5 tips that can help boost your B2B marketing page ranking and visibility.

For many industrial marketing professionals, search engine optimization (“SEO”) is like a puzzle that can’t be solved. Just when you finally think you’ve got it figured out,, the search algorithms driving the overall process are changed and you feel like you need to start all over again.

However, if you start with the basics, and master those, you can gain some ground on your competition.

Brendan Cournoyer at the Content Marketing Institute offers some great tips on how to improve your site’s visibility in search engine rankings.

1. Social media marketing – Just as backlinks are meant to speak to a page’s quality, content that is shared over and over again makes an even stronger case for its value. There is evidence that Google now factors links from Twitter and Facebook into its algorithm, and content shared in Google+ has had an undeniable impact on search results and clicks, particularly for users who are logged in.
2. Internal linking – With all the hoopla over external backlinks, it’s easy to forget that sound internal linking throughout your site is important as well. Make efforts to link to relevant content using keyword-rich anchor text, and monitor your site for 401 error pages and dropped links that could send users on a wild good chase.
3. Analytical data – Rumor has it that Google has also begun paying attention to metrics, like average time on page, pages per visit, and click-through rates, as determinants in search. A high bounce rate, where people visit your site and immediately leave for greener pastures, doesn’t speak very highly of your content — an opinion you don’t want search engines to share.
4. Page load time – Remember, it’s not just about having quality content; it’s about having a quality site as well. Google wants to see websites that provide a good user experience. While site speed may not have a direct effect on rankings initially, pages that take forever to load won’t do you any favors. If your site is running a bit sluggishly, get on the horn with your webmaster and see if there’s a way to speed things up.
5. Better content – This is the obvious one, but creating content that’s both interesting and engaging is the real key to hitting each of the points listed above. Take the time to research your audience, find the topics they care most about, and keep an eye on what your competition is up to so you don’t fall behind. Everything signals that we are heading toward an age of quality over quantity, so take your time to create content that’s truly insightful rather than pushing out a bunch of junk to boost your stats.

The basics of SEO are a good starting point for firms looking to improve their industrial marketing efforts. SEO can be a very confusing subject, particularly with all of the misinformation found on the internet, but that’s why we’re here for you.