The search engine optimization process is not universal: a suitable promotion strategy is developed based on the goals, subject matter, and condition of the web resource. Also, one of the primary aspects that experienced specialists pay attention to is what market segment the resource belongs to: B2B or B2C.
B2B (business to business) - legal entities act as the customer and seller. Such types of companies often cooperate with other companies and enterprises, acting as suppliers and distributors.
B2C (business to consumer) - a familiar retail model, where the customer is an individual.
Understanding the characteristics of the target audience - the key to the success of any promotion. The perception of a product or service by consumers of these segments is different, which is why it is necessary to approach the issue of promotion consciously - starting with the snippet description and ending with the quality of the information content offered.
Key Features
The main behavioral characteristic of the B2B segment target audience is a long decision-making period; there are no immediate direct sales. The logic of user behavior is to visit many resources in your niche, compare offers and choose the most suitable one. The task of an SEO optimizer is to carry out such activities that will not only raise the site to the TOP to collect maximum traffic, but also work on the web resource itself so that it fully meets the user's requests.
In the B2C segment, on the contrary, there is a short transaction cycle, a quick sale. Here the user can make a spontaneous “emotional” purchase, sometimes without even comparing prices. The promotion strategy should be aimed at attracting as many users as possible, as well as making the purchase convenient.
Let's consider the difference in the main stages of optimization that need to be worked out in both segments.
Content
The content of a B2B site should correspond to the characteristics of its audience. Firstly, only in rare cases does one person search for a contractor/supplier. You need to understand that your site can be visited by a marketer, a procurement specialist, and an engineer. The decision to purchase is not made by one person. Particular attention should be paid to useful articles, detailed information about the company, terms of cooperation, real reviews, certificates and licenses. Confirm your advantages with facts - your potential client should be confident in the professionalism and reliability of the partnership, it is necessary to address all his "pains".
In the content for the B2C segment, you need to focus on emotionality and a call to purchase, because you are interested in selling a product/service in one visit. Here, the potential buyer is interested in the product itself, not the selling company: the decision is influenced by an attractive price, taste preferences and satisfaction of the need. You can stimulate the user to buy with various kinds of promotions and sales, which, for example, practically does not work in B2B sales.
Semantics
Filling the semantic core is fundamentally different for both segments: for a B2B resource, low- and mid-frequency key phrases should be used, which will help narrow the audience thanks to narrowly focused professional semantics.
For retail sites, high-frequency universal phrases are used, which can cover both ready-to-buy and simply interested users.
Design
A good B2B resource does not require any design excesses: corporate colors, company logo. Minimalistic design of the site will work for the company's image. Emotionality and "screaming" red buttons can scare off a potential buyer, so you should not add such elements to the site.
On the contrary, b2c is aimed at creating an emotional connection between the buyer and the product, accordingly, the site design should evoke pleasant associations and motivate to buy.
Despite the standard SEO promotion methodology, building strategies based on the market segment is a necessary step that should not be neglected. A good optimizer is distinguished by choosing the right approach, which is based on collecting the appropriate semantics, clustering it according to intent, working on improving the usefulness of the content, and detailed elaboration of the target audience. It is the combination of these activities that will help your resource take the first positions in search results.