SEO for Saas Companies: The Ultimate Guide

Want to get a bunch of new leads and clients for your SaaS company? The secret is search engine optimization. SEO is by far the most effective way to market your software. However, before you jump in and start working, you should know that SaaS companies’ search engine optimization is different from other industries. In this article, you’ll get a definitive look at SEO for SaaS companies:
  • Why SEO is so important for SaaS companies
  • Where SEO fits into your sales process
  • The four critical ways to improve your SEO right now
By the end of it, you’ll come away with everything you need to know AND actionable steps you can take to improve your SEO right away.
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Why SaaS Companies Need SEO

What SaaS SEO Looks Like

The 4 Ways to Improve SaaS SEO

Why SaaS Companies NEED SEO

Few businesses are as reliant on search engine optimization as software as a service, or SaaS.

Since your product is available digitally, almost all of your efforts will go to digital marketing.

But you may be wondering… why SEO?

What’s so great about it? Why not go for pay-per-click or social media advertising?

Here’s why:

  1. SEO is a LOT cheaper than other advertising methods
  2. SEO is super effective at getting new leads
  3. SEO will put you above your competitors
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Let’s have a closer look at each one.

  1. SEO is a LOT Cheaper Than Other Advertising Methods

    Let’s say you built a tax software and want to advertise it to as many people as possible before the tax season.

    To do this, you shell out $20,000 on a PPC campaign just as tax season begins – when the search volume for tax software is at its peak.

    Since the timing is right, you’ll get a lot of new clients. You’ll break even, and maybe even earn a bit more than you spent.

    But when tax season is over and your campaign comes to a close, you stop earning.

    No one new will find your software, and you’ll have to splurge again to get another campaign up and running.

    Contrast that to SEO strategies.

    With SEO, there is so much more you can get done with $20,000.

    No, you won’t see the instant results you get with PPC. But with solid SEO strategies, you’ll see steady growth in traffic, leads, and clients!

    With $20,000, you could get a room full of copy and content writers for your SEO campaign (and you only really need one).

    You could get a web developer to ensure your website is free from technical errors.

    You could hire a graphic designer to make sure you have the most attractive lead captures – and more!

    The best part?

    Once you rank for the right keywords, you’ll be getting floods of organic traffic without spending a dime.

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    1. SEO is Super Effective at Getting New Leads

      When it comes to fresh leads, nothing is better than SEO. With good SaaS SEO strategies, you can reach potential clients who weren’t even looking for software.

      As a SaaS company, you’re offering your software as a solution to your clients’ problems. That’s why one way you can get new clients through SEO is by writing content about these problems.

      For example, if you want tax preparers to use your tax software, you could get to them by writing content about “5 Things Tax Preparation Businesses Need.”

      Tax preparers who are setting up their business might be wondering what they need to give their clients the best service. When they read your article, they’ll realize that tax software will make their lives easier and their clients happier.

      And what a coincidence! At the end of the article, they get a free trial of your tax software. Just like that, you get a brand new lead.

      That’s why even if people aren’t already looking for your SaaS business, good SEO will pull them in if they’ll benefit from it.

      So find these target keywords with high search volume and go after them.

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      1. SEO will Put You Above Your Competitors

        SEO will also let you put your SaaS a step ahead of your competitors.

        Not only will good SEO strategies give you more organic traffic, but you could also write a comparison article that positions you as the best option.

        For example, people who are already looking for tax software would love to read an article like “The Best Tax Software Programs Compared.” They’ll want to know their options and what they’ll get from each one.

        It might sound counterintuitive to write content about your competitors, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to show people why you are their best option.

        You can put a strong emphasis on what makes your SaaS better than the others while shedding some light on the shortcomings of other programs.

        However, don’t overdo it. People can sense bias. If you over-smear your competition and make yourself look like the only option, readers will not trust you.

        A fair and balanced article with an emphasis on what makes you unique will win clients over.

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        What SaaS SEO Looks Like

        Before you start working on your website’s SEO, it’s important to know the end goal.

        The ultimate goal of SEO for SaaS companies is to draw people in and get them to sign up for your lead capture.

        Getting a bunch of traffic is great, but if all people get is knowledge, that won’t be enough.

        You can rank #1 for every keyword you go after. But if nobody is buying or subscribing to your software… what’s the point?

        Unlike other industries where SEO is useful for building trust and prestige, SaaS SEO has one goal: get more people to use your software.

        That’s why you need to pair your SEO efforts with a strong lead magnet.

        Most SaaS companies offer free trials. This is a great way to give people a taste of what your software can do – and leave them itching to get the full version.

        Lead captures like these are crucial because even someone interested can be turned away when they have to pay the full price first.

        And if people come to your website only to read, your entire SEO push won’t be worth much.

        But if people come and sign up for your lead capture, you’ll be inches away from gaining a loyal client.

        Once they sign up, you know your SEO has been successful. Whether or not they choose to subscribe or buy the full version of your SaaS now depends on how useful it is to them.

        That’s why your SEO strategy is inseparable from your lead magnet.

        Yes, SEO is vital for success. But it’s only a part of a bigger plan – a plan that will get you a ton of new clients.

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        The 4 Ways to Improve SaaS SEO

        Every SEO tactic falls under four broader categories:
        1. Content Writing
        2. User-Experience
        3. Link Building
        4. Technical SEO
        Let’s have a closer look at each one.

        How to Improve SaaS SEO Step #1: Write Epic Content

        Everyone knows that content marketing is the king of SEO.

        But you might be wondering what type of content you should write for your SaaS company.

        There are three types, and they all play a different role.

        Informational Content

        When people have a problem, where do they go for help?

        Google.

        According to Internet Live Stats, there are over 3.5 billion Google searches a day! And about 80% of these are informational searches.

        People are seeking answers to their problems online. If you can provide that, you’re going to get a ton of organic traffic on your website.

        And, as you’ve already seen, content marketing can pull in even people who didn’t wake up thinking they needed software.

        So go and find your clients’ pain points. Find out what they have problems with and what they’re searching for. Do keyword research to see what they’re typing on Google search.

        Then go and write content addressing those problems.

        But here’s the catch: your article has to be the best article on that subject. If you write a general answer that people can easily get elsewhere, you won’t rank.

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        That’s why when you do keyword research, don’t just find out what people are asking, find out what your competitors are writing.

        Your content should be neat, easy to read, and give the best answers on the internet.

        Do this, and your rewards will be great. Your website will shoot up in rankings, and you’ll get a lot of new leads.

        So pay special attention to the quality of your content. This is the backbone of your entire SEO strategy.

        Comparative Content

        Another angle you should take in your content marketing is writing comparative content.

        This content is for people lower down in the sales funnel. They’re already looking for SaaS, but don’t know which one they should get.

        These people want to make an informed decision before choosing which software to subscribe to or buy. They search for keywords like “Best Tax Software” or “What to Look for When Choosing Tax Software.”

        Your keyword research might even show you that people are searching for “Your SaaS vs a competitor.”

        Again, coming in with the most comprehensive comparison or guide will get you on top of search engines.

        It can be tempting to give all the attention to your software and dismiss others as not worth it. After all, isn’t that what big brands do? Make themselves look like heroes and their competitors like villains?

        But this is not the way to win clients online. When people look for comparisons, they want an authentic and unbiased (at least not obviously) review.

        They don’t want to be advertised to. They want to get the facts and make a decision on their own.

        So keep it balanced. Yes, emphasize your strong point. But don’t villainize your SaaS competitors.

        Articles like these tend to have high conversions. That’s because people who look them up are already looking for the software.

        If a great offer pops up while they’re reading, they’re highly likely to sign up.

        Sales Content

        Remember, bringing in the traffic is only half the job. You also need to find a way to get them to sign up for your free trial.

        This is where sales content comes in.

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        Aside from creating the most attractive lead capture ever, you’ll also need an epic landing page.

        People who get here are on the tipping edge to becoming a client. They didn’t just search for an answer to their problem or a comparison chart for their options. They searched for your SaaS’s name.

        But don’t assume that they’re going to buy without reading anything first.

        People who are unimpressed with your landing page are just as likely to hit the back button.

        That’s why you should write the most convincing landing page possible.

        Aside from that, you should also throw in some keywords.

        Try to rank for your software’s main keyword (ex: Tax software). This way, whenever someone searches for your type of software, your website will be one of the first ones to pop up.

        Those are the three types of content your website needs. Combine these three together, and you’ll have a solid place to start building the rest of your website and SEO strategy.

        How to Improve SaaS SEO Step #2: Give the Best User Experience Ever

        The longer visitors stay on your page, the higher you’ll rank in search engines.

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        That’s why creating a great user experience on your website is a must.

        Your website should give so much more than just text. If you create charts, infographics, and videos, people are going to stick around much longer. Plus, visuals like these can attract a lot of links (more on this soon).

        Also, users should find what they’re looking for the moment they arrive at your web page.

        User experience should ALWAYS be above website design.

        You can have the most beautiful website ever. But without a great user experience, the only thing people will look for is the back button.

        Finally, you want to make it extremely easy for visitors to sign up for your lead magnet.

        Don’t stuff it all over the place, but bring it up whenever it’s fitting. Whenever people stop to think about getting your software, hit them with that amazing offer to pull them further down the sales funnel.

        With a great user experience, your website will rank a lot higher, and you’ll get many new leads.

        How to Improve SaaS SEO Step #3: Build High-Quality Links

        With great content and an awesome user-experience, now it’s time to go looking for links.

        Links are one of the biggest ranking factors. The more times your link appears on the internet, the more search engines trust your website as the authority.

        There are three great ways to build links:

        1. Through your content
        2. Through link outreach
        3. Through guest blogging

        Using a mix of these three strategies will bring loads of links and new traffic to your website.

        1. Link Building Through Your Content

          Another reason your content should be ultra-valuable to readers is so that you’ll get links.

          When you provide facts and figures that can’t be found anywhere else, people are going to cite your article a lot.

          And as a software company, you probably have lots of valuable data lying around.

          There are so many people looking for concrete data like you have. When you share these, you can expect a lot of links to come in.

        2. Link Building Through Link Outreach

          This may sound strange, but one way to build links is by simply asking for them.

          Anywhere you find your software mentioned online, reach out to the website and ask them to add your link.

          The more reputable links pointing to your website, the better this will be for your SEO.

          That’s why when you see your software mentioned, don’t let the opportunity go to waste. Reach out and gain a new link.

        3. Link Building Through Guest Blogging

          If there’s a website that you would love a link from, one great way to get this is through guest blogging.Pick a big website that has an audience that would love your software. Then, write an awesome blog post that will be valuable for that website’s readers. The better it is for that website’s audience, the bigger your chance of winning your pitch.

          If you’re starting from scratch, this is probably the best way to start building links.

          And if you get a link from a popular website, this will jumpstart your search engine rankings.

        How to Improve SaaS SEO Step #4: Fix Technical SEO Errors (or Hire a Web Developer)

        Last but certainly not least, technical SEO.

        You can do everything else right, but your website will fail if it’s full of technical errors.

        Unfortunately, technical SEO is not easy to fix. To do this, you’ll have to deal with code and template files.

        That’s why we recommend hiring a web developer, getting SEO services, or, at the very least, getting a website audit.

        Unlike other errors, technical errors are tough to spot. But an SEO audit will search your website and identify all these problems. From there, you can work on it yourself or hire a web developer.

        Want a personalized, in-depth website audit video from TheGallasCompany? Click here to find out how you can get one for free!

        Audits can show you crawl errors, broken links, mobile-friendliness, page speed, schema markups, and more.

        Again, unless you’re into programming, letting a web developer or SEO company handle this will save you a lot of time and energy.

        But if you’re willing to give it a shot, head over to Google Search Console and look for these technical errors.

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        Ready to Take a Ton of New Leads for Your SaaS Company?

        No, SEO will not produce instant results as paid advertisements will.

        You’ll have to put in a lot of effort, and you won’t see big changes in the first few weeks or even months.

        But once your SEO is set up, your SaaS company will generate lead after lead after lead.

        Even when you aren’t pouring out money, people will find you organically and try out your software.

        So the question is:

        Are you going to stick to spending on ads whenever you want new clients? Or are you going to make a wise choice and go for solid, steady growth with SEO?

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        Want the professionals to do your SEO for you?
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