Search engine optimization remains a cornerstone of digital marketing, but the way it drives growth has changed dramatically. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website’s visibility in search results so potential customers can find you when they need solutions. Buyers research extensively before engaging with vendors, often using AI-assisted tools and search engines to compare options. A strong SEO strategy ensures your brand shows up during these critical moments, building credibility and driving qualified leads. In short, SEO connects your solutions with the people actively searching for them.
Step 1: Build a technically sound website
Before you think about keywords or content, your website needs to be technically healthy. Search engines—and increasingly, AI tools—rely on clean, fast, and secure websites to crawl and index content. If your site is slow, confusing, or hard to navigate, it won’t rank well, no matter how good your content is.
Start by checking your site’s performance:
These elements help search engines understand your site and display it accurately in search results. Regular technical audits are essential to catch issues early and ensure updates don’t compromise visibility.
Step 2: Do keyword and intent research
Keyword research is the foundation of SEO—but it’s evolved beyond chasing high-volume phrases. Today, it’s about understanding how your audience searches and what they’re trying to accomplish.
Effective keyword research includes:
This research helps you create content that aligns with real search behavior, guiding prospects through the B2B buying journey with relevant, helpful information.
Step 3: Create high-value content
Once you understand what your audience is searching for, it’s time to create content that meets their needs—and earns trust. In B2B, this often means publishing detailed guides, white papers, case studies, and blog articles that demonstrate expertise.
But it’s not just about new content. Refreshing existing pages is just as important. Search engines prioritize current, accurate information, especially in AI-powered results. Adding video, infographics, or interactive tools can also boost engagement and time on site—two signals that contribute to stronger rankings.
Step 4: Optimize on-page elements
On-page SEO helps search engines interpret your content and improves the experience for visitors. This includes:
These elements may seem small, but they play a big role in how your content is indexed and how users interact with it.
Step 5: Strengthen off-page signals
Off-page SEO builds your site’s reputation through external validation. Backlinks from trusted sources—industry publications, partners, associations—signal authority to search engines. Even brand mentions without direct links can help.
To build off-page credibility:
These efforts take time, but they’re essential for long-term SEO success. Establishing your company, and independent contributors in your company, as authority figures in the space will help improve your company’s brand recognition in addition to increasing the site’s SEO.
Step 6: Prepare for AI-powered search
Search is no longer just a list of blue links. Google’s Search Generative Experience, Microsoft Copilot, and other AI-driven engines surface answers instantly. At the same time, Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) framework guides how sites are ranked. High-quality, trustworthy content signals remain central, but the rise of generative results adds a new layer: content must be structured and current so AI models can identify and cite it.
Recent data reinforces the stakes. According to reports, nearly 49% of B2B marketers now include SEO in their core strategy, while organic search accounts for more than 40% of B2B revenue. Yet a huge percentage of published B2B content earns no organic traffic at all. The opportunity is enormous for companies that consistently meet searchers’ needs with relevant, technically sound content.
To prepare:
- Write in a conversational tone
- Include clear definitions and Q&A sections
- Use schema markup to help AI models interpret your content
- Maintain a consistent publishing cadence to signal freshness
This is where SEO meets content strategy. The more helpful and structured your content is, the more likely it is to be featured in generative search results.
Step 7: Measure and refine
SEO isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing process. Tracking performance helps you stay aligned with business goals and adapt to changes in algorithms or buyer behavior.
Key metrics to monitor include:
- Organic traffic and keyword rankings
- Conversion rates from search
- Featured snippet appearances and zero-click visibility
- Engagement signals like dwell time and scroll depth
SEO requires patience and sustained effort. Algorithm updates, shifting buyer behavior, and competitive markets mean tactics that worked a year ago may not perform today. Yet the return on investment can be substantial. Studies show B2B companies that prioritize SEO often see more than seven times ROI within the first year.
Maintaining flexibility, dedicating resources to both content creation and technical improvements, and aligning SEO with broader marketing objectives ensure that efforts continue to generate qualified leads.
Turning visibility into lasting growth
Search engine optimization has evolved, but its purpose is unchanged: connecting solutions with the people actively seeking them. By combining a strong technical foundation with insightful content and careful measurement, companies can earn meaningful visibility in both traditional search and emerging AI-driven results.
At Multiview, we help organizations create SEO strategies that attract the right audience and convert interest into measurable growth. Contact us today.
