Effective B2B Keyword Research: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better SEO

The role of an SEO strategy and B2B keyword research in a business’ growth is undeniable. In fact, 89% of B2B marketers use content marketing to achieve their lead generation goals. But breaking into any industry where established brands have a strong SERP presence and a large pool of resources can often seem like an uphill battle. 

If you identify with this issue, we’re here to tell you it’s not as bad as it seems. Recently, people have been questioning the reliability of search results, as many websites focus on optimizing for search engines rather than providing genuinely helpful content.

Shifting focus from traditional metrics like keyword difficulty and competitor analysis can help you fill this void created by generic, run-of-the-mill content. In this blog, we'll explore how to do keyword research for B2B while gaining a deeper understanding of Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and buyer intent for a profitable content strategy. 

What is B2B keyword research? 

B2B keyword research identifies the specific words and phrases business buyers use to find products or solutions for their organizations.

While keyword research is highly beneficial, it only yields results when combined with acute business acumen and domain knowledge to deliver desired results. It's easy to get caught up in optimizing for search engines and neglecting the bigger picture. Instead of solely focusing on metrics like search volume, a successful content strategy combines keyword research with a deep understanding of your business and target audience.

For example, an IT services company might be inclined to create content around  ML and AI tools due to their current popularity and elevated search volume. However, if the company also offers services like cybersecurity or cloud infrastructure, focusing solely on ML and AI in their content strategy could lead to missed opportunities. By understanding the specific needs and pain points of their target audience through keyword research, the IT company can create content on topics like "Best practices for cloud migration" or "Defending against emerging cybersecurity threats." These topics will be more relevant to their package of services that are in demand with their target audience.

Similarly, targeting all potential customers with a one-size-fits-all approach leaves money on the table from subgroups not directly targeted. By identifying specific use cases and addressing the unique needs of each segment, the company can create precisely  relevant and engaging content.

For instance, a marketing automation platform serving both small businesses and enterprise clients might focus on:

• Small businesses: Content on "How to improve lead generation" or "Email marketing best practices."
• Enterprise clients: Content on "Integrating marketing automation with CRM systems" or "Data-driven marketing strategies."

Why is keyword research important for B2B SEO?

The erosion of cookie-based targeting has made paid channels less efficient and increasingly expensive, leading to higher CAC (customer acquisition costs). Organic strategies like SEO and content marketing offer a cost-effective approach to reaching your target audience without burning a hole in your pocket.

Besides saving money, accurate keyword research is fundamental to building a strong brand presence. By consistently delivering valuable content aligned with relevant search terms, your brand becomes a reliable thought leader in your industry, fostering trust and loyalty among potential customers.

Additionally, keyword research is not a solitary process (only contributing to SEO efforts). It primarily helps identify key themes, pain points, and even uncover the vocabulary your customers are inclined to use. While the keywords itself may not be used for other channels, keyword research helps establish a strong base of marketing messaging. Such in-depth understanding of the customer allows you to tailor your marketing communication to your customers’ and leads’ precise preferences, regardless of the marketing channel.

Whether it is a tutorial video, a webinar, a social media post, or a Discord discussion, you can use SEO keyword research to generate ideas for other channels.

How to conduct effective B2B keyword research

The B2B sales cycle is notoriously complex and time-consuming, making every step in the process critical to maximizing ROI. In the past, when digital marketing channels were less competitive, keyword research was a relatively straightforward process. Focusing on primary and long-tail keywords with low keyword difficulty was often sufficient. 

We are all aware of Hubspot's astronomical success using this strategy. Currently, Hubspot is the biggest corporate blog. They published 128 blog posts in May 2024 alone! They have the liberty to target low-intent, loosely knit keywords and increase traffic on their website. They can afford to do it because of their size and resources. They can afford to feed their content machine, even if the traffic it generates does not impact the bottom line.  

Unlike Hubspot, however, startups can't afford to waste resources on content that doesn't directly drive results. Every piece of content needs to contribute to revenue growth. Basing your keyword research on vanity metrics like search volume and keyword difficulty isn’t enough. To truly succeed, B2B marketers must align their keyword research with their target audience's needs and intent. Let's explore how to achieve this:

1. Identifying Your Target Audience

Understanding your target audience is the first step to building an effective keyword strategy. By clearly defining your ideal customer, you get a better understanding of the specific segment you are targeting in your market, what their pain points and needs are. This process helps cut through the marketing clutter that your audience is exposed to. This leads to more efficient resource allocation and sets up your marketing ecosystem for increased conversions. Here are the parameters to consider during audience research:

1. Segmentation

To create a comprehensive audience profile, consider segmenting your target market based on the following:

• Firmographics: Company size, industry, revenue, location, etc.
• Demographics: Job titles, department, decision-making authority, etc.
• Geographic location: Country, region, city, etc.
• Behavioral analysis: Purchase history, website interactions, engagement levels, etc.
• Psychographic factors: personality traits, values, lifestyle and motivations (pertaining to their business decisions)

2. Pain Points

Identifying your target audience's pain points is crucial for understanding their search intent. What challenges are they facing? What problems are they trying to solve? By understanding their motivations, you can develop content that directly addresses their needs.

3. Jobs to Be Done

Focus on the outcomes your target audience desires. What tasks are they trying to achieve in their job role? How can your product or service help them accomplish their goals? Understanding their desired outcomes will help enrich your keyword selection.

4. Objections

Anticipating potential objections is essential for crafting persuasive content. What concerns might your target audience have while buying a product/solution like yours? By addressing these objections upfront, you can build trust and credibility.

Pro Tip: While it may seem counterintuitive, do not focus solely on ticket size or potential revenue when defining our target audience. Instead, analyze your existing customer base to find your most successful customer segments. These customers are more likely to become long-term clients, advocates, and generate higher revenue in the long run.

2. Research the search intent and funnel

Consider a CRM software company targeting small businesses. They’ve published blog posts like '5 Tips for Improving Customer Retention in a SaaS Business.' This content might spark interest in a small business owner who is struggling with customer churn. 

As the business grows, the entrepreneur looks for  'best CRM software for small businesses' or 'how to choose a CRM system.' If your company's website appears in these and similar search results over time, you've positioned yourself as a potential solution. When they’re ready to buy a software, your company is bound to cross their mind. So they’ll consider your solution when they’re ready to purchase and may even compare you to competitors.   

Still confused? Here’s a breakdown of all the stages of the buyer’s journey and the intent signals to look for in each stage to evaluate the effectiveness of the buying funnel:

Stages of the buyer's journey and intent signals

a. Awareness Stage

• Focus on educational and informative content to introduce your brand and establish expertise. Examples include blogs, whitepapers, guides, infographics, and downloadable eBooks or resources.
• Intent signals: High bounce rates or low time on page indicate content irrelevance. Re-evaluate your content strategy if these metrics are consistently negative.

b. Interest Stage

• Create content that addresses specific pain points and positions your solution as a potential remedy. Use industry-specific use case pages and dedicated solution pages at this stage
• Intent signals: Increased page views per session, longer time on site, and repeat visits suggest growing interest.

c. Consideration Stage

• Develop content that directly compares your offering to competitors (or other similar solutions in the market) while highlighting unique benefits. List articles, customer case studies, and product demos are effective formats to address this stage of the buyer's journey.
• Intent signals: Visits to comparison pages, requests for product demos or free trials indicate a strong consideration phase.

d. Transactional Stage

• Optimize content for conversions, such as pricing pages, user testimonials, and contact forms.
• Intent signals: Visits to pricing pages, contact form submissions, demo requests, and free trial sign-ups are clear indicators of purchase intent.

While it’s easier to understand the buying funnel as a linear phenomenon, the actual buying journey may end up looking something like this: 

Often unpredictable and dizzying to many! Hubspot defined another way to understand the buying funnel, they compared it to a flywheel. Every flywheel has 3 areas: engagement, attraction and delight. While the traditional funnel shows a linear, simplified version of customer acquisition, it fails to put customers at the forefront, discounting their contributions to help your business grow. 

Whether it is clothing, a bar of soap or B2B services you're looking for, you’re bound to ask around or look for genuine reviews online to make your decision. It's no brainer that customer advocacy should be given equal if not more importance than marketing. Flywheel expands the scope of your marketing team to customer advocacy. Which means, to realize the advantages of social proof and superfan customers, you should invest in multi-channel support, refine your onboarding process, create loyalty programs and try to maximize customer delight. Because your “funnel” does not end at acquisition and your “flywheel” is fuelled by customer delight. All in all, the success and growth of your customers can be equated to your growth. 

Moving on- while understanding the general stages of the buyer's journey is essential, tailoring your keyword research strategy to your specific business goals is equally important. These business objectives include - but are not limited - generating awareness about your offerings or increasing number of MQLs through organic channels:

• SMBs: For nascent businesses, rapid revenue generation is paramount. Targeting bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) keywords can be highly effective. Often, early adopters are willing to take risks on innovative solutions, making them ideal targets. This initial customer base can also serve as powerful advocates, driving organic growth through word-of-mouth referrals.
• Mid-market businesses: They find themselves in a unique position, balancing the need for growth with the demands of more established organizations. They should employ a mix of TOFU, MOFU and BOFU tactics. This approach helps them expand their sales pipeline by attracting both potential customers and those ready to make a purchase
• Enterprises: Mature businesses with a solid customer base can benefit from expanding their market reach. Investing in top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) keywords can help establish thought leadership, build brand awareness, and nurture a larger pool of potential customers. By focusing on educational and informative content, these companies can position themselves as industry experts and attract high-quality leads.

Pro Tip: Leverage performance marketing concepts like customer lifetime value (CLTV) and customer acquisition cost (CAC) to refine your understanding of the buyer's journey and optimize b2b keyword research accordingly.

3. Identify themes based on research

Once you have a deep understanding of the groups and sub groups within your target audience, it's time to identify the core themes that will underpin your content strategy. These themes can be classified based on different buyer personas, different stages of the buying cycle or even different industries you wish to target. Here's how to go about it:

1. Identify core topics

Determine the primary subjects that resonate with your target audience. These core topics should align with your business goals and address the pain points of your ideal customer.

2. Create comprehensive pillar content

Develop in-depth, authoritative content pieces that cover all facets of your chosen core topic. Google search rewards comprehensive content, as it demonstrates your expertise and establishes you as a trusted source. Interlinking different topics within your pillar content further enhances your website's authority.

3. Develop supporting subtopics

Create more focused content pieces that delve into specific aspects of your core topic. These subtopics should provide additional context and enriched value to your audience and support your overall content strategy.

For example, Salesforce has created a comprehensive guide on “what is CRM?” which acts as a content pillar for various topics related to CRM. They have then linked different blog posts such as “benefits of CRM” “AI in CRM” etc from  this pillar piece. These individual topics act as supporting subtopics and increase Salesforce’s authority on the topic - for the visitors and search engine algorithms. 

4. Sort content themes based on priority, relevance, and conversion potential

Prioritize your content themes according to their potential impact on your business objectives. Consider the following:

• Relevance: How closely does the topic align with your target audience's needs and interests? For a CRM software like Salesforce, covering topics like team management will not generate any revenue even if the keyword has low competition and high search volume. 
• Conversion potential: “Conversion” in SEO terms can mean many things:- signing up for a newsletter, attending a webinar or booking a free demo. Aiming for a high conversion potential simply means aligning your offering to the reader’s current dilemma. Think of it this way- someone searching for “AI analytics in healthcare” is more likely to download an ebook (i.e. convert) on the various ways you can use AI analytics in healthcare as opposed to contacting your IT team for an AI project quotation. So the keyword “AI analytics in healthcare” has a high conversion potential for an ebook download and not a sale. 

Apart from conversion potential you can also look for commercial intent in your searches. Does the topic have strong potential for B2B lead generation through SEO or direct sales? “What is a sales cycle” is a top of the funnel topic and has less commercial intent compared to “salesforce vs SAP”

• Competitive landscape: How saturated is the market with content on this topic? A preliminary way to estimate this is the keyword difficulty score provided by many SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush. Primarily assess the quality, quantity, and diversity of the content. A large volume of high-quality content suggests a more saturated market. If you can’t identify content gaps to fill, your content will appear as a parroted version of the content that’s already published, making your brand look insincere.

4. Conduct thorough B2B keyword research

Begin by brainstorming core industry terms and thoroughly analyzing your website's existing content to generate keyword ideas for your business. 

• Instead of using just one tool, you can use multiple tools, like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Google keyword planner, and UberSuggest to access a wider range of  keyword research functionalities. 
• Searching by Query in Google Search Console is also an excellent way to uncover synonyms or semantic variations of a primary keyword, which you can add to your strategy to cover a larger share in the search results for the same topic. 
• Then explore Google's autocomplete and related search functions to refine your keyword selection. 
• AnswerThePublic is a great free tool that serves the same purpose - helping to add FAQs or expand your long tail keyword list. 

Here's a detailed breakdown of the process that highlights how to incorporate customer research into the process:

Use customer pain point analysis

To truly understand your target audience and their needs, it's essential to explore deeper than surface-level data like search volume and keyword difficulty. 

Develop a more holistic approach that leverages customer insights available within your organization. These sources might include customer interviews, data from organic campaigns in the past, or your website etc:

Leverage internal resources

• Customer interviews and surveys: Conduct in-depth interviews or surveys to uncover the underlying motivations, challenges, and desires of your customers. These qualitative and quantitative data points can offer invaluable insights into their pain points.
• Customer support analysis: Scrutinize support tickets, FAQs, and customer feedback to identify recurring issues and questions. By analyzing these interactions, you can uncover common pain points and areas where your product or service falls short.
• Internal search data: Tap into the data from your website's search function to understand the terms customers are using to find information. This data can reveal hidden pain points and make your keyword strategy smarter and more responsive.

Leverage competitor analysis

Competitor analysis is crucial to developing a profitable keyword strategy, but content managers must  remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle. It's equally important to bring your unique perspective and insights to the table. Your competitor may have a different USP, target different audience segments, or even cater to different industries. By analyzing their approach, you gain insights and identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and capture a larger market share. 

Begin competitor analysis by identifying your primary competitors in the industry. Once you've established a list, explore their SEO strategy and keyword usage. Use free SEO tools like Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster or paid tools like Moz, Semrush, and/or Ahrefs to uncover the specific keywords driving traffic to their website. Analyze their content to understand how they're incorporating these keywords and the overall tone and style they employ.

It's crucial to consider the search intent behind these keywords. Understanding why people are searching for these terms will help you create content that truly addresses their needs. Finally, compare your initial keyword list to your competitors' to identify gaps or opportunities. By focusing on underutilized keywords, you can position your content as a unique and valuable resource.

Conduct independent SEO analysis using tools

To effectively identify and prioritize keywords, leveraging dedicated SEO tools is essential. These platforms provide valuable insights into search trends, competition, and keyword performance. Take, for example, SEMrush’s Keyword rank checker which allows you to check your own google rankings compared to your competitors.

However, relying solely on tool-generated data can hurt your SEO strategy. For instance, a keyword with low search volume might hold significant value for your business. For example, a travel agency specializing in budget European trips might find that 'Budget trips to Spain' or 'Budget travel itinerary for Italy' have lower search volumes according to SEO tools, but these are high-intent keywords for their business 

Combining tool-generated data with insights from customer pain points, competitor analysis, and industry trends creates a more comprehensive and effective keyword strategy.

• Use B2B keyword research tools: Employ a combination of tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to uncover relevant keywords aligned with your target audience's search intent. These platforms offer a wealth of data, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and related search terms. However, do not solely refer to tools to decide your KW strategy.

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• Prioritize long-tail keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific and have lower competition. These keywords often attract highly qualified leads with a stronger purchase intent.

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• Analyze keyword difficulty: Evaluate the competitiveness of your target keywords to determine the level of effort required to achieve high rankings. Keywords with high keyword difficulty require more backlinks, higher domain authority, and better quality content to rank. Terms with low keyword difficulty are often easier to rank for but often have less search volume. Prioritize keywords on both ends to create a balance between search volume and achievable difficulty.

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• Leverage related search terms: Explore suggested keywords and search phrases provided by search engines to uncover additional opportunities. These related terms can inspire new content ideas and expand your keyword repertoire.

Free keyword research tools to assist you through this process 

1. Google Keyword Planner: It allows you to search volume data, keyword ideas, ad group ideas, and bid estimates. It does however limit the number of keyword ideas and search volume data.

2. SEMrush: Basic keyword research, competitive analysis, and site audits. Shows limited keywords (typically 4-6) with their respective search volume 

3. Ahrefs: Basic keyword research, backlink checker, and site explorer. Shows very limited results for keyword searches (typically 4-5 results)  

4. Spyfu: Basic keyword research, competitor analysis, and PPC data. Shows limited results containing keywords and their search volume. (typically limited to 2-3 keywords)

5. Moz Keyword Research Tool: Keyword difficulty, search volume and organic CTR. Limited to 3 keywords a day.

6. Ubersuggest: Shows keyword difficulty score, cost per click, and search volume. Limits information for historical search trends and number of keyword suggestions. 

7. KeywordTool.io: Keyword suggestions, related keywords, and phrase match ideas. Does not display search volume, average CPC, or competition in the free plan. 

8. Soovle: Keyword suggestions from multiple search engines. No information on search volume, difficulty, or any other metric.

9. Answer the Public: Keyword suggestions based on questions people ask. No limits on number of searches but only shows query related terms. 

Almost all of these require you to purchase a paid plan after you reach their limits or they have restricted daily or monthly usage.

Prioritize keywords based on relevancy and conversion potential

As mentioned above, it's essential to prioritize keywords based on their relevance to your target audience and their potential to drive conversions. Here are some ways to achieve this result:

• Create a keyword matrix: Develop a spreadsheet to systematically organize your keywords based on key metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, relevance to your target audience, and estimated (or industry benchmark)  conversion rate. This matrix will provide a clear overview of each keyword's performance and help you make informed decisions.

• Align keywords with the buyer's journey: Distribute your keywords across different stages of the buyer's journey to ensure comprehensive coverage. Focus on awareness-stage keywords for building brand visibility, consideration-stage keywords for nurturing leads, and decision-stage keywords for driving conversions.

• Leverage keyword clusters: Group related keywords together to optimize for semantic search. This approach helps search engines understand the context of your content and improve your overall search rankings. By organizing keywords into clusters, you can create a more cohesive and relevant content strategy.

5. Create a comprehensive content calendar

By carefully planning your content, you can ensure that their publication timeline aligns with your overall business objectives and resonates with your target audience. A well-structured content calendar is essential for maintaining consistency and maximizing the impact of your content marketing efforts. 

The right frequency

Overwhelming your audience with content can be counterproductive, while posting too infrequently may lead to missed opportunities. Determining the optimal posting frequency requires a balance between consistency and quality. Consider your target audience's consumption habits, industry standards, and your team’s available resources. 

The right content formats and channels

A variety of channels, such as blog posts, case studies, whitepapers, infographics, videos, and webinars, can help you reach a broader audience and cater to different preferences. You can also repurpose across formats to suit the channel. Consider your target audience's preferred content consumption habits when choosing your formats.

Analysis of previously published content

Regularly auditing your existing content is essential for identifying high-performing pieces and areas for improvement. Analyze metrics such as engagement, shares, and conversions to understand what resonates with your audience. Use this information to inform your future content creation and optimization efforts.

B2B keyword research at TripleDart: The best B2B SEO agency

While having an in-house team may seem cost-effective initially, it can quickly become a drain on resources. Dedicated SEO expertise is often required for successful keyword research, and hiring and retaining skilled professionals can be challenging. Additionally, staying informed about the latest SEO trends and best practices so you don’t lose your rankings can be a demanding task and requires niche expertise.

There are several benefits of outsourcing your keyword research to a specialized B2B SEO agency. You gain access to a team of experienced SEO professionals without the overhead costs of hiring and training in-house staff. SEO agencies typically have access to advanced tools and software, providing deeper insights and more accurate data. By outsourcing, you can focus on core business operations while experts handle the complexities of keyword research.

TripleDart is a leading SEO agency with a proven track record. Our success with clients like Rezolve.ai is a testament to our expertise. Despite good initial traction, Rezolve struggled to convert website traffic into leads. After partnering with TripleDart, they revamped their content strategy, optimized existing pages, and improved the site's technical aspects. These efforts resulted in a 99% increase in organic traffic and a 136% increase in leads within six months.

Month on month increase in organic traffic 

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Month on month increase in leads generated

The initial cost of outsourcing keyword research may seem substantial. However, the long-term benefits often outweigh the initial investment. By avoiding costly mistakes, improving search engine rankings, and increasing organic traffic, you can generate a higher return on investment. Additionally, outsourcing can free up internal resources to focus on other critical business areas.

By carefully evaluating your team's capabilities and the complexity of your keyword research needs, you can make an informed decision about whether to handle the process in-house or outsource to an agency. Looking to boost organic conversions for your B2B website? Get in touch with us today!