Last updated Jan 27, 2025
How SEO and ABM Work Together to Drive Revenue
B2B firms of all shapes and sizes have a wide range of strategies and tactics available to generate new business and revenue growth.
SEO may be part of your growth plan. Or maybe ABM — account-based marketing. Or just maybe… both?
Yes, you can use SEO and ABM together for an ‘inbound plus outbound’ one-two punch that drives more revenue than either approach used alone.
This post covers how to use SEO and ABM together as complementary tactics in B2B marketing and sales.
Let’s take a closer look below…
This post contains a few referral links to vendor partners. We may receive compensation for purchases made via these links, at no additional cost to buyers.
SEO and Account-Based Marketing in B2B
SEO and ABM — Key Differences and Similarities
SEO and account-based marketing (ABM) are certainly different concepts overall. They have many differences but also some interesting similarities and complementary features.
Here are some highlights of comparing SEO and ABM, starting with some notable differences and distinctions.
SEO and Account-Based Marketing Differences
Key SEO and ABM differences include:
Industry Types — SEO is applicable across essentially all industries, such as B2B, B2C, government (‘B2G’), non-profits, education, etc. It is a mainstream digital marketing tactic that virtually any organization or website owner can utilize.
ABM is very B2B-centric, where one business wants to sell to other businesses or organizations within specific target market segments.
Inbound vs Outbound — SEO is perhaps the ultimate ‘inbound digital marketing’ tactic. It relies on having optimized website content that will attract a target audience from internet search users, without relying on outbound promotional tactics.
ABM, on the other hand, relies heavily on proactive outreach (e.g., by B2B sales and ‘key account’ revenue teams) and other customized outbound marketing/sales tactics to reach specific people and roles within specific target accounts.
Marketing Funnel Types — SEO is typically associated with a traditional marketing funnel, which is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. This represents lots of ‘lead flow’ (e.g., website visitors from organic search traffic) at the top, progressing downward until some become truly ‘qualified leads or prospects’ and then ‘conversions’ (typically a customer revenue event for a business) at the bottom of the funnel.
The ‘ABM funnel’, in contrast, starts narrow at the top and then gets wider at the bottom. This represents an intentionally limited number of target accounts at the top (narrow focus), expanding as so-called ‘lookalike accounts’ and prospects become part of the ABM target set. For example, when newly-discovered accounts fit your ‘Ideal Customer Profile’, or ICP.
Related: Learn more here about Leadfeeder’s capabilities as an ABM platform and B2B website lead generation tool.
Dealfront: EU-Native B2B Go-To-Market Platform
Dealfront is a ‘revenue engine’ for B2B sales and marketing teams, especially those with European / EU account targets.
Dealfront combines the strengths of Echobot and Leadfeeder into a full-cycle, AI-assisted platform for B2B revenue growth.
Pros:
Boosts revenue and sales/marketing efficiency
Integrates multiple sales intelligence tools and data for B2B revenue teams
Supports affordable Account-Based Marketing (ABM) programs
Provides strong GDPR/regulatory compliance for EU markets
Cons:
May be pricey for smaller B2B’s with limited account targets
Lacks some features of enterprise-scale ABM platforms
SEO and Account-Based Marketing Similarities
Key SEO and ABM similarities include:
Both Useful in B2B Marketing — Both SEO and ABM are widely used in B2B marketing and sales. SEO is more widely adopted than ABM, even though ABM as a concept and practice has actually been around longer.
Related: Learn more here about the origin and basics of account-based marketing, and more about SEO tactics for B2B firms.
Industry Niche-Specific Focus — Both ABM and SEO are ideal for targeting very specific B2B industry segments or niches. You can use account-based strategies to reach specific accounts that have highly specialized problems and needs.
In a similar way, B2B SEO campaigns can target specific segments and sub-segments with laser-focused content and a long-tail keyword focus that matches very specific search intents.
High-Value Targets — ABM strategies are typically used with ‘high-value’ accounts. These strategic accounts justify a higher investment in coordinated B2B sales and marketing initiatives that are a hallmark of ABM.
SEO can also target high-value accounts through an intentional and selective focus on the problems and solutions that are associated with only these targets. With the right SEO focus, you can avoid attracting search visitors who are looking for more ‘commodity-level’ solutions.
How SEO and ABM Complement Each Other
Using SEO and ABM Together for Mutual Advantage
SEO and account-based marketing are two distinct marketing strategies and disciplines, but they can complement each other effectively in a B2B context. SEO can help ABM programs be more successful, and vice versa.
Here are several areas where SEO and ABM can help each other.
Keyword Research — SEO techniques can help identify the search terms and phrases that your target accounts are using to find information about products or services in your industry. This insight can be invaluable in refining your ABM strategy. For example, by helping to inform positioning and messaging language and key terms to use during account outreach.
ABM can help SEO in this area as well. For example, by helping to refine keyword targets and high-value SEO topic clusters that make the most sense for ABM target accounts and any ‘lookalike’ targets that may still be unknown to the ABM revenue team. SEO and B2B sales teams can work well together in this and other ways.
Tailored Content — Using SEO insights, you can create content that is highly relevant to the specific needs and pain points of your ABM target accounts. When these accounts search for information online, they are more likely to find content that speaks directly to their concerns.
This can also help the SEO team develop smart keyword groupings and topic clusters that make sense for specific customer roles within your high-value ABM accounts. People from similar accounts (with similar problems and needs) are then more likely to find you online via search.
Content and B2B Sales Outreach Alignment — SEO efforts can help align your content strategy with your B2B target account sales outreach efforts. Your SEO-driven content, used as-is or adapted for specific sales situations, can support the sales team in their conversations with ABM target accounts.
Improved Visibility & Search Rankings — When SEO teams work proactively with their ABM team counterparts, good things can happen in terms of SEO performance gains.
Content gets better, sharper, and more focused on your company’s benefits for higher-value target accounts. Meaningful topic clusters get built, which also leads to better internal linking opportunities (a known SEO benefit).
Over time, this adds up to better SEO potential for your B2B website, meaning better rankings, visibility, and click-throughs for high-value search queries that your target accounts (and any ‘lookalike accounts’) would use during searches.
Enhanced Vendor/Solution Validation — On a similar note, your ABM target accounts will expect to easily find you during generic (‘unbranded’) solution searches on Google, Bing, etc. When you’re not there (e.g., your website is buried on Google page 5), it calls into question your presence and commitment in that solution space.
Using SEO techniques, you can help to make sure your ABM targets find you during their related searches. This helps to validate you as a company, and your product/service solutions, in the eyes of your target accounts.
Targeting New Industry Verticals — SEO keyword research can help you learn more about the keywords, keyphrases, and actual search queries that your target accounts are using in verticals or niches that are still relatively new to your company and sales team. You can then use this information to create coordinated SEO content and ABM messaging that is tailored to their specific needs and interests.
Re-engaging Dormant Accounts — Reviving target accounts that have ‘gone cold’ or dormant may require a combination of outbound ABM and inbound marketing tactics, including direct sales touches, account-based advertising, social channels, email, and improved search visibility.
On the inbound digital marketing side of this, SEO can help by improving and optimizing your website content to better fit the information needs and buyer motivations of these dormant accounts.
If these cold accounts find you again via search, they may be more receptive to engaging with your ABM sales team, responding to other offers, etc.
Pro Tip: When working to re-engage dormant accounts, pay especially close attention to your B2B website visitor analytics and tracking tools so you can spot these accounts when they come back to your website.
Optimized Landing Pages — For your ABM campaigns, you can create landing pages that are optimized for the specific keywords and terms used by your target accounts. This improves the user experience and can lead to higher conversion rates.
On the SEO front, these landing pages may also become visible in search, adding the potential for more ‘landings’ and conversions from prospect search activities.
Performance Tracking — SEO and website analytics tools provide valuable data and analytics about which keywords and content are driving traffic and conversions.
This information can contribute to the metrics dashboard tracking your ABM campaigns, especially when you can associate specific target account visits with organic search as the traffic source.
Regularly analyze SEO data to refine your ABM strategy. Are there any emerging trends in how your target accounts search for information on the web? Are specific keywords driving more conversions?
Pro Tip: Use your website’s Google Search Console reporting to monitor the actual user queries that are driving search impressions for your ABM-centric site content. Also, consider using Bing Webmaster Tools alongside GSC to gain additional search-driven insights.
Website Visitor Tracking — ABM revenue teams are especially keen to know when specific target accounts visit their company website and what they view while on the site.
Similarly, SEO teams working alongside ABMers want to know if organic search is bringing in ABM target accounts or potential high-value lookalike accounts.
In both cases, the ability to identify companies visiting your B2B website is super helpful for both ABM and SEO purposes. It helps ABM revenue teams know if their personalized sales outreach and ABM campaigns (through any promotional channels) are working.
It also helps the SEO folks understand their impact on ABM-specific website traffic, keyword/keyphrase and content performance, etc.
You can also use company-level website visitor tracking tools to gain B2B buyer intent insights and identify new potential targets that have the right ICP fit for your ABM efforts.
Related: Learn more here about B2B website visitor ID and tracking tools, including several leading vendors. Also, learn more about popular ABM platforms and cost considerations.
Amplifying Content — SEO-driven and ABM-focused content are at least close cousins, if not identical in all cases and uses. They should complement each other with specific target accounts and ideal customer profiles (ICPs) in mind.
As a result, there’s good potential for content amplification when SEO and ABM work together. SEO content always has the potential to earn backlinks from 3rd-party websites, which can boost visibility and referral traffic.
With proper adaptations as needed, SEO and/or ABM content pieces are also useful for promotion via social channels, email marketing, B2B account-targeted advertising campaigns, retargeting/remarketing, and other B2B promotion channels.
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SEO and ABM in Action — Example Scenarios
Using SEO and ABM Together
While specific case studies that explicitly highlight the combination of SEO and ABM may be limited, B2B companies have successfully integrated these two strategies to drive results.
Here are a few examples to illustrate how SEO and ABM can work together effectively. These are primarily from medium to large technology companies, but the ideas extend across a wide range of B2B firms (and company sizes) as well.
SaaS Martech Platform Leader — Adapting SEO Content for ABM
A marketing automation software provider provides a prime example of a company that integrated SEO and ABM effectively.
SEO Tactics — The company invested in SEO to create valuable content resources around topics relevant to their target audience, such as marketing automation, lead generation, and B2B marketing best practices.
This content was optimized for search engines to attract organic traffic from high-value prospects searching for solutions in the marketing automation space.
Some of this content was also adapted for the account-specific ABM campaign. Landing pages were optimized for organic search as well.
ABM Tactics — They also identified high-value ABM target accounts in industries such as tech, healthcare, and finance. They created tailored content, landing pages, and email campaigns specifically for these accounts.
SEO+ABM Results — By combining their sound SEO strategy with personalized content and outreach, this tech company saw increased engagement and conversion rates with their target accounts. The complementary strategy helped them secure valuable enterprise clients.
ABM Platform Vendor — Using SEO and ABM to Sell ABM Tools
A major B2B account-based marketing platform vendor provides another example of a company that utilized the synergy of SEO and ABM. (If they sell ABM tools, they might as well use them too, right?)
SEO Tactics — This ABM tools vendor created a wealth of educational content on topics related to account-based marketing and B2B marketing, optimizing it for relevant keywords and search phrases. This content attracted visitors who were actively researching ABM strategies, including higher-value accounts that are the typical focus of ABM.
ABM Tactics — The company used its own ABM platform to identify target accounts interested in ABM solutions. They personalized content and ad campaigns for these accounts based on their needs and where they were in the buying journey.
SEO+ABM Results — By providing informative and SEO-optimized content, the company attracted accounts actively searching for ABM solutions. Their own ABM efforts, supported by SEO, allowed them to engage these accounts effectively and convert them into customers.
Major Database Software Firm — Targeting an Industry Vertical
SEO Tactics — This database platform vendor used SEO to target specific accounts in the financial services industry. It created website content that was tailored to the needs and interests of financial services companies, such as articles about how to comply with new regulations and how to improve customer service.
ABM Tactics — They also promoted this content to a specific set of target accounts through social media and email.
SEO+ABM Results — Their combined and coordinated efforts resulted in a significant increase in brand awareness and website traffic from financial services companies.
The ABM team was then able to further engage specific target accounts, keep the conversations and sales momentum going, and generate more wins within the financial services segment.
Major IT Services Company — Reviving Dormant Accounts
SEO Tactics — A leading IT solutions company used SEO and ABM tactics to re-engage dormant accounts. It created a list of target dormant accounts and then used SEO keyword research techniques to identify the search queries and keyphrases that these accounts were most likely to be using on Google, etc.
They then created website content that was tailored to these search queries, focusing on themes and messages designed to resonate with this set of targets.
ABM Tactics — They promoted these pieces (and related supporting content) to the dormant accounts through direct outbound sales, social media, and email.
SEO+ABM Results — The combined effort resulted in a significant increase in engagement from dormant accounts.
Data Warehousing & Analytics Vendor — New Product Launch
SEO Tactics — This firm decided to combine SEO and ABM in support of a new product launch. The ABM team identified a list of target accounts that were most likely to be interested in the new product. The SEO team then created content that was tailored to the needs and interests of these target accounts. This content included blog posts, articles, case studies, and an SEO-optimized dedicated landing page.
ABM Tactics — Aside from initial target account selection, the ABM team promoted the targeted content to these accounts through direct sales outreach, social media, email, and paid advertising.
SEO+ABM Results — As a result of its combined SEO and ABM efforts, this company was able to generate a significant number of leads and deal flow from its ABM target accounts. It also saw a significant increase in brand awareness and website traffic from these accounts.
While these examples do not provide specific metrics, they demonstrate how SEO and ABM can be used together in complementary ways to achieve success in B2B marketing.
By combining the power and reach of SEO with the targeted focus of ABM, you can reach and engage high-value target accounts from multiple directions.
It’s important to note that the success of such integration depends on understanding your target audience, conducting thorough SEO research, and crafting highly relevant content tailored to the needs of your target accounts.
Hybrid Marketing — SEO, Traditional Lead Gen, and ABM
Running Parallel Traditional Marketing and ABM Campaigns
Some B2B companies are still highly committed to traditional lead generation and sales models.
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, they might say.
For them, the traditional B2B marketing and sales funnel works just fine, and ABM adds complexity and potential additional costs that they just don’t need.
Other companies are on the opposite track, moving firmly to account-based marketing as much as possible.
Related: Learn here how small B2B businesses can get started with account-based marketing, even on tiny budgets.
The Best of Both Approaches
It’s reasonable in many cases to run both marketing approaches at the same time.
SEO and ABM can work together in hybrid marketing strategies that use traditional B2B lead generation in parallel with ABM in several ways. Here are some key elements.
Comprehensive Content Strategy
Create a comprehensive content strategy that addresses the needs of both your specific target accounts (ABM focus) and your broader target audience (SEO focus).
Your content should be relevant to the different stages of the buyer journey, from awareness to consideration to purchase. You should also create content that is tailored specifically to the needs of your most important target accounts. They often have needs, concerns, and solution requirements that distinguish them from ‘non-strategic’ accounts.
Inbound and Outbound Promotion
Promote your content through both inbound digital marketing and outbound marketing channels. You can use SEO to promote your content to a broader audience. Promote your content to your target accounts directly through direct sales, email, social media, and account-based advertising.
Track Website Visitors and Engagement
Use B2B website visitor analytics tools to track how your target accounts are interacting with your website. Use these insights to identify which accounts are most engaged and which ones are most likely to be qualified leads.
You may also spot new and interesting visitors here that match your ABM ideal customer profile (‘ICP fit’) and that deserve more direct ABM-style sales and marketing attention.
Other website visitors can be treated just as normal site traffic and left to your traditional lead gen funnel efforts.
Segment, Nurture, and Convert
Use your traditional sales and marketing processes to handle the bulk of your lead pipeline — those leads and prospects that aren’t specifically on your ABM target list.
When truly justified, move ‘traditional’ leads into the ABM program. For example, newly discovered ‘lookalike accounts’ and new targets that present great ICP-fit opportunities. As discussed earlier, some of these may come from your inbound SEO efforts.
In parallel, leverage your ABM team and resources to continue engaging and converting your ABM target accounts.
Measure and Adjust
Use your internal marketing/sales metrics to measure and compare your traditional B2B marketing efforts and ABM-focused efforts.
Which marketing and sales approach produces the most wins and new revenue?
Which approach lands the most significant deals?
Can you detect a crossover positive impact from your inbound marketing (e.g., SEO) to your ABM efforts? Does your SEO work benefit your ABM program, or vice versa?
Related: Learn more here about account-based marketing metrics and how they differ from traditional B2B marketing metrics. Also, learn about B2B lead generation services and more on B2B lead generation in Europe more specifically.
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SEO and Account-Based Marketing — Closing Thoughts
SEO and ABM Together — A Winning Combination
While SEO and account-based marketing may not initially look like good bedfellows, they can actually work well together and support each other to achieve better results in B2B marketing and sales.
By combining the broad reach and power of SEO with the targeted focus of ABM, you can reach your target accounts more effectively and efficiently.
A smart SEO approach can help you uncover new lookalike accounts that fit your ABM program’s ICP definition. This broadens your ABM opportunity base and puts more high-value target accounts in the sights of your ABM revenue team.
On the flip side, ABM-driven insights can help inform your SEO content with messaging and value propositions that will help attract, nurture, and convert more of your high-value prospects.
Further, by combining traditional lead generation and ABM in a hybrid strategy, you can leverage the broad reach of SEO-optimized content to attract a wide audience, while still prioritizing and engaging high-value accounts through personalized ABM efforts.
This parallel marketing approach allows you to maximize your marketing efforts and drive results across various segments of your target audience.
Questions or Comments?
I hope this coverage of using both SEO and ABM in B2B marketing and sales has been helpful! I’ll wrap up with a few related questions for you:
- Does your B2B firm use account-based marketing strategies today?
- Do you have an active SEO program fueling your inbound lead generation pipeline?
- Have you intentionally used SEO and ABM together? What results did you achieve through these efforts?
- Do you have a traditional lead gen pipeline running in parallel with an ABM-focused team? Which approach is working better for you?
Feel free to add more in the comments below with any thoughts, feedback, or related questions. Thanks also for any social shares on this post!
