When prime contractors and OEMs search for AS9100 certified machine shops, precision component suppliers, or specialty materials—do they find you? Or your competitors?
You've built your reputation on technical excellence. Your AS9100 certification, your NADCAP accreditations, your track record with prime contractors—these took years to develop. But now you face a challenge: you're dependent on a small number of major customers.
When Boeing or Airbus adjusts production rates, your revenue fluctuates. When a prime consolidates their supply chain, you're at risk. You know you need to diversify, but new aerospace customers are incredibly difficult to acquire.
Trade shows like Paris Air Show and Farnborough cost €50-100K when you factor in booth, travel, entertainment, and staff time. You meet people, collect business cards, but turning those contacts into actual programs takes years. If it happens at all.
Meanwhile, procurement teams at OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are actively searching for qualified suppliers. When an engineer at a space startup needs "precision titanium machining AS9100" or a defense contractor searches "ITAR registered CNC machining"—where do they land?
The reality: Your competitors with better online visibility are getting added to approved supplier lists while you're invisible during the research phase. By the time you meet buyers at trade shows, they've already shortlisted suppliers from their online research.
Aerospace sales cycles are brutal—18 to 36 months from initial contact to first PO. Qualification processes, facility audits, first article inspections. Buyers do extensive research before ever reaching out. That research happens online.
Sound familiar? Let's fix it.
Book a call to discuss your situationAerospace buyers research extensively before qualifying new suppliers. They're searching for specific certifications, capabilities, and compliance requirements. SEO captures them during this research—before they've built their shortlist.
The aerospace supply chain has unique search patterns: certification-specific queries (AS9100, NADCAP, ITAR), capability searches (5-axis machining, exotic materials), and compliance requirements. Low volume, extremely high intent.
"ITAR registered precision machining" might only get 40 searches monthly globally. But every single one represents a buyer who needs exactly what you offer—and is willing to go through a lengthy qualification process to get it.
"AS9100 certified machine shop," "NADCAP heat treat," "ITAR registered supplier," "AS9100D compliant," "NADCAP welding certified," "Mil-Spec manufacturer"
"5-axis aerospace machining," "titanium CNC machining," "Inconel precision manufacturing," "tight tolerance aerospace parts," "complex geometry machining"
"aircraft structural components," "jet engine components supplier," "defense contractor machining," "space qualified manufacturing," "flight critical parts"
Technical audit, keyword research, content architecture. First 15-20 articles on capabilities, certifications, applications. Initial inquiries start (3-8/month by month 6).
30-40 capability pages and technical content live. Consistent inquiry flow (8-15/month). First qualification processes initiated from organic leads.
60+ pages working. 15-30 qualified inquiries/month. First programs awarded from organic pipeline. Reduced dependence on existing customers.
Same methodology. Same buyer profile. Different industry.
The thermal equipment case study transfers directly to aerospace because both industries share fundamental characteristics that make SEO especially effective:
Extreme sales cycles: 18-36 months for aerospace programs vs. 12-24 months for thermal. Both require extensive buyer research before qualification. SEO captures buyers during this lengthy research phase.
Certification-driven: AS9100, NADCAP, ITAR for aerospace. PED, ATEX for thermal. Same principle: certification keywords signal highly qualified buyers who need compliant suppliers.
Technical buyers: Aerospace engineers, quality managers, procurement specialists. They search using precise technical terminology. Generic marketing fails—technical depth wins.
High program values: €200K-2M+ for aerospace contracts. Every qualified lead has significant value, justifying the long qualification process.
The methodology—certification-focused keywords, technical capability content, compliance-aware positioning—transfers completely. The specific certifications and terminology differ, but the approach is identical.
We don't publish anything requiring export control. All content discusses publicly available capabilities, certifications, and general applications—never specific program details, technical data, or controlled information. Your compliance team reviews everything before publication. We've worked with similar restrictions (ATEX, PED) and understand the boundaries.
Specialization is actually an advantage. "NADCAP heat treat aerospace" has very few searches—but every single one is a buyer who needs exactly what you offer. You're not competing with millions of results. The keywords are specific, the intent is high, and the competition is often weak because few aerospace suppliers invest in content marketing.
Long cycles are ideal for SEO. Buyers research for 6-12 months before ever contacting suppliers. Content published now captures buyers who won't convert for 24+ months—but when they do, they're already familiar with your capabilities. By Month 24 of the program, you have 18+ months of content all working simultaneously.
That's exactly the risk SEO helps mitigate. Relationship concentration is dangerous—when primes consolidate supply chains or shift programs, you're vulnerable. SEO builds a parallel pipeline of new customer inquiries, reducing dependence on existing relationships. It's diversification for your customer base.
Keep strategic shows for relationship maintenance and brand visibility. Trade shows are expensive for pure lead generation but valuable for existing customer engagement. As SEO builds, you can be more selective—fewer shows, better ROI on the ones you attend. Most clients reduce trade show spend 30-50% after 24 months.
15-minute conversation to assess your situation, discuss your certification positioning, and determine if SEO makes sense for your aerospace company.
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