What Is SEO for Manufacturing Companies?
What Is Manufacturing SEO?
Manufacturing SEO is a specific plan that helps make sure your company is found when customers search. Because manufacturing is often so specific, it often requires a specialized SEO plan to ensure quality lead generation to help grow your company.
How SEO Helps Manufacturers Get Found Online
When a potential customer searches the web for services your company offers, SEO makes sure it’s your webpage they see on the results page. By focusing on the keywords customers actually use, you can optimize your website to be the best match for search engines.
How Manufacturing SEO Differs From Consumer SEO
Manufacturing customers are often looking for very specific products and services when they are ready to buy. This requires a more strategic, content-based approach to answer any questions they may have about the products and services you offer.
Start With a Strong Website Foundation
Make the Website Fast, Secure, and Mobile-Friendly
Faster websites are optimized for both search engines and customers. Having a fast and secure website builds credibility from the first click. A mobile-friendly site also ensures customers can easily find you and shop from wherever they are, increasing the likelihood of quality traffic.
Create Clear Product, Service, and Capability Pages
Ensure each page you make is distinct. This helps prevent keyword cannibalization and keeps your pages organized depending on what keywords they are focused on.
Use Clear Calls to Action for Quotes, Contact Forms, and Sales Inquiries
CTAs make it clear to your customers how they can purchase your products and services. Contact forms and RFQs should be easily accessible from many different places across your site.
Create Content That Supports Manufacturing Buyers
Answer Common Buyer and Technical Questions
If you can figure out what questions buyers might be asking about your industry, it can provide a good place to start creating content. This way, when buyers have questions, your website can be there to answer them and be ready to turn questions into sales.
Show Expertise With Helpful, Specific Information
You are the expert on your products and services, so build your content to show that. Being well-versed in your industry builds credibility and makes your company stand out from the competition.
Update Existing Content Over Time
Customer behaviors change over time, so your SEO strategy needs to be flexible. Regularly updating your content both keeps your site relevant with changes in customer behavior and shows search engines that your site is maintained and gives it a better chance to rank.
Improve Basic Technical SEO
Fix Broken Pages and Crawl Issues
Any pages on your website with broken internal links or URL issues need to be cleaned to maximize your SEO. In order for search engines to effectively crawl your site, all pages need to be organized and running smoothly.
Improve Site Speed
Faster sites save your customers time, which increases the likelihood they’ll choose your company. Not only that, but the faster your site, the easier it is for search engines to crawl and accurately index your content.
Keep the Website Organized as It Grows
As you add more content to your site, it can be easy for it to become disorganized. A strong content plan can help you keep it organized as you grow rather than having to go back in and fix it later.
Use Local SEO When Location Matters
Optimize Google Business Profile
Google Business Profiles are a great way to build credibility with your local customers. Ensure your profile is up to date and that all information is consistent anywhere your customers may find you.
Use Local and Regional Keywords
When locals are specifically looking for products or services in their area, these are the keywords that will help them find your business.
Encourage Customer Reviews Where Appropriate
The more reviews your company has, the more likely it is to both appear in search results and build credibility. Balance your CTAs to include places on your website to ask for reviews as well as inquiries and purchases.
Build Authority With Backlinks and Credibility
Earn Links From Relevant Industry Websites
Having your website appear on other industry-related sites can build instant credibility. This is a great way to extend the reach of your website and help customers find you who are already looking within your industry.
Use Supplier, Partner, and Association Opportunities
Building relationships with other companies within your industry can help both sides grow. If you have a supplier or organization you already have a strong relationship with, see if they are willing to partner with your company.
Build Trust With Case Studies, Certifications, and Proof
Industrial clients are often looking for quality and reliability. Use your website to showcase your company’s certifications and proof that you are what your marketing says.
Track SEO Performance Over Time
Monitor Rankings and Organic Traffic
Successful SEO will see an increase in both rankings and organic traffic. Closely monitor these over time to track how your plan is working.
Track Leads, RFQs, and Contact Form Submissions
Manufacturing SEO is more successful when it aims for quality over quantity. RFQs and form submissions are often a more accurate picture of how your SEO is working than just looking at the numbers.
Review Which Pages Drive Qualified Traffic
Some of your pages will generate more high-quality leads than others. Keep track of which are doing the best to grow your business and prioritize keeping those pages updated and streamlined.
Common SEO Mistakes Manufacturers Make
Putting Too Many Services on One Page
By putting too many services on a single page, you run the risk of keyword cannibalization. Keep each page limited to a single topic to minimize the competition on your site and give your pages the best chance to rank.
Chasing Broad Keywords Instead of Relevant Keywords
It may be enticing to focus on keywords that will reach a broad audience, but being specific is important for manufacturing SEO. Remember, you are trying to drive quality leads over a high quantity of clicks.
Treating SEO as a One-Time Project
Because customer behavior is always changing, your SEO needs to be a continual process. What works well today may not next week, so constant research and site optimization is vital to ensure your site is reaching the right customers at the right time.