Manufacturing SEO – What Are You Ranking For?

mfg-searchModern manufacturing SEO is a crucial part of online competitiveness. Coupled with good Web content, SEO not only increases your visibility in search engine rankings, but it raises prospects’ awareness of the value you offer as well.

It was not long ago when the manufacturing space was dominated by a few well-known brands. Now, barriers to entry are falling and innovative newcomers are arriving. Through SEO, you differentiate yourself.

These points can be cornerstones of your strategy:

1Focus on Products You Manufacture

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In B2C markets, many prospects have a long way to go before they even identify the problem a company can solve. In B2B manufacturing, sellers have an advantage: Leads already have insight into the problem – they just need a solution. This saves you plenty of time by letting you meet prospects where they are in their buyer journey.

Instead of providing content focused on generalities, zoom in on the products you manufacture. Whether you’re writing a blog post, whitepaper, case study, or any other material, emphasize how your offerings are unique. Every piece of content should give the decision-maker more knowledge and greater incentive to contact your sales team.

2Emphasize Long Tail Keywords

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A keyword is the word or phrase your prospects use when they search the Internet for solutions like yours. Virtually anything can be a keyword phrase, but the shorter that phrase is, the more competitive it will be – and the more challenging to rank for. Some competition is helpful: It shows there’s money to be made. Too much, however, and results will come slowly.

Long tail keywords are keyword phrases containing at least three words. These tend to not only be less competitive, but also demonstrate the searcher has more knowledge and is closer to being purchase-ready. For example, if you sell “8mm titanium widgets” and you see searches for this term, you’ll be well positioned to both rank for it and compete for those sales.

Geotagging terms with a location can also help – people tend to prefer to work with local firms even when it would seem to make little difference. “8mm titanium widgets in Raleigh NC” might be an example: The volume of searches would be few, but these prospects are highly qualified.

3Keep an Eye on Competitors

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You can learn a great deal about manufacturing SEO by monitoring competitors. Open a browser in “private” or “incognito” mode and search for your desired keyword. What comes up? You can get a good idea of which market rivals are using certain keywords and what kind of Web content is already ranking successfully. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel: Simply take inspiration from what’s already successful and use your unique take to improve on it.

If your manufacturing business is ready to invest in SEO services, contact us today.