How to write a B2B blog post for conversion? Techniques, tools, and examples

Did you know that marketers who prioritize their blog are 15 times more likely to generate a positive ROI, according to HubSpot? Inbound marketing involves attracting leads through high added value content according to their progress in the purchase journey. As a good Marketer, reach out to your prospects by writing a B2B blog post to convert visitors into qualified leads. Methodology, writing tips, SEO, or even visuals, we have gathered all our best tips to help you conquer your prospects with your blog! Ready to become the Jack Sparrow of the editorial staff?

Define a methodology before setting out to conquer writing

70% of marketers actively invest in content marketing.

HUBSPOT, 2019

Internet users are constantly looking for solutions to their problems. Your blog aims to:

• Attract them to your conversion funnel
• Help them move forward in their thinking.
• Establish your expertise with your potential prospects

Define the target and objectives of the article

To write a blog post dedicated to lead generation, we suggest you follow the inbound methodology, with its techniques and essentials. Start by asking yourself specific questions to lay the foundations of your writing:

• What is the target of my article? Define it, taking into account its level of maturity concerning your activity. An important detail that allows you to adapt your vocabulary and popularize your profession accordingly.
• What is the added value that I bring in this article? Summarize its benefit in one sentence to make sure you respond to the reader’s problem and make it the common thread of your writing. The objective is to offer exclusive content, themes, or points of view that the competitors have not yet exploited.

By evoking the problems of your targets and by listing the solutions available to them, you move them forward in the conversion funnel. The idea is to name things with simplicity, have a caring approach, and give free expert advice.

Start monitoring competition articles on the subject.

The first step is to put your knowledge as an expert on paper. After that, any idea is good to take, even if you delete it afterward. The goal is to write down everything you think is essential to talk about on this subject.

The second step is to create a list of keywords related to your topic and type them into your search engine. You will realize the competition on these keywords and the number of articles existing on the same subject. You will be able to compare the different points of view and develop a differentiating article, setting you apart from the competition. Take out your spyglass!

Moreover, did you know that your colleagues represent your greatest treasure within the company? You can consult each of them, according to their expertise, to flesh out your words and add ideas. In addition, they will bring you an in-depth knowledge of their profession in correlation with the themes addressed.

Structure the article with a plan of attack

The structure of your blog post makes it easy to read and conveys clear and consistent messages to your targets.

• Title 1 (or H1): it evokes the main parts of the article and groups detailed sub-parts
• Title 2 (or H2): it represents the sub-parts of your first level titles, allowing you to detail your ideas further
• Etc.

Defining headings 1 and 2 allows you to enter your ideas into each part and balance them before jumping into content writing. They are also helpful in terms of SEO to guide Google in understanding your topic.

Write a B2B blog post and optimize its SEO

The foundation of SEO: the keyword in the long tail

The long tail keyword is the essence of SEO for your article. It is present in the meta title, the meta description, the URL, and the text’s body. For Google, this group of words represents the flag that flies above your boat, allowing you to be seen and recognized when Internet users request their search engine.

When researching the long tail keyword, the trick is to put yourself in your target’s shoes. Based on your topic, what group of words is she likely to type on Google? The answer to this question is sure to guide you.

A good long-tail keyword is not defined by the volume of searches that result from it but by the intensity of the visitors’ purchase intention.

What are the four main criteria that the keyword of a B2B article must meet?

• Define the main topic of the article
• Understand three words minimum
• Be a group of words and not a list of words in a row
• Follow up on a genuine intention to purchase

Take the example of the article “How to configure a CRM for a B2B SME?” From the keyword “CRM for a B2B SME,”. This group of 6 mutually consistent words perfectly defines the subject. Individuals interested in CRM are likely to do this search on Google. By answering their problem in this article and redirecting them to the associated offers, we observe a real purchase intention from readers.

The SEO components of an article

The meta title

The meta title appears on the first line in Google search results. It is the first impression you will give to visitors. To get them to click, this element must spark their interest to know the benefit to be derived from it. The meta title does not exceed 70 characters for its nomenclature and contains the entire long-tail keyword defined beforehand.

Let’s take the example of the article on CRM in B2B. The meta title “The complete guide to using a CRM for a B2B SME” provides answers to a real problem in B2B. Once again, the idea is to put yourself in your persona’s shoes to guarantee them a quality experience.

The meta description

The meta description is the perfect catchphrase to arouse the interest of your targets. Limited to 150 characters, this is the last element that will encourage the user to click on the link. You have to be convincing, use action verbs, and highlight the user benefit (and not your brand), all in one sentence.

The meta description for the article cited above is “Uncover the secrets of configuring a CRM for a B2B SME to improve your internal processes and the daily lives of teams”. Ideal for highlighting customer benefit and showing Google the added value. It sums up the article without saying too much and catches the reader’s attention to find what they are looking for.

Url

The URL of your article represents the name of your vessel. Therefore, it must be short, consistent with the subject, and visible thanks to the keywords it contains.

It meets these nomenclature criteria:

• Remove accents
• Do not include connecting words, special characters, or capital letters
• Separate words with dashes
• Not to exceed five words

If these elements are forgotten, Google penalizes your content in terms of SEO.

For our example, the URL is “https://www.makethegrade.fr/inbound-sales/crm-pme-b2b/". Short and efficient, it simply takes the category of the article and its keyword in the long tail.

Optimize visitor navigation thanks to your visuals

After 3 seconds of waiting, more than half of Internet users leave a page if it is not fully loaded.

HUBSPOT, 2018

And a lot of it depends on your visuals. Their naming, size, and weight have a real impact on the technical SEO of your article.

• Resize: after choosing and saving your visuals, resize them with Canva or Photoshop. If you don’t have the information you need for the ideal visual size, turn to the developer!
• Compress: then comes the compression step. For that, you can use the compressjpeg tool, which is entirely free.
• Rename: then, you will have to rename them in the same way as an URL.

Once your visual has been optimized and carefully integrated into your blog post, you can add an alternative tag, which is valuable in terms of readability. It allows the visually impaired to listen to the description you gave of it and Google to understand your visual, contextualize it and check its consistency with the content.

Convert targets effortlessly with unstoppable tips

How to arouse the interest of the reader from the introduction?

As with a good movie, the introduction is the teaser for your article. It must show its added value without saying too much. So how do you get your targets mouth-watering in three sentences?

To synthesize the information, apply the 5 W technique. Then, with an answer to each of these questions, you will set the context for your writing.

• Who: who are the individuals affected by the tips in your article?
• What: what is the main topic of the article? What are you going to talk about?
• When: when did it happen, or when is it going to happen?
• Where: what geographic location does this subject refer to?
• Why: what benefit does the visitor get from reading your article?

Energize body text to write a B2B blog post

A B2B blog post capable of ranking first on Google is between 1,500 and 2,000 words long. So how do you make a blog post fluid and entertaining for the reader?

Make short sentences

As a web copywriter, sentence length is a topic to keep in mind throughout your writing. Be efficient in explaining your ideas; get straight to the point! Twenty words maximum is ideal for each sentence to energize the content and prioritize important information.

Speak in the present tense

Speaking in the present tense is a fundamental factor of dynamism within a long content. The reader can identify very quickly with the problem raised, live more intensely with your examples and metaphors and understand the substance of your reflection.

Create the internal mesh

Internal networking consists of creating logical links between articles. It has two main objectives:

• Redirect readers to other blog articles to deepen a specific subject and advance its maturity, reflection, and purchasing journey.
• Bring consistency between your articles to create a natural semantic cocoon on your website.

The semantic cocoon is the set of internal and external links of a website aimed at creating consistency between all content in the eyes of Google.

Tips: To create your internal link, a link must be placed on a group of words announcing the page’s subject to which it refers. It tells the visitor what is behind that highlight.

In a blog post, a conclusion worthy of the name always ends with a call to action button allowing:

• It’s up to the visitor to continue browsing and feed on other high-value-added content and meet their needs.
• It is up to the company to transform its personas into qualified prospects for the purchase thanks to the time spent on the website or even to convert them into leads.

Arm yourself with patience to get copywriting hell

84% of Internet users expect brands to produce content that is entertaining and provides them with solutions.

MEANINGFUL BRANDS, 2020

Customer benefit is at the heart of your writing. What is the interest for him to read this article? Each sentence is supposed to be reflected in this direction to not spill over into other topics and therefore risk losing the reader. The idea of ​​copywriting is to take your target audience with you in your story. Create a common thread throughout your article to maintain the relevance of each of your comments.

What better than statistics, quotes, or examples to illustrate your points? Supporting his theory by verified facts is essential to establish your expertise. In addition, it allows you to gain credibility and gain the trust of your readers.

End your blog post on a high note

The objective of the conclusion is to summarize the essential elements stated in your article and provide the answer to the problem stated in the title. It’s also the time to start thinking about another topic relating to the blog post to allow visitors to continue reading.

The essential elements for conversion

92% of companies that use inbound see an increase in traffic and the rate of leads generated.

HUBSPOT, 2020

When a company opens its blog, its objective is to attract potential leads into the conversion funnel: adding value, qualifying for the purchase, and converting. Therefore, it is essential to put in place elements to collect valuable data on your visitors.

The CTA banner (Call-To-Action)

A CTA banner is a module positioned inside a blog post. The call-to-action button can link to a complimentary resource like a white paper if it is in the awareness stage or even directly to a Landing Page if it is ready to make a decision.

For example, KWE has integrated a banner in its blog articles linking to a downloadable resource to collect data. This integration allows the visitor to deepen his knowledge on the subject with a concrete element to keep in his documents. The objective is then to provide premium and free content in exchange for contact details.

Newsletter form

What would a pirate be without his parrot on his shoulder? The same goes for the newsletter form of your B2B blog.

To retain your readers, the idea is to write a monthly newsletter to notify them of the latest articles on your blog. At the same time, you can add information about your news, customers, or partners. Thus, the newsletter increases the visibility of your articles, your website, and your offers with each sending.

Sailors, you now have all the keys to writing B2B blog posts to perfection. Remember that this methodology applies to each of your resources to attract leads and convert them! Do you feel ready to write a mountain of content? Then, it’s time to move on to developing your B2B editorial line.