Want B2B Leads? Pay Close Attention to Google Search and Content.

A recent study by Mathew Sweezey, Marketing Evangelist for Pardot, reinforces the key role of search engine marketing for lead generation. In his paper "The State of Demand Generation 2013", the results of a user survey clearly list the main effective ingredients needed to enjoy successful B2B lead generation:

1. Obtain Search Engine Marketing Success, especially Google Search Engine Success.

2. Employ Short Content on Webpages and White Papers.... Concise, Precise, and Relevant.

In summary, B2B Buyers use Google Search, and like Relevant and Short Content on Webpages and White Papers. Worth Repeating: "B2B Buyers use Google Search and like Relevant and Short Content."

The same study indicated that an impressive "72% of product research for a future business purchase begins on Google." Nearly 3 out of 4 B2B leads start on Google.

72% of B2B Leads Begin on Google Search, per Mathew Sweezey, Pardot.

No amount of creative branding content or social media chatter will mitigate this fact. If you're not focused on winning with search engine marketing, you're at risk of missing nearly 3 out of 4 potential leads!

From my own experience, this simple formula of efficient content and effective SEO has produced over 10 years of outstanding organic search engine marketing lead generation success for B2B niche markets. I've focused on what our potential customers need and are looking for, in order to provide solutions to their problems.

Like a good consultative selling sales pitch, my webpages provide features which bring benefits to meet the prospective customer's needs. This customer-centric approach works for Google SERPs as well, based upon the superior search ranking results I commonly enjoy.

To optimize your lead generation success, craft webpage content to be efficient and relevant, focused, and concise. Content should be as short as reasonably possible, to best provide key information easily to a hectic, busy, potential client. Quickly give them the facts they need in order to be educated and motivated to contact you as a quality business lead.

Potential clients will not waste their valuable time attempting to sift through wordy webpages or white papers full of flowery, self-important, lightweight "content". They want straight facts and answers, and they want them now.

Include and use appropriate technical terms, acronyms, and jargon, because that specialized vocabulary is a key component in the business language of the targeted niche clientele. It is also good practice to spell these abbreviations out at least once on the page, as appropriate, both for visitor comprehension and search engine optimization. Make content simple and relevant for the potential client.

B2B lead generation content is usually designed to reach and influence lucrative and small market niches, not a mass audiences. You want that "1%" of the global potential audience, so talk directly to them. Don't worry about the other "99%" who will not give you any business under any circumstances.

Avoid creating excessive content. Don't 'tell a story' and yammer on telling the world how wonderful and great your company is. Potential clients can see right through this self-centered hype and quickly move on to a competitor who is more focused on the client.

In short, for superior B2B lead generation, focus on search engine marketing combined with concise and precise webpages, white papers, and other content. Include a clear call-to-action. These best practices are true big B2B lead generation winners.

A special thanks is given to Ayaz Nanji, with MarketingProfs, for his post which alerted me to Mathew Sweezey's paper. Ayaz gives an excellent overview of the Pardot report at: B2B Buyers Prefer Short Content; Rely Heavily on Google Searches.

B-to-B Web Marketing Should Help Sales People Sell.

FEED Your Website. FEED IT.

Search Engine Marketing Psychology

Study Search Engine Psychology for Success, Seriously.

Customers are in "Hunt Mode" when using Search Engines.

Understand and apply Search Engine Marketing Psychology and you'll greatly increase the probability for high organic search rankings, more effective paid ads, and achieve higher conversions and quality lead generation.

When technical business-to-business professionals use a search engine, time is money. They want answers and solutions quickly. They don't want their time wasted! Search engine marketing is high-stakes and is not like other website traffic.

Search engines attract B-to-B customer and prospect usage when:

• They are actively seeking information.
• Searchers are researching. They are in hunt mode.
• Searchers are solving a problem.
• Searcher wants to learn more - NOW.
• They want relevance and answers - FAST.
• They want tangible solutions to their problems.

They usually don't care at this crucial search psychology stage about how wonderful your company history, logo, heritage, or brand are. They want relevant information, a solution, a solution provider, and they want it now.

To boost the chances of being seen in search results and 'win" with quality lead generation, focus is vital. Provide clear, concise, precise, content that a busy professional will usually "scan" (not "read") and make it easy for that prospective customer to take positive action in contacting your company.

How should webpages be optimized so that a organic search engine searcher's psychological need for content clarity and focus are met, and a lead is generated? 

The solution is simple. Focus on what is important. Cut out extraneous verbiage and clutter. 

Reduce or even better eliminate verbose, flowery, brochure-ware content, corporate-talk, and other marketing fluff. Produce lean content which will quickly impress a potential client. Don't use bloated content built to flatter and please you and your management. Focus on the core solutions, features, and benefits, instead. Use the technical terminology your potential client is going to use, remember your target market is that small but lucrative B-to-B niche... not the general public.

Reduce marginal and distracting clutter surrounding the core service or product content. Make it simple and painless for your potential customer to find what they are looking for.

Last but not least, provide a clear and easy call-to-action. Don't make the visitor think too hard about how to contact your company!