in vain is another.
So I dug deep into the issue to see if it was true.
I found out if she was right
I was searching for an answer, and I came across Neil Patel’s answer:
“SEO is not dead, it’s just changing.”
Thank goodness.
Here is what we know so far:
- SEO Content is not enough for B2B
- It’s not easy to produce quality content and make it rank high and get clicks
- SEO is not dead as well, but it has changed
So, how do you correctly do content marketing?
You give people what they want!
What do they want?
Three things:
- Personalization
- Value
- Proof
Let’s dive into each one together, along with some statistics:
People want personalization
What do you see when you open Google on your mobile device?
By the way, I’m not talking about the chrome browser, I’m talking about the Google app.
Here is what my interface looks like:
Did it always look like this?
No.
Did Google suggest some random news in front of me so that I start believing in aliens?
No.
Google’s algorithm took the data of what I’m interested in, and suggested to me a possible match that could cheer me up or keep me engaged with Google.
So, do I have to build multiple algorithms to keep people interested in what I write and get good ranks on Google?
No!
The only thing you have to do is make sure your tone is humanlike. If you have multiple layers on your website/product, you could ask for the users’ names and put them into a small box.
If you can’t, put your name somewhere on the page and let them know that you care about them.
If you don’t, you can simply ask them a couple of questions and suggest content related to their answers.
In fact, 74% of customers feel frustrated when their content is not customized, with 79% saying that it is important to be greeted by name.
So what do those Europeans value?
Here’s the answer:
People want value
If you only rely on gaining visibility through SEO, you will fail for sure.
I have proof.
So how did they even become so big?
They might have webinars, videos, a Youtube channel, workshops, infographics, social media posts, affiliate marketing programs…
There are many shapes and sizes of content. SEO articles are neither the only, nor the most efficient way to get qualified leads in 2022.
People want proof
This is the easiest point to prove, actually.
From the beginning, if I didn’t have any statistics or quotes from people that have proven their knowledge, would you believe me?
If you don’t support your ideas with cases, research, statistics, or experience, you won’t be providing any value to your readers.
And no matter how high you rank on Google, you won’t get actual qualified leads.
Spice Up The SEO With Your Own Voice
If you keep relying on SEO only, you won’t get the results you’ve worked so hard for.
Share your own thoughts along with “the 10 must-read books about SaaS” including yours.
Share your studies and the things you discuss with your colleagues.
Make videos of it, share a story every once in a while. Integrate different channels and types of content into your marketing strategy.
Spice up your content to see some spicing-up in your success rates.
