Great content isn’t so great if it’s not easy to find. And findable content isn’t so effective if it’s not trusted.
Content is the reason search engines began and yet many B2B content marketers are not taking full advantage of opportunities to attract customers that are actively looking. Instead, the content marketing function at many B2B companies is more about creating content and not so much about promoting it.
Where Has the Marketing in Content Marketing Gone?
The problem with content marketing that focuses mostly on content creation is that the marketing is missing. Sure, B2B brands can throw advertising at their new content to attract visitors – but do B2B buyers love clicking on ads?
Fewer than 1 in 5 US adults trust social media ads. eMarketer
Compare the experience of clicking on an ad vs. seeing relevant information that answers the question behind the search effort? There’s an argument to be made that clicking on an organic search result and seeing content that credibly and effectively provides answers to the questions a buyer has, is a much better search experience than ads driving visitors to a landing page.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with running ads in on social networks or on search engines . If done well, it can be highly effective. But B2B marketers that limit the discovery of their content to advertising are missing the opportunity to create are more meaningful and trusted experience for buyers.
By optimizing the search experience for both findability and credibility, B2B content marketers can help their brands be the best answer for the questions that drive customers to use search engines. And not only search, but any source of information discovery.
A better search experience is not limited to simply ranking for popular keywords. Connecting interested buyers with the information they need, wherever they are in their journey, means an intentional effort to create findable, credible content that buyers can trust and benefit from.
So how can B2B marketers optimize for search and customer experience with their content?
Say hello to E.A.T. Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness
Here’s a deeper explanation of E.A.T., but basically it represents important characteristics of content that Google is looking for when deciding the most relevant and helpful content to show searchers. In other words, what content is the best answer for your customers?
Experts on E.A.T. and SEO like Lily Ray have produced substantial content on what to do and what not to do when it comes to E.A.T and search engine optimization. Within the array of tactics marketers can take to demonstrate expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, there is a distinct opportunity for B2B marketers to consider how key opinion leaders, industry experts and influencers can play a role in their content.
When it comes to content and B2B influencers, we’ve covered that story from A to Z over the past 9 years or so. B2B marketers know that partnering with influencers creates a number of advantages:
- Industry experts can add credibility to brand content
- Influencers can help lesser known B2B brands build their exposure and credibility in the marketplace more quickly
- Trusted influencers can help B2B brands c0-create more authentic content that resonates with buyers
- Influencer partners can help B2B brands create more content than they could on their own
- Key opinion leaders can drive conversations about topics important to brands and their customers through content
- Influencers can help create and promote brand content to new audiences that ignore traditional tactics like ads
- B2B brands that develop relationships with the experts in the industry that customers listen to can realize important marketing objectives like increased advocacy for the brand and its solutions
Those are just some of the reasons B2B brands engage with influencers. But what about the SEO value of the expertise, authority and trust that influencers can bring to content marketing?
That’s exactly what I’ll be presenting on this week at Content Marketing World 2021.
Here’s my session info and a link to a detailed description on the Content Marketing World conference website.
Thursday, September 30th – 2:45pm – 3:15pm (Eastern) Room 26:
How B2B Content Marketers Can Dominate in Search: Be the Best Answer
Are you a B2B marketer that has worked with influencers?
Join other B2B marketers sharing their experience and insights for the 2021 State of B2B Influencer Marketing Report. This survey provides B2B marketers with all sizes and levels of experience working with influencers the opportunity to help elevate the practice of influencer marketing in B2B. Take the Survey today and get early access to the Report plus some great incentives.
