B2B Reads: 2024 Buyer Experience Report, Keyword-First SEO vs. Topic-First SEO and More!)

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Summary

Some of our favorite B2B sales and marketing posts from around the web this week.

Every Saturday morning we share some of our favorite B2B sales & marketing posts from around the web from the last week (so it’s fresh!). We’ll miss a ton of great stuff, so if you found something you think is worth sharing please let us know.

This week, sharing only a few because they are meaty!

The 2024 B2B Buyer Experience Report By 6sesnse (highlights below by Brenna Lofquist)

  • B2B buyers are nearly 70% through their purchasing process before engaging with sellers
  • Buyers already have a preferred vendor at the time of first contact more than 80% of the time
  • The average B2B buying cycle lasts 11.5 months
  • Typical buyers don’t reach out to sellers until they are 69% of the way through the buyer’s journey
  • Average buying group is 10-11 people
  • The average buying group member has 17 interactions with each vendor they evaluate
  • Globally, 72% of buyers hire consultants or analyst to help them with their purchasing decision
  • Working with consultants or analysts is associated with longer buying cycles (13.6 vs. 6.5 months), higher costs ($300,001 to $400,000 vs. $100,001 to $200,000), and larger buying groups (12.9 vs. 6.4 people)
  • The top five purchase activities that buyers engage in with/regarding the winning vendor are primarily meeting-focused:
    • In person meetings with vendors
    • Internal meetings with the buying team
    • Meet with vendor’s physical offices or other locations
    • Read analyst reports
    • Meet with analysts/consultants
  • Buyers who engage earlier have smaller buying groups (9.4 vs 12.5 people), evaluate fewer vendors, and have shorter cycles
  • BDRs are perceived as the least helpful in the purchase process with Senior Leadership roles among the highest-rated roles

 

Keyword-First SEO vs. Topic-First SEO: Two Roads to Relevance [flowcharts] By Andy Crestonia
After thousands of hours spent writing hundreds of articles, Andy sees a clear distinction between two approaches to content marketing and SEO.

  1. topic-first content (focus on readers)
  2. keyword-first content (focus on rankings)

Here he breaks down that difference into simple terms with no judgment. Then he shares an SEO framework for each approach.

He’ll also use some little flowcharts. Each of these flowcharts has steps and you’ll notice some of the steps are common across all three. Lastly, he lists the most common and effective approaches for each step.

 

Mastering B2B Marketing Campaigns: Examples And Templates To Grow Your Business By Christopher Pappas
Every single day, thousands of companies compete to grab their audience’s attention and get first place in their shopping lists. To achieve that, you first need a clear and concise marketing template that underlines all your actions. Examples included.

 

Want to brainstorm? Get in touch.