Modern B2B SEO is no longer sufficient to build content around specific keywords, but to identify the target audience’s needs and create content that will answer their questions.
We will discuss how topic clusters and semantic search are put into use, and how they affect B2B SEO.
Transitioning from Keyword to Semantic Search
Previously, B2B SEO mostly entailed research on keywords that are frequently typed by users and then using them in the website content.
Keywords as a factor that determines ranking are still relevant; nonetheless, the game is not as simple as before.
Google has shifted gears towards semantic search. (Source)
This is the process of determining what the searcher wants rather than what they will type into the search engine.
Let's say a B2B buyer is looking for content that says “cloud migration challenges.”
A keyword approach that one might use would be focusing on the keyword “cloud migration.”
However, a semantic search goes further by digging into the reason why the buyer might be anticipating challenges relating to cloud migration.
This shift needs a more sophisticated B2B SEO strategy that focuses more on the development of quality content.
That will also answer the inquiries of the target market.
Why Semantic Search is Important to B2B Firms
B2B consumers usually go through a complicated buying process involving several phases. Perhaps they will begin with general topics and then narrow down to specific queries, depending on the stage of the decision-making process that they are in.
Semantic search enables you to engage with such buyers across the funnel since you produce material that fits their expanding information requirements.
For example, a B2B company offering marketing automation solutions could create a topic cluster around "marketing automation."
This cluster could include:
- Top-of-funnel content: Marketing automation and issues affecting B2B marketers; where a number of blog posts have been written about the advantages of marketing automation and the challenges B2B marketers face.
- Mid-funnel content: The white papers; that represent a comparison of a given set of marketing automation platforms and examples of customer success stories, should be provided.
- Bottom-of-funnel content: Marketing and sales campaigns; that let the potential consumer learn about your marketing automation offering and what it can do for them.
The B2B company creates a content site that is likely to attract professional and qualified leads, with this content linked to specific search requests that potential clients will use in the search queries.
What are Topic Clusters?
Topic clusters are best described as groups of web pages that are connected and are centered on a specific subject.
In this way, when connecting related subtopics, you build a sort of information network that is useful, pertinent, and valuable to the target audience.
Here's how topic clusters function:
- Central theme: This is the main theme under which the rest of your content cluster would fall. For example, let us make “content marketing strategy" our central theme.
- Subtopics: These are the subtopics that come under the major theme or category, if you want to call it that.
Examples of subtopics under ‘content marketing strategy’ may include ‘how to come up with the content calendar,’ ‘how to create quality content,' and ‘how to determine the return on investment in content marketing. ’
- Web of information: Connecting the subtopics within the selected cluster makes it easier to establish the relationship between them.
It also helps search engines and users navigate through the different aspects of the main topic.
Apart from improving the experience of the user, it also informs the search engines of the extent and credentials of your website or blog on the given topic.
Benefits of Utilizing Topic Clusters for B2B SEO
- Improved search engine ranking: Including the keywords and their derivatives within other related clusters increases the site’s relevance to more search terms.
- Enhanced user experience: Topic clusters make knowledge more organized and connected to each other, hence creating a good learning experience for users.
- Establishes authority and thought leadership: The topic cluster also represents a well-developed topic and proves the author’s knowledge of a certain field.
- Boosts content marketing ROI: It makes your content marketing efforts more efficient.
By providing more value, the content is shared and used by the consumer across various points where it is needed.
Besides, one-pillar content can be easily transformed into different formats, for instance, infographics or social media posts, so that the maximum number of people will come across it.
How to Create an Effective B2B SEO Topic Cluster Plan
Topic cluster strategy requires great planning and implementation so that the right topic clusters are targeted by the organization.
Here's a roadmap to guide B2B content agencies in developing topic clusters that drive results:
1. Identify your target audience and their pain points
This involves researching the customers or users of the product and establishing those who should be targeted, the needs they will fulfill, and the problems they post.
Pro Tip: Use questionnaires, interviews, and assessments, or draw from your existing consumer base, to get insight on your consumers’ challenges.
2. Conduct keyword research with a semantic search focus
The days when keywords like ‘abuse’ and ‘shelter’ would lead clients to hundreds or thousands of identical sites with these keywords are over.
This strategy is based on semantic search, as a result of which you should pay attention to such elements as long-tail keywords and user intent.
You can use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to look for keyword usage in relation to what your target audience may be typing.
Pro Tip: Focus on question-based keywords that would depict the user’s search intent and details about what he or she wants to find.
3. Brainstorm subtopics relevant to your central theme
The goal should be to fully describe the phenomena being studied while focusing on what is significant and drawing meaningful conclusions.
It is crucial to cover several related subtopics while maintaining a clear connection to the main issue.
Start brainstorming subtopics by creating a mind map with your theme as the center. Expand on related topics in the same category, then narrow to the second level of particular topics.
4. Create the content
You should consider optimization for both the search engines and the user as you prepare valuable and useful information for each of the subtopics within the cluster.
Here are some key content creation pointers you should implement:
- Focus on value and deliver timely and relevant content that answers your target audience’s concerns and problems.
- Incorporate your target keywords and their counterparts in the content, and do not overdo it.
- Optimize on-page elements like your title tag for your target keywords, your meta description, and your main content.
- Connect the pieces within your cluster to other pieces of content through internal linking.
It is essential to create a content calendar that indicates the particular pieces that will be produced for each subtopic.
Determine the format of the content that will best fit each subtopic (e.g., blog articles, infographics, case studies).
The Interconnection between Topic Clusters and Semantic Search
Imagine a well-organized library in the area of digital marketing.
Every webpage is treated as a book; therefore, it provides extensive information about some of the subtopics inside the cluster. Internal connections are considered the corridors linking these subtopics to build a method by which website users as well as search engines may move through the knowledge held in the cluster.
Semantic search is the instrument that works as the librarian here. Autocomplete also has the function of understanding the purpose with which a user searches for anything on the Web and may successfully guide the user to the relevant section of the library consisting of thematic clusters leading to the most informative websites.
To ensure increased accomplishments, topic clusters interconnect high-quality information related to users’ purposes and boost semantic search.
Some of the benefits of the synergistic relationship between topic clusters and semantic search include:
- Comprehensive information hub: They assist in building a single source or folder where a user may access all the information he or she may be interested in about the given issue.
- Improved search engine understanding: The linkage between subtopics and the major subject helps tell search engines about the depth and degree of knowledge of your content.
- Enhanced user engagement: It makes users remain active and search in the cluster to locate what they are seeking according to the supplied data.
Conclusion
The future trend in B2B SEO remains focused on user intent and developing content that would appeal to the given audience.
Based on topic clusters and semantic search concepts, you can create a single information source that will attract users and, at the same time, bring industry leadership to your B2B clients.
Always aim at creating good-quality content, minimize users’ inconvenience, and always modify your strategy based on real trends noted by users.
Therefore, by adopting the above-discussed concepts, you will revolutionize your B2B SEO practice and give your clients unmatched performance.
