Only a relatively tiny percentage of entrepreneurs and small businesspeople use anything other than Google or perhaps Yahoo to perform searches for vendors and suppliers and important business research.

B2B search engines are not used nearly as much. However, they are worth looking into, to make sure you cover all the bases, as a recent article by Galen DeYoung notes:

“While business searchers may start their quest on a general search engine like Google, as they become more informed and progress further in the buying cycle, they often turn to other sources for additional and more detailed information. Many turn to general B2B search engines or head to niche-oriented search sites, where they hope to find fewer extraneous search results and other types of content, such as white papers, case studies, and other content marketing vehicles. The searcher’s aim is to get better information and to get it more quickly.

There are good vertical search sites and ones that are struggling to optimize their search technology and their ability to capture and organize information. The best ones deliver comprehensive results in the given niche, provide more focused search results than general search engines, and give searchers the ability to quickly and easily find relevant information.”

The article goes on to list a number of B2B search engines that you should consider getting listed in and perhaps buying some kind of ads, if the engine fits your target. Business.com and Jayde.com are two that seem particularly relevant to the small business market. But there are others.

Read: The Big List Of Major B2B Search Engines