SaaS is booming in today’s world! It’s the perfect time to grow your SaaS company. But the competition here is fierce.
Top SaaS companies have a secret weapon: SEO. They rule search engines with tons of organic traffic. Sounds easy, right? Mastering SaaS SEO can be tricky!
Struggling to attract organic traffic to your SaaS website? Wish you could replicate the SEO success of industry giants like HubSpot and Intercom?
Forget magic formulas. But wait, there are proven strategies to rule the SERPs. And we’re here to reveal the secret strategies of SaaS SEO.
We’ll show you how to conquer organic search and unleash a flood of leads. Ready to dominate the jungle of search engines and skyrocket your rankings? Let’s go!
What is SaaS SEO All About?
SaaS SEO is all about boosting your website’s ranking in search results. Why?
Higher ranking means more visitors, more conversions, and more revenue for your business.
Here’s how it works:
- Find the right keywords: Identify terms potential customers search for, like “best project management tool” for your project management software.
- Rank high for those keywords: Use SEO strategies to climb the search rankings and appear on the first page of search results (SERP).
- Attract organic traffic: Get free website visitors who are actively searching for your solutions.
Unlike paid advertising (PPC), SEO delivers long-term benefits. You keep reaping the rewards even if you stop putting extra money into it.
Why Every SaaS Company Needs SEO?
Hubspot research says, 77% people don’t go past page one of search results. That’s where SEO shines!
SEO helps SaaS companies win by:
- Slash Ad Costs: High rankings for key terms mean less ad spend. Some top spots are worth over $100,000 a month in ad savings!
- Long-Term Traffic: Optimized pages keep attracting qualified visitors long after you publish them.
- Organic Advantage: People trust organic results more than ads. 70-80% skip paid ads entirely!
We’ve analyzed several reports to find the keys to SaaS growth. SEO is at the top! What else can SEO do for your SaaS company?
Scales User Growth:
Want new users? People trust search results. They’re more likely to choose a tool that ranks high for relevant keywords.
Buyers are savvier now. They research with blogs, not just ads.
Example: Someone searches for “website design tool.” Your blog articles rank high!
They trust Google. Top rankings build trust and credibility. This impacts their buying decision.
SEO = Credibility, Growth, and More Users
Effective SEO builds trust in your brand. Potential customers find you faster and move through the sales funnel quicker. Win-win!
Reduces Your CPA:
Ever wonder how much it costs to land a new customer? That’s Cost per Acquisition (CPA).
Paid ads can be expensive.
Every click on your ad costs money, especially for competitive keywords. Stop paying, and the traffic dries up.
SEO is different. You work to rank high in search results organically, for free. No clicks, no constant spending.
The result? Lower CPA.
Even better, SEO keeps delivering results long after you stop putting money in. SEO is a smart investment to lower your CPA and keep the leads flowing.
Builds Your Domain Authority:
Search engines love websites with high authority. This authority is measured by a score called Domain Authority (DA).
Think of DA as a website’s “ranking muscle.” The stronger it is, the higher your site climbs in search results.
How to Build Muscle? Backlinks!
Websites with lots of high-quality backlinks (links from other sites) earn a higher DA. Should you care? Absolutely!
A study by Ahrefs shows a clear link between DA and ranking high in search results. Not convinced? Here’s proof:
Good Annotations used a backlink strategy to score over 365,000 page views and 5,000 new email subscribers!
Diagnose Your Site’s Health With SEO Audit
Before you conquer the SERPs, you need a game plan. An SEO site audit exposes your website’s strengths and weaknesses.
It’s like a complete check-up for your website. An audit reveals issues that could be hurting your search engine ranking.
What to audit?
- Technical glitches: Crawl errors, slow loading times, mobile issues. These hurt your rankings!
- On-page oversights: Missing keywords, weak content, unclear calls to action. Let’s fix that!
- Content quality: Engaging content is king. Is yours informative and valuable?
How to audit?
- Google Search Console: Log in and check the “Coverage” report. See which pages are indexed and identify errors like “noindex” tags. Fix these to boost your SEO health.
- Deeper Dive (optional): One of the best practices is to use an SEO tool like Semrush for a more comprehensive analysis.
An SEO audit gives you a clear roadmap for improvement. Once you fix these issues, you’ll be well on your way to dominating search results.
Know What Users Want
Search intent cracks the code behind user queries. What’s their goal when they type a keyword?
Someone searching “design templates” wants pre-made options to buy. But “how to create design templates” seeks educational content.
Google prioritizes satisfying search intent. That’s SEO gold!
Look at Ahrefs – they boosted organic traffic by 677% in just 6 months simply by aligning their content with search intent. Powerful stuff!
Searchers have different goals. This is what we call “search intent.” There are 4 main types of search intent:
Navigational:
People just want to find a specific website or webpage. They might search for “SemRush Link Building Service” or “LinkedIn login” to get there quickly.
Goal: Be the website they’re looking for!
Informational:
Searchers are looking for information on a topic. This could be “What is a project workflow?” or “Best web design templates.”
Goal: Create content (Informational) like guides and videos to answer their questions.
Investigational:
These searchers are considering a purchase but haven’t decided yet. They might compare products like “Trello vs. Asana” or read reviews like “Slack review.”
Goal: Target them with bottom-of-the-funnel content. Provide in-depth comparisons and reviews to showcase your product’s strengths.
Transactional:
Ready to buy! These searchers use terms like “Subscribe to Moz” or “Cheap Samsung TV” to find product pages or contact information.
Goal: Make it easy for them to buy! Optimize product and checkout pages.
Knowing these search intent lets you target users at the right stage in their buying journey. So, you attract more qualified leads and boost conversions.
Build a Winning SaaS Funnel with SEO
No impulse buys here! People don’t just buy SaaS products. They journey through stages like: awareness, research, decision, purchase. This journey is your marketing funnel.
SaaS marketing funnel works as a solid SEO strategy in three steps:
Top of the Funnel (TOFU):
This is where it all starts. They have a problem, but no solution in mind. Your job? Attract them, offer solutions, introduce your brand gently.
SEO-friendly content? How-to guides, infographics, checklists. Find inspiration on Q&A sites like Quora or Reddit.
Track your success: More visitors = good TOFU content!
Middle of the Funnel (MOFU):
They’re researching! They know they need something, but not what or where to get it. Help them decide!
Content that converts: Case studies, product comparisons, overviews, landing pages.
Track what works: More leads and conversions mean winning MOFU content.
Keywords matter! Use them strategically throughout your content.
Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU):
Decision time! They’re close to buying, but need a final nudge. Give them the info they need to convert.
Content that closes the deal: Success stories, FAQs, use cases, reviews, testimonials.
Track your ROI: Conversions, payments, happy customers – that’s BOFU success!
Set Your Goals & KPIs For SEO
Ever wonder why your blog is popular but sales are flat? This happens when SEO isn’t tied to clear business goals.
Define Your Business Goals:
- What do you want to achieve with SEO? (e.g., More leads, higher sales)
- Keep it specific, measurable, and time-bound.
- Example: “Rank in top 5 for ‘financial planning’ within 6 months.”
Track the Right KPIs:
Go beyond traffic, rankings, and impressions.
- Track metrics like SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads), MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads), and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC).
- Monitor Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) to measure ongoing success.
Focus on these and watch your SaaS SEO strategy convert!
Research & Find Your Keyword Goldmines
Now that you know your website’s SEO strengths and weaknesses, it’s time for keyword research. Let’s find the keywords that will drive organic traffic.
Conquering search engines starts with the right keywords. People use these search terms or KWs to find solutions like yours.
Focus on Informational Keywords:
These keywords aren’t directly tied to buying your product, but they attract potential customers who are early in their buying journey.
Here’s how to find 10 informational keywords:
- Brainstorm: Jot down topics related to your SaaS product and the problems it solves.
- Use SEO tools: Free and paid tools like Google Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help uncover high-volume, low-competition keywords.
- Analyze competitors: See what keywords your top competitors rank for (but don’t just copy them!).
- Think like your customers: What questions would they ask before buying your SaaS product?
Target Long-Tail Keywords:
Don’t just go for broad, high-competition terms. Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive than broad keywords.
For example, “project management software for small teams” is a long-tail keyword, while “project management” is a broad keyword.
Why Long-Tail Keywords?
- Less competition: Easier to rank for, meaning more traffic to your website.
- Higher conversion rates: People searching for long-tail keywords are closer to making a purchase decision.
Aim for 10-15 strong informational keywords with search volume but manageable competition. Find a sweet spot between keyword search volume and keyword difficulty.
Remember: Informational keywords are like bait. They attract potential customers who are then exposed to the value of your SaaS product.
Publish Optimized Contents For SEO
Content is king, and SEO-optimized content is your golden crown. Conquer search engines with the power of informative, keyword-rich blog content!
Here’s how to craft blog posts that rank high and attract leads:
- Target the right keywords: Research what your ideal customers are searching for. Focus on long-tail keywords that answer specific questions.
- Create skyscraper content: Follow the skyscraper technique! Think like an architect. Find existing content, then make it taller, better, and more informative.
- Write for humans, optimize for search engines: Don’t stuff keywords! Craft engaging content that provides real value to your readers.
- Target relevant landing pages: Every blog post should have a clear goal. Link to valuable resources that convert readers into leads.
- Optimize for on-page SEO: Include your target keyword in your title tag, meta description, and throughout the post.
- Break up your text with visuals: Images, infographics, and videos make your content more engaging and scannable.
- Promote your content: Share your blog posts on social media, submit them to relevant online communities, and consider influencer outreach.
Content creation is an investment. It is like a marathon, not a sprint. High-quality, informative content positions you as an industry expert, attracts qualified leads, and boosts your ranking.
Outshine the Competition with Killer Content
You write great content, but it’s buried on page two? Why it’s not ranking #1? Let’s share you some tips to crush your competitors:
- Dig Deeper: Don’t skim the surface. Go deeper than competitors, providing true value and insights.
- Mix it Up: Think beyond text. Add infographics, videos, and animations. They get 2X more conversions than static content like text.
- Shorter is Sweeter: Keep URLs concise and easy to remember.
- Structure for Success: Make it easy for readers to find answers fast.
- Visual Appeal: Images break up text and grab attention. Aim for 10+ per article.
- Readability Matters: Bullet points, clear formatting, and short paragraphs make your content easy to digest.
- Captivating Titles: Craft titles that draw readers in and make them click.
- Borrow the Best: Use proven blog post templates to structure your content for maximum impact.
Unique content marketing positions you as an expert, attracts leads, and skyrockets your rankings. Become a content creation powerhouse and conquer the SERPs!
Tech Up Your Site With Technical SEO
Technical SEO is crucial for the success of your overall SEO strategy. Without proper indexing and crawling, other SEO techniques will have minimal impact on your search engine visibility.
Technical SEO Basics
Crawling:
Search engine crawlers scan your website’s content and follow all the links on each page to find new pages. You can control this process using the robots.txt file.
It instructs crawlers on which pages to crawl or avoid. Use the Crawl Stats report on Google Search Console to monitor your site’s crawl activity.
Indexing:
Indexing involves collecting, parsing, and storing data so that your pages are visible to users. Google crawlers index site’s pages for easy retrieval. Index your pages to improve visibility.
Technical SEO Strategies
Check Indexing:
Ensure your pages are indexed by Google using the “URL inspection” tool on Google Search Console. For bulk checks, tools like Ahrefs and Semrush are helpful. Some also offer free trials.
Reclaim Lost Links:
If you change your website URLs, use 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones to reclaim lost inbound links.
Add Internal Links:
Internal linking helps redirect link authority within your site and improves content context for search engines. It also enhances user experience by providing additional information.
Add Schema Markup:
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better and optimize for rich snippets, improving visibility and click-through rates.
Additional Technical SEO Techniques for SaaS Websites
Page Experience Signals
Page experience signals include several factors that measure the user experience of a web page.
- Core Web Vitals: Core Web Vitals include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Input Delay (FID). These metrics assess visual load capability, stability, and interactivity. Measure these using the PageSpeed Insights tool.
- HTTPS: Implement HTTPS by installing an SSL certificate to ensure secure, encrypted data transfer.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive using a mobile-friendly CMS and testing on various devices.
- Safe Browsing: Keep your site free of spammy links and malware to avoid penalties from Google crawlers.
- Avoid Intrusive Interstitials: Avoid pop-ups or ads that hinder content access, as they negatively impact user experience.
- Hreflang: For multilingual websites, use the Hreflang attribute to specify the language and region targeted by each URL.
Maintain Website Health
- Broken Links Regularly audit and replace broken links to improve UX and SEO.
- Redirect Chains Use 301 redirects to maintain rankings and reclaim lost inbound links when URLs change.
Implement these technical SEO strategies to enhance your SaaS website’s visibility and user experience. This will lead to better search engine rankings and more traffic.
Make a Content Distribution Strategy
Writing a great article isn’t enough. You need to make an effort to get your content in front of a wider audience to gain more traffic, engagement, and backlinks.
Content marketing and distribution isn’t just about the articles you publish. Here are different types of content you can distribute:
- Blog posts
- Ebooks
- Podcasts
- Newsletters
- Social media posts
- Videos
- Infographics
- Webinars
- Whitepapers
- Case studies
Craft a Distribution Plan:
To create an effective content distribution strategy, Answer these key questions:
Where is my target audience?
Identify the platforms where your audience is most active.
What types of content should I produce?
Determine the most popular platforms for each content type. Like, sell ebooks with landing pages, list podcasts on Spotify, and share infographics on Pinterest or blogs.
How will we balance our distribution mix?
Decide the mix among owned media (landing pages and social media profiles), paid media (social media ads and PPC), and earned media (shares and reviews).
Remember, distribution is key. Don’t let your content gather dust! Implement these strategies and watch your traffic and leads soar.
Get Backlinks For Bigger Impact
Backlinks are crucial for improving search engine rankings. The quantity and quality of backlinks a brand has can significantly impact its position on search engines.
Canva is a prime example of success through backlinks, boasting over 4.24 million backlinks from 100,000 domains. Canva didn’t achieve this by luck.
Image Source: Foundation Inc
They have a dedicated outreach team that searches for content mentioning terms like “Instagram templates,” “posters,” or “content marketing tools.”
They then contact the creators to negotiate link placements. To achieve similar results, here are three strategies you can implement:
- Create Unique Content: Develop data reports, market trends, case studies, infographics, and other valuable content.
- Identify Relevant Content: Find high-quality content where your tool fits naturally and reach out to the creators.
- Guest Posting: Write engaging guest posts for relevant sites, encouraging readers to visit your site.
Remember, high-quality content gets noticed. Create valuable resources that people want to share, and watch your backlinks soar!
Link Up Your Website (Internal Linking)
Internal links connect your website’s pages. It helps Google understand your content and users navigate easily. Here’s why it matters:
- Boosts SEO: Strategic internal linking helps Google find and rank your website pages.
- Keeps Visitors Engaged: Relevant links guide users on a journey through your website, increasing time spent and reducing bounce rates.
- Keyword Power: Use keyword-rich anchor text (the clickable text) to improve both SEO and user experience.
Pro Tip: Avoid using the same anchor text for different pages. It can confuse Google and hurt your ranking.
Internal linking helps users find the info they need and tells search engines what your content is all about. So, link strategically and watch your SaaS SEO and user engagement soar!
FAQs
What does SaaS SEO mean?
SaaS SEO means using strategies to boost your SaaS website’s organic traffic (visitors who find you naturally) and get it to rank high on Google SERPs. It helps your software shine online!
How Do I Write Killer SaaS Content?
Here’s a quick recipe:
- Know your audience: Analyze competitors, understand your ideal customer, do keyword research.
- Craft a content strategy: Plan your content based on your keyword research.
- Build a calendar: Schedule content targeting different buying stages.
- Create high-quality content: Make it informative and engaging.
- Spread the word: Share your content across various channels.
- Track and improve: Analyze results and keep refining your approach.
What are the top three SEO strategies?
The top three SEO strategies are:
- On-page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages.
- Off-page SEO: Techniques like link building and email outreach.
- Technical SEO: Backend optimizations for website and server.
Is SEO worth the investment?
Yes, SEO is a highly effective inbound marketing strategy that can yield high returns on investment (ROI) over time.
What is SaaS copywriting?
This is the art of crafting persuasive content to sell your SaaS products. It covers everything from landing pages to website copy, social media ads, and more. The goal? Conversions!
Bottom Line
That all wraps up our comprehensive guide to SEO for SaaS companies. Now we would love to hear from you.
What’s your top takeaway from this SaaS SEO guide? Are you planning to optimize for informational keywords, or perhaps dive into on-page SEO techniques?
Note that a strong online presence is vital for any SaaS business. Invest in SEO efforts to save resources and get long-term results.
Although creating a robust SEO strategy takes time, tools, and expertise, the payoff is worth it. Start implementing these strategies today to drive organic traffic and grow your SaaS business.
