If you want to increase leads for your B2G services or target B2B and want to earn government contracts, you’ll need to apply B2G SEO. It’s essential for successful organic performance for those within the government contractor’s industry.

In this B2G SEO guide, we’ll discuss some valuable advice and ideas and ways those in the sector could improve their organic performance. As well as having solid foundations in place, such as keyword research and technical SEO auditing, there are other core elements to consider when it comes to public sector SEO.  

Keyword research for B2G SEO

Search volumes and intent

When carrying out keyword research in the public sector, search volumes can be relatively low or even zero compared to B2C or B2B. But the power of a zero-search volume keyword can still drive valuable clicks, so don’t ignore these keywords just because they don’t have a high SV.

Intent is also a key factor in deciding which keywords to target, so it’s important you target the right intent to attract the right type of audience for your B2G services. If your business targets various audience types, you may want to consider grouping the intent of the terms you have located during the analysis into — B2C, B2B, and B2G to help you focus and target the right keywords.

When carrying out your keyword research and considering what services or goods you offer, consider the government’s needs. Look out for FAQs or long-tail keywords you could target that align with queries public sector officials may use when looking for contractors.

Consider Bing

Certain industries, including governments and local authorities, can sometimes have Bing set as their default search engine on their desktops instead of Google. It’s worth delving into Bing Webmaster Tools or utilising Bing keyword tools to locate search terms you may not come across in Google Search Console or other third-party tools that use Google’s data.

You may also consider utilising Bing when conducting SERPs analysis or looking at search intent. In terms of monitoring your keyword positions, tracking rankings may also be helpful in Bing alongside Google to assess your keyword performance.

Research your other channels

Are you already receiving B2G leads through other marketing channels? If so, it may be worth asking how those leads located your business and what made them get in touch. Understanding this could give you an idea of their search processes and help you create a public sector SEO strategy that aligns. If there are key elements that procurement officials look for when researching contractors, this could be valuable information to know when it comes to keyword research and content topics.

If you carry out PPC, it may be worth looking at your high conversion keywords. With B2G SEO, your focus will likely be low search volume keywords, which can often be difficult to mine when deciding which terms are going to be beneficial to you. Looking at your conversion data can be essential in understanding what terms are going to be of most value to your B2G SEO.

Technical SEO for B2G

Optimise site speed

As with most SEO strategies, Core Web Vitals is a key element to consider to ensure your site speed and user experience is well optimised. Consider a government official researching potential vendors. If they are short on time, have a deadline, or are required to carry out extensive research, a slow site is not going to appease them.  This is why optimising your site speed is important to ensure you don’t put off any potential opportunities. With site speed and B2G SEO, you may want to focus more on desktop Core Web Vitals. Generally, if a government official is researching your company or landing on your site, it’s more than likely going to be via a desktop as opposed to mobile. That said, it’s important not to ignore your mobile Core Web Vitals. 

Have dedicated pages or sub-domains

If you provide your services to other businesses as well as the government, it could be worth having a dedicated page on your site specifically for your B2G services. This page would have information that states how your business can provide products or services to the government. It can be used to target your B2G keywords and showcase any testimonials or case studies you may have.   

You should also think about the messaging your site is conveying — does it target government-level audiences? If your business targets B2G,  B2B, and B2C, you may require very different types of messaging for each user segment. Because of this, it’s worth considering separate subdomains. This will allow you to design each site and it’s messaging towards their specific target audiences.

If you do decide to set up separate domains, it’s important to be aware they will be treated as separate sites and won’t inherit the authority of the main domain. You’d essentially be building a site up from scratch and you will need to build up the authority of that sub-domain.  

Building a B2G content strategy

Educational content

High-quality educational content can play an important part in SEO for government contracting. Consider how your products or services are designed for government use and the benefits a government may receive from utilising your business. Content that details this information can be vital if officials research potential vendors, and it could be helpful in winning government contracts.

You may also want to consider any environmental benefits your business and its products or services can offer. Governments and local authorities are continuously under pressure to become more energy efficient and sustainable. If your business values tie into this, produce content that documents how your services align with these practices as a way to showcase your green ethics.

Another area to consider for your B2G content strategy is latest news in your sector. Keeping up-to-date with any changes in legislation or regulations within your sector and sharing this on your site is important. Procurement officials researching for vendors may want to see you are aware of the latest news in your industry and sharing your thoughts around current events on your site is a great way to show this. 

Utilise case studies

If you have previously won government contracts, detail the work you carried out and how your business successfully provided products or services to the government in a bid to win future contracts. Officials will be looking for companies that can drive results, offer financial efficiency, and evidence of capabilities. Case studies such as this can be useful for procurement officials who are researching government vendors.

If you haven’t previously supplied services to the government but are looking to win contracts, you could still utilise B2B case studies to showcase the successful contracts you have won and carried out for other businesses.    

Highlight Government Sectors You Service

The government is made of many different sectors, so it’s important to consider which sectors your services could benefit. If your products or services can be used by a specific sector, such as healthcare, make sure you detail this on your site and within your content. If there are various departments within the government that could utilise your services, make sure you include this information and explain how your business can be utilised by each of these different sectors.

Be a thought leader

Within many industries, including B2G, being a thought leader can help you stand out from the crowd. Sharing innovative ideas through your content, podcasts, or talks at conferences can be a great way to attract the attention of a government official researching a contractor. If authorities are looking for ways to improve their services to the public, they may look for revolutionary ideas. Share new and interesting thoughts and you may be more likely to show up on their radar. 

Correctly track your performance

When it comes to monitoring your performance, it’s worth considering how you are tracking goals and conversions for your site. If it’s a form fill-in or a phone call, ensuring this is set up and tracking correctly can be helpful in understanding how your B2G SEO efforts are impacting your organic performance. Doing this will allow you to analyse what areas are seeing a positive impact and what areas could be further improved.

Implement trust signals

Reviewing your reputation closely ties in with the importance of trust signals. With any site, it’s important to have signals that bolster user trust and confidence, especially if you are relatively unknown or a small business.

A site that portrays a quality design can demonstrate you have put time and effort into presenting yourself and your business and that you take pride in how your company is presented. Your design is one of the first things an official will notice when they land on your site, so make sure the first impression is a positive one.

Having a secure site is also important to a government official. Not only is it important for submission of data, but it also shows you take data security seriously.

Testimonials from previous contracts or businesses you have worked with can also be used to build user trust in your services. Any positive contracts you have previously secured and conducted are worth showcasing on your site to present the high standard of service you offer.

If there are any valuable accreditations your business has gained, it’s worth presenting this on your site too. These can be seen as trust signals and can highlight your competency and compliance with industry standards — elements that will certainly attract officials researching potential contractors. 

Brand awareness & reputation

Build brand awareness

With non-branded keywords in this industry being fairly low, you may want to look at building brand awareness in a bid to increase branded clicks to your site, but also to associate your name with B2G services and products.

Attending industry events, expos, and conferences relating to the public sector are all great ways to get your name out there and make connections in the sector. This is especially important if you are a small business or are looking to enter the B2G market. 

Review your reputation

Ensuring you have a positive presence on search is essential for attracting any kind of customer, but especially important with gaining government contracts. Governments will more than likely want to be associated with businesses that have a very strong reputation for delivering a positive service or product. If governments are seen to be spending tax-payer money on low-quality goods or services, you can guess what the potential outcome of that decision may turn out to be. If you’re receiving negative reviews, you may want to try and turn that around before you start pushing for government contracts. Take a look at any negative feedback you have received and use this to try and improve your business services.

LinkedIn can be a vital source of research for those looking to find information about a business, so it’s worth keeping your profile as updated and informative as possible in case procurement officials use the platform to research your company. 

Make it easy for searchers to contact you

If a government official is researching a vendor, they may not necessarily want to take up your services right away. They may need to discuss options with you first to see whether you fit their requirements. Because of this, it’s important to make sure your contact details are clear and visible on your site. 

For phone numbers, it’s worth detailing your office hours so they know when best to call. If you use a form, make sure a confirmation is sent ASAP so they know their query has been received. You don’t want to lose a potential government contract due to poor communications, so it’s vital that your business is easy to contact