• by Keith Hodges , February 15, 2016

It’s almost time for marketers to start writing up strategies for the second quarter of 2016, and some might already be looking for an SEO strategy for support. Before making any decision, make sure you have the right tools to "grill" your next agency. What every marketer should know is that there are core differences between the ways that SEO campaigns should be handled between sectors, and this is especially true between B2B and B2C.

SEO campaigns are structured around the KPIs agreed upon between agency and client, and depend on the nature of the goods or services sold and the sales/purchase process. When it comes to B2B SEO it is essential that your agency understands what is in your prospective customers’ minds while searching, why and what they are searching, and the complexity surrounding the search -- all different from B2C.

Here are five essential differences between B2B and B2C that every marketer should know.

1)  Product types: Intangible vs. tangible

B2B SEO campaigns typically sell intangible technology, software and services. B2C campaigns are more for tangible products& services.

2)  Performance indicators: leads per month vs. sales per month

B2B SEO campaigns tend to drive low volumes of leads as a key performance indicator, whereas B2C campaigns focus more on sales and revenue figures per month, with sales occurring in shorter sessions -- typically single or multi-session visits within days and weeks.

3)  Sales life cycle: long, considered sale vs. short, impulse purchase

An average B2B transaction can take anywhere from three to 24 months depending on the product or service being sold and the number of decisions to be made within the buying process. An average B2C transaction can occur anywhere from minutes to weeks , with the number of decision makers typically being less than 2 individuals and the buying process being much more straightforward.

4) Role of SEO: education vs. outreach

The nature of content marketing within a B2B strategy is to not only focus on outreach and backlinks, but to focus on getting exposure on relevant sites that will educate prospects on the product or service offering. The nature of content marketing within a B2C strategy is to drive backlinks and increase rankings as the main goal.

5)  Keywords research: industry keywords vs. generic keywords

B2B campaigns typically have industry-specific keywords that require intelligence to mine. B2C campaigns focus on keywords that can be considered as everyday and generic, and not so complex.

Be wary of quick assessments from an SEO agency. A B2B SEO campaign takes much longer keyword analysis and intelligence to set up, and does not identify success through rankings. Make sure the agency can demonstrate expertise in your sector.