Nowadays, it is no longer enough to publish a handful of articles or update a blog sporadically. Google’s search engine and other search engines are increasingly rewarding relevance and contextual optimization of content. For this reason, good keyword research can position our pages in the top results. As Neil Patel points out in several of his studies, SEO today focuses on semantic understanding and satisfying the user’s search intent, which makes keyword selection an even more strategic task.
However, we should not think about capturing the attention of managers or area managers, but of all the profiles that influence, in one way or another, the purchase decision. In many organizations, the acquisition process involves, in addition to senior management, technical staff, external consultants, the financial team, and even the legal department. Each of these players may perform different searches. Therefore, keyword research should look at a broad picture of needs, challenges, and key terms that correspond to each of the functions and phases of the purchase.
Throughout this article, we will look in detail at how to conduct keyword research focused on finding the best opportunities for your B2B business. We will start with the basics, describe useful tools, and delve into competitive analysis. In addition, we will provide ideas for prioritizing the keywords with the greatest potential and reflect on how to integrate them into your content and optimization strategy. Our goal is that, by the end of reading these lines, you will have a clear roadmap to identify those terms that will bring visibility, qualified traffic, and, ultimately, better-defined sales opportunities.
How to do keyword research?
The first step in undertaking successful keyword research is to define what we hope to achieve with our positioning strategy. For example, are we looking to capture leads for an advanced consulting service? Do we want to educate the market about a new niche B2B product? Or are we planning to launch a high reach advertising campaign? Philip Kotler, in Marketing Management, stresses the importance of aligning marketing objectives with the company’s identity and business plan, and the choice of keywords is a crucial part of this alignment. If we are not clear about what we want to achieve, we will hardly be able to select the appropriate keywords.
To clarify these objectives, it is advisable to talk to the sales, customer service, and management teams so that we get a cross-cutting perspective of what the company needs at each stage. In particular, the sales team often has valuable information, as they are in direct contact with prospects and know the most frequently asked questions or concerns. With this feedback, we can infer which are the topics that most interest our target audience and, therefore, which could be the searches they perform on Google to solve their doubts.
It is also useful to make an inventory of existing content and analyze what keywords have been working so far. We may discover that there are very competitive and unprofitable terms or that we have overlooked some keyword opportunities with lower competition but high potential. Neil Patel, in his blog, recommends starting from previous experience and the resources we already have before starting to search from scratch. This way, we avoid duplicating efforts, and we can recycle some content if it is suitable for positioning with new keywords.
Brainstorming and categorization of ideas
Once we have our objectives clear, we generate a preliminary list of possible keywords. For this, brainstorming is a very effective technique. Let’s gather several people from the team who have contact with customers and ask them to write down all the questions, expressions, or technical terms that usually appear in conversations with leads. At this stage, it is not necessary to be selective but rather exhaustive: the more ideas we have, the better the starting point. Customer support platforms or CRM tools can also be used to extract recurring doubts.
With the initial list, we categorized the keywords based on their possible search intent: informative, comparison, transactional, support, etc. The relevance of the “search intent” or user’s intention helps us to design content that responds to the needs of the searcher. For example, if we discover that people want to “know how to implement an ERP solution in the food industry”, the intention is to learn or be informed, so we can create specialized guides or articles. On the other hand, if we notice that someone is looking to “buy ERP software for the food industry,” the intent is transactional, and we might direct them to a sales page with specifications and pricing plans.
Grouping keywords according to their category will allow us, in the future, to prioritize content strategies. Furthermore, this classification is especially useful in B2B environments, where the conversion funnel is more complex. In this way, we will be able to design specific materials for those who are exploring solutions, others for those who are already comparing suppliers, and, finally, content oriented to the transaction or even after-sales support. Versatility in content creation, aligned to keywords and search intent, usually guarantees the success of the strategy.
Initial prioritization and basic validation
After brainstorming and categorization, we will have a possibly very large list of words or phrases. It is time to make a first prioritization. To do this, it is useful to ask two key questions: What is the search volume for these words, and what is the competition for positioning them? The combination of “high search volume and low competition” is the most desirable, but it is not always realistic, especially in highly competitive sectors. However, volume and competition information helps us to separate the most relevant from the ancillary.
There are free and paid tools to check if the terms we have listed have decent potential traffic. We can also approach the data through Google Trends, which indicates the evolution of interest over time. If we notice that some keywords show an upward trend, it may be a good idea to bet on them even if their volume is not yet very high, as we could get ahead of the competition when demand grows. On the other hand, if a keyword had a high search volume in the past but has been declining, it is probably not worth investing efforts in positioning it in the medium or long term.
Once this basic validation has been done, we will have narrowed down the list to a group of terms with potential and coherence with our strategy. A more detailed analysis is still to be done, but this initial stage is fundamental in order not to disperse resources. To be able to concentrate on those keywords that have an impact on our marketing and sales objectives. We will explore how to go deeper with tools that facilitate the process and provide more precise metrics to refine the selection.
Tools to find the best keywords
Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends
When talking about keyword research, it is almost inevitable to start by mentioning the Google Keyword Planner. This tool, included within Google Ads, provides reliable data on monthly search volumes and estimated competition for each term. In addition, it allows us to discover related words that could fit well with our strategy. Although it is focused on the planning of advertising campaigns, its usefulness for SEO and content generation is undeniable. It allows us to filter by geographic location and language, which is key if our business is targeting a specific B2B market in a country or region.
On the other hand, Google Trends offers a broader overview of how interest in certain keywords evolves over time and in different regions. Although it does not provide exact volume figures, it does allow us to compare various keywords in the form of trends and popularity peaks, which is valuable for anticipating events, seasons, or changes in fashion in the sector. Let’s imagine, for example, that we manage a cloud solutions company, and we notice that the search for “remote work tools” spiked its interest on dates close to times of global contingency. With that information, we could design timely content to capture that emerging demand.
In addition to using them separately, we can combine Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends for a complete view. First, we map the words with interesting volume (according to Keyword Planner), and then, we check in Trends if any of them has an upward or downward projection. If we are interested in betting on emerging keywords, the second tool can give us clues about opportunities that are not yet saturated. Although they are free and widely used solutions, they are still the basis for a solid initial analysis.
Specialized SEO tools
Beyond Google’s official solutions, there are tools developed specifically for SEO and keyword research, such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz Keyword Explorer. These platforms offer more detailed metrics, such as positioning difficulty (keyword difficulty), estimated cost per click (CPC) in advertising campaigns, and the number of backlinks pointing to the top-ranked pages, among other data. With them, we can deepen our understanding of the competitiveness of each keyword and, thus, further refine the strategy.
An interesting aspect of these tools is that many allow us to visualize which pages are positioned in the first places for a specific keyword. In this way, we can analyze the quality of the competitors’ content, observe which domains have more relevance, and study the structure of their pages. In addition, some offer “Keyword Gap” functions, which help us to detect keywords that the competition is using successfully and that we have not yet contemplated. This direct comparison can be very useful to discover opportunities for growth or differentiation.
Of course, each of these platforms comes at a cost that varies depending on the functionality and depth of data they offer. For B2B projects of a certain size or with notable growth aspirations, investment in a specialized SEO tool can yield a high return in the form of rankings and qualified lead generation. Authors such as Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and creator of Sparktoro, have insisted on the importance of having high-precision analysis to compete in saturated markets, where every detail counts to stand out in search results.
Extensions and add-ons for quick analysis
There are also extensions and add-ons for browsers such as Chrome or Firefox, which provide a quick “x-ray” of SEO when visiting websites or results pages. Some of them offer basic data such as monthly search volume, estimated difficulty, number of backlinks, and average position in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). One example is the Keyword Surfer extension, which provides free search volume estimates every time we make a query on Google. Another popular one is SEO quake, which delivers metrics about domain authority or keyword density.
These add-ons come in handy when we want to get immediate information without having to log into a more robust SEO tool. Although their data is not as exhaustive, they do help to generate ideas on the fly or to quickly verify if a keyword has potential. For example, if we are browsing a competitor’s blog and we see that their article is ranking for certain words with considerable volume, we could take note and include them in our subsequent research list.
The important thing to understand is that these extensions and plugins usually rely on proprietary sources and algorithms, so their figures may vary from those of other tools. It is not uncommon to find differences in search volume estimates between Keyword Planner and Keyword Surfer, for example. Therefore, it is advisable to use them as indicative or starting points, never as the only absolute reference for making decisions.
How to analyze the competition and choose keywords
In keyword research, competition is always a relevant factor. Even if we think we have found an ideal set of terms, we must check how saturated they are and who is leading them in the first positions. A simple but effective method is to perform direct searches on Google and review the results on the first page. This way, we identify which companies have already positioned themselves and analyze the titles, descriptions, and even the quality of their content. The objective is to discern what they offer and how we could differentiate ourselves or improve our information offer.
Likewise, it is important to pay attention to the most established players in the market since their resources and domain authority could make them difficult competitors to displace in certain terms. In B2B marketing, it is common for large or well-known companies to occupy the first places for generic keywords, but they may not have explored the long-tail keywords or very specialized terms in which we could shine. This is the logic that Brian Dean suggests when talking about the “Skyscraper Technique”: find gaps and opportunities for more specific content or with an unusual approach, which adds more value than the existing one.
On the other hand, if there are blogs or specialized portals in the industry with a strong community, it is worth analyzing their most popular topics and user comments. This reveals which topics generate more interest and which keywords, even without a high search volume, could arouse a great deal of interaction within a niche. Remember that in B2B, it is not always about reaching the masses but about impacting a specific audience with high decision-making power and buying power.
Assessing the difficulty and potential return
After observing the competition and understanding how the landscape is, it is time to weigh the difficulty of positioning each keyword against the return that it could offer. To do this, the “keyword difficulty” metrics provided by tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz are of great help. These metrics, generally expressed on a scale of 1 to 100, indicate how complex it can be to rank on the first page for a given keyword. The closer to 100, the more competitive the keyword is.
At the same time, the potential return (or “keyword value”) is estimated by considering the level of interest of the target audience, the possibility of a visitor becoming a lead, and the average revenue we could obtain. In a B2B environment, the sales ticket is usually higher than in B2C, so even a relatively low search volume can be attractive if the purchase intent is strong. For example, if there are only 500 searches per month for “inventory management software for pharmaceutical laboratories”, but the cost of that software is several thousand euros and at least one contract per year can be closed, it may be worth trying to position ourselves. A single customer would represent a significant ROI.
This analysis of difficulty and return is essential to prioritize since we rarely have unlimited resources. It makes sense to start with keywords with moderate difficulty and high conversion potential, the so-called “low-hanging fruit”. Over time, when we get a good domain authority and a robust portfolio of content, we can aspire to more generic or competitive terms. In this case, a more mature SEO background is needed to have a real chance of ranking in the top positions.
Final selection and design of the content strategy
Once the prioritization, competition analysis, and difficulty assessment have been carried out, it is time to decide which keywords we are going to work on. Here, it is advisable to separate the final list into groups, for example, a set of keywords that we will promote in the short term through new content. Another is to strengthen existing content with updates or improvements, and a third is for future actions when we have more resources or the domain authority has grown. Maintaining this organization allows us to execute the strategy in an orderly and measurable way.
The next phase is the design of the content strategy. Each priority keyword must have a concrete plan that indicates what format we will use (article, video, white paper, landing page, etc.), what search intent we intend to cover, and what key messages we want to convey. A good practice is to create editorial calendars where each piece of content is associated with its respective keywords to ensure overall consistency. We should also detail on-page SEO guidelines, such as the use of the keyword in the title, subtitles, meta description, and density in the text, without falling into saturation (keyword stuffing).
Finally, in B2B, disseminating the content in professional networks such as LinkedIn or sharing it with partners and existing customers can give an initial boost to positioning and, above all, generate quality links that reinforce SEO. We can also coordinate guest posts in industry blogs or media and, at the same time, take advantage of email marketing campaigns to publicize the articles or resources produced. All of this, coupled with the solid keyword research we have done, will help make the content relevant and visible and ultimately translate into qualified leads.
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The relevance of the “search intent” or user’s intention helps us to design content that really responds to the needs of the searcher.
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Conclusions
Keyword research is an essential process for any digital marketing strategy, but it takes on even greater relevance in the B2B arena, where buying cycles are long and the players involved in decision-making have diverse technical and business profiles. Throughout this article, we have explored how to set clear objectives, gather ideas through brainstorming, and categorize keywords based on user search intent. Consistency between these intentions and our corporate goals is critical to maximizing search engine opportunities.
However, it should be emphasized that the work does not end once we define the list of keywords. It is essential to maintain a feedback loop: analyze the performance of the chosen keywords, update the content regularly, and react to changes in market demand or supply. SEO is dynamic, and what works today may require adjustments tomorrow. Therefore, keyword research should be understood as a continuous process of improvement linked to the growth of the company and the development of new solutions or products.
In short, keyword research is essential to capture the attention of an increasingly demanding professional audience and to position our solutions in a market saturated with information. By aligning business objectives with the real needs of users and by intelligently leveraging available tools and techniques, we can trace an effective route to attract quality traffic and gain visibility in search engines. Above all, we can generate solid and sustainable business opportunities in the B2B arena.
