B2B Study: Organic Search Leads All Traffic Drivers

If b-to-b lead generation is on the agenda this year, consider the key findings of the "2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report" just released by Optify, a marketing software firm. First, you better not ignore the online megastar: Google was the single most important b-to-b referral source in 2012, responsible for 36% of all visits and the lion's share of organic traffic (over 90% in November last year). When it comes to traffic driving in general, organic search was tops, with 41% of all traffic, while paid search showed a constant decline in 2012, with more than 10% of b-to-b companies reporting discontinuation of paid search campaigns. Meanwhile, social media was barely on the radar in terms of traffic and lead gen, contributing on average less than 5% of all b-to-b traffic and leads. That said, it's interesting to note that while Facebook created the most visits from social media (54%), Twitter was the king of conversion (82% of social media leads). If conversion is the goal, bet on e-mail, however; e-mail ranked No. 1 for all traffic sources in terms of engagement and conversion, with an average 2.9% lead conversion rate. Thinking of a shift in your lead-gen budget based on those findings? Better move quickly for maximum impact. The study also uncovered clear seasonal trends, with the hottest traffic periods in the current quarter (January to March) and then the back-to-school/pre-holiday time frame (September to mid-November). For more highlights, go to http://www.optify.net/business-to-business-marketing/the-highlights-2012-b2b-marketing-benchmark-report