Humphreys & Associates: SEO and Schema Markup for B2B Consulting
TL;DR:
- Challenge: Improve search visibility for niche B2B consulting terms in a specialized market
- Approach: Schema markup implementation and targeted SEO for high-intent keywords
- Result: Enhanced SERP visibility for exact buyer search terms across a 274-document multi-year partnership
At a Glance
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Client | Humphreys & Associates |
| Industry | Professional Services / Government Contracting |
| Challenge | Improve search visibility for niche B2B consulting terms |
| Solution | Schema markup implementation and targeted SEO for priority pages |
| Total Engagement | 274 documents across multi-year partnership |
| Focus Areas | EVM/EVMS consultant and training search terms |
The Challenge: Search Visibility for Niche B2B Expertise
Humphreys & Associates is the leading authority on Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS)—a project management methodology required for major government contracts. They train federal contractors, consult on compliance, and literally wrote the book on the subject.
The problem: when government contractors search for "EVMS consultant" or "EVM training," Humphreys wasn't appearing where they should—at the top.
Their website had content. Good content. Decades of expertise distilled into articles, training descriptions, and service pages. But search engines couldn't properly interpret and display that content because the pages lacked structured data. No schema markup meant no rich results, no enhanced SERP features, and diminished visibility against competitors with technically optimized sites.
In a niche this specialized, every lost search impression is a potential six-figure consulting engagement walking to a competitor.
The Solution: Technical SEO and Schema Implementation
We implemented strategic SEO optimization with a specific focus on schema markup and structured data.
Schema Markup Implementation
Targeted 10 priority pages with comprehensive structured data:
- Organization schema establishing Humphreys as the authoritative entity
- Service schemas for consulting and training offerings
- Article schemas for educational content (improving potential for featured snippets)
- PDF optimization for downloadable resources (a key content type in B2B consulting)
Keyword-Focused Optimization
Rather than broad SEO, we targeted the exact terms their buyers search:
- "EVM Consultants"
- "EVMS Consultants"
- "EVM Training"
- "EVMS Training"
These aren't high-volume keywords—but they're high-intent. Someone searching "EVMS consultant" isn't browsing; they're buying.
Technical SEO Foundation
Schema markup isn't just about adding code. It requires:
- Proper page structure so schema references actual content
- Consistent entity relationships across the site
- Validation to ensure search engines parse the markup correctly
The Results
- Improved SERP visibility for targeted search terms in Google results, with enhanced display features enabled by proper schema implementation
- 274 total documents across the ongoing engagement (combining both eras of work), reflecting a deep, multi-year partnership extending far beyond the initial SEO project
- Foundation for rich results: Schema markup enables featured snippets, knowledge panels, and enhanced search displays—the SERP features that capture attention in competitive searches
Key Takeaway
In B2B services, SEO isn't about traffic volume—it's about being visible for the exact searches your buyers make. A niche consultancy doesn't need 10,000 visitors; they need the 50 people actively searching for their specific expertise to find them first. Schema markup is the technical foundation that makes that visibility possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is B2B SEO strategy?
B2B SEO strategy focuses on search visibility for business-to-business companies, targeting keywords that potential clients and decision-makers search when researching solutions. Unlike B2C SEO focused on volume, B2B SEO prioritizes high-intent, niche keywords with lower volume but higher conversion potential. Key tactics include thought leadership content, technical documentation optimization, schema markup for service pages, and targeting industry-specific terminology.
What is schema markup and why does it matter for SEO?
Schema markup is structured data code (usually JSON-LD format) that helps search engines understand your content's meaning and context. For SEO, schema enables rich results—enhanced search listings with ratings, prices, FAQs, or other details that increase click-through rates. For professional services, Organization and Service schemas establish entity authority, while Article schemas improve potential for featured snippets and AI-generated answer citations.
How do you optimize for niche B2B keywords?
Optimizing for niche B2B keywords requires identifying the exact terminology your target buyers use—often industry jargon that general SEO tools miss. Strategy includes creating dedicated pages for each key service term, implementing Service schema markup, building topical authority through comprehensive content covering related concepts, and earning backlinks from industry publications. Quality of traffic matters more than quantity; 100 visitors searching "EVMS consultant" outweigh 10,000 searching generic terms.
What is technical SEO for professional services?
Technical SEO for professional services ensures search engines can properly crawl, index, and understand your expertise. Key elements include schema markup for Organization, Service, and Article types; proper heading hierarchy reflecting content structure; internal linking that establishes topical relationships; fast page load times; mobile responsiveness; and secure HTTPS implementation. For consultancies, PDF optimization is often overlooked but critical, as whitepapers and resources are key content assets.
How does schema markup help with AI search results?
Schema markup helps with AI search results (like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT citations, and Perplexity) by providing structured data that AI systems can easily parse and cite. When your content includes clear entity relationships, defined services, and properly structured FAQs, AI systems can extract and attribute information more accurately. Organization schema establishes your brand as a citable entity, while FAQ schema provides direct question-answer pairs that AI systems prefer for generating responses.
Technologies Used
- Schema markup (JSON-LD format)
- Organization, Service, and Article schema types
- On-page SEO optimization
- PDF metadata optimization
- Google Search Console monitoring
- SERP tracking and analytics