One big difference between Chicago and Raleigh is traffic. Chicago has basic north-south east-west routes and a lake that stops you from going east at one point. Raleigh has roads that can go east-west-north-south within a few miles, and you cannot live without a GPS. Also, Chicago has many 8-12 lane roads while Raleigh has 2-6 at most points. Yet, it takes almost twice the time to go the same distance in Chicago as it does here in Raleigh.

Maybe it is because 10 million people share the Chicago area versus 1.6 million in Raleigh. More people equals more cars, which leads to more traffic.

One thing about Raleigh traffic that I've learned is that there is a winding network of back roads that are faster and less congested. You need a roadmap (or a GPS) to plan the route, but you can get to your destination in half the time if you learn the right secrets.

Website Traffic

When it comes to your website, it might seem like you have the opposite problem. You WANT more traffic. Unlike Chicago versus Raleigh, not all traffic is bad traffic. You don't have real limits like a road so it seems that more traffic is good, but I am here to convince you that getting the right traffic using the right secret routes will create a bigger return on your marketing investment.

I like to think of Chicago traffic as consumer traffic on the internet. It takes a fairly direct route from searching for a product or service to getting people to that exit ramp (right before the shopping cart). It's a 12-lane road that gives consumers fairly direct choices based on price or website authority (think Amazon).

I like to think of Raleigh traffic as business-to-business traffic on the internet. There are fewer lanes and roads. It's more scenic because most B2b sales don't go directly from search to shopping cart. It's harder to get Google to serve up your content because chances are your company is smaller and has less authority than, say, a big Fortune 500 that offers what you do on a bigger scale to a larger audience.

You have to find out where your prospects are and give them a free GPS to end up and interact with your website.

Google Search and AI

As I explained earlier, Artificial Intelligence is changing the way people use web searches to get answers. It's common practice for people to go to Google to find information and are accustomed to getting a link to a website for more information or context.

This becomes a problem because there is mainly one highway used to search for your website—Google. Google controls greater than 90% of all traffic linking back to websites. It is not a problem of too few lanes with too many cars. It is a problem of Google choosing which exits (websites) cars get to first. You can do all the SEO you want and write as many thought-provoking titles on thought leadership articles as any other company, but Google chooses who sees what.

Second, Google now offers answers to questions with links. That means that Google chooses which answer they feel best matches the criteria. Below that, there may be a few links and then a series of sponsored ads, further blurring the line between free and paid influence. Also, Google no longer has pages. Often, people would jump to page two to find a road less traveled, but now it's all in one scrolling stream of answers and ads.

Finally, nothing stops anyone from copying your content (along with your competition) and aggregating it into an AI-generated new article. Currently, no attribution exists for original content being scraped and reformatted into AI-generated content.

If you want to be seen, your most direct option is to pay the toll booth (Google Ads) and bid for your position to be one of the first exits above the fold or before the scroll.

Traffic Trends

Instead of going to Google, I went to AI (Perpexity.ai) to find some answers about how this traffic conundrum is affecting B2b businesses like yours and mine:

Time On Site

1. Industry: Different industries have different average page times. For example, the B2B industry has the highest average page time, around 82 seconds.
2. Content Type: The type of content on the page impacts how long visitors spend reading it. Blog posts and in-depth articles tend to have higher average page times (3-5 minutes) compared to landing pages, where visitors ideally spend less time.
3. Device Type: Users tend to spend less time on mobile devices than on desktops, likely due to smaller screens and more distractions on mobile.
4. User Intent: If the page content matches the user's search intent, they are more likely to spend more time consuming it.

Traffic to Website

1. For B2B companies across different industries, organic search accounts for 27% of website traffic.
2. Direct traffic (users linking/typing the URL directly) appears high at 53.6% on average for B2B SaaS companies, but this is often misattributed or returning visitor traffic.
3. Social media drives a relatively small portion of website traffic for B2B companies, around 2.2% on average for large B2B SaaS businesses.
4. On average, paid search ads account for around 1.7% of traffic for large B2B SaaS companies.

Quality Traffic to Website

1. LinkedIn is the dominant social media platform for B2B traffic, accounting for up to 72% of all B2B social media traffic.
2. In the Reddit discussion, one user mentioned that they are “seeing a ton of bots targeting Google Search (regular search, not search partners).” This suggests that a significant portion of their search traffic comes from bots rather than humans.
3. The article from Clickback emphasizes the importance of identifying the actual businesses and leads behind website traffic, implying that some traffic may not be from real human visitors interested in the business.

The Road Less Traveled and Your GPS

You may have to purchase a GPS to use the back roads. I use Apple Maps because I trust it. It's very up-to-date with traffic patterns and speed trap notifications, and it will adjust my route to give me the best and fastest option to get from point A to point B.

• A GPS system relies on a constellation of 24 satellites maintained by the U.S. Air Force. Your GPS System is your CRM, Email Broadcast system, and Social Media connections.
• A GPS receiver in the car is connected to a digital map database containing detailed road maps. Your customer's GPS database sends content (maps) to their email and social media feeds.
• Many car GPS systems can receive real-time updates on traffic conditions, road closures, and other relevant information. Your GPS system provides users with the latest information affecting their jobs and business.
• The GPS system's user interface, typically a touchscreen display or voice control, allows drivers to input destinations. Your GPS goal is to direct your clients and prospects to YOUR destination (your website content).

It's up to you to collect the data (names and email addresses or social media connections), survey or talk with your audience to find out what interests them, and deliver that information, hoping they will act on it. Finally, you have to use your website to continue updating your database by collecting new information.

This creates an internal ecosystem that helps you overcome the deficiencies of playing the search and paid advertising game that many bigger players feel they must play to succeed.

Closing Thought

We are all at a crossroads of internet success. The main factor to remember is that it's not just data at the other end of your screen, keyboard, and mouse. It's people.

People who want answers and solutions to their questions and problems and who are looking for their go-to destination.

We can continue to roll down the internet superhighway and just accept that traffic jams, tolls, and roadwork are a fact of life. OR… you can create your own GPS system that helps your customers create an easy path to your internet doorstep (website).

Your customers will appreciate the insider knowledge of the shortcuts and scenic routes and, most importantly, TRUST that you have their best interest in mind.

______________________________

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.