Business and professional users searching for work-related information on the Web have muddled through the thousands of irrelevant matches provided by general search engines like Google and Yahoo.  Studies by respected organizations like Outsell and Convera have highlighted this fact for years.

The fact remains that mass market-focused search engines were never designed to be used as business tools, and instead rely heavily on the popularity theory that rewards sites with authoritative inbound links. While that works well for consumer-oriented goods and services, professional organizations get a mixed bag and realize an artificially low ROI when compared to what other marketers are obtaining through traditional offline vertical marketplaces.

The Alternative: Vertical Search Engines

Instead of fighting the Google and Yahoo! wars, B2B firms are getting better results by searching for and/or submitting sites to Vertical Search Engines (VSEs) and Directories. Truth be told, the Internet has been “vertical-izing” for years as industries, such as manufacturing, law, finance, gaming and travel all now have very popular niche verticals.  One of the most popular, WebMD, is used by many folks without even recognizing that it’s a VSE.

These sites are more than search engines; they are in fact media companies that provide enhanced services such as blogs, news rooms, forums, classifieds and user-generated reviews. Here are the unique differences of VSEs over traditional search engine platforms.

Industry Focus with Human Intervention:  VSEs, by nature, are heavily focused in only one industry, with the good ones powered by the human network; seasoned managers with years of experience in that market who maintain strategic partnerships with industry trade show organizers and publications. These executives typically know all the potential customers and users of the products and can effectively tailor goods and services to suit their unique needs.

Free, Pertinent Content:  In the online world, content is king. The more relevant the content, the more attractive the site and the more traffic it drives. VSEs and directories that provide free, objective industry news and information will increase credibility among the target audience. In most cases, these VSEs own trade publications, have partnerships with trade shows and employ editors to cover all industry aspects.

Various Interactive Features: VSEs provide the means to solicit feedback and share input with their users. Comment sections on blogs, social media components, multi-media services, article submission opportunities and reciprocal links not only increase a site’s prominence but also provide an element of “stickiness.”

Client-Based Marketing Technologies: The more effective VSEs are equipped with robust PPC technology combined with easy-to-use, Tier-1, campaign management software that provide relevant results and lower search failure rates. Many have their own proprietary ways to serve ads, campaigns, listings and banners.  Business should also not be hesitant to ask these outlets what’s on the horizon, since most development projects are based directly off client and user demands.  Turnaround for such services occur much quicker with VSEs than a huge corporate conglomerate as well, given that most of them have very flat organizational structures.

Benefits Abound

Effectively utilizing VSEs to their maximum potential will bring B2B companies a myriad of benefits, including higher conversion rates and increased revenues without a similar rise in costs. Taking advantage of them will go a long way toward providing professionals with relevant business results while also helping advertisers and marketers target a very specific audience.