Industries
SEO by industry
Every sector searches differently. Buyers use different words, compare different things, and need different proof before they get in touch. Each strategy I build starts with how your buyers search, and what one qualified lead is worth to you.
The sectors I work in
Each page covers how that sector's buyers search, what they compare, and the proof they need before they get in touch.
- SaaS Search and AI visibility for software companies whose buyers compare tools and ask ChatGPT for a shortlist before they book a demo.
- MSP and MSSP Service-led SEO for managed IT and security providers competing on local searches, compliance needs, and named services such as MDR.
- Telecom Visibility for business telecom providers taking on national carriers for phone system, connectivity, and networking searches.
- Cybersecurity SEO and AI visibility for security vendors selling to CISOs and IT leads, where technical accuracy decides who makes the shortlist.
- Manufacturers Catalogue SEO for manufacturers whose trade buyers search by application and specification long before they search by product name.
- Engineering Search visibility for engineering firms whose buyers are engineers, searching by process, problem, and component instead of brand.
- Professional Services Search visibility for consultancies and B2B service firms whose clients look for proof and reputation long before the first call.
- Hospitality Visibility for event venues and hospitality groups that win corporate bookings and private events through search.
- Real Estate SEO for agencies and developers competing on area searches, agent names, and off-plan demand, with websites tied to live listings.
Search volume does not tell you what a search is worth
The same keyword research tools give every SEO the same numbers. What they cannot tell you is what a search is worth to your business.
A phrase with 150 searches a month can be worthless to one company and the best lead source another company has. "Managed firewall services" brings an MSP buyers with a budget and a deadline. A broad term with ten times the volume can bring students, job seekers, and competitors doing research. Search volume shows how many people are asking. It says nothing about who they are or whether they will ever buy.
So I start with the value of a search. Before I recommend a page, I want to know three things: what a qualified enquiry is worth to you, whether the current search results can realistically be won, and what kind of page Google and AI platforms reward for that query.
How buyers search in each sector
An IT manager comparing MSPs reads service pages, checks certifications, and looks for proof of response times before filling in a form. A CISO evaluating a security vendor wants technical accuracy, and a single vague claim can end the conversation. A contractor sourcing a specialist coating searches by the surface and the job in front of them, and only later by product name. A property investor in Dubai wants area data, regulations, and a named agent they can trust.
SaaS buyers increasingly start in ChatGPT or Perplexity, asking for a shortlist before they ever open Google. If your product is missing from those answers, you are missing from the shortlist.
Different sectors need different work
Swapping an industry name into a template page changes nothing for the buyer. The work itself has to change by sector: which searches to target, which page formats to build, how internal links connect informational content to commercial pages, which technical problems matter most, and what proof each buyer needs to see.
For a manufacturer, that might mean rebuilding a catalogue around applications. For an MSP, it might mean location pages and a dedicated page for each named service. For a SaaS company, it might mean comparison content and structured data that AI platforms can cite. My work starts by finding how your market searches, which competitors already hold the demand worth having, and where your site has the best chance of gaining ground.
Working in a sector I have not listed?
If your industry is not listed, SEO may still be worth doing, and I can tell you honestly whether it is.
Most sectors share search patterns with at least one of the industries above. A specialist distributor often behaves much as a manufacturer does. A technology consultancy faces many of the same search problems as an MSP. A B2B marketplace usually needs a mix of SaaS and technical SEO thinking.
The best starting point is a conversation about your business model, your sales cycle, your current visibility, and what a qualified enquiry is worth to you. From there, I can tell you whether SEO is likely to pay off and what to check first.
Common questions
Questions I get asked about industry SEO
- Why not target the keywords with the most searches?
- The biggest keywords in a sector are usually the most crowded and the least likely to bring buyers. A search for a named service in a specific city brings fewer visitors, and far more of them are ready to talk. I prioritise searches by what a lead is worth to you and whether the results page can be won.
- Which sectors get the best return from SEO?
- Sectors where buyers research before they get in touch, and where each new client is worth a lot. In B2B, that includes SaaS, managed IT and security services, telecom, manufacturing, engineering, and professional services. One qualified lead in these sectors can be worth more than a year of SEO fees.
- How quickly will SEO pay off in my sector?
- Technical fixes can show results within weeks, especially when important pages are blocked, slow, or poorly linked. Content and authority work usually takes several months, and longer in crowded markets such as cybersecurity and SaaS. Your proposal sets out what to expect and when, based on where your site starts.
- Do I need a consultant who has worked in my industry?
- It helps. Sector experience means less time learning your buyers and fewer early mistakes. The bigger test is whether a consultant can explain how your buyers research, your competitors, your technical constraints, and how results will be measured against leads. Ask for case studies that name their data sources.
- Does AI search work differently in my industry?
- Yes. AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite different kinds of sources in different sectors. In SaaS and cybersecurity, they tend to draw on comparison content, documentation, and review sites. For local services, business profiles and directories carry more weight. I track how often your brand is mentioned and cited for the queries your buyers ask, then build the content and signals those platforms draw on.