TulipTools Internet Business Owners and Online Sellers Community

Quote:2B buyers visit the Web before any other channel in investigating solutions to their challenges, Ramos tells the E-Commerce Times. "They have to narrow down their needs," she says. They use search results as much for a quick education as for a salable product or service.

Because of this, she suggests that B2B marketers invest in optimizing nonbranded terms through both natural and paid search tactics. Those with few marketing dollars allocated to search marketing can look at more generic, less-used terms that may constitute the next big hit.

"In general, our plan is more nonbranded, since most commercial customers' initial interest is in the type of vehicle they need -- dump truck, police vehicle, etc. -- rather than in Fleet and Commercial by name," says Karen Cuff, marketing manager for GM fleet and commercial operations...

Quote:Most people assume search marketing works only to reach consumers, but it's actually quite effective for businesses wishing to connect with other businesses, as well...

David Szetela, CEO of Clix Marketing spoke first...Szetela highlighted a number of categories of potentially valuable keyword bids that went beyond just the name of the product or service being offered.

He suggested including wholesale terms, brand terms, bad plurals, misspellings, full domains as well as the brand names and domains of key competitors in PPC campaigns because such terms cost little to the advertiser and can often bring in relevant traffic. Szetela also urged the audience to remember the importance of basic marketing strategies like including keywords in the headline of the ad, coupling ad groups with relevant landing pages, highlighting product benefits rather than features and constant testing of ad variations...