The ROI Case for B2B Blogs (It’s Not SEO)

PPC expert takes the stand.

“Your Honour, within the past year, 50% of our marketing spend went to on-page SEO—keyword research and blog writing—I never said a word. But as we can see, things have changed.

SEO is no longer what it used to be. Search engines now use featured snippets to pop answers. 

Not to mention the millions of people using generative AI (ChatGPT and the like) to summarize the internet. 

Subtract these numbers… and the people that ACTUALLY read blogs; ASSUMING. OUR. POST. RANKS. ONE. ON. GOOGLE.  (slams fists) 

Judge: calm down or you’ll be held in…

CALM DOWN!? Well, the number doesn’t add up. Either these so-called B2B blog advocates want to run us dry or they know something they are not telling. Either way, THEY’VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO. 

Judge: Order. ORDER IN THE COURT. 

SEOs wag their eyes; knowing the messy middle theory and how keyword optimization helps users find brands wouldn’t hold much water here. 

In defense, they push a blog writer to the stand: 

Hey! Go defend yourself. After all, on-page optimization is just one aspect of our job; we’ve got bigger fish to fry. 

Judge: over to you, blog writer. State your case. How are blogs any good on our marketing spend? 

A shy B2B writer known to have created 1000+ blogs and optimized over a million dollars in revenue takes the stand. With a courteous smile, he places his shaky hands on the Bible:  

“I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God!”

Alright, I’ll give you three points. But before that, know that I’m not a big fan of using blogs as tools for SEO… Even if the better half of my career says otherwise. 

Keyword optimization strips our writing of the bare essentials of good prose and keeps us creating content for bots. Hence the truism “B2B blogs are boring.”

Also, if anyone here believes that without keyword optimization and other on-page SEO practice, B2B blogs won’t generate income, I can tell you for a fact; that’s a BIG FAT lie. 

SEO is simply a distribution strategy for organic search. A way to get found by Google. A damn good one, but NOT THE ONLY ONE. (more on this later)

For now, My key points!

Win Leads Without the Sales-y Outlook 

People dont like being told what to do, myself included. But I do fancy a good’ol give-and-take relationship; a fair exchange where no one feels cheated.

Sales copy is sales-y. Too pushy. The one time I fell for a sales copy, I felt cheated. And never again have I budged… maybe I will someday, but not today.

You see, blogs are different. You’re not trying to persuade or compel anyone, you’re simply telling what is, the way it is. 

Readers don’t raise their sleazy-marketer-wants-my-money flag when reading your blog. Instead, they remain open to ideas, ever-willing to go with the flow. 

At face value, blogs rarely look like lead magnets, and that’s because their direct impact on marketing spend can’t be measured. 

However, every skilled marketer knows that when it comes to collecting emails, getting people to sign up, or creating awareness about a brand, nothing brings home the bacon better than a series of thoughtful blogs. 

Build Empathy & Win Hearts Too 

A blog is for more than winning leads. You can talk to people’s deepest desires and win hearts, too.

Years ago, I didn’t think this to be true because, YES, B2B blogs are quite rigid, executed strictly by the books.

But as time will have it, a first-hand experience made me believe otherwise.

My thought-shifting experience came when creating a B2B blog about creativity and advertising. 

I got excited, and, you know, flow happened; these lines came about: 

“Creativity is not always about creating humorous content out of trendy topics. Sometimes, you need to step back and address issues affecting underrepresented groups in the workplace.

For Indeed’s ‘New beginning commercial,’ what spun their creative wheel was the need to help nonbinary individuals add their pronouns in their profile and gracefully approach interviews with heads held high.

Inspiration comes in different ways. But the best ideas come when you address topics you’re passionate about. If, like Indeed, you stand as a genuine LGBTQ+ ally or feel a burning desire to elevate marginalized voices, invest in ideas that speak to the soul.”

A review I got:

“This paragraph is amazing; writing style – top-notch, and extremely emotionally touching tone of voice. Great job!”

Luka Pipiraite

My point is, B2B blogging done right strikes an empathetic chord that can help people and businesses connect deeply. 

Blogs keep us in touch with our humanity. They highlight our everyday desire to be better, seen, and acknowledged—not just as businesses and professionals, but as humans; people with dreams, goals, and flaws. 

Accentuate Your Message with A True Voice 

Generic B2B blogs—AI content saturates the internet. It’s moving at a rapid pace and it doesn’t seem like it will hit the brakes anytime soon.

Thankfully, for the sake of evolution—and probably mother nature’s love for this habitable plane—people have developed an instinct for valuable content… Professionals KNOW VALUE when they see it.

This might make you wonder if VALUE is not just another generic term. No! It’s not.

By value, I mean your life-long experience laced with your brand’s goal; your wins and heartbreaks, ordeals and breakthroughs, fears and failures weaved into your brand’s message. 

Or sometimes—and probably the reason for freelance writers like myself😇—value can mean the tangibility of experience; using the true voice of a skilled professional to educate your audience. 

Readers love an insightful blog served with personality; it makes it easy for them to put a face to the brand and… ultimately,  when push comes to shove, reciprocate in kind. Because why not? Family is everything—and a good blog keeps a brand sounding like one.

💡Finally, I’ll leave you with this, on-page SEO has its perks, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of B2B blogging. Blogs, on their own (without the SEO hack), are powerful marketing tools; maybe it’s high time we found a new distribution strategy.

Thank you. I rest my case. 

WALKS OUT OF THE COURT.