Learn a proven method for identifying keyword targets that generate real leads, pipeline, and revenue for any B2B website.
B2B companies often face challenges with keyword research, such as:
- Core topics having limited search volume.
- High search volume focused on a few highly competitive keywords.
- Search interest concentrated on top-of-funnel terms that rarely convert.
- Every niche and business is unique, even within the B2B space.
Having partnered with multiple B2B companies to drive millions of visitors and tangible business value, I’ve developed a structured approach to gather keyword targets that deliver real leads, pipeline growth, and revenue.
This guide will take you step-by-step through the process, including three types of keywords that many B2B companies often overlook—but shouldn’t.
The Basics
The first step in keyword research is compiling a list of potential keyword targets.
At this stage, it’s best to be broad—many terms added initially may not make the final list.
Some keywords will be obvious. For example, if your company sells software for pricing and quotes, the term “CPQ software” is an obvious addition.
Keywords that clearly describe your product or service, are commonly used by competitors, or are popular buzzwords in your industry are excellent starting points for your list.
Questionnaire
When starting a new project with a B2B client, we begin with a kickoff questionnaire. This asks the client to provide insights such as:
- Their main product or service competitors
- Competitors performing well in search results
- Publications (online and offline) that their prospects and customers follow
- Conferences attended by their target audience
- Influential “thought leaders” in their industry
Even if you’re managing keyword research in-house, reviewing and updating this information can serve as an excellent starting point.
Historical Data
Analyzing historical SEO and PPC data from your site or your client’s site is another effective way to uncover keyword ideas.
For established websites, a valuable approach is to identify queries and pages that have lost traffic over time. You can then refresh these pages or create entirely new content to capitalize on those opportunities.
Pain Points
Targeting pain points is a powerful B2B keyword strategy because it shows searchers that:
- You understand their challenges
- You offer solutions
There are several ways to uncover these types of keywords:
Forums and Message Boards
Using our CPQ software example, explore forums to see what problems users are discussing and what questions they frequently ask.
Mining Testimonials, Reviews, and Customer Interviews
Customer and prospect insights are also valuable. Look at:
- Your own customer testimonials
- Competitor testimonials
- Interviews conducted by your sales or customer service teams
Talking directly with sales or customer service staff can uncover multiple promising keyword ideas. Third-party reviews also serve as a “listening tool” to learn what users are saying about competitor products.
Competitors
Analyzing the keywords your competitors rank for using tools like Ahrefs or Semrush is a common and effective tactic.
It’s important to understand the different types of competitors:
Search Result Competitors
The sites you compete against in search results aren’t always your direct product or service competitors.
- For informational queries or glossary terms, competition might include publishing sites or Wikipedia.
- For comparison, review, or “best-of” queries, competitors may include third-party review platforms like TrustRadius.
For example, if targeting a broad informational term such as “market pricing,” your competitors may include both industry publications and review sites rather than direct CPQ software providers.
Product and Service Competitors
Analyzing your direct product and service competitors can provide valuable keyword insights. However, be mindful of potential challenges:
- Competitors may have stronger or weaker authority, so targeting the same keywords may not always make sense.
- Some competitors may focus on high-traffic terms that don’t convert, so consider the intent behind each keyword and how you’ll drive meaningful leads.
- Many competitors generate limited SEO traffic beyond branded terms, so this approach may not be effective in all niches.
Note: Even authoritative sites with high-quality backlinks can show low keyword difficulty scores, demonstrating that these scores don’t always tell the full story.
Industry Resources
Another effective way to gather B2B keyword ideas is by leveraging industry-specific resources:
- Mining Glossaries: Use standard industry glossaries or those from major competitors to identify relevant terms.
- Conference Agendas: Reviewing agendas from events your prospects attend highlights hot topics and current interests to include in your keyword list.
- Publishing Sites: Niche publications can also reveal keyword opportunities. Look at the terms and pages that rank well, ensuring they align with your industry theme and authority level.
Overlooked (Sometimes Controversial) Keyword Opportunities
Many B2B companies, particularly in regulated industries, are cautious about the content they publish. However, certain overlooked content types can target high-value keywords:
- Top-Funnel Glossary Content: Basic “What is X” content may seem too elementary for advanced audiences, but it serves multiple purposes:
- Engages different stakeholders within an organization who may not be familiar with the terminology.
- Generates passive backlinks from authoritative sites, boosting lower-funnel pages and driving traffic.
- Signals topical authority to Google by covering related subjects around high-converting terms.
- Mentioning Competitors: While many B2B sites avoid discussing competitors, doing so can unlock new keyword opportunities, particularly for “best of” queries where searchers want a list of options. This may require accurately referencing competitor products alongside your own offerings.
In addition, your competitors’ brand names and related modifiers often have good search volume and indicate high buyer intent. Examples include:
{Competitor Name} alternatives{Competitor Name} pricing{Competitor Name} vs {Your Brand} vs {Another Competitor}
If you’re willing to write about competitors accurately alongside your own products, this can drive relevant traffic and build trust with potential customers.
Note: Be mindful of legal considerations—have executives review this content before publishing.
Mapping Terms to Topics and Creating a Content Plan
Once you have a comprehensive list of potential keywords, the next step is to refine it and turn it into actionable content:
- Use keyword tools to prioritize terms based on search volume and keyword difficulty.
- Analyze the SERPs to assess your chances of ranking:
- Are similar sites ranking with content types you’re prepared to create?
- Are the ranking sites comparable in authority, backlink volume, and quality?
- Tools like Ahrefs (Keyword Explorer) or LowFruits.io can identify “weak spots” in the SERPs—lower-authority sites ranking high, offering opportunities.
- Ensure terms are relevant to your audience and your site.
- Check if you can create related content around these topics to strengthen your site’s topical authority.
This step is essential: you start with a broad set of keyword ideas and then organize them into topical clusters around the most relevant and profitable terms.
Tools like Ahrefs, LowFruits.io, Search Response, AlsoAsked, and even Google’s search suggestions can help uncover related terms to expand your content plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on B2B Keyword Research
Q1. What is B2B keyword research and why is it important?
B2B keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that potential business clients use. It’s crucial because it helps businesses target the right audience, drive qualified leads, and increase conversions.
Q2. How is B2B keyword research different from B2C keyword research?
In B2B, keywords usually have lower search volumes but higher intent, focusing on professional needs, solutions, and decision-making processes. B2C keywords, on the other hand, target individual consumers and tend to be broader.
Q3. What types of keywords work best for B2B companies?
Transactional, informational, and long-tail keywords tend to work best. Keywords that reflect pain points, industry-specific solutions, or product comparisons usually perform well in B2B strategies.
Q4. Which tools can I use for B2B keyword research?
Some popular tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and Ubersuggest. LinkedIn search insights and customer feedback can also help uncover hidden keyword opportunities.
Q5. How do I identify high-intent B2B keywords?
Look for keywords that show buying signals such as “software for,” “best solution,” “service provider,” or “platform comparison.” These terms usually indicate that the user is close to making a purchase decision.
Q6. How many keywords should a B2B business target?
There’s no fixed number, but it’s better to focus on a mix of primary, secondary, and long-tail keywords that align with your business goals rather than targeting too many at once.
Q7. Should B2B companies use branded keywords in their strategy?
Yes. Branded keywords help capture leads who are already aware of your company. They’re also important for protecting your brand visibility from competitors.
Q8. How often should I update my B2B keyword strategy?
It’s good practice to review and update your keyword list every 3–6 months to adapt to industry changes, competitor movements, and evolving customer needs.
Q9. Can B2B keyword research help with account-based marketing (ABM)?
Absolutely. Keyword insights help tailor personalized content and campaigns for specific accounts, making ABM more effective.
Q10. What mistakes should I avoid in B2B keyword research?
Avoid focusing only on high-volume keywords, ignoring search intent, overlooking long-tail keywords, and failing to analyze competitors’ keyword strategies.
