SEO for industrial companies

SEO for industrial companies is essential to increasing your online visibility and attracting more valuable leads. In an industry where sales cycles are often long and decision makers thoroughly research suppliers and products, SEO can help position your industrial business well in the search engines. In this article, I explain how to use SEO to drive more traffic to your website, increase your authority and attract the right customers.

Why SEO is important for industrial companies

In the industrial sector, many decisions are based on technical specifications, accurate product information and supplier reliability. SEO can ensure that your company is visible when potential customers are looking for the products and services you provide. Often buyers or project managers begin their search online, and with the right SEO strategy, you’ll make sure your website is found first.

SEO offers industrial companies a cost-effective way to increase their online presence and stay ahead of the competition. Whether you offer machinery, components or industrial services, SEO helps you bring your offerings to the attention of the right audience.

One strategy I like to use within SEO projects for industrial companies is to come up as broadly as possible in Google. So for technical descriptions, but also for product categories or problems a potential customer may encounter. It often takes a relatively long time for customers in this sector to make decisions, so you need to be found several times before a purchase is made.

Optimizing technical product pages

Product pages are one of the most important parts of SEO for industrial companies. Potential customers often search for specific products or components, so you want to make sure these pages rank well in search results.

• Detailed technical descriptions: Make sure your product pages contain comprehensive technical information, such as specifications, applications, material details and certifications. These detailed descriptions help search engines understand the relevance of your pages and give potential customers the information they need to make decisions.
• Optimize images and technical drawings: Images, such as images and technical drawings of your products, should be optimized for SEO. Use descriptive file names and alt texts to help search engines understand what is in the images, and make sure the files load quickly to improve the user experience.
• PDF manuals and data sheets: Offer downloadable manuals and data sheets on your product pages. These documents are often consulted by technical buyers and can also be indexed by search engines if you optimize them properly (this is similar to optimizing a normal page, see my article on this here).

SEO focused on intent

SEO for industrial companies should focus on attracting potential customers who are actively looking for industrial products or services and are ready to make a decision.

• Conversion-oriented keywords: Optimize your website for keywords that indicate strong buying intent, such as “industrial pump supplier,” “industrial machinery quote,” or “order industrial components.” These types of keywords indicate that the user is at an advanced stage of the buying process and is ready to contact you.
• Long-tail keywords: Target specific long-tail keywords that accurately reflect your offering, such as “steel gears for heavy machinery” or “precision parts for the aerospace industry.” These search terms often have less competition and attract highly targeted leads.

As also cited above, I think it is important for this industry to focus on the broadest possible targeting. This is where you end up getting the most out of it in terms of acquiring new customers.

The level of competition (as well as volume) within this market tends to be slightly lower as well. To get an idea of this, see the image below:

Conversion-oriented landing pages: From visitor to customer

The right SEO strategy helps you attract visitors to your website, but the next step is to convert those visitors into leads and eventually customers. This means your landing pages must be optimized to drive conversions.

• Clear CTAs and quote requests: Make sure every product or service page contains clear call-to-actions (CTAs), such as “Request a quote” or “Contact us for more information.” Make these CTAs prominent and easily accessible so visitors can take action quickly.
• Lead forms for technical inquiries: Offer simple forms for potential customers to ask technical questions or request quotes. By keeping the process simple and streamlined, you lower the barrier for customers to contact you.
• Technical specifications and downloads: Include technical specifications and downloads on your landing pages so visitors can easily access the information they need to make a decision. This helps build trust and shows that your company has expertise in the industry.

It is difficult for many companies in this industry to get enough visitors to the website to A/B test. That’s why I recommend doing as many qualitative customer surveys as possible on what does/doesn’t work on the website (with respect to conversions).

Technical SEO

A fast, well-functioning website is essential to ensure that search engines can properly crawl and index your website, and to provide potential customers with a positive experience.

• Mobile-friendliness: Although many B2B searches are conducted from desktops, mobile usage in the industrial sector is also increasing. Make sure your website is fully responsive and functions well on mobile devices.
• Optimize your website speed: In the industrial sector, chances are that your website contains technical specifications, large images or videos. Make sure your website loads quickly by compressing images and minimizing heavy scripts.
• SSL certificate and security: Security is important, especially if your website contains confidential information or has e-commerce features. Make sure your website is secured with an SSL certificate (HTTPS) to gain customers’ trust and rank better in search engines.

Especially when using data sheets on the website, it is important to make them easy to read, including for Google. Make sure that Google can read the website in the same way as the visitor.

Link building and authority in the industrial sector

Link building helps you increase the authority of your website, which is crucial to rank better in search engines. In the industrial sector, it is important to get backlinks from relevant and reliable sources.

• Guest blogs and collaborations: Work with trade magazines, industry blogs or technical forums to write guest blogs or enter into collaborations. This helps get valuable backlinks and increase your authority within the industry.
• External listings in industry-related directories: Get your business listed in industry-related directories or industry associations. This will help you increase your visibility and build trust with potential customers.

Conclusion

SEO for industrial companies is all about improving your online visibility, attracting targeted leads and converting website visitors into customers. By focusing on technical product pages, local SEO, conversion-oriented keywords and a technically strong website, you can ensure that your business is more findable in search engines. This leads not only to more traffic, but also to more valuable leads and new customers. Continue to continually evaluate and optimize your SEO strategy to keep up with the changing needs of your customers and the industry.