Let’s not waste time.
If you run a manufacturing company and you’re trying to get found online, you’re not looking for “SEO hacks.”
You’re not trying to game the algorithm. You want to show up when the right buyer types the right words into Google. Simple as that.
But manufacturing SEO is a little different.
You’re not selling leggings or coffee subscriptions. You’re dealing with custom components, long lead times, RFQs, and industrial buyers who couldn’t care less about your brand’s personality.
They just want to know: Can you make what I need, to spec, and on time?
I’ve mentioned all this before in the guides below:
The moral of the story is this:
To win at SEO in this space, you need clarity, consistency, and a website that speaks the same language your buyers do.
And yes — the right tools can help.
Not a hundred tools.
Not a £500/month software stack.
Just a few that do the job, help you make better decisions, and don’t require a degree in data analysis to understand.
Let’s start with the most important one.
Google Search Console: the best manufacturing SEO tool
If I had to pick just one tool for manufacturing SEO, this would be it.
Not Semrush. Not Ahrefs. Not some clunky Chrome plugin that breaks half the time.
Google Search Console (GSC) is free, powerful, and criminally underused in the manufacturing world.
Because here’s the thing: most SEO tools give you theoretical data—estimates of what people might be searching.
GSC tells you what they actually typed in when they landed on your site. No guessing. No assumptions.
For CNC manufacturers, this is where you’ll often discover.
These insights help you make business decisons about what buyers actually want.
But this gets even more useful when you combine it with a zero-volume keyword research strategy.
Let me walk you through that — using CNC machining as the example.
How to find real, useful keywords—even if tools say the volume is “zero”
Over the years, I’ve helped manufacturers rank for terms that don’t show up in Semrush or Ahrefs — but bring in highly qualified leads every month.
Here’s the exact process:
Step 1: Start with Google autocomplete (for real buying intent)
Forget keywords like why cnc machines are important or phow cnc machines work.
That’s not how buyers search.
Instead I’d type in searches that reflect actual buyer needs:
- cnc machining<material> – e.g. cnc machining delrin, cnc machining inconel 718
- cnc <part> manufacturer – e.g. cnc impeller manufacturer
- custom <process><location> – e.g. custom cnc milling birmingham
Watch how Google finishes those phrases. You’ll find ideas like:
- cnc machining delrin uk
- cnc machining small batch
- precision cnc aluminium parts
- 5 axis cnc services
These are real searches. Some won’t appear in any keyword tool. But people are typing them in.
Step 2: Use Keywords Everywhere to expand ideas
Install the Keywords Everywhere browser extension. When you do these searches, it’ll show extra keyword suggestions in the sidebar.
For example, a search for “cnc machining birmingham” might reveal:
- cnc lathe turning birmingham
- small batch cnc machining west midlands
Note them all down—especially the ones with high specificity or geographic targeting.
Step 3: Check “zero-volume” keywords in Semrush
You can use the free version of Semrush for this.
Plug your keywords into Semrush. Most will show 0 volume. That’s fine.
The goal here is not to find the most popular terms. It’s to find the ones that big competitors are ignoring because they’re chasing the broad terms like cnc machining uk.
Remember: a phrase like cnc delrin maching uk might get only 50 searches/month—but 10 of those could be engineers looking for a supplier right now.
Step 4: Confirm with Keyword Planner
Take those “zero-volume” keywords and run them through Google Keyword Planner.
You’re looking for:
- Keywords that show 10–100 monthly searches
- A clear year-on-year trend upward
Let’s say small batch cnc milling birmingham shows zero in Semrush, but 70 searches/month in Keyword Planner and steady growth since 2022.
That’s a green light.
Step 5: Cross-check with Google Trends
Plug your shortlist into Google Trends, narrow it to your country, and look at the past 12 months or 5 years.
- You’re checking for consistent or rising interest
- Watch out for terms with sharp seasonal drops (unless you can plan content accordingly)
Step 6: Pull relevant entities manually (for smarter content)
Once you’ve chosen a keyword like, don’t just write a basic service page.
You need to understand what context Google expects.
Here’s how:
- Search the term in Google
- Look at the “People also ask” section, related searches, and the featured snippets
- Click through and note down terms that appear repeatedly.
Read this guide for more info on how to write SEO-friendly content that meets search intent.
And that’s how you make the most of free tools for your manufacturing SEO campaigns.
That’s all he wrote, folks.
Until next time, peace.