B2B buyers research online long before they contact a supplier. Keyword research shows which questions and terms they use – so your content appears at the right moment.
Understand search intent
Every search has a purpose:
- Informational: "what is SAP S/4HANA" – looking to learn
- Commercial: "best ERP for manufacturing" – comparing options
- Transactional: "SAP consultant Munich" – ready to contact
- Navigational: looking for a specific company
Your content must match the intent. A service page won't rank for an informational query, and a blog post rarely ranks for "agency near me".
Where to find keywords
- Conversations with sales and customer service – real customer language
- Google autocomplete and "People also ask"
- Google Search Console – queries you already appear for
- SEO tools for volumes and difficulty
- Competitors' pages and topics
Long-tail keywords
Specific phrases like "offline field service app for technicians" have lower volume but higher conversion and less competition. In B2B, long-tail is often where the business is.
Prioritise
Score topics by:
- relevance to your services,
- business value (how close to a purchase),
- search volume,
- difficulty and your current authority.
Build topic clusters
Create a comprehensive pillar page (for example a guide to mobile app development) and link it to detailed articles on subtopics (costs, Flutter vs. React Native, publishing). This structure helps users and search engines understand your expertise.
German and English
If you serve international customers, research keywords separately in each language – direct translations often miss how people actually search.
From research to plan
Turn the prioritised list into a content calendar with page type, target keyword, intent and internal links.
This blog follows exactly this approach: solution guides as pillar pages and articles that answer specific questions.