If you’re a manufacturer or industrial B2B company, you know the importance of long-term projects and relationships. One solid relationship can make or break your fiscal year, and lead to mountains of referral business. But relationship building is not all phone calls and emails, your digital presence is key to finding new business. In a way, search engine optimization (SEO) for manufacturers is a lot like relationship-based sales. The key difference is that SEO builds a relationship with algorithms instead of an individual person.
SEO isn’t an overnight or quick-win marketing tactic, but it is a way to earn long-term business growth. The good news is that there are ways to speed up the SEO process. In this article, we’ll explore a manufacturers timeline for SEO results and explain some steps you can take to see better results faster.
What are the Main Stages of SEO?
If you’re familiar with manufacturing marketing, you know that there are very few quick-fix marketing tactics that deliver ROI. Instead, manufacturers need to turn to long-term strategies like SEO. By following a proven SEO process, you can ensure your business is visible to potential clients whenever they use a search engine to find solutions to their problems.
Keyword Selection Timeline
The first stage of any SEO campaign is keyword research. Keyword research is the process of finding out which terms people search when looking for products like yours online. When SEO is executed correctly, it can ensure that your website appears near the top of Google when those searches are made by potential customers.
At IQnection, we believe in crafting intentional SEO strategies with clear focuses for tasks and reporting. So, we work with our clients to select 10-20 “VIP” keywords to act as our guide. In addition to these VIPs, we identify hundreds of related search terms that can be used in copyrighting.
While keyword research and selection is a manual process that cannot be automated, we have found that this stage of the SEO process typically takes two to four weeks for new clients. We then revisit this keyword list every three to six months, or any time our client’s business goals change.
On-Page SEO for Manufacturing Businesses
Once selected, keywords are implemented on websites through on-page SEO strategies. These include usage in any given page’s titles, headings, meta descriptions, and copy. They are also implemented in parts of the website that are not plainly visible, such as image alt text attributes. While these tasks may seem small, their impact is massive.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to how long on-page SEO for manufacturers can take. The timeframe depends entirely on the size of your website, its quality, and your SEO strategy. Additionally, on-page optimization is a continuous process. As your goals and keywords change, your on-page optimizations will need to be revised.
Off-Page Optimization Tactics
The SEO process continues with off-page optimization. This includes the manual process of strategic link building through backlink outreach, optimization of social media channels, and regular updates to your Google Business Profile.
Off-page SEO for manufacturers can begin as soon as you’ve selected your most valuable keywords, but this process never stops. Time and effort are required to make the most of your off-site communications channels, including social media.
A Manufacturer’s Guide to Technical SEO
Technical SEO isn’t for the faint of heart, it requires some background knowledge of coding and web development! This subset of SEO is the process of improving behind-the-scenes elements of your website. Depending on your industrial B2B website’s needs, this can include code optimizations for site speed, on-site trust signals, and security measures. It can also include updates to your site map, data structure, and much more.
Website content management systems and plugins release updates often, and these updates often require the attention of a web developer. So, just like all the other pieces of the SEO puzzle, technical SEO if an ongoing process that can spell the difference between good and great web design.
How Long Does It Take to Improve SEO?
We’re sorry to keep saying this, but there’s no clear timeline for SEO results. It all depends on your niche in the manufacturing industry, your competition, and your existing website. What we can tell you though, is the factors that impact your SEO timeline and some tips for how to speed up the process.
Outside of technical SEO improvements, the quickest way to improve SEO for manufacturers is to create high-quality content. When you create content that is relevant to your customers, you attract organic search traffic that converts into actionable leads. Of course, the format of the content you’re creating will impact this timeline as well. Blog writing is a quick win-SEO strategy that can be completed on a relatively quick timeline. But premium content like case studies and videos will take much longer to complete.
For off-page optimization, a considerable amount of time is dedicated to strategic link building. Linking to credible external resources is easy, but backlinks are harder to find. The best backlink portfolios are comprised of links that are earned, so anyone engaging in SEO must work on manual backlink outreach. It can take time to build your website’s authority, and it can take even longer to build relationships with website managers who will give you a backlink.
When Will You See SEO Results in Analytics?
Generally, it can take several months to see noticeable improvements in search engine rankings and website traffic. In more competitive industries, and when chasing more competitive keywords, significant results can take years.
Still, it is important to monitor your website and report on SEO regularly. When done correctly, you will see early signs of improvements, like an increased share of voice and web traffic, in just a few weeks. Still, you are best served when you allow ample time for data collection. Reporting on SEO on a quarterly basis will allow you to measure the ROI of your SEO strategy with more confidence.
How Often Should You Work on SEO?
The best advice we can give is this: work on SEO as often as possible. Ideally, you should create and update content, optimize technical aspects, and build links on a weekly basis. This will ensure that your website stays up-to-date and doesn’t become outdated.
If you don’t have the time and resources necessary for weekly SEO improvements, we strongly recommend working with a digital marketing company that offers B2B SEO services. Agencies like IQnection are staffed by SEO experts who can tackle content creation, off-page optimization, and technical SEO for you. This will allow you to handle the daily operations of your business without allowing your website to suffer.
You should always strive to work with an SEO service provider that has experience in your industry. Be sure to check any potential providers’ websites for a portfolio or case study to see which industries they know best.
Why Does it Take SEO so Long to Work?
SEO is a long-term strategy. It’s not a quick fix, so the timeline for SEO results is long. It takes time to see results because search engines use complex algorithms to determine search results. These algorithms are constantly changing, and search engines are notoriously vague when releasing information on updates. So, improving your SEO will sometimes require an element of trial and error.
SEO also requires content creation because relevant and valuable content will attract users to your site and keep them there longer. Content creation in-and-of itself can be time-consuming, but it is always worth it. A video on your homepage, an interesting blog, or a valuable case study can improve user experience on your website.
How to Ensure Quick SEO Results
The SEO process has several stages and takes time to gain momentum, but it’s invaluable to your manufacturing business. While there is no clear timeline for how long it takes to see results, high-quality content creation and strategic link-building can speed up the process. If you are a manufacturer looking to improve your SEO quickly, IQnection can help. Contact us to schedule a 30-minute SEO consultation and learn more about the timeline for SEO results and how we can assist you in creating an intentional strategy.
