B2B marketers should look to avoid internal lingo and jargon in their keywords and use terms their target audience are likely to search for, an industry expert has suggested.

Writing on Search Engine Land, Galen De Young claims that as searchers are likely to focus on generic words, companies wishing to increase their search engine optimisation (SEO) should consider what phrases their audience is most likely to search for.

He said: "The key to B2B SEO is a complete understanding of the prospects, their issues and their likely actions as they search for solutions."

Suggesting that good SEO considers "all potential starting points of the B2B searcher", Mr De Young recommended firms get in touch with their intended audience to see what terms they actually use.

He advised marketers against focusing keywords on company names or branded products, unless they are a "ubiquitous, undisputed industry leader" as consumers often browse the internet to find out more about what products and services are available.

Last week, Stoney deGeyter claimed on Search Engine Guide that firms wishing to boost their search results should focus on the keywords which are most likely to attract intended audiences, draw them to websites and convert clicks into revenue.