B2B Blogging 101: Your Guide to Better Inbound Marketing

B2B blogging has never been more important. Where do you start? And how do you create engaging content that will also please Google?

Blogging is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage your audiences, and most businesses do it. Blog posts are the most popular form of content out there, according to SEMrush. This is because they’re able to showcase what an organization focuses on and generate organic traffic for the business. 

Your B2B blog posts need to compel your readers by making it clear what they’ll learn from the start. They need to dig into a topic that will deliver insights, help your clients solve a problem, or find answers. And, your posts need to include SEO best practices so they perform on Google and get you more visitors.

Blogging can seem overwhelming, so we’ve broken it down to help you create the right plan. Here is your guide to B2B blog writing.

You are what you E-A-T

Key takeaways:

• Google assesses content for E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

One of the best ways to boost your blog content is to please the end-all, be-all algorithm: Google. Google created the E-A-T factor, which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which helps get your content noticed by more prospects. These are the three ingredients the search engine uses to determine how it will rank your site or content to help it present more relevant content to online searchers. Here’s what to know about it.

Expertise

Google cares about who’s authoring content. They’ll monitor for relevance and detail, but they also want certain topics – including medical information, financial guidance, or wellness advice – to be written by accredited, qualified sources.

Authoritativeness

You can establish authority by writing with confidence as someone who knows their stuff and has experience with the topic at hand.

Trustworthiness

Google doesn’t want to send users to websites that aren’t trustworthy. Your website must be secured with an SSL certificate so the algorithm knows you’re safe.

With E-A-T, Google can figure out which content is relevant, credible, trustworthy, and good, then show it to people. 

Why does user intent matter?

Key takeaways:

• 3 types of user intent: Transactional, Navigational, and Informational.

Today’s content needs to go beyond keywords and search terms. You need to focus user intent, or meeting the needs of the person behind those terms, otherwise yours won’t be ranked as highly.

So, what does user intent mean, exactly? This concept refers to the reason someone is searching. What are they trying to find? If you’re only thinking about using keywords but not why someone is searching for them, a reader could visit your page only to realize it’s not going to meet their needs at all. This leads to a higher bounce rate, or people clicking into your content and quickly clicking away.

You need to let user intent guide your content. There are three types of user intent to consider:

• Transactional – This searcher is looking for something specific to buy, like internet service.
• Navigational – This user is looking for a specific website. They might type in a specific organization or business name they’re seeking.
• Informational – This person is searching for more info about a topic or trying to answer a question. This is where how-to articles and listicles come into play.

Some keywords will tell you a user’s intent. For example, if someone types “buy an office chair,” their desire is pretty clear. Not all searches are so obvious, however. Make sure you adjust your keywords and phrases to align with what your target audience is actually looking for, then deliver something of value that will help them reach their goals.

To blog or not to blog? Always blog!

Key takeaways:

• The benefits of B2B blogging include staying relevant, establishing expertise, gaining new customers, and rounding out your website.

It’s no longer a secret that you need a blog for your B2B company. Blogs help your SEO strategy and get you ranked higher on Google, but they also drive traffic to your business pages for your services and products. Here are a few key benefits of B2B blogging:

• Staying relevant – When you post regularly, visitors can see that you’re active in the space and posting timely content.
• Establishing expertise – Companies that blog show their audiences that they both know their stuff about their industries and stay up to date on the latest news.
• Gaining new customers – Make it easier for people to find your content when they turn to Google for answers. They’ll learn about your business and hopefully want to work with you.
• Rounding out your website – Blogs provide fun, engaging content that speaks to what your targets care about. This allows your website to offer more than just price lists and about pages.

Blog posts are a must, and the right content will engage and excite other business leaders. This creates more meaningful connections.

Quality vs quantity: Which is more important?

Key takeaways:

• Posting all the time doesn’t mean your SEO will improve.
• Focus on delivering something of value to your target audience. 
• Always produce high-quality content.

Some business leaders think churning out blog content is the best way to get more traffic and engage people. But, quality is much more important than quantity when you’re trying to impress Google and other businesses.

Think of all the content out there. About 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and there are more than 600 million blogs around the globe. Do you really think people will care about just any old content you post? 

Quantity is not nearly as important as quality. What value are you bringing to other businesses? How are you different? Readers need to get actual insights from you. Here are a few reasons why quality beats quantity with blog content:

• Business leaders won’t spend much time on content that doesn’t grab them.
• Google is getting better at finding and showcasing quality, valuable content.
• Your clients want to see that your content pertains to their experiences and struggles.
• People want to trust the businesses they work with, and they watch for errors and questionable claims in content.

Quality always wins. Don’t just add to the white noise. Put your energy into writing better blogs instead of constantly posting.

Know your audience

Key takeaways:

• Focus on what your audience wants to know, not what you want them to hear.
• They won’t trust you unless you show them you have what they’re looking for.
• Identifying your audience helps you come up with better topics.

To run a successful, engaging blog, you have to know what your audience wants and needs. You have to get into your customers’ headspace to define the questions they want answered and their biggest pain points. Why? Because only then will they read your content or consider working with you! They don’t want to jump through hoops to find an answer online or figure out what it is your business does.

A few tips on finding relevant topics:

• Look at what your business clients are posting about and responding to.
• Post about trending topics.
• See what competitors are talking about.

Remember that clients are not always looking for a product when they turn to Google. They sometimes just want someone to lead them toward a solution. Telling your audience what you want them to hear never works. You actually have to pay attention to tell them what they want to know. They will only start to believe that you can help them when they feel like you understand.

How to build authority with your blog

Key takeaways:

• Build authority by discussing a problem without a motive, posting case studies and showcasing your unique approach and expertise.

Establishing authority is about more than being present and visible. It’s also about showing you’re trustworthy with quality content and valuable insights. Start by building trust. Discuss the problem before selling a solution. Businesses want to know you care about their pain points. Also, create case studies and include testimonials. Show prospects that you’ve helped real companies in significant ways.

Then, show them what you’ve got. Talk about your solution once you’ve validated their problem. Show examples about how you approach problem-solving. Reassure readers that you know the right steps to take to help them.

Building authority with your blog requires quality, well-written content, the right SEO tactics, and consistency. Pull in stats and updates from others in your industry, and don’t be afraid to talk about your opinion on certain topics – even if it goes beyond the norm.

Your marketing strategy needs a blog

Key takeaways:

• Most marketers have a blog in their strategy.
• Blogs help boost your SEO and rank on Google.
• Take steps like integrating blogs with campaigns and planning out a content calendar.

Blogging isn’t a marketing strategy in and of itself, but your overall outreach plans will suffer without it. HubSpot data shows blogs are one of the primary three types of media in today’s content strategies, after all, and that 89% of marketers include blog posts in their content strategies. Blogs help you rank higher on Google’s SERP, show your expertise, and ensure you connect with people in engaging ways. 

Here are a few tips to improve your marketing strategy with a blog:

• Don’t let your blog exist in a vacuum. Make a dedicated, continued effort to get the word out.
• Integrate blogging with your other campaigns, such as email, ads, and social media.
• Make sure you’re trying to reach audiences that are ready for your content.
• Get the right tools to track analytics and measure success.
• Plan out your blog content calendar so you can assign tasks to your team and writers.
• Find talented, reliable writers and editors.

Ready to start killing it with your blog?

Hopefully you can see just how important a blog is for your B2B business. Authority is key, and so is high-quality content that keeps Google’s algorithm in mind.

The good news is that you don’t have to do this on your own. ContentBacon helps you boost your blog content game with writers and editors who can adapt to your business’s unique voice. We help you post relevant, informative, and engaging content that other businesses will trust.

Contact ContentBacon to learn about our content subscription services.