B-to-B Lead Generation: The Rise of the Web.

Lead Gen Revolution: 

Dramatic change to Business-to-Business (B-to-B) lead generation in just 10 years.

Over the last decade, promoting technical services to businesses has been transformed, going from mostly 'physical' tactics like sales rep cold calls, trade shows, print ads and stamped mail shots to new technologies including dynamic websites, paid search, organic search, banner ads, social media, and email campaigns. 

Various web experts are saying that in 2010 around 58% of all B-to-B leads were web generated in the USA. That number is expected to rise to 75% in 2015. Already, 80% of buyers said they contacted the vendor, presumably most of them referenced the web for research. Only 10% of buyers came from traditional cold calls. These figures state what we now take for granted: the web has radically changed how a business does business with another business.

I am very lucky and privileged to have been a full and deep 'brick-and-mortar' web marketing player in this unique period of human history - when the business world became wired and went global. When marketing began to transform from 'analog' to 'digital'. Back in 2000, business websites were rather simple, static, 'brochure-ware webpages', not really written nor geared to this novel new way people could find and scan (not read) information on the web. Most people had only thin copper wire connectivity to the web. Broadband was expanding but a rarity. Worse, many sites were not search-engine friendly  because search engines like Google and Overture were not a big factor in search engine traffic.... yet. Remember those disastrous 'framed' content management systems?

I had the pleasure of seeing my first web-leads generated in 1998, they came from extremely qualified customers who were technology savvy, early adapters - - they saw and understood the fantastic potential of the internet, and also appreciated it as extremely cool. They were the customers who kept asking me why we didn't have a website. After months of advocating and pushing, I secured agreement and resources to get the new site built. And surprise! We started to get visitors, and real live leads. That first web-lead in 1998 was very exciting, the beginning of a dramatic shift in lead gen, and a big surprise to skeptics and doubters. 

How did the clients find us in those pioneer days? Promotion. Mostly because I insisted we have our URL domain and an email address printed on business cards, ads, listings, and promotional giveaways. Promotion was our primary way to build awareness of the site, search engines were not an important factor back then. I first heard about Google in 2000, and my first impression was that the name was pretty funny. Little did I know that because of Google, I would spend literally thousands of hours working on webpages, Adwords and Analytics to generate tens of thousands of B-to-B leads a year.

Once Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, MSN (AKA: Paleolithic Bing), Copernicus, and many other search engines became popular, lead generation from B-to-B websites really took off. I am honored to have been involved in the exciting, early stages of this revolutionary change.

Organic and Paid search became extremely important for generating leads. A potential customer could now find that needle-in-the-haystack with relative ease - - you being that needle, that lucrative niche service, for example, if you did your job right!
                                        
The customer now controlled the lead generation process, to your advantage. If you took the initiative in, say 2003, with fresh web content and innovative paid search, and your competitors were oblivious (and most of them were), you could enjoy a near-monopoly on key search terms and web leads.... an enviable situation which is still possible today if you are dedicated, creative and focused.

Website Lead Generation Success: When it all comes together.

Engineering Website Lead Generation Success.

Want to experience the happy result of watching a surge of global B-to-B qualified leads spill out of the various webpages for which you are responsible... to get "one for the record books"? It is a great feeling.

The principles involved are few, but extremely important. Get them right, and you'll see excellent business leads coming out of the woodwork. Here are four principles I find useful and important for lead gen.

Intense focus on webpage content:
Is the content concise, precise, relevant? Is the content updated regularly? Are the right keywords being used for the right potential audience? Is there relevant professional 'eye candy' like images, graphics, videos, etc? Is there a strong call to action?

Search Engine Marketing:


Search Engine Optimization - SEO:
Organic SEO is vital to success. Pages must be found in order to be read. A great webpage, when not found by potential clients, is utterly useless. Is the page benchmarked against competitors in search? Are actions taken to improve content with an eye to raise search engine rankings and exploit long-tail niche targeting? Have additional language options been created when useful?

Paid Search (Adwords):
Paid Search is another important tool, lead generator and effective branding tactic. When Organic and Paid search are used in a coordinated fashion, quality lead generation benefits. Paid search can support organic search, validate your organic search rankings in the customer's mind, and fill in search engine result gaps when they occur. Using of negative search terms in paid search will help improve accuracy, conversion, and cost measurements.

Navigation and Links:
Diligent and intelligent cross-linking to other relevant webpages and blogs, with strong site and sectional navigation menus added and updated help keep potential clients from getting lost in a site. "Don't Make Me Think" is a great book, for this very reason if nothing else. Is Social Media being exploited?

Teamwork:
Having a talented, professional, reliable and innovative website management, design and webmaster team is mission critical. A well-designed website is like a fine symphony hall.... fantastic acoustics, great architecture.... just as a fine concert hall needs fine music to fulfill its destiny, so too, a good website needs good content to achieve ultimate SEO and lead generation success. Good content performs best on a good website. Get the formula wrong, and a mediocre website will produce mediocre to poor leads, no matter the quality of the content.

Discipline and Conviction:
What I have discussed are some general principles to help generate more, better, B-to-B leads. Discipline, inspiration, conviction and work-ethic are required to make lead gen success happen. Make SEO, Navigation, Benchmarking and Linkage optimization a daily habit and good things will happen.

What to do when those great quality leads start pouring in and they have to be classified, followed-up and tracked is another important topic for another day.

About to Graduate from University? Need a Job? Get Linkedin Now.

Linkedin can be an important tool to get you the job you want after graduation.


If you are a college student facing graduation in a year or less, you're seeing a tough job market. Competition will be fierce. How do you get noticed by potential employers, and make important connections before you graduate, so your chances of getting hired to the dream job you want are improved? 


I have one important word of advice for you: Linkedin. Register and get on Linkedin now. The sooner you do, the better for you. Give yourself a competitive edge in the job market... get a Linkedin account.

Linkedin is a more serious version of Facebook for the professional business world. It is not designed for socializing and game playing. It is designed to make business contacts, join professional organizations, and network, network and network. It is a virtual Rolodex* that never becomes obsolete... a networking tool to connect with business professionals, recruiters, clients, senior management and much more.


Potential employers and job recruiters are crawling through Linkedin, searching for talent and potential hires for a wide range of jobs and industries. As a newly minted graduate, you need to get visibility - - and get it fast. 

Linkedin will help you get noticed by potential recruiters across markets, regions and countries. The basic version of LinkedIn is FREE. To upgrade is inexpensive, it is an investment in yourself. Start connecting with your professors (you'll be surprised to see your professors with business and networking sense already there), parents, parents of friends, university speakers, intern contacts, and people you know the industry you want to target for your job search. 

The real power of Linkedin is your ability to explore and find new contacts who can help you find that first, great professional job after graduation.You can also join Linkedin Groups which are interesting for you.... Campus organizations and Alumni associations have Groups on Linkedin.... great ways to get started with your networking! You can even start your own Linkedin group focused on a industry, science, engineering discipline, career interest, and more.... showing you have initiative and leadership skills.

If you are a Senior or Junior, get started now. It takes time to build a quality network, and you need to visit and update your Linkedin account on a fairly regular basis, not a daily social feeding frenzy like Facebook, but at least a few times a week. Keep your profile updated, pay attention to your profile, and always look for quality connections which can help in your professional career.


Visit Linkedin at www.linkedin.com
Learn more about Linkedin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolodex

PPC Blog Produces Excellent Google Flow Chart: "How Google Works"

PPC Blog has produced a very entertaining and informative graphic showing "How Google Works - In Gory Detail".

For those of us who attract business leads generated from Google Search Engine Marketing, both organic and paid search, this Google graphic is one I advise you post on your office wall and absorb some of the Google factoids displayed on the flowchart. At the very least, this will spark some office thought and conversation!

View the How-Google-Works flowchart here: http://ppcblog.com/how-google-works/


Infographic by the Pay Per Click Blog

New 2011 SEO Terms and Acronyms: Great Resource

Posted on January 31st, 2011 by Tad Chef, SEOptimise has produced a useful new mini-glossary: "30 (New) SEO Terms You Have to Know in 2011".

For Search Engine Optimization, this listing is a good source of information, and Tad has included links to reference sources.

Where Google is Hiring.

Google Wants You - - 
Google to Hire 6,200 New Positions in 2011 across the World.


Google Senior vice president of engineering and research Alan Eustace announced this week that Google will hire a record 6,200 new employees in 2011. For the best and the brightest, this is a great opportunity to join one of the world's most successful and innovative companies. Google will grow in 2011 to an employee count of over 30,000. In an effort to retain the culture (and advantage) of a Silicon Valley start-up, Alan wants to keep engineering teams small and focused, averaging 3.5 people. Opportunities to join Google will happen across the world.


Google USA Locations:
California - Mountain View Global HQ 
(Google plans to hire 2,000 new positions in Silicon Valley)
California - Santa Monica
California - San Francisco
California - Irvine
California - San Bruno (YouTube)
Colorado - Boulder
Colorado - Thornton
Georgia - Atlanta
Illinois - Chicago
Iowa - Council Bluffs
Massachusetts - Boston Cambridge
Michigan - Ann Arbor (Google is hiring 10 positions in Ann Arbor)
Michigan - Detroit
New York - New York
North Carolina - Lenoir
Oklahoma - Mayes County
Oregon - The Dalles
Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh
South Carolina - Berkeley County
Texas - Austin
Virginia - Reston
Washington, D.C.
Washington - Seattle/Kirkland (Google is hiring over 100 Positions in Seattle)
Wisconsin - Madison
Multiple USA Locations (includes telecommuting)
Google Locations in Canada and South America:
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Google EMEA Locations (Europe, Middle East, and Africa): 
(Google is hiring over 1,000 positions in Europe)
Africa
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland (EU Headquarters)
Israel
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom

Google Asia Pacific Locations:
(Google plans to hire over 500 new Asia Pacific positions in 2011)
Australia
China
Hong Kong
India
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
Singapore
Taiwan

For the right person, this is a golden opportunity. Best of Success! Learn more about Google.

Organic SEO Writer? Read This Blog!

A tweet from Jill Whalen with High Rankings alerted me to an excellent, funny and educational blog about organic search optimization and who you are really writing for. Written by A. J. Kohn at "Blind Five Year Old", the blog hammers / nails / slams / nukes home the point that web content is worth almost nothing for search engine marketing unless that content makes it to page one search results. 

In other words.... Search Engines control our destiny with organic SEO. Pay attention to them. Ignore them at your risk. 
Anyone getting into the SEO game should read Kohn's blog:
Search Engines Emulate Human Evaluation:
Stop writing for people. Start writing for search engines.


I very much enjoyed reading this article, the humorous twist is creative and entertaining. In order to GET FOUND via organic search, your content MUST be highly ranked by search engines. To get highly ranked means one must write for search engines. Getting found is a major requirement to getting leads from customers. 

You need to be found here, with SEO.

HOWEVER / AND simultaneously the content must also be compelling to the human visitor so that they contact us… good lead generation or another positive action is the ultimate goal. Getting search engines to rank my webpages high for organic search is a top priority, and getting qualified prospective customers (people), to call, email, chat, or send a webform enquiry to my company is the highest top priority. 
SEO is a means to the end. Developing relevant webpages and websites while paying attention to search engine optimization is great for business. 


Mr. Kohn is also obviously a cool person for posting a video of the opening sequence of the original 1967 series "The Prisoner" on his blog as an educational tool. Fantastic. Number Six and Number Two would be very proud. Thanks for a great Blog!


Learn more about what SEO can do for your business: Want Good Web Leads? Then SEO Matters.

Stuck with an Old Webpage? Don't Hit "Delete" Just Yet!

As good B-to-B web marketers, we've all been there before: One of your business units, locations, brands comes to you with a request: "Hey, we stopped making right-handed widgets.... now we make left-handed widgets. Please make a new webpage for left-hand widgets and delete the old page for right-hand widgets - - the old page is no good anymore !"

Before you kill the old page and build a new replacement page, consider your options and consequences! 

Killing a webpage without proper thought and evaluation can cause self-inflicted damage with search engine optimization and lead generation. Salvaging an old webpage and putting it to new use can help bring in more business. The situation with worthy old webpages is not unlike keeping a valuable older building and renovating it for new uses... this can be far more profitable than simply knocking it down and being stuck with an empty lot full of weeds.

Over the years, I have enjoyed consistent, often exceptional, SEO and lead generation success from keeping, transforming and focusing select old webpages to new tasks, with many of the pages ranking in the top 5 organic search results for key search terms, against tens of millions of other indexed webpages.

That old 'obsolete' page can be transformed into a formidable niche or lower-level webpage - - targeting a very concise precise service, feature, topic. If linked to a bigger cluster of related business pages, you may be able to transform that old webpage into a new search engine 'category killer' for some valuable long-tail search terms - - a great quality lead generation win.

To Be or Not to Be: Points to consider when looking at an old webpage's future:

1. Can the old webpage still sit in your service/product offerings? Can it still fill a supporting role, or valuable niche of some sort, with proper modification? Is the URL for the old page a relatively neutral factor in terms of name and structure? If yes, then the page is a candidate for salvage and renewal.

2. How does the old webpage perform in Google and other search engines for organic search? If the page is achieving high search rankings, it is absolutely a serious candidate for salvage and renewal... or intelligent redirecting.

3. If, on the other hand, the old webpage cannot obviously fill a supporting or new role on your website, or search rankings are poor, then the page is a candidate for redirect to a new page, with a lower risk of lead generation damage.

4. But never just simply kill or delete a old webpage. This will cause broken links, not good for visitors and search engines. Instead, 301 redirect the old page to the new webpage you want to replace it. The old page may rank on Google for awhile, but the redirected link will take visitors to the new page so potential customers don't drop out due to a bad link. Redirects preserve visitor 'favorites' so they can find you again, and allows visitors to navigate to the new webpage from the old page listed on search engine results, a temporary but important period of time. Properly 301'ing helps impart any SEO success the old page had onto the new page, for a while. Eventually, over time, the new page must achieve organic search engine ranking on its own.

5. Housekeeping is important when redirecting to a new webpage. Internal links to the old webpage on your website should be changed to point to the new replacement webpage. Paid Search campaigns should be updated as well.

Every public webpage on your website has history, search engine rankings, 'favorites' followers, and internal navigation linkage. So before simply deleting and redirecting an old webpage, take some time to review the page, where and how it sits in your offerings, what function is it performing, and what potential uses that page has for the future. Perhaps with some modification and optimization, that old webpage can become renewed, working as a formidable niche asset for your SEO and lead generation efforts.

Novel Social Media Concept for 2011: Content is Still King

The social media wave continued to grow in 2010, expanding and receiving a huge amount of attention from the media and web marketing professionals. Hollywood even got into the act with a movie on Facebook, a sure sign that public interest is peaking.


Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and many other social media sites, apps and tools gained visitors and have proliferated, chasing both B-to-C consumers and (not in-coincidently) rather large pools of venture capital funds salivating to get into the social media game. One can predict a Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest struggle in the next few years involving social media ventures, search engines and email services as visitor behaviors and usage evolve. We've been there before with Web 1.0 and 2.0. Social media giant Facebook is beginning to tower amongst the others in the emerging social media marketing landscape... rivaling and in some ways challenging the search engine giant Google. Linkedin is revolutionizing how we conduct person-to-person introductions, prospecting and business communication. Twitter has established a unique niche, with no competitors in sight.


But what does this mean to technical and industrial B-to-B marketers? While Social Media is growing in importance and is the popular hot topic of the day, Search Engine Marketing continues to matter, churning out vast numbers of valuable business leads. If you are marketing to engineers, scientists, managers, executives and other decision makers and professionals, webpage content is still king, no matter where you put it. These high value prospective clients don't use Facebook or Twitter to do research and find potential vendors... they use Google or Bing.


Search Engine Optimization, SEO, is fundamental to successful lead generation. What is SEO, but great content on a great webpage, on a great website? Have that great content well-linked both inside and outside of a website, keep the content fresh. By adding a modest Paid Search campaign to the mix one can achieve amazing commercial success.


It's perfectly OK to develop a rational Social Media B-to-B presence in 2011, just don't forget search engine content optimization on company websites.

December is a perfect time for SEO updates.

For B-to-B search engine marketing, taking advantage of the relatively quiet period during the last two weeks of December is an excellent time to update and revise your webpages for search engine optimization.

Global business activity drops significantly during late December, and the Christmas and New Year holidays. Take advantage of this seasonal lull by reviewing your webpages, refresh and optimize them, with an eye towards improving and maintaining your valuable and coveted search engine rankings for next year.

Jumping on this task now gives the search engine bots more time to re-index your pages, and hopefully have your webpages placed into an improved position for key search terms when your customers come back to work in January.

If you want blazing B-to-B success in early January, start now. Waiting until Monday morning on January 3 to apply SEO to your webpages is too late. Start now, for success later.