10 B2B SEO statistics

B2B SEO has become an important element of a successful marketing strategy, helping B2B businesses improve their online visibility and credibility.

In this post, you’ll find 10 up-to-date B2B SEO statistics.

Let’s dive right in!

Internet search results are the primary source for product discovery among B2B buyers in the US (Statista)

66% of B2B buyers turn to internet search results when exploring products they plan to buy, rather than relying on industry publications or relevant trade shows.

Here’s a complete breakdown of the most popular channels for B2B product discovery:

SEO is the most used marketing tactic among B2B companies (Sagefrog)

Among surveyed B2B marketers, 49% of respondents claim to implement SEO in their marketing strategy, more than any other tactic. Content marketing and organic social media remain a priority for B2B businesses.

Here’s a complete breakdown of the most implemented marketing tactics among B2B marketers:

B2B organizations allocate 11% of their marketing spend to SEO (Sagefrog)

B2B organizations spend around 11% of total marketing spend on SEO, that’s more than on market research (9%) or print advertisements (8%)

Here’s a table with the top areas of marketing spend among B2B companies:

23% of B2B marketers claim organic search is the most effective channel for driving revenue (Wpromote)

Organic search ranks among the most effective revenue-driving marketing channels, behind display advertising (36%) and paid search (32%).

Here’s a complete breakdown of the most effective B2B marketing channels for driving revenue:

19% of B2B marketers say SEO contributes the most to achieving top-of-funnel goals (Wpromote)

When it comes to the most effective marketing tactics for achieving top-of-funnel goals (boosting brand awareness and generating leads), 19% of marketers say that’s SEO, more than podcasts (16%) or converged TV (11%).

Here’s a comprehensive overview of effective tactics for achieving top-of-funnel goals:

17% of B2B marketers consider SEO as a key contributor to achieving bottom-of-funnel goals (Wpromote)

SEO is a key element of the marketing mix in achieving bottom-of-funnel goals, according to 17% of surveyed marketers. Social media and email remain the most effective bottom-funnel channels.

67.6% of organic online traffic clicks originate from the top five organic search results (Gartner)

SEO is a key element in the marketing mix for B2B businesses. The first five organic results account for 67.6% of organic online traffic clicks. By securing an organic placement among these top results, a B2B company can enhance its visibility and improve overall marketing performance.

B2B buyers spend 27% of their time in the purchase journey on online research (Gartner)

B2B buyers spend nearly one-third of their time on the purchase journey on online research, which may include using at least one search engine.

Marketing teams need to align B2B SEO strategy with the buyer purchase journey. And create relevant content to match buyer needs.

Only 3% of B2B content generates external links from multiple websites (Backlinko)

An analysis of 912 million blog posts shows that the vast majority (93%) of B2B content generates no external links. Only 3% of B2B content gets linked to multiple websites.

Organic search is a key lead source (Sagefrog)

According to 19% of B2B marketers, organic search is a key sales and marketing lead source, behind referrals (20%) and paid social media (20%).

Here’s a complete breakdown of top lead sources according to B2B marketers:

Search starts the B2B buying journey

Two-thirds of B2B buyers begin their product research in a search engine. Nearly a third of the entire purchase journey happens online. Yet most B2B content earns zero links. Which makes it nearly invisible in search results.

That gap is your opportunity. Companies that invest in SEO and publish content worth linking to can capture an outsized share of organic visibility. The numbers speak for themselves.

Worth reading next:

• B2B vs. B2C: key differences and marketing tactics: A breakdown of how B2B and B2C businesses differ in their sales cycles, customer relationships, and the marketing strategies that work best for each model.
• SEO for B2B: a complete guide: The full B2B SEO playbook, covering keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building for longer sales cycles and niche audiences.
• B2B content marketing: the ultimate guide: Strategies, real-world examples, and mini case studies for building a B2B content marketing program that drives traffic, leads, and revenue.