Manufacturers and distributors do not usually have small, simple websites. They have product families, SKU pages, spec sheets, dealer locators, discontinued products, installation guides, territory pages, distributor relationships, and multiple audiences that do not all search the same way.
That complexity is exactly why SEO can become either a high-value demand channel or a low-value reporting exercise. The difference, according to Jesse McFarland of SpearPoint Marketing, is whether the work is tied to conversion, ICP fit, and the pages that actually move buyers forward.
The timing matters. Search is still critical, but clicks are harder to earn. SparkToro and Datos reported that 58.5% of U.S. Google searches and 59.7% of European Union Google searches ended without a click in 2024. A Pew Research Center analysis of Google searches in March 2025 found that users clicked a traditional search result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% when one did not.
For building-product manufacturers, distributors, and other residential construction suppliers, that does not mean SEO is dead. It means SEO has to be more precise. The goal is not more blog traffic. The goal is to help the right contractors, dealers, builders, homeowners, and commercial buyers find the right page at the right stage of the buying process – and then take the next useful step.
In this interview, ToolBeltData spoke with Jesse about where SEO value is hiding inside large manufacturer and distributor websites, why messy catalog architecture quietly kills demand capture, how AI search is changing measurement, and how ICP data can turn SEO from a traffic channel into a qualified pipeline strategy.
Kirill: Before we get tactical, what is SpearPoint Marketing focused on?
Jesse McFarland: SpearPoint is a marketing agency with a primary focus on search engine optimization, but the emphasis is conversion-based SEO. We go beyond traditional search engines and also look at AI search, answer engines, and conversion rate optimization. The goal is not just to grow visibility. The goal is to grow what matters most to the business, which is usually revenue, qualified leads, sales opportunities, or e-commerce sales.
Kirill: Manufacturer and distributor websites can have tens of thousands of pages. When you audit one of these sites, where do you usually find the money hiding?
Jesse McFarland: The first thing I look for is the set of commercial landing pages most likely to produce a conversion. That might be a category page, a product line page, a dealer program page, a quote-request page, or a service page. The question is: which pages have the clearest connection to revenue?
From there, I want to know how those pages are performing. Are they visible in search? Are the right people getting to them? What happens after they land there? Do they move toward a conversion, or do they stall out?
On large sites, a lot of value is sitting in older pages that nobody has looked at in years. Some of those pages already have authority, backlinks, impressions, or rankings, but they are outdated, poorly organized, or weak from a conversion standpoint. That is usually where I start.
“The easy way to say you are doing SEO is blogging. But just because you are blogging does not mean you are doing SEO.”
Kirill: How should ICP, persona, and segmentation data shape SEO strategy?
Jesse McFarland: That is step one for us. Before we can build a conversion-based SEO strategy, we need to know exactly who the ICP is. And if the company has actual data on its ICP – not just a general statement of “this is who we sell to” – that data is extremely useful.
That data helps us connect search behavior to buying behavior. What are these people actually searching for? What are they looking for when they are close to a buying decision? Which questions indicate a real opportunity, and which ones are just generic research?
General keyword research is not enough. Keyword tools are usually built around search volume, but search volume does not tell you whether a query is likely to become revenue. If we know what the ICP is looking for, and we can match that with the right content, messaging, and conversion path, then SEO has a much better chance of producing qualified demand.
For manufacturers and distributors, the highest-value ICP data often includes customer type, geography, trade role, purchase history, product category, project type, account potential, and channel relationship. A distributor may want to segment by builder, remodeler, dealer, installer, architect, property manager, or institutional buyer. A manufacturer may want to distinguish between specifiers, dealers, contractors, and end customers. Those segments should influence keyword priorities, page structure, CTAs, and content depth.
| Context for ToolBeltData ICPs This is also why clean customer and prospect data matters. In a 2025 Gartner survey, 61% of B2B buyers said they preferred an overall rep-free buying experience, and 73% said they actively avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach. Better segmentation helps SEO and sales teams create content that matches the buyer rather than blasting generic messaging. |
Kirill: What are the biggest technical SEO problems you see with messy product catalogs?
Jesse McFarland: The biggest problem is usually the organization of the site. That is common with any large site, but it is especially common with manufacturers, distributors, and e-commerce businesses that have lots and lots of pages. Over time, the structure gets out of control. New product pages, service pages, documents, and categories get added without a clear hierarchy.
You need a structure that makes sense for both users and search engines. Usually that means establishing the most important parent pages, pillar pages, category pages, or product-line pages, then organizing the supporting products and SKUs underneath them.
One example is a manufacturer that made boat carpet. When we first looked at the site, the general keyword “boat carpet” was ranking a very specific product page. It was not the full category. It was a small, specific variant in a specific color. That is not a good user experience. If someone searches “boat carpet,” they should land on the parent category page that explains the options, sizes, colors, and product lines, then lets them drill into the exact variant they need.
For manufacturers and distributors, this issue shows up constantly. A broad category query should usually map to a category or product-family page. A part number or SKU query can map to a specific product page. A technical validation query may need a spec sheet, installation guide, or documentation page. Problems start when all those intents compete with each other because the site structure is unclear.
This is also where technical cleanup matters. For near-duplicate product pages, variant pages, or faceted URLs, teams should review Google Search Central guidance on canonical URLs, Product structured data, and ProductGroup / product variant structured data. The goal is to help search engines understand the relationship between the parent product, variants, availability, identifiers, and other product details.
Kirill: Some manufacturers and distributors have different people creating blog posts, product content, technical specs, and documentation. When should a company stop creating new content and fix what it already has?
Jesse McFarland: Start by fixing your money-making pages. Whether you call them commercial landing pages, category pages, parent pages, pillar pages, or product-line pages, those are the pages most likely to deliver a conversion. They should be optimized first.
Blogging is often the easiest activity to point to and say, “We are doing SEO.” But if the blog has no specific strategy, especially in a zero-click and AI-search environment, it can become the least valuable thing you do. The blog can still matter, but it should support the pages that drive business.
After the commercial pages are clear, accurate, internally linked, technically sound, and conversion-focused, then informational content can support them. That supporting content should answer middle-of-funnel questions, comparison questions, application questions, and problems your ICP is actually trying to solve.
A practical audit sequence for a manufacturer or distributor would be:
- Identify the pages closest to revenue.
- Map those pages to ICPs, products, markets, and conversion goals.
- Check whether the right queries and audiences are reaching those pages.
- Improve titles, headings, copy, schema, internal links, trust signals, and CTAs.
- Then build supporting content around high-intent problems and buying questions.
Kirill: How should technical writers and content creators collaborate on product pages?
Jesse McFarland: Someone has to manage both sides around the goal of the page. If the page is only meant to support a technical sale, it needs to be technically accurate. If that same page is also expected to rank and bring new people into the site, then it needs an SEO component too. If it has multiple goals, that is fine, but you have to blend those goals intentionally.
A strong product page usually needs both technical precision and buyer-friendly language. The technical writer makes sure the specs, materials, dimensions, compatibility, certifications, and installation requirements are right. The marketer makes sure the page answers buyer questions, builds trust, clarifies the next step, and connects the product to the use case.
For residential construction suppliers, that might mean the same page needs to satisfy a contractor comparing install requirements, a dealer checking availability, a homeowner trying to understand benefits, and a search engine trying to classify the product. Without a clear page owner and page goal, those needs often turn into a wall of disconnected information.
Kirill: How should distributors and manufacturers think about local SEO without creating spammy location pages?
Jesse McFarland: Location pages can work, but they have to be unique and specific to the area. The failure point is when companies try to create a page for every city in the country, use AI to crank out near-identical copy, and call it a local SEO strategy. That is not what I recommend.
A useful location page should include real local information. What products are available in that area? Which distributors, dealers, or branches serve that market? Are there regional requirements, common applications, climate considerations, building-code considerations, or delivery details that matter? If the page is unique, accurate, and useful, it has a reason to exist.
For distributors with physical branches, the foundation is still accurate local business information. Google’s Business Profile guidelines say businesses should use a precise, accurate address or service area and should create profiles for real-world locations. Google also says service-area businesses should be specific and accurate with service areas and can list up to 20 service areas. Those guidelines matter because fake offices, keyword-stuffed locations, and thin city pages can create both local SEO and trust problems.
For manufacturers without company-owned distribution locations, the play is different. A national manufacturer should not pretend to have a local branch where it does not. Instead, the website can support local discovery through dealer locator pages, “find a certified installer” flows, regional product availability pages, partner pages, and unique market pages where there is enough real information to justify them.
This is also a quality issue. Google’s spam policies define scaled content abuse as generating many pages primarily to manipulate rankings rather than help users. In other words, local SEO at scale needs real local value, not just city-name swapping.
Kirill: What authority-building plays work in boring or technical industries?
Jesse McFarland: Link building still works when it is real and relevant. It gets spammy when the links come from irrelevant sites or low-quality placements. But when a manufacturer earns links from relevant industry publications, associations, technical resources, project partners, or trusted directories, that still supports authority.
The key is relevance. A technical manufacturer may have link opportunities through industry associations, engineering resources, sustainability initiatives, safety standards, case studies, supplier relationships, distributor partners, training resources, and trade publications. A product that seems boring from the outside may still touch science, code compliance, installation best practices, energy efficiency, performance data, or application-specific expertise.
Proof also matters. Reviews, testimonials, case studies, certifications, and third-party validation help with SEO, AI search, and conversion. Some manufacturers cannot publicly name customers because of confidentiality or channel sensitivity. In those cases, blind case studies can still show the problem, product fit, process, results, and type of customer without exposing private relationships.
Kirill: Residential construction manufacturers often need to market to dealers and contractors, but they also want homeowners to recognize the brand and ask for it. How should the website support both audiences?
Jesse McFarland: The strategy has to separate the journeys without separating the business goal. A homeowner researching an HVAC system, windows, decking, roofing, flooring, or insulation usually is not ready to buy directly from the manufacturer. They need education, confidence, and a path to the right dealer or contractor. The dealer or contractor needs specs, support, training, availability, margin, warranty details, and reasons to recommend the product.
That means the website should not force both audiences through the same content path. A homeowner page should help the consumer understand the problem, compare product options, know what to ask a contractor, and find a certified dealer or installer. A pro-facing page should help dealers, contractors, builders, or distributors evaluate whether the product is a fit for their customers and their business.
For an HVAC manufacturer, for example, a homeowner page might answer questions like “How do I choose the right heat pump?” or “What should I ask my contractor about efficiency, noise, and warranty?” The CTA should not be “buy this unit online.” It should be “find a certified contractor,” “ask your dealer about this product line,” or “download a homeowner buying guide.”
The dealer or contractor content should be more technical and commercial: product specifications, sizing guidance, training, certifications, rebate support, installation documentation, lead-sharing programs, serviceability, and distributor availability. That content helps the channel sell and support the product rather than feeling bypassed by the manufacturer.
The common thread is pull-through demand. Consumer content should create brand preference and informed questions. Dealer content should make it easy for the channel to recommend, install, and support the product. SEO can support both, but only if the site architecture and CTAs make the audience path obvious.
Kirill: If SEO traffic is increasing but leads are not, where do you start the diagnostic process?
Jesse McFarland: That is a common issue. The first thing we look at is which pages are delivering the traffic. If most of the increase is coming from blog posts and visitors are not moving from those posts to a commercial page or conversion path, the business may not be getting much value from the traffic.
So first we check whether it is the right kind of traffic. Are the right people landing on the right pages? Are commercial pages getting traffic, or is the growth mostly top-of-funnel?
If commercial pages are getting traffic but not converting, then we look at conversion rate optimization. Is the messaging clear? Are the trust signals strong enough? Is the offer compelling? Is there a clear next step? Does the form create too much friction? Are there proof points, reviews, case studies, certifications, or product details that help the buyer move forward?
For manufacturers and distributors, the measurement problem is often that “traffic” is too broad. Better leading indicators may include quote requests, sample requests, dealer-locator clicks, distributor account applications, spec sheet downloads, contractor-program inquiries, phone calls from ICP accounts, engaged visits to product-family pages, or CRM opportunities influenced by organic search.
Kirill: Everyone is talking about AEO and AI search. What is your honest take for manufacturers and distributors right now?
Jesse McFarland: AI search has taken away a lot of top-of-funnel blog traffic. Informational queries like “how do you manufacture a product” or “what is this product made of” are increasingly answered without a click. I have seen clients where a blog post that once produced thousands of clicks per month now produces only a fraction of that traffic.
But that does not mean the content has no value. In some cases, the content still performs well in AI search visibility. It may be mentioned, cited, or used as part of an answer. That is a different kind of value than traditional organic traffic, and teams need to understand that.
The sweet spot is often the middle of the funnel. Those are the prompts and queries where a buyer is comparing options, evaluating fit, looking for specifications, asking what to consider, or narrowing a shortlist. For those searches, the goal is to trigger a brand mention, a citation, or both. Knowing which prompts matter to your business is becoming similar to knowing which rankings matter in traditional SEO.
| AI search is changing click behavior Pew Research Center found that Google users clicked a traditional search result in 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% without an AI summary. SparkToro / Datos also reported that nearly 60% of U.S. and EU Google searches ended without a click in 2024. For manufacturers and distributors, the practical takeaway is to measure more than sessions: track qualified visibility, brand mentions, citations, and conversion behavior on high-intent pages. |
Kirill: What should an in-house marketer know before hiring a third-party SEO partner?
Jesse McFarland: You want someone who understands your industry or has enough related experience to understand the complexity. For manufacturers and distributors, that matters because the products, channels, buying committees, and technical details are not always simple.
They should be able to show proof, not just claim they have worked with companies like yours. Ask how they would approach site structure, catalog cleanup, ICP targeting, conversion paths, technical content, and measurement. If their answer is only “we will write blogs and build links,” that is not enough.
The other big thing is the relationship. Do not hire an SEO agency and put them on an island. If you do not engage with them, they will struggle. They need access to the business, the product experts, the sales team, the customer data, the technical team, and the people who understand why customers buy. Treat the agency like a partner, not just a vendor.
Kirill: How should a marketing leader communicate the long-term value of SEO internally, especially with AI changing search?
Jesse McFarland: The word “engine” in SEO can be limiting because people think only about Google. I have started using the idea of “search everything optimization.” That includes Google, but it also includes ChatGPT, Perplexity, Reddit, social platforms, YouTube, directories, reviews, and any other place where someone searches for information and gets an answer.
If you only focus on traditional Google rankings, that still works today and will probably continue to matter. But buyers are searching in more places now. They are asking questions, comparing products, checking reviews, reading discussions, and using AI tools to summarize options. Your brand needs to show up with useful answers wherever that search behavior happens.
That is also why SEO should not be treated as a siloed channel. If it is done correctly, it helps advertising, website performance, brand visibility, sales enablement, and conversion. It improves the way people discover, understand, and trust your brand across channels.
There is a lot of change in SEO right now, but that also creates opportunity. Many brands are stalling because they are not sure what to do. If you have the right strategy and the right partner, this is a strong moment to build visibility before competitors catch up.
Kirill: What is the one takeaway you would leave manufacturers and distributors with?
Jesse McFarland: SEO is bigger than it used to be. It is not just Google rankings, and it is definitely not just blogging. It is how your brand is found, understood, trusted, and chosen across search engines, AI tools, local results, product pages, reviews, and industry sources.
For manufacturers and distributors, the biggest opportunity is to connect SEO to the realities of the business: product hierarchy, dealer networks, ICP data, technical proof, regional availability, and conversion paths. When those pieces work together, SEO becomes a qualified-demand strategy instead of a traffic report.
