August 2024

Is SEO Dead? No, But the Tides Are Shifting

The latest Google algorithm and AI updates may have you concerned about what to do next. Perhaps you’re thinking, “How can my content ever reach audiences now?”

Not to worry, SEO is still alive and kicking. You won’t need to overhaul your strategy when adapting to recent search engine modifications. Instead, you must simply elevate your approach.

How Audiences View Current B2B Content

Things in the B2B world are far from where they were when I first entered publishing. For example, around 2010, ease of access to the internet initiated a massive transition from primarily outbound to inbound marketing efforts.

Brands were pumping resources into website creation and blogging to get a bite of the action. However, they needed to secure visibility among the crowd. They started asking themselves, “How can I optimize my content for the best results?” Well, SEO of course!

A figurative “guidebook” was established, full of the most essential SEO strategies to boost credibility, presence, and relevancy. Keyword research, competitive analysis, and backlinking offered the template from which everything stemmed.

But, the industry is never stagnant. The rise of social media, video creation, and customer-forward content has since taken over the digital realm (and for good reason). In the modern digital age, old methods just won’t fit the bill, and readers are ready for change. B2B marketers would be wise to listen closely to their audiences and revamp their approaches.

Here is how customers really feel about B2B content:

Lack of real-person experiences: People naturally gravitate toward other people rather than a business for reliable information. They want a first-person narrative and conversational tone that branded content often lacks.
Boring and too similar content: Falling prey to the same age-old SEO guidebook (e.g., creating comparable content based on competitors with little ingenuity) can muddle your voice, leaving your brand dull, boring, and uninteresting.
Content is too long: 64% of searches come from a mobile phone. A lot of readers are running errands, working, or passing time between meetings when they turn to Google for answers. They want fast solutions—not lengthy, overly technical explanations of everything.
Not enough visuals: Videos are taking the industry by storm. More and more businesses are posting top-notch, film-quality content to attract audiences. 66% of potential customers prefer videos, so lacking this key element can be a deterrent.

How AI Is Changing the SEO Game

So, we see how customers respond to “tried-and-true” SEO strategies. Furthermore, AI innovations have rapidly taken effect across search engines, completely transforming how readers receive information.

With their latest algorithm update, Google has introduced AI Overviews that pull answers from top-ranking articles. The “Supercharging Search” allows readers to access knowledge without ever needing to click on a website.

This fact may sound counterintuitive from the business perspective, as you risk losing significant traffic. Nevertheless, users only get a glimpse of possible solutions. For extensive topics (e.g., tutorials, tip lists, etc), they must still browse through ranking sites to get the whole picture.

Yes, you may lose some traction from Google AI, but SEO remains a necessary means of climbing positions to align with the newest upgrade. Don’t fight technology—leverage your strengths to gain an advantage.

Is SEO Still Relevant? Of Course!

Data shows over 6.3 million Google searches occur every minute. Comparatively, ChatGPT has only 100 million weekly users.

So, while AI has shifted the ranking game, one thing stays consistent—the majority of people still see search engines as trusted sources of information. In short, AI is far from overthrowing and replacing the Google giant entirely. Thus, SEO remains one of the top methods of receiving organic traffic.

These are the reasons why SEO still matters in B2B content marketing:

Reliable ROI

SEO is historically a dependable means of boosting ROIs. Customers use keywords for a designated purpose. With the right finesse and optimization strategy, your content can reach them first, offering them the answers they’re dying to know.

And, seeing as Google deemed your website stellar enough to include in the top ten results, audiences already have a higher view of you than lower-ranking competitors. Now, they’re more likely to visit your site for future information and purchase from you. I’d call that a win-win situation!

Competitive Advantage

Sure, getting to the top of search results is not an easy task. Even the savviest SEO genius can spend hours optimizing a blog only to fall short of competitors because of factors like domain rating.

But, don’t be dismayed. Your efforts are still worth the results.

Even if you don’t rank #1 immediately, quality content doesn’t *poof* and disappear after you hit publish. Once Google indexes your site, traction slowly accumulates as you improve your brand and build credibility with additional posts.

Over time, that original content can suddenly shift positions dramatically, even securing space in the Google AI overview. As a result, you have a solid, long-term edge over competitors. Customers get what they need from you first, so why would they venture onto another site? Thanks, SEO!

Targeting Specific Audiences

Brace yourself—keywords are not dying. Phew, what a relief! While other factors (e.g., quality, domain rating, etc.) influence which content ranks highest, keywords are still pertinent in the search engine world.

Think of keywords this way. In the most general sense, they dictate what content does and does not appear in a search result. Utilizing keywords means your publication (e.g., blog, video, social media post, etc.) will inevitably pop up somewhere in the ranks for those specific words or phrases.

Let’s say one of your target audiences is project management firms. You’ve been scouring your brain for ideas to start a new “How-To” guide but can’t seem to garner inspiration. So, you roll up your sleeves and conduct extensive research on Ahrefs to pinpoint their current pain points.

Finally, you find one! The keyword volume is high, and you think you can easily rank for the blog. You strategically incorporate relevant phrases based on the primary message (perhaps finding reputable employees), and you soar to position #3 within the month. Goal reached!

SEO Tactics That Still Matter in 2024

Since I’ve answered the question, “Is SEO dead,” let’s finally journey into using SEO for your benefit. Each step requires work, so prepare yourself for the research and analytical side of marketing. You’ll need to thoroughly study prospects, competitors, and the market to identify where you fit in the search engine puzzle.

1. Targeting Location-Specific Keywords

Local marketing is thriving —people are still looking for the best X product/service provider in the Y area. If you have a home-based business, you can capitalize on localized content to rack in additional traffic, clients, and domain authority.

2. Understanding Your Audience

Remember, viewers will always steer what performs well and what flops, despite algorithms or AI programs. In fact, the most recent evolutions in Google search results occurred to better serve audiences. Following suit by publishing well-written, crafted, and tailored content can help ensure your brand stays relevant and rankable.

Check out my tips for getting a feel for potential customers:

Run customer experience analytics on pre-existing content
Visit competitor websites to pinpoint top-performing media
Analyze customer behavior and demographics
Interact with followers on social media
Ask current customers for feedback

3. Repurposing & Updating Content

Repurposing content is an often overlooked approach to boosting the life of top-performing posts. You can easily convert long-form blogs, newsletters, or ebooks into infographics, webinars, videos, or podcast episodes (and vice versa)! In this way, you not only extend the longevity of the original content but also pump additional keyword potential toward your website/social media.

4. Creating High-Quality Content

As mentioned above, Google is emphasizing the importance of quality content. You can’t just post a shoddy blog and expect readers to come flocking. You have to up the ante by focusing on uniqueness. You want to stand out from competitors, so prioritize in-depth, well-researched, and applicable content.

Here are some tips to get you started on creating rankable content:

Incorporate visual elements
Avoid large, massive walls of text
Incorporate FAQs associated with the keyword
Don’t hide your personality—let it shine!
Create a mix of short and long-form content
Spellcheck or use extensions like Grammarly
Add information missing from similar posts

5. Promoting Content

As I explained earlier, simply posting content doesn’t cut anymore. You have to do the work—promote, promote, and promote. Publicize the hell out of yourself.

Collaborate with other professionals on podcasts, ensuring to mention your blog. Interact with similar creators on LinkedIn and mention a quote from a recent webinar. Better yet, seek niche-specific communities where everyone bounces ideas and shares insight. Put yourself out in the field and you’ll see just how much you can grow.

SEO Tactics to AVOID Moving Forward

I’ve touched on the fun SEO stuff. Now, we must cover the bad—the “nos” in B2B marketing. Embrace the philosophy of less is more by sticking with the facts, getting nitpicky with keywords, and politely declining link exchanges with that random “professional” you met at a tradeshow.

Let’s dive in.

Hyper-Optimization

You may see incorporating excessive keywords as an easy way to “optimize.” However, simply adding a phrase because you can is an unacceptable strategy in 2024. You may not even realize Google can issue penalties to websites for this very approach. They are the experts at nabbing keyword crammers in the act—don’t get caught red-handed.

Using Low-Quality Links

Low-quality links can harm your entire online presence. Directing readers to irrelevant, untrustworthy, or “spammy” outside websites may ultimately impact your domain authority and reputation. Moreover, you don’t want the opposite to occur. Being mentioned on a dodgy site can lead to the same results as above.

Focus on building solid backlinks with other respected sources to enhance expertise. Network with fellow peers in the B2B content marketing community. Foster strong relationships to open avenues for providing quotes in blog posts or exploring other PR opportunities.

Viewing Quantity Over Quality

As always, stress the role of continuity, trustworthiness, and craftsmanship in your B2B marketing strategy. Google favors this mindset—taking the alternate route of quantity over quality will only land you in the doghouse, cast out from the purebred experts. More is not always better, especially with SEO.

Avoid these common pitfalls when creating B2B content:

Keyword cramming
Neglecting visuals
Poor headers and formatting
Irrelevant or spammy linkage
Providing bland, useless information
Constantly straying from the topic
Failing to answer the question

Long Live SEO!

We may be in a whole new B2B marketing universe within the next year. We can never predict how things may or may not change. What we can do is continue striving for perfection. While achieving this is realistically unattainable (because nothing is “perfect”), becoming the best version of yourself will establish and keep you positioned among those who truly value the ability to help audiences.