B2B keyword research zeroes in on keywords that truly speak the language of business-to-business markets. It’s a key piece of the puzzle when crafting sharp and effective B2B marketing strategies. Unlike B2C keyword research, it has its own flavor with longer sales cycles and more specialized jargon. Buyer intentions are also pretty unique.
This guide dives deep into B2B keyword research, walking you through everything from understanding the twists and turns of the B2B buyer journey to nailing those more advanced targeting strategies. We’ll be your trusty sidekick along the way, showing you how to make the most of Semrush’s powerful toolkit from uncovering keywords and spying on the competition to figuring out which keywords really deserve your SEO and PPC attention.
B2B marketing keyword research is all about pinpointing the terms your business clients use during their complex buying journey. Unlike B2C where decisions can be made on the fly, B2B usually involves a crew of decision-makers and takes place over a longer period.
Setting clear goals is absolutely fundamental when crafting a successful B2B keyword strategy. Whether your aim is to drum up leads, beef up your brand’s authority or give those conversions a much-needed nudge, your choice of keywords and overall approach needs to be tightly synced with these business objectives.
Nail down your main business goals—think attracting more qualified leads or boosting your website traffic.
Get a clear snapshot of your target audience including their roles, hurdles, and how they search.
Tailor your keyword strategy to fit the stages of the sales funnel from sparking awareness to sealing the deal.
Set up measurable KPIs so you can closely monitor how your keyword campaigns perform over time—no guesswork involved.
Semrush offers a solid lineup of keyword research tools that shine when you are hunting for B2B-focused search terms. Starting with straightforward keyword overviews and moving to detailed magic tools plus sharp competitive insights, Semrush turns what could be mind-boggling data into clear actionable keyword opportunities.
Powerful tools that help you dig up high-volume, relevant B2B keywords, dive into search intent analysis, and uncover those golden competitive keyword opportunities to seriously level up your SEO game.
Delivers deep insights into your competitors’ keywords, traffic sources, advertising tactics, and SEO strategies—basically letting you peek behind the curtain to see what’s working (and what’s not).
Runs a thorough health check on your website, spotting annoying SEO hiccups like broken links, duplicated content, and sluggish page speeds that might be dragging you down.
Keeps a close eye on your backlink profile, tracks the effectiveness of your link-building campaigns, and takes a look at your competitors’ link strategies for good measure.
Equips you with smart tools to plan, create, and optimize content, all driven by data-backed keyword suggestions and topic research that keeps your content fresh and on point.
Expands your project and keyword tracking limits, and offers customizable, white-label reporting features on the higher-tier plans—perfect for agencies and enterprises juggling bigger campaigns.
Grants API access so you can seamlessly plug Semrush data into other marketing tools and internal systems, smoothing out your workflow.
Boasts an intuitive design combined with support for multiple languages and worldwide databases, making advanced keyword research feel less like rocket science.
Plug in some seed keywords related to your industry or products into the Keyword Overview tool. From there, watch your list blossom with the Keyword Magic Tool and filter by important metrics like volume and intent. Don’t forget to peek at the Keyword Difficulty scores as this will give you a good sense of how tough the competition is.
Semrush dashboard illustrating keyword discovery and analysis for B2B keyword research.
Understanding keyword intent is vital for effectively connecting with B2B prospects. It is not just a box to tick. You need to sort keywords based on whether they are meant to inform, help nudge buying decisions, or drive transactions.
Semrush's Competitive Research toolkit is like having a backstage pass to your competitors' keyword game. It lets you dig into their keyword portfolios and uncover valuable terms they’re ranking for. You can also spot gaps they might have missed.
Taking a close look at how your site’s keywords stack up against your competitors can really open your eyes to where you stand in the market. It’s like having a sneak peek into the playbook, showing you which keywords might give your visibility a much-needed nudge. Thanks to Semrush’s Domain Overview and Keyword Gap tools, you can pinpoint exactly where your rivals are hitting the mark and tweak your content and PPC campaigns accordingly.
Once you have put together a solid list of keywords, zero in on those that strike the right balance between search volume and competition. Also consider cost-per-click and how they fit into each stage of the funnel.
| Factor | Description | How to Evaluate with Semrush | Impact on Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Volume | The average number of monthly searches showing how popular a keyword is | Use Keyword Overview and Keyword Magic Tool to check search volume | Helps you zero in on keywords that actually pull in the most traffic, so you’re not shooting in the dark |
| Keyword Difficulty | A score that reflects how tough it is to rank for a keyword | Keep an eye on Keyword Difficulty scores to pick targets you can realistically conquer without losing your shirt | Strikes a balance between chasing easy wins and going after those high-stakes, tough-to-crack keywords |
| Cost-Per-Click (CPC) | The average cost advertisers pay for each click on a keyword ad | Peek at CPC values in Keyword Overview to get a sense of what you might spend on your PPC budget | Helps you be smart about where you put your money in paid search campaigns, avoiding nasty surprises |
| Funnel Stage Relevance | Align keywords with stages like awareness, consideration, or decision making | Dive into Semrush’s intent data and SERP analysis to really grasp keyword intent | Makes sure your keywords actually work together to nudge leads smoothly down the sales funnel |
Advanced B2B keyword research usually focuses on long-tail keywords, regional targeting and seasonal trends to sharpen accuracy. Tools like Semrush Trends and Market Explorer can be a real lifesaver by helping marketers find detailed insights and organize keywords by related topics
Keyword research insights go way beyond just SEO. I have found that tapping into Semrush data can steer your content marketing strategies in the right direction and boost your paid campaigns. It also helps with sales enablement to ensure you hit the bullseye with buyer intent at every step.
Best practices usually involve syncing keyword data with SEO audits to spot any gaps that might otherwise slip through the cracks. It is really helpful to sprinkle keywords into content calendars to keep your messaging steady and on point. Using the PPC Keyword Tool alongside Position Tracking can really sharpen your paid targeting while keeping a close watch on rankings
Delivers a treasure trove of keyword data including search volume, difficulty, competitive density, and trending trends—everything you need to zero in on the most effective B2B keywords for your SEO and PPC campaigns.
Takes a thorough look at backlink profiles—for your site and your competitors—highlighting link-building opportunities, flagging harmful backlinks, and keeping tabs on backlink quality over time.
Runs a technical SEO checkup that digs out issues like broken links, crawl errors, duplicate content, and sluggish page speeds that can quietly sabotage your search visibility.
Equips you with a suite of tools for brainstorming fresh content ideas, optimizing for SEO, and tracking performance—featuring topic research, SEO writing support, and insightful content audits.
Serves up tailored reports with customizable templates and white-label options, making it simple to deliver clear, professional insights to stakeholders and clients.
Offers tiered subscriptions—Pro, Guru, and Business—catered to freelancers, SMBs, and large enterprises, each bumping up limits, features, and API access as your needs grow.
Features an intuitive dashboard designed for ease of use, backed by comprehensive tutorials, webinars, and friendly customer support to help you get up to speed.
Lets you run side-by-side comparisons of competitors’ keyword tactics, traffic sources, and backlink profiles to uncover juicy market opportunities.
A lot of B2B marketers often zero in on high-volume keywords without giving much thought to the intent behind them. I have noticed some even skip over competitor analysis or neglect to update their keyword lists as the market shifts and evolves. Missing the finer details of the buyer journey or leaning too heavily on generic terms usually leads to wasted effort and campaigns that just don’t hit the mark.
B2B keyword research is not a "set it and forget it" kind of deal. In my experience, you really have to keep an eye on things, tweaking your approach with reliable tools like Semrush as buyer behavior and market trends tend to shift like the wind. – Digital Marketing Expert
Mastering B2B keyword research is all about setting clear goals and wielding powerful tools like Semrush with a bit of savvy. You also need to constantly tweak your approach as you gather insights on intent and competition.
Clearly nail down your business goals and pinpoint your target audience. This will help steer your keyword research in the right direction.
Dive into expanding your keyword list using Semrush Keyword Overview and the Keyword Magic Tool. Think of it as casting a wider net to catch the right fish.
Take a good hard look at keyword intent to make sure it vibes well with your buyer personas and fits snugly at each stage of the sales funnel.
Leverage Semrush’s competitive research tools to uncover sneaky gaps in your competitors’ keyword strategies. Sometimes it’s all about finding what they missed.
Zoom in on keywords by weighing factors like volume, difficulty, CPC and relevance. Then roll up your sleeves, put them into action and keep fine-tuning based on how they perform—you know, like tending to a garden.
Struggling to boost your online visibility and traffic? Semrush is the ultimate platform for digital marketers like you. With powerful SEO tools and competitive data insights, you can optimize your website, content, and campaigns for maximum impact.
Join over 7 million marketers already using Semrush to outrank their competitors, drive more qualified leads, and grow their businesses online. Get started today with a 7-day free trial, and unlock the full potential of your internet marketing strategy.
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With a deep understanding of international markets and cross-cultural nuances, Amir Bakhtiari is an expert in global SEO strategies tailored to diverse audiences worldwide.
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