Marketing a product directly to consumers today means navigating a constantly evolving and increasingly fragmented digital landscape being shaped by AI, shifting search behaviors and new consumer expectations. To succeed, brands need more than keyword optimization; they must also connect with real user intent and build trust across multiple platforms.
Below, 20 members of Forbes Agency Council share their top SEO strategies for standing out and driving meaningful results. From leveraging long-tail keywords and optimizing for AI platforms to creating emotionally resonant content, these expert tips can help B2C brands stay competitive in 2025 and beyond.
1. Match Search Language With User Intent
Search engines thrive on relevance. It’ll be key to use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to understand how people search for your product so that you can match their language, be specific in your descriptions and let the algorithm do its job. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing
2. Earn Authority With Content And Media Mentions
It’ll be essential to double down on content and get third-party validation from high-authority media sites. You will want to ensure you show up on platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini. – Danielle Sabrina, Society22 PR
3. Create Empathetic Content Aligned With Search Intent
In today’s fragmented market, one key SEO tip is to optimize for search intent, not just keywords. It’s not about ranking for high-volume terms—it’s about understanding what your customer is really looking for at each stage of the journey. You should be building pages that answer real questions, solve specific problems and guide the next click. SEO isn’t just technical anymore; it’s empathetic. – Jimi Gibson, Thrive Agency
4. Write Human-Centered Content With SEO Precision
The keys are to write like a human and optimize like a nerd. We live in a world where people are literally Googling their feelings. “Best coffee when you feel like the world is ending” is a real search. Your content has to answer those human moments. So, it’s crucial to speak in full thoughts, not keyword soup. And remember: Even Nonna should be able to understand your product page—if she wouldn’t click, rewrite it. – Stephen Rosa, (add)ventures
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5. Start With Brand Strategy Before Creating Content
You should begin with brand strategy before creating any content. In today’s fragmented digital market, even the most technically optimized SEO content will fall flat if your brand lacks clarity and consistency. When you define who you are, what you stand for and why it matters to your audience, every keyword, blog post and landing page carries purpose. Without this foundation, SEO becomes noise. – Chris Suchánek, Firm Media Inc
6. Own Conversations Through Intent-Based Content Clusters
You shouldn’t focus just on chasing keywords; you need to own the conversation. One key SEO move is to build content around intent clusters, not isolated search terms. You can use AI to map what your audience is actually trying to solve and create content that answers better than anyone else. In today’s fragmented landscape, relevance beats reach, and trust earns the clicks that convert. – Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications
7. Target Long-Tail Keywords To Attract Qualified Traffic
One of the best SEO tips for marketing a B2C product is to focus on long-tail keywords and content that addresses what people are really searching for. Consumers are looking for very specific solutions, so by targeting long-tail keywords, you can drive more qualified traffic to your site. This approach not only improves your SEO but helps position your brand as a trusted resource in niche areas. – Uri Samet, Buzz Dealer
8. Define Ideal Customer Profiles Before Keyword Planning
It’s important to take the time to create ICPs before starting an SEO exercise. I see too many companies diving right into keyword testing and analysis without understanding who their most valuable customers are. Another tip is to create a Wikipedia page, since ChatGPT, Claude and others are the new search engines and gain much of their information from Wikipedia. – Tim Johnson, UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations, Inc.
9. Use E-E-A-T And Video To Build Trust And Engagement
An essential tip for marketing in today’s digital landscape is to pair different video content types, like testimonials, explainers and behind-the-scenes, with the E-E-A-T approach, especially if you cover healthcare-related topics. The latter builds trust, while the former helps drive stronger engagement than text or images (or even both combined!). It’s important to show real people with real stories to uncover the human side of your brand. – Nataliya Andreychuk, Viseven
10. Focus On Conversational SEO And Local Optimization
With the rise of smart speakers and mobile assistants, there should be a focus on conversational phrases and FAQs that mirror how people naturally ask questions. Also, you will want to invest in local SEO if relevant. For B2C products with a retail presence, you’ll want to optimize Google Business Profiles, encourage reviews and use location-specific keywords. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.
11. Answer Real, Specific Questions To Increase Relevance
You don’t want to just chase keywords; you should chase questions. People aren’t searching for “best blender;” they’re typing, “Can this thing crush ice without sounding like a jet engine?” You must create content that answers real, weirdly specific questions your buyers are actually asking. That’s how you rank and convert. – Justin Belmont, Prose
12. Target High-Intent Keywords In An AI-Driven Landscape
AI tools like ChatGPT are changing how users consume content by delivering answers directly on their platforms, often reducing traffic to external blogs. Rather than pouring resources into traditional blog content, you should focus on optimizing your website for compact, high-intent keywords that align closely with purchase decisions. This approach enhances your chances of converting visitors into customers. – Fernando Beltran, Identika LLC
13. Maximize Visibility Through Local SEO Tactics
If your B2C product has a local presence, local SEO is key. You should claim your Google Business Profile, add accurate hours and photos and encourage reviews. It’s crucial to use local keywords like “near me” or city-specific terms. This helps your business show up in map packs and location-based searches, capturing nearby customers ready to buy. – Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing
14. Create Value-Driven Content Over Algorithm Tricks
You need to stop trying to fool the algorithm; you must write for the human. Let’s be honest, humans struggle to outsmart each other sometimes, so trying to outwit a super-intelligent algorithm isn’t the play. You must focus on content that connects, adds value and earns attention. SEO success will follow. – George Arabian, NVISION
15. Leverage Product Reviews To Boost SEO Authority
When doing SEO for e-commerce and B2C (or DTC), search algorithms might like content, but they love reviews. This goes for Google and emerging search technologies like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. The algorithms know that product reviews show greater purchase intent than simple product information sites. You should focus on gaining and featuring as many positive reviews as possible. – Bernard May, National Positions
16. Audit Your SERP To Capture Snippets With FAQs
One key is to audit your search engine results page for featured snippet gaps in your category and embed concise FAQ and list schemas on product pages. This also boosts overall site relevance by reinforcing topical authority. Filling query gaps like “best X for Y” helps Google elevate you into zero-click positions, capturing high-intent traffic. Then, you can track metrics and tweak topics as consumer queries evolve to outpace rivals. – Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions
17. Enhance Image SEO With Descriptive Alt Text
It’s important to craft concise, descriptive alt text for product images: Describe the visual, include one or two keywords and keep it around 80 to 125 characters—for example: “women’s red leather hiking boots with ankle support.” This makes images accessible to screen‑reader users and gives search engines clear context to index and rank visual assets effectively, boosting both SEO and usability. – Goran Paun, ArtVersion
18. Build Connection Through Belief-Driven Content
You can think of B2C as belief-to-community. In today’s fragmented digital landscape, SEO should foster shared values and emotional resonance. You should optimize content that reflects your audience’s beliefs and builds a sense of belonging—connection converts better than clicks alone. – Christy Saia-Owenby, MOXY Company
19. Optimize For AI Discovery Across Platforms
One key SEO tip for marketing a B2C product today is to optimize for visibility across AI-powered platforms, not just traditional search engines. You should structure product content using clear language, schema markup and answers to common questions. This helps AI tools surface your brand in voice search, shopping results and chat-based experiences. – Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
20. Align Content With Emotional And Contextual Intent
Brand builds desire. Discoverability drives demand. You should optimize for intent, not just keywords, and map content to where your customer is emotionally and contextually. Then, you use schema, semantic strategies and real-world questions. In an AI-first world, content that solves will rank. – Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr
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