SEO for Manufacturers: Strategies to Drive Visibility and Leads

In today’s competitive marketplace, simply having a website is no longer enough for manufacturers to stand out. 

Potential clients are turning to search engines to find specific solutions, evaluate suppliers, and even finalize their decisions before making contact. 

If your manufacturing business isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re likely missing out on valuable leads.

With years of experience helping manufacturers achieve their digital marketing goals, we’ve seen (and experienced) how the right SEO strategies can transform a business’s online presence. 

Let’s dive into how you can replicate this success.

Understanding the Unique SEO Needs of Manufacturers

SEO for manufacturing companies differs significantly from other industries. Usually, the buyers are highly technical, conducting detailed research and searching for niche solutions to their specific needs. 

Their search behavior reflects the complexity of their buying process, which often involves multiple stakeholders and longer decision cycles.

For example, manufacturers need to focus on intent-specific keywords that align with their audience’s search habits. 

We have worked with multiple manufacturing companies and Noresteel Buildings is one of them.

When we first started working with Norsteel Buildings, a Canadian manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, their traffic from Canada was less than 2K users per month. 

Out of that, very few users came from high-intent searches. This was the time they decided to partner with Stan Ventures. 

Although they had steady website traffic, the keywords driving it weren’t relevant to buyers actively looking for their products. 

Addressing this issue was one of the first steps in transforming their online visibility. 

I’ll explain how we helped them achieve their business goals through proper search engine optimization as we discuss the important factors to consider when doing SEO for Manufacturers. 

Keyword Research: Laying the Foundation for Manufacturing SEO

Keyword research is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy. In manufacturing, it’s not just about ranking for popular terms—it’s about understanding the specific language your target audience uses and optimizing your website for those queries.

We began Norsteel’s journey by conducting a comprehensive keyword analysis. 

The focus was to uncover commercial and transactional keywords used by the audience that were highly relevant to their products and services, such as “pre engineered steel buildings”, “steel buildings”, and “steel buildings newfoundland”

These terms, while higher in search volume and moderate in difficulty, had high commercial intent and were more likely to attract qualified leads.

For your business, consider using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify opportunities. Pay attention to:

Industry-Specific Terms: These include technical jargon and product specifications your buyers use in their searches.

Geographic Modifiers: Including location-based keywords can help attract regional buyers.

Buyer Intent: Tailor your content based on whether your audience is in the research, comparison, or purchasing phase.

By aligning keywords with the customer journey, you can ensure your content meets the needs of buyers at every stage of their decision-making process.

On-Page Optimization: Building a User-Friendly Manufacturing Website

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, the next step is optimizing your website to rank for them. 

On-page SEO is about making sure your website provides the information users need while signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant.

One of the biggest transformations we saw with Norsteel was on their product pages. Initially, their pages lacked detailed descriptions and clear calls-to-action. 

We helped them rewrite these pages to include technical specifications, certifications, and benefits tailored to their audience. 

For example, their pre-engineered steel building pages now highlight the durability, customization options, and compliance with industry standards—a major selling point for their buyers.

To replicate this for your website, focus on:

Optimizing Product Descriptions

Include all relevant details, such as dimensions, materials, certifications, and use cases. Make sure your descriptions are detailed enough to satisfy engineers but also easy to understand for procurement teams.

Structuring Metadata

Metadata, like titles and descriptions, should include primary keywords and be written to entice clicks. 

Schema markup can further enhance your visibility by enabling rich results in search engines.

Improving Internal Linking

Guide visitors to related content or complementary products with strategic internal links. This not only improves user experience but also helps search engines crawl your site more effectively.

These improvements significantly boosted Norsteel’s rankings for competitive keywords, driving more qualified traffic to their website.

Technical SEO: Ensuring Your Website Runs Smoothly

Technical SEO is the foundation that supports all your other efforts. It ensures that your website is easy to crawl, loads quickly, and provides a seamless user experience. 

For manufacturers, this is especially critical since your site likely hosts large amounts of data and detailed product catalogs.

When we audited Norsteel’s website, we identified several technical issues. Their page speed was subpar and their site wasn’t fully mobile-responsive. 

Resolving these issues involved a revamp of their website, compressing images, enabling browser caching and implementing responsive design. 

The results were immediate: reduced bounce rates and improved engagement metrics.

For your business, prioritize these aspects of technical SEO:

Optimize Page Speed

A slow-loading website can deter visitors and harm rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify bottlenecks and address them.

Ensure Mobile Responsiveness

With more buyers researching on mobile devices, having a responsive design is non-negotiable. Your site should adapt seamlessly to all screen sizes.

Implement Structured Data

Structured data helps search engines better understand your content, making it eligible for rich snippets. This can increase click-through rates and visibility.

By ensuring your website’s technical health, you create a strong foundation for sustained SEO success.

Content Marketing: Demonstrating Expertise and Building Trust

Manufacturers are uniquely positioned to leverage content marketing, given their wealth of technical knowledge and expertise. 

The goal is to create content that answers your audience’s questions, educates them about your solutions, and positions your brand as a trusted authority.

Norsteel’s content strategy involved publishing technical blogs, case studies and equipment guides.

One blog post, for instance, detailed the benefits of pre-engineered steel buildings for various industries. 

By addressing common pain points and providing actionable insights, these blogs drove significant traffic and established Norsteel as an industry thought leader.

For your business, consider creating:

Technical Blogs

Share your expertise on complex topics. For example, write about optimizing production efficiency or selecting the right materials for specific applications.

Case Studies

Highlight real-world success stories, showcasing measurable results and demonstrating your ability to solve challenges.

Equipment Guides

Create detailed resources that explain how your products work, their maintenance requirements, and their benefits. This can help buyers visualize how your solutions fit into their operations.

Link Building: Earning Authority and Improving Rankings

Link building is a critical aspect of manufacturing SEO, as it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. 

However, earning high-quality backlinks requires a targeted and strategic approach.

So how did Stan Ventures help Norsteel secure backlinks from high-authority, industry-relevant domains? 

By reaching out to trade publications, industry blogs, and professional associations. 

One key strategy was leveraging guest posts that showcased Norsteel’s expertise, such as articles on the advantages of steel over other materials for industrial applications. 

These efforts contributed to a dramatic increase in their rankings and domain authority.

To implement a successful link-building strategy, focus on:

Building Industry Connections

Collaborate with trade groups, professional associations, and suppliers to earn backlinks. These relationships can also boost your credibility within the industry.

Creating Linkable Content

Develop resources, like calculators, whitepapers, or FAQs, that other websites naturally want to link to.

Submitting to Directories

List your business in reputable industry directories such as ThomasNet and Kompass. These not only generate backlinks but also drive targeted traffic.

By focusing on quality over quantity, you can build a backlink profile that drives sustainable growth.

Local SEO: Connecting with Regional Buyers

Local SEO is especially valuable for manufacturers targeting regional clients. 

By optimizing your online presence for local searches, you can attract buyers in your area who are searching for nearby suppliers or services.

For Norsteel, this involved optimizing their Google Business Profile (GBP) with accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details, high-quality images, and a detailed business description. 

We also created location-specific pages, such as “Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings in Canada,” to target local queries more effectively. 

As a result, Norsteel climbed to the second position for critical keywords in their region, significantly boosting their local leads.

To enhance your local SEO:

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Ensure your profile is complete and regularly updated. Include high-quality photos, business hours, posts, and customer reviews.

Create Location-Specific Content

Develop pages targeting specific regions you serve, incorporating geographic modifiers in titles and content.

Encourage Customer Reviews

Positive reviews can improve your rankings and build trust with potential clients. Responding to reviews also shows that you value customer feedback.

Measuring and Refining Your SEO Strategy

SEO isn’t a one-time effort—it requires ongoing measurement and refinement. Regularly tracking your performance helps identify what’s working and where improvements are needed.

For Norsteel, we monitored key metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates using tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs. This data allowed us to refine their strategy continuously, ensuring sustained growth even during algorithm updates.

For your business, focus on:

Tracking Key Metrics

Monitor organic traffic, bounce rates, and lead conversions to gauge your SEO’s effectiveness.

Adapting to Algorithm Updates

Stay informed about changes in search engine algorithms and adjust your strategy accordingly to maintain visibility.

Conducting Regular Audits

Perform site audits to identify technical issues, content gaps, and backlink opportunities. Addressing these proactively keeps your site competitive.

By staying data-driven, you can ensure your SEO efforts deliver maximum ROI.

Transform Your Manufacturing Business with SEO

SEO is more than a strategy—it’s a pathway to sustained growth for manufacturers. From intent-specific keyword research and technical SEO to content marketing and link building, each element plays a crucial role in enhancing your online presence.

At Stan Ventures, we not only preach about how these strategies can drive real results, we practice it ourselves. Whether it’s helping Norsteel Buildings climb the rankings or empowering other manufacturers to connect with their ideal buyers, our experience proves that the right SEO approach can transform your business.

Ready to elevate your manufacturing business? Let’s craft an SEO strategy tailored to your goals. Contact us today to get started!