B2B SEO Glossary: Key Terms Explained for 2024

Mastering SEO is essential for B2B businesses aiming to stand out. This 2024 SEO glossary is your first step towards demystifying search engine optimisation, offering you the insights needed to elevate your online presence. Designed specifically for B2B business owners and marketing managers, this guide cuts through the jargon, making SEO accessible and actionable.

Core SEO Concepts

• B2B SEO: The process of optimising a business-to-business company’s online presence to improve search engine rankings and attract potential business clients. Unlike B2C SEO, B2B SEO focuses on strategies that cater to the longer sales cycles and niche markets typical in the B2B sector. Example: A manufacturing equipment supplier optimising their website for the search term “industrial automation solutions”.
• Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO): Techniques used to increase the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as filling out a contact form or downloading a white paper. In the B2B context, CRO is critical for turning website traffic into qualified leads. Example: A/B testing different call-to-action button placements on a B2B service landing page.
• Keyword Research: The practice of identifying and analysing terms that potential clients are searching for. For B2B businesses, keyword research involves finding industry-specific terms and phrases that can drive relevant traffic to their website. Example: A software company uncovering searches for “cloud-based CRM for enterprise”.
• Long-tail Keywords:  Longer and more specific keyword phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to a point-of-purchase. B2B companies often target long-tail keywords to capture highly qualified search traffic. Example: Instead of “project management software”, targeting “construction project management software with Gantt charts”.
• Organic Search: Refers to search results that appear due to their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to being advertisements. For B2B companies, improving organic search visibility is a primary goal of SEO. Example: Ranking on the first page of Google for a search like “wholesale supplier of medical equipment”.
• Page Authority (PA): A score developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERP). B2B websites aim to improve the PA of key pages to enhance their visibility in search results. Example: Focusing on building content and links towards a product category page to boost its PA.
• Quality Content: Content that is not only relevant and engaging to the target audience but also optimised for search engines. For B2B marketers, producing quality content is essential for attracting and retaining the attention of potential business clients. Example: An in-depth blog post on industry trends, packed with relevant keywords and valuable insights.
• SERP Features: Additional elements on Google’s search engine results pages, such as featured snippets, knowledge panels, and local packs. B2B companies can increase their online visibility by targeting these features. Example: Optimising a company’s Google Business Profile to appear in the local pack results.
  

Technical SEO

• Backlinks: Incoming links to a website from other websites. In a B2B context, earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative industry websites is a key factor in improving search rankings and building domain authority. Example: A software company securing a backlink from a respected tech review website.
• Domain Authority (DA): A search engine ranking score that predicts how likely a website is to rank on search engine result pages. B2B websites with a high DA are considered more credible and likely to receive more traffic. Example: Monitoring and strategically working to improve the site’s DA score over time.
• On-Page SEO: The practice of optimising individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. B2B marketers focus on on-page SEO to make their content more appealing to both search engines and users. Example: Refining the title tags and meta descriptions of important pages.
• Off-Page SEO: Actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages. This includes strategies like link building and social media marketing, which can enhance a B2B company’s online reputation and authority. Example: Participating in industry forums and online communities to build relationships and potentially gain natural backlinks.
• Technical SEO: The aspect of SEO that focuses on improving the technical aspects of a website in order to increase the ranking of its pages in the search engines. For B2B sites, this includes ensuring the website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and secure. Example: Addressing site speed issues identified by tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
• Mobile Optimisation: The process of adjusting your website content to ensure that visitors who access the site from mobile devices have an experience optimised for the device. With the growing prevalence of mobile searches, mobile optimisation is crucial for B2B websites. Example: Regularly testing the website on different mobile devices to ensure smooth navigation and readability.
  

Content & Search

• Alt Text: Descriptive text added to an image tag to provide context for visually impaired users and search engines. Example: “Alt text: Diagram showing stages of the B2B sales funnel”
• Anchor Text: The clickable text of a hyperlink, which provides context about the linked page’s content to search engines. Example: A link to a blog post about CRM systems using the anchor text “best CRM software for B2B”.
• Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a website after viewing only one page, without interacting further. Example: A high bounce rate on a landing page could indicate a mismatch between the search query and the content.
• Canonical Tag: An HTML element used to specify the preferred version of a webpage for indexing when there are multiple versions. Example: A product page with different URL variations based on color might use a canonical tag to point to the main product page.
• Crawling: The process by which search engine bots systematically browse and index webpages on the internet.
• Duplicate Content: Content that appears on multiple URLs across the internet, which can negatively impact search engine rankings and user experience. Example: A product description copy/pasted on multiple pages of the website.
• 404 Error: An HTTP status code indicating that a webpage cannot be found or accessed on a server.
• Indexing: The process of adding webpages into a search engine’s database, making them available to be displayed in search results.
• Keyword Density: The percentage of times a keyword appears on a webpage compared to the total number of words. Example: Use caution to avoid over-optimising with a target keyword; this appears unnatural and can harm rankings.
• Keyword Stuffing: The practice of excessively using keywords on a webpage with the intention of manipulating search engine rankings, which can result in a penalty.
• Local SEO: The practice of optimising a website to increase its visibility for local searches, aiming to attract customers from specific geographic areas. Example: A B2B accounting firm optimising its Google My Business listing.
• Meta Description: A brief summary of a webpage’s content, displayed in search engine results. For B2B websites, compelling meta descriptions can improve click-through rates from search results to the website.
• Meta Tags: HTML elements that provide metadata about a webpage, including meta title, meta description, and meta keywords.
• Organic Traffic: Traffic generated to a website from unpaid or organic search engine results, excluding paid advertisements.
• Page Speed: The measurement of how fast the content of a webpage loads, which impacts user experience and search engine rankings.
• Robots.txt: A text file placed in the root directory of a website to instruct search engine crawlers which pages to crawl or not crawl.
• Schema Markup: Structured data added to a webpage’s HTML code to help search engines understand its content and display enhanced search results. Example: Schema for a product page can help display star ratings and pricing in the SERPs.
• Sitemap: A file containing a list of all the URLs on a website, used to help search engines crawl and index the site’s pages more efficiently.
• Title Tag: An HTML element that specifies the title of a webpage, displayed in search engine results and browser tabs.
• User Intent: The goal a user has in mind when typing a query into a search engine. Understanding user intent is crucial for B2B companies to create content that meets the needs of their target audience.
• 301 Redirect: A permanent redirect from one URL to another, passing along the link equity and directing users and search engines to the new URL. Example: Redirecting old product pages to updated versions.
• Voice Search Optimisation: The process of optimising your website to appear in voice search results. With the increasing use of voice-activated devices, B2B companies must consider how their target audience might use voice search to find their products or services.
  

Analytics

• Google Analytics (GA4): A free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. B2B marketers use Google Analytics to gain insights into how visitors interact with their site, which is essential for refining SEO strategies.
  

Let’s Elevate Your B2B SEO

This glossary provides a foundation for B2B business owners and marketing managers to understand and leverage essential SEO concepts. As the digital landscape evolves, staying informed about these terms and how they apply to your B2B marketing strategy is crucial for achieving online success.

Ready to take your B2B business to the next level with expert SEO strategies?

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Sources

• Joy, et al. “Seller Strategies: Long Tail Keywords.” Jungle Scout, 19 Sept. 2019, www.junglescout.com/blog/seller-strategies-long-tail-keywords/. Accessed 1 May 2024.

• Kochcomm. “Why Your Business Needs SEM – Koch Communications.” Koch Comm, 5 May 2020, kochcomm.com/insights/business-needs-sem/. Accessed 1 May 2024.

• “A Simple SAAS Marketing Strategy for Amazing Results (+ 14 Templates).” CoSchedule Blog, 12 Apr. 2023, coschedule.com/blog/saas-marketing. Accessed 1 May 2024.

• “What Are Backlinks and Why Are They Important for SEO?” Moz, moz.com/learn/seo/backlinks. Accessed 1 May 2024.