B2B brands have turned to the web to get the word out about their unique products. Approximately 93 percent of B2B marketers will allocate resources toward revamping their websites, creating memorable experiences for users with more custom content, as Brafton has reported.
While in 2012 companies allocated time and money toward the understanding of content marketing, this year will bring another step in the same direction, with a focus on perfecting content creation strategies for cross-platform lead generation. Once again, Google makes every professionals’ job easier by introducing a new product geared toward B2B brands.
According to CPC Strategy, Google quietly released a beta version of Google Shopping for Suppliers. Currently, it’s only U.S. electrical and electronics industries that can take advantage of this technology, but a wider rollout will come in the next few weeks.
Of course, B2B transactions look much different than B2C sales – there is a lot more room for negotiations between business-to-business deals. Google understands this, and revised its policies on Pricing and Payments, Shipping, Taxes and Returns and Refunds.
To become verified in the program, businesses will have to submit a one-time fee of $1,000 USD. Verified suppliers receive a unique badge on their listings and have their products show ahead of unverified listings in SERPs. In addition to higher PageRank, verified suppliers also see their offerings in Sponsored results, so products will show in organic search.
B2B companies should not abandon their content marketing or web optimization efforts in favor of Google’s new Shopping for Suppliers function, but mixing the sales tool into the equation can provide brands with many benefits. An even balance of branded SEO content and paid advertisements via Google Shopping for Suppliers can increase lead generation for B2B organizations. This may serve prospects throughout the sales cycle and guide them toward conversion.
