Gaining visibility in search engines has been a core element of many companies’ marketing campaigns in recent years, and with compelling evidence to suggest the continuing importance of that goal, things are unlikely to change. This is especially true for B2B Marketers, who see savvy consumers as more likely to research suppliers before committing to a purchase. Eighty-one percent of B2B purchase cycles start with a web search, and 90 percent of purchasers look for a company when they are ready to make a purchase, according to a report by the Earnest Agency in 2014.
These are important statistics for B2B marketers, who need to approach extending brand awareness from a different angle. Even if marketers contact companies to make connections, those companies are still more likely to turn to internet search engines rather than return the call when they’re ready to make a purchase. If they’re searching a brand on Google, it certainly helps if the content Google serves up belongs to the company that the content is about. It’s rather unsurprising that 66 percent of B2B marketers use search engine marketing, according to a report by Content Marketing Institute, published in 2016.
Marketers planning to join the crowd and promote their brands through paid advertising may have to dig deep in the coffers. Paid search accounted for 26 percent of the total marketing budget for companies that used paid search in 2014, according to statistics from Digital Marketing. Furthermore, more than a third of chief marketing officers said that digital marketing would account for 75 percent or more of their spending within the next five years, according to statistics published by CMO Council in November 2015.
If a company’s going to invest that heavily in marketing, its marketers need to learn the game and play it well, bearing in mind that Google controls 71 percent of the global search engine market, according to Digital Marketing. When they want their brands to be seen, ranking on Google is essential.
The numbers:
- 66 percent of B2B marketers use search engine marketing
- Paid search accounts for 26 percent of the total marketing budget for companies that use paid search
- One third of CMOs say digital marketing will account for 75 percent or more of their spending within the next five years
- 81 percent of B2B purchase cycles start with a web search
- 90 percent of B2B purchasers say they will find a supplier when they are ready to buy
- Google controls 71 percent of the global search engine market
