In a recent LinkedIn post, Jessemcfarland discusses a common pitfall in B2B marketing and SEO: the focus on metrics that look good but don’t drive actual business growth. Jessemcfarland, founder of SpearPoint, argues that many companies are investing in marketing strategies that generate impressive reports, increased traffic, and higher rankings, yet fail to translate these efforts into tangible revenue increases.
Jessemcfarland shared frustration with this disconnect, stating on LinkedIn:
“I got tired of seeing companies pay for marketing that looked good on paper but didn’t actually grow the business.”
The core of Jessemcfarland’s argument centers on the distinction between superficial marketing success and genuine business impact. According to Jessemcfarland, the true needs of most B2B companies are not more aesthetically pleasing dashboards, but rather concrete results.
Shifting Focus from Visibility to Buyer Intent
Jessemcfarland highlights that what B2B organizations fundamentally want are:
- Qualified leads
- Sales conversations
- Pipeline growth
This perspective challenges the traditional SEO approach that often prioritizes broad visibility metrics. Jessemcfarland points out that not all traffic is equally valuable, and achieving a #1 ranking for a low-intent keyword may not yield the desired business outcomes.
“Not all traffic is valuable, and honestly, not every #1 ranking matters.”
As Jessemcfarland notes, the effectiveness of SEO should be measured by its contribution to the sales pipeline, not just its ability to generate impressions or improve search engine rankings for less relevant terms.
The Strategic Advantage of High-Intent Keywords
The post emphasizes the strategic importance of focusing on high-intent search terms. Jessemcfarland’s experience suggests that keywords with lower search volume but stronger buyer intent can often drive significantly more revenue than high-volume, general terms.
“I’ve seen smaller, lower-volume keywords drive far more revenue than big traffic terms ever did.”
This insight underscores a critical flaw in many SEO strategies: an overemphasis on visibility rather than the buyer’s actual intent to purchase. Jessemcfarland advocates for a more outcome-oriented approach.
Prioritizing Business Outcomes in SEO Strategy
Jessemcfarland explains that SpearPoint’s methodology begins with defining desired business outcomes. This approach ensures that all marketing and SEO efforts are directly aligned with supporting pipeline growth and revenue generation.
“That’s why SpearPoint starts with business outcomes first. Because good #SEO should support pipeline, not just impressions.”
By framing SEO as a tool to directly support the sales pipeline, Jessemcfarland argues for a more impactful and results-driven application of search engine optimization in the B2B sector. This strategic focus, according to Jessemcfarland, is essential for businesses seeking to achieve measurable growth rather than just an improved online presence.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Jessemcfarland on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on June 2, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →