| Date post: | 22-Nov-2014 |
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Technology |
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Best Practices in B-to-B SearchRyan GibsonDirector of MarketingRimm-Kaufman Group
Sarabjit SinghVP, Product Strategy & DevelopmentGlobalSpec, Inc.
Chris HulseVP, Strategic Sales & Business DevelopmentBusiness.com
Session Overview
• Search/online advertising within the B-to-B community
• Targeting the B-to-B customer through paid search on Google, Yahoo, MSN & Ask
• B-to-B search marketing best practices
What Makes B-to-B Customers Unique?
• A more considered sale is typical
• Cycles are longer
What Do B-to-B Customers Want?
• Easily searchable data • To find the right answer…
fast• Accurate and up-to-date
information• Comprehensive data to
meet their needs• Relevant and specialized
data
Time Spent Online
How They Use the Web
Number of Search Engines Used
Why B-to-B Search is Different
• Attracts a targeted audience with specific interests
• Offers domain expertise• Meets their searching
needs• Provides relevant results• Context
Benefits of B-to-B Search
• Qualified Web traffic
• Branding and exposure among a targeted audience
The difference between a customer… and a click
B-to-B Paid Search
Challenges
• Targeting appropriate business searches
• Understanding the economics of YOUR PPC program
Target B2B Buyers
• Extensive keyword list
• Business focused term
• “Long tail” phrases
Target B2B Buyers
• Focus ad copy for YOUR buyers and YOUR products
• Specific landing pages
Understanding YOUR Economics
• Brand vs. non-brand
• Order latency
• Lead generation
• Post-sale feedback loops
• Interaction between channels
Brand vs. Non-Brand
• Brand = folks who know you
• Non-brand = incremental
Order Latency
‘business laptop’
‘blade server’
Order Latency
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28
Days Since Click
% O
rder
s &
% S
ales
% of Sales% of Orders
Lead Generation
1. Establish a success metric you can track on your website
2. Measure the actual ROI associated with that metric
3. Optimize PPC to that cost-per-lead
Post-Sale Feedback Loops
• Business or consumer?
• New or existing?
• Dollars generated?
• Cancel/ fraud?‘business laptop’
Interaction Between Channels
• Track through to sales force & call centers– Ask how they heard about you– Dedicated 800 numbers– Printable maps or offers– Info/ software downloads– Dynamic image tracking
B-to-B Search Marketing Best PracticesOverview
• Research background
• The world of business “search”
• Is B2B search marketing different than B2C?
• 5 rules for B2B search marketing
Research Background• About Business.com
– Leading B2B search engine, directory and PPC ad network– 6,000+ clients across PPC and directory inclusion products
• About the research– Surveyed search marketing agencies currently managing B2B clients– Key differences between B2B and B2C search marketing– Advice for improving B2B paid search ROI– Advice for improving B2B SEO ROI
• Summarized insights from 144 participating agencies, including:
Vendor Sites
Live
General Search1st Tier
General Search2nd Tier
and many more…
Industry Info Sites
and many more…
and many more…
B2B SearchNiche
Networks
Networks
Networks
Netw
orks
B2B SearchGeneral
The World of Business Search
Source: Enquiro B2B Purchaser Study, May, 2007
Business Buyers Start at Different Types of Sites
• Different types of sites are starting points during different phases of the business buying cycle
– General search engines – where start when first identify a need– Industry information site – supplemental research for niche products– B2B search sites – find all vendors and cut down to a short list
*comScore – MediaMetrix January, 2008; PlanMetrix, Summer 2007 release
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Inte
rne
t U
se
rs (
MM
)
Count (MM) 184 70 54 7.5 0.9
US TotalEmployed Full-Time
Use Internet at Work
Work in Manufacturing
Mfg Online Decision Maker
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Inte
rne
t U
se
rs (
MM
)
Count (MM) 184 70 54 7.5 0.9
US TotalEmployed Full-Time
Use Internet at Work
Work in Manufacturing
Mfg Online Decision Maker
100%
38%
32%
4%0.5%
Reaching Business Buyers is a Challenge• Your business buyers are online
– 85% of business buyers use the Internet during the buying cycle (Enquiro)
• But so is everyone else*
“The B2B sale is complex, meaning several things: the product/service is more expensive, the sales cycle is typically longer, more than one person is involved in the decision and the sale normally does not take place online. Given this, the primary online action is lead generation.”
- Dale Hursh
“Its not about the B2B or B2C difference…it’s all about ROI regardless of who you’re targeting.”
- Mike Tatge
The answer is “yes”…
…and “no”
Does B2B Search Marketing Differ from B2C?
Does B2B Search Marketing Differ from B2C?
Yes
• Longer sales cycle– Product/service complexity and
cost
– Multiple decision makers
– “Rational” decision process
– Evaluate both solution and vendor
• Unique audience– Limited number of buyers
– More experience
– Different tolerance for search
• Search marketing challenges– Multiple keyword meanings
– Audience targeting capabilities
– Competitive intensity
Yes
• Longer sales cycle– Product/service complexity and
cost
– Multiple decision makers
– “Rational” decision process
– Evaluate both solution and vendor
• Unique audience– Limited number of buyers
– More experience
– Different tolerance for search
• Search marketing challenges– Multiple keyword meanings
– Audience targeting capabilities
– Competitive intensity
No
• Its still all about…– Right audience– Right message– Right offer– Positive ROI
• Tactical approach is the same– Selecting keywords– Developing ads and offers– Creating landing pages– Optimizing pages for search engines– Etc.
• General search engines play a key role (but not the only role)
No
• Its still all about…– Right audience– Right message– Right offer– Positive ROI
• Tactical approach is the same– Selecting keywords– Developing ads and offers– Creating landing pages– Optimizing pages for search engines– Etc.
• General search engines play a key role (but not the only role)
Rule #1: Cover the Entire Buying Cycle• Match your search marketing strategy to the buying process
– Target ads, keywords and offers to different buyer roles and buying stages
• Establish campaigns on the following types of sites– 1st tier general search engines – where people start early in process
– B2B general search – strong presence on 1st tier engines and support research/negotiation
– B2B niche search – attract a very specific type of user who knows what they want
Vs.
Awareness
Negotiation
Rule #2: Focus on Traffic Quality
• Poor quality costs you money
• Use targeting tactics– Add B2B sites to your
program• Deliver more targeted
customer “out of the box” but at lower volume
– Tune your campaigns on general search engines
• Avoid keywords that overlap significantly with consumer terms
• Avoid worthless clicks – make sure ads speak to your target audience
• Build out keyword list with long-tail terms
• Utilize site and demographic targeting
• Target key audience(s) and list specific offers in your ads (see rule #1)
• Design simple landing pages to focus visitors on the offer– Exchanging basic contact info for valuable content is a fair trade for interested business buyers
• Utilize same qualification rules for search visitors & leads from other channels– Search visitors may be earlier in the buying process– Giving these leads directly to Sales could result in complaints about poor lead quality
• Establish and/or improve your lead nurture programs– Develop your own– Consider automated solutions from Eloqua, Market2Lead, Manticore, Marketo, Pardot or other vendors
“B2B needs an email nurturing program for opt-ins so that you don't find yourself creating interest and contact information without following-up – ROI is really hurt by this as well as poor integration with sales.”
– Karen Breen Vogel
“B2B needs an email nurturing program for opt-ins so that you don't find yourself creating interest and contact information without following-up – ROI is really hurt by this as well as poor integration with sales.”
– Karen Breen Vogel
Rule #3: Drive Visitors to Action & Your Strong Points
• Measuring B2B search marketing impact is tough
• B2B search marketers are pulled in many directions*– Tend to focus on easily observable metrics
• Develop your program in simple, prioritized steps– Give yourself a break – you don’t have to be a metrics pro overnight
• Accept the value of different metrics
• Avoid substituting guesses for real insights
*Source: Business.com Search Marketer Study January, 2008. Percentages are for B2B direct search marketer respondents (non-agency, 50%+ of revenue from sales to other businesses)
ActivityAverage % of Time
Spent per WeekOnline Marketing Overall 67%Paid Search 19%SEO 18%Email Marketing 13%Social Media Programs 7%Managing Affiliate Programs 5%Banner Advertising 3%Managing eCommerce Listings 2%Submitting to Shopping Engines 2%
ActivityAverage % of Time
Spent per WeekOnline Marketing Overall 67%Paid Search 19%SEO 18%Email Marketing 13%Social Media Programs 7%Managing Affiliate Programs 5%Banner Advertising 3%Managing eCommerce Listings 2%Submitting to Shopping Engines 2%
Top 5 metrics tracked:
1. Cost per click (69%)2. Online conversions (62%)3. Click through rate (53%)4. Traffic volume (53%)5. Total clicks (43%)
Top 5 metrics tracked:
1. Cost per click (69%)2. Online conversions (62%)3. Click through rate (53%)4. Traffic volume (53%)5. Total clicks (43%)
Rule #4: Measure What You Can & Acknowledge Limits
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) is clearly important– 40% of B2B direct search marketers track this
• Return on time spent is also key but often overlooked– 20% of B2B direct search marketers track this
• Recall rules #1 and #2– Cover the entire buying cycle– Focus on traffic quality
• To boost return on time spent, work from the niche outward– Start with campaigns on B2B sites– Then allocate time to tuning campaigns on general search engines
“Utilize search engine targeting capabilities and devote some budget to vertical search engines to attempt to qualify your clicks with more targeted [visitors].”
– Leslie Jackson
“Utilize search engine targeting capabilities and devote some budget to vertical search engines to attempt to qualify your clicks with more targeted [visitors].”
– Leslie Jackson
+
Rule #5: Master Both Return on Ad Spend & Time
Questions?Sarabjit Singh
Ryan Gibson
Chris Hulse
