The SaaS business is an emerging business model where companies develop software solutions and then sell access to the software on a subscription basis. This model is different from past software companies, which sold lifetime access to a software solution based on a higher fixed price. The SaaS model, however, comes with its own challenge. One is attracting a broad but specific base of customers that are in need of the solution that the SaaS company is trying to solve with their software.
One of the best ways to reach these customers are through SEO. Rather than hiring a large sales team to pound the pavement and try to pitch to cold leads on LinkedIn and other such platforms, SEO allows SaaS companies to reach customers with their software solutions that they are already searching for. However, creating a SaaS SEO strategy is not just about finding the ideal customer persona. It’s about researching keywords and seeing which keywords are targeted to these buyer personas.
Using a SaaS SEO strategy, SaaS companies can leverage keyword research an ideal tool for to both learn more about their buyer personas and generate more leads. Being able to dominate relevant and specific keywords can help a SaaS business grow to new heights. Within keyword research, SaaS companies can use a keyword research template to break down their keywords into different keyword groups. These groups include product type, solutions, features, industries, integrations, and competitor alternatives. All of these keyword groups serve to target different customer segments, and together can be used to dominate SaaS competitors on search engines.
Once this keyword data is compiled, SaaS companies can then use it to generate effective content to rank. This is important, as many SaaS companies, such as Hubspot and Salesforce, already invest heavily in content. However, the content that a SaaS companies needs to invest in in order to rank need to be well-written, SEO-friendly, and provide value. Some examples of strong content that is keyword relevant is content that focuses on benefits, people, or use cases of your software solutions.
Aside for a strong keyword strategy and content strategy, a SaaS company should also understand the importance of backlinking. Gaining backlinks from other websites helps specific pages gain relevance to Google, particularly if the content itself is targeted toward the page that is being linked to. As a SaaS company, you want to make sure that you are getting links on websites that are related to technology or business, and that can be related back to your SaaS offerings in some way.
SEO, like any marketing channel, is an investment. However, for SaaS companies, SEO offers a unique opportunity, unlike any other marketing channel. Because SaaS solutions are all about solving problems, companies in this space can use the information algorithm of Google to get their software in front of potential users. In doing so, they’ll be able to find leads who are searching for a solution to their problems.
Ideally, your SaaS solution can provide this solution. By finding the right keywords, building the right content, and getting the right backlinks, you can make sure that your SaaS solution gets in front of the right people who are most likely to invest in your software.
