Just about everyone in the business world has likely heard something about SEO (search engine optimization) and content marketing. Many business owners know these marketing tactics are important, but don’t know where to start.
SEO and content marketing aren’t just buzzwords in the industrial sector – they are essential tools for online business growth and visibility. There are a million pieces of content on these subjects, and it can be confusing to find information that’s relevant to your manufacturing company. After all, there is no “one-size-fits-all” marketing approach.
That’s where I come in.
My agency specializes in creating customized digital marketing campaigns in the industrial sector – and I’d like to share the basics that all decision-makers in these companies should know about. Let’s get right into it, shall we?
1. Introduction: why industrial seo marketing matters
2. Step 1: understand your target clients
3. Step 2: keyword research with precision
4. Step 3: quality content is king
5. Step 4: optimize for technical SEO
6. Step 5: build industry authority with backlinks
7. Step 6: local seo: don’t overlook your roots
You’ve poured your heart and soul into your manufacturing business. Your services provide a great deal of value to clients. But what good are your services if no one can find them?
The days of buyers searching the Yellow Pages for manufacturing companies are long gone.
These days, they turn to Google.
A recent study by HubSpot found that 84% of manufacturing clients say they use the internet as their starting point when looking for services. In 2024, this should come as no shock.
With no shortage of competition, how do you cut through the noise and show up when your target client searches for a manufacturing company on Google’s search engine results?
The answer lies in high-level SEO for industrial companies.
Unlike the more general consumer market, industrial SEO marketing calls for a highly-specialized approach, and one that understands the intricacies of B2B relationships and technical products. It’s not just about attracting website visitors — it’s about attracting the right traffic that can convert into long-lasting business relationships.
Let’s break down the starting points of a successful SEO campaign:
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If you’ve ever taken a business or marketing class, this probably sounds elementary.
But you’d be surprised how many industrial SEO marketing strategies miss the mark here.
As a manufacturing company, you’re working with sizable deals and long-term clients. In other words, buyers are looking for a trustworthy partner, and they don’t open their wallets easily.
Before you do any content marketing, keyword research, SEO, etc., you need to understand your client’s challenges on a fundamental level. Do they value:
– Transparent turnaround times?
– The location of the facility?
– The size of a manufacturing facility?
– Number of client success stories?
These are just a handful of questions you need to answer before you dive into any type of marketing. The golden rule of content marketing is:
The better you can empathize with your client’s challenges, the easier it is to sell the solutions.
The goal isn’t to just broadcast information; it’s to start a conversation with potential partners in your industry.
Once you have a good idea of the challenges your target clients face, the next step is to look into keyword trends.
Keywords are the terms and phrases your prospects are entering into Google searches to find answers. In a nutshell, here is how keywords and content marketing work:
Keyword research in industrial SEO marketing isn’t about casting a wide net – it’s about precision. The goal is to pinpoint specific terms that would lead potential clients to you. This might include product types, industry challenges, regulatory questions, and so on.
Keywords are the foundation of your content marketing strategy and on-page SEO strategy. Researching them is also a basic form of business intelligence. We recommend conducting this process every month or two.
You’ve heard this before: “Content is king”.
But what does this actually mean?
Obviously, it’s in your best interests to create quality content.
The best mindset associated with the famous “content is king” saying is you shouldn’t create content just because the internet says so.
At the end of the day, you can create a thousand pieces of content every month. But it’s not going to make an impact if it doesn’t position your company as a thought leader, offer valuable insights, provide hot takes, challenge convention, discuss innovations relevant to your industry, and so on.
As a manufacturer, people are making huge investments with your company. They don’t do it lightly. If you’re churning out awesome content, it tells people that the work you do is also great – and vice versa.
Think case studies, whitepapers, and detailed blog posts that address industry challenges specific to the target audience. This will help boost your online presence and help to build trust with potential clients.
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Of all the entries on this list of tasks for industrial SEO marketing, this is the one I would highly recommend leaving to a professional. This involves working with the site’s backend and coding to make sure your site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, has a logical structure, and much more.
Even the most compelling content won’t reach its target audience if your site’s technical foundation isn’t solid. There are a lot of tasks in SEO efforts you can DIY (assuming you have the time). Technical SEO for industrial companies is not one of them. Trust me on this.If you’ve read about SEO for industrial companies, you’ve likely heard something about backlinks. Backlinks refer to the other websites that place a link to your website within their content. The more backlinks you have, the more credible your website is viewed in the eyes of Google.
Think of backlinks like endorsements of your website telling search engines that your site is a valuable resource.
But there’s a catch.
Not all backlinks are equal.
For a manufacturing website, your “endorsements” should come from other sites in the manufacturing industry. Look into online publications that offer commentary, data, news, etc. These are going to pass the most authority to you.
On the flip side, a backlink from a culinary website or a travel blog probably wouldn’t pass much value. Backlinks are all about relevancy.
Focus on creating content that others want to reference or share to naturally build this network.
For many industrial companies, local presence matters
In terms of local keywords, think “manufacturing company in Reno” or “clothing manufacture near Sparks,” etc. To give you an idea, “content marketing service in Reno” and “marketing agencies in Reno” are big local keywords for us.
Optimizing your web pages with localized keywords in your industry SEO marketing strategy helps you tap into regional segments, where many of your potential clients may start their search.
Your Google Business Profile and directories play a big role in building a local presence online.
The checklist of online directories includes:
– Business Name
– Physical address
– Phone number
– Website URL
– Business Description
– Social media profiles
– Slogans
– Images
– Any other additional media
– Certifications
– Associations
On the more technical side, you’ll need to optimize your site’s schema markup – a task that is best left to the pros.
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Industrial SEO marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it task.
Consistency is everything in manufacturing SEO – and seeing results requires ongoing attention and adjustment. On a foundational level, you’ll need to check Google Analytics and Google Search Console to keep track of your website traffic, keyword rankings, backlink profile, and GBP data.
The idea is to examine the analytics to track what’s working and what’s not, then make adjustments accordingly. Moreover, Google’s ranking algorithms are constantly changing the rules – and they don’t tell you the details of these changes. It’s up to you to gauge the results and refine your SEO plan.
This is why it’s highly recommended to work with a professional SEO team. More importantly, one that understands the ins and outs of industrial SEO. Even with a team, getting consistently positive search results is a full-time job.
SEO and content marketing are powerful tools that can add immense value for industrial companies.
However, the path to success in these areas is unique and requires a nuanced approach. As decision-makers, you’re tasked with navigating this path – and working with professionals to make a strong impact.
Hiring a marketing agency that specializes in B2B industrial marketing and understands these nuances is a very important investment in boosting your search engine rankings.
At Wildish Agency, we are highly specialized in SEO for manufacturing companies. Talk to us about your challenges with getting visibility online in a consultation. We’ll help you find the best step forward with digital marketing.