Creating a successful SaaS company can feel like an uphill battle. With so many software solutions available, it’s difficult for new services to break through and capture the attention of potential clients. Even some of the most established SaaS companies struggle to grow their user base and attract more customers. To make your SaaS company more appealing to customers, you need to easy-to-follow- SEO tips to optimize your strategy from the ground up.
SaaS businesses differ from other businesses, so you’ll need to take a slightly different approach when marketing your product or service. But with these tips for optimizing your SaaS company for search engines (also known as SEO), you can significantly increase traffic, drive more leads from search engines, and give potential customers all the information they need to sign up for your service.
1. Start With User Research
Before you strategize your SEO for your SaaS company, you need to do some research. First, you’ll want to identify your target customer. Try to get as detailed and specific as possible. Who will use your product or service? What do they care about? How does your product or service solve a problem for them?
Once you’ve identified your target customer, you can start researching their online behavior. How do they discover SaaS solutions? What terms do they use to search for software? What questions do they ask when they’re looking for new software? What are they expecting when they arrive at your website? You can also use tools like SurveyMonkey or Intersect by Hootsuite to ask your audience about their habits, preferences, and desires.
2. Use Clear, Accurate, and Prominent Headings
When it comes to SEO language, it is essential always to use clear, accurate, and prominent headings. The headings also need to be descriptive and precise. Headings are the first thing users will see on your site, and they’ll determine whether or not your site is a good fit for their needs. If your headings are inaccurate, users may not even bother to read the rest of your site.
Make sure you’re using H1 and H2 headings correctly. H1 headings should clearly describe the purpose of the heading and should set a tone for the rest of your content. H2 headings should be more descriptive and specific. They should be used to break down your content into easily digestible pieces. Using accurate, clear, and prominent headings is one of the easiest SEO tips to implement.
3. Write Rich, High-Quality Articles With Useful Content
One of the more well-known SEO practices is to write rich, high-quality articles with useful content. You should create tons of high-quality articles that address your customers’ pain points, solve their problems, and encourage them to take action. If you’re stuck on what content to create, start by interviewing your customers, researching your competitors, and creating in-depth how-to guides.
You can also create original quality content. This content may be helpful articles, e-books, webinars, infographics, or podcasts. The best thing about original content is showcasing your expertise to your customers. Plus, search engines will appreciate that your website is authoritative, trustworthy, and helpful. So they’ll rank your website higher in their search engines.
4. Don’t Forget Your Metadata.
Every website has metadata. This metadata includes the website title, description, headings, and URL structure — all of which impact your site’s SEO. You can use this metadata to your advantage by including your most important keywords in your metadata. This will help you rank higher in search results.
Use your website’s title and description as your most important keywords. Create an attractive, descriptive, accurate title, but not overly general or spammy. The title should be between one and fifteen words long. Make sure it includes your company name, the product or service, and the problem your product solves. You should also use keywords in your headings, subheadings, and URL structure.
5. Implement Responsive Design and HTML5
One of the best SEO tips is implementing responsive design and using HTML5. Responsive design allows your website to scale and transform to fit any device and screen size — making it easier for customers to access your site and find the information they seek. Your website should also be mobile-friendly (able to be accessed and used on mobile devices with ease).
Using HTML5 will help you rank higher in search results. It’s an updated version of HTML that’s easier to use and read — especially for search engines. This means any website built using HTML5 can rank higher than its competitors.
6. Add a Landing Page to Find Out What Matters Most to Customers
A landing page is a single web page with a specific goal. This could be to get people to sign up for a free trial, learn more about your product or service, or send leads to a salesperson.
You can create a landing page and add it to your site to test which keywords and topics bring you the most leads. This will help you identify which keywords to rank for and what your customers care about. It’ll also help you determine which keywords bring you high-quality leads.
7. Leverage Customer Testimonials and Reviews.
Customer testimonials and reviews are great ways to prove the quality of your product or service and encourage new customers to sign up. They’re also helpful for SEO. You can add testimonials and reviews to your website, including their name, product used, and where they’re from.
Doing so will help you rank higher in search results because it’ll show that other companies trust your product and that customers are satisfied with the results.
8. Optimize for Mobile and Localization.
Another SEO tip is to optimize for mobile and localization. You can do this by optimizing your website for mobile devices — making it easier for customers to access your site on the go and find the solutions they need.
You can also localize your content — making it more relevant to your customers in their own language and country. Doing so will help you rank higher in search results because it’ll show that you’re trustworthy, credible, and accessible to customers in their own country. This will also help you rank higher in search results in other countries.
9. Make Sure Your Website Has a Dedicated SEO team.
The most important SEO tip is ensuring your website has a dedicated SEO team. You’ll want to do everything you can to rank higher in search results and bring more leads to your website. You can do so by bringing in a dedicated SEO team.
You’ll want to make sure you have a full-time SEO team member who can make recommendations, identify problem areas, and implement solutions as needed. You can also hire an SEO consultant to help you with your SEO strategy and implementation. These don’t have to be employee hires. Contracting SEO work to an external agency or freelancer can be just as effective.
SEO Tips for SaaS Companies
SEO is not something you do once, then forget about it. It’s an ongoing process that requires diligence and attention to detail. If you start optimizing your SEO strategy from the ground up, you’ll see results almost immediately. Your website will be better suited to rank higher in search engines and bring more leads to your company. It’ll be more accessible to customers, regardless of their location or device.
If you want to learn more about SEO, you can sign up for our Laing Media newsletter, which offers resources and tips for SaaS companies.