Top B2B SEO Agency

The SF Bay Area’s largest SEO agency, First Page Sage specializes in B2B SEO, particularly when more specialized, technical knowledge is required. Our approach to SEO is based on:

Keyword Selection.

The key to using SEO to generate actual, qualified leads is targeting high-conversion transactional keywordsthat B2B decision makers actively search. Understanding exactly what those decision makers are looking for when they search for those keywords allows us to both prioritize late-funnel keywords and create high quality content that encourages conversion.
Hub & Spoke Strategy.

Using the proven Hub & Spoke strategy, every piece of content we create for your website is mapped to a hub page that targets one of your holy grail keywords. This concentrates your website’s keyword authority, signaling to Google that you’re an expert and should be rewarded with high search rankings.
Systematized B2B SEO.

We aim to make your SEO function as a system, a lead generation machine always working in the background. We will interview your experts, study your industry, and create and execute on a content plan that publishes consistently, rapidly increasing your domain authority.

B2B SEO: How it Works

How B2B SEO Generates Leads

B2B companies tend toward long sales cycles and complex products and services, both of which require multiple points of interaction throughout the sales funnel. An SEO campaign based on a Hub & Spoke model will naturally target longtail keywords searched by decision makers at every stage of the funnel.

Matching those keywords to the right content is based on each keyword’s transactionality. The most transactional keywords (those with the most low-funnel searchers) will be best served by conversion-focused landing pages, while more research oriented keywords will be better served by informational blog posts. Having satisfying content for every visitor keeps you top-of-mind when businesses are looking for a new partner or product, making this combination of SEO and content marketing one of the best B2B lead generation strategies in nearly every industry.

Understanding Google’s Algorithm and Search Intent

Google’s Algorithm has a simple goal: connecting searchers with the best piece of content for their query. From their initial algorithm that relied on link quantity, assuming that people would link only to valuable content, to their recent increased emphasis on high quality content and engagement, we’ve seen this reflected in every update they’ve made.

That’s what makes understanding search intent so important. It lays the groundwork for creating content that is truly perfect for each keyword, satisfying both Google and searchers.

High Quality B2B Content

Creating the perfect page for every valuable keyword is easier said than done. It requires that you:

Know exactly what question the searcher is implicitly trying to answer, or what pain point they’re trying to solve; and
Write with the expertise and authority to quickly convey to a searcher that your business has the best answer to their question or solution to their problem.

In other words, it means creating thought leadership. This is why we’ve embraced the model of hiring a new expert for every campaign. Working with experts allows our writers to understand your brand, product, and industry on a level few other vendors do, while our editors ensure that the content is skimmable, SEO-friendly, and engaging.

The Details: Technical SEO

B2B SEO also entails back-end updates to ensure your site is in excellent standing with Google. This includes optimizations to:

Page speed
Mobile responsiveness
Website architecture
Meta title tags
Structured data
UX design

These updates help Google understand what your site is about, which keywords you should be ranking for, and result in a better experience for your visitors.

How Long Does B2B SEO Take?

The short answer: It will take 4–6 months from the beginning of a campaign to start seeing increases in search rankings. On average, we’ve found it takes from 8–10 months for B2B companies to break even on their SEO investment.

The long answer: SEO is inherently a long-term investment. It requires both an initial investment in keyword research, creating a campaign strategy, and developing content, as well as a consistent publishing schedule in order to see results. While this investment can pay off sooner in fields with relatively little SEO competition such as construction, it will not result in an instant influx of new leads.

What B2B SEO does offer, however, is sustainable lead generation. Your investment in an SEO campaign will remain relatively flat over a long period of time, while successes compound. This results in decreasing Customer Acquisition Costs (CACs) over time, and increasing ROI. Below is the typical gross revenue over the first three years of a B2B SEO campaign.

Partnering with First Page Sage for B2B SEO

We begin every campaign by interviewing your company’s experts, performing a full technical review of your website, and researching your competitive landscape. This allows us to understand:

Why your company is the best choice in its competitive niche
Which keywords will generate the most leads—and therefore be most valuable—for your business
Your website’s current keyword rankings, how they rank compared to your competitors, and if any technical issues need to be addressed

We then use this understanding to create a comprehensive editorial calendar that serves as the groundwork for a successful campaign. Once complete, we begin the content production phase that makes up the rest of the campaign. Our team will research, write, and publish 2 pieces of high-quality thought leadership content on your website each week, securing Google’s News Website Bonus. We’ll report on leading metrics such as page views, engagement, and high-ranking keywords to ensure we’re on the right track, but at the end of the day, we’ll demonstrate the value of your investment through the ROI we generate for you.

Here’s a small selection of the B2B companies that have trusted us with their SEO campaigns:

B2B SEO Insights

If you’re interested in learning more about B2B SEO or just getting a sense of what we’re interested in lately, we’ve compiled some of our recent articles on the subject.

The Top B2B SEO Agency