Manufacturers are adopting SEO in large numbers. Recall that SEO is the art and science of getting your website ranked on Google, Yahoo and Bing for the keywords that matter to you the most. Since it accounts for almost half of our business, we are in a good position to share the top 10 reasons why manufacturers are investing in it. Here are the reasons that our customers have shared with us the most.

New Customers, New Markets:
According to a 2012 ThomasNet study, almost 90% of the buyers are now searching for vendors online. And Google alone accounts for over 90 billion searches per month. Add another 30 billion searches per month for Yahoo and Bing, and one begins to see why appearing on top of search engines is vital for manufacturers.

1. Get new customers from global markets. Let your website top search engines be the next sales person in the country you can’t put a distributor in.

2. Get new customers from prospects who are not aware of your brand.

3. Get new customers from disgruntled buyers. Like everyone else, they begin with search engines.

4. Get business from buyers seeking second source.

Reducing Sales Cycle:

5. The buyers who search on search engines have a need and are seeking a supplier to fulfill their need. In effect, they have one hand in their wallet and the other hand raised up asking for help. The very act of searching makes them qualified buyers.

Customer Retention and Customer Growth:

6. Reassure your current customers you are a top supplier. Top rankings on search engines equate to a perception of market leadership and confirms their past purchase decisions.

7. Sell more to your existing customers. Almost all our manufacturing clients tell us stories of how their customers weren’t aware of their full line of products and went shopping elsewhere. Top rankings on search engines acts as reminder that the manufacturer also sells other product lines.

Talent Acquisition

8. Find skilled workers. Every one of our customers are short of skilled machinists, tool makers, quality inspectors, CNC specialists and more. Our manufacturing clients are using SEO as a super-recruiter by creating seo-optimized job postings and getting ranked for terms such as “CNC careers” and “tool maker jobs”.

Competitive Strategy

9. Keeping up with the competitors. The 2011 Marketing Sherpa Survey of Manufacturers reveals that 9% of marketing budgets is being spent on SEO and 13% on Pay-Per-Click or sponsored advertising on search engines.

Reputation Management and Brand Building

10. Building a brand. Once a taboo word, brand building is now a high priority. A 2011 eMarketer survey of manufacturers showed that brand building and reputation management accounts for 25% of the marketing goals. SEO Marketing is an integral component of branding because it builds brand awareness in local, regional, national and international markets.

SEO Marketing is a integral part of Manufacturers budgets and according to an 2012 Marketing Sherpa accounts for 10% of marketing budgets.

Learn more about SEO for manufacturers by reading our manufacturing marketing services and SEO capabilities.