The majority of SaaS startups start with a low budget for marketing, not enough to hire an SEO expert or agency and this can be challenging for most teams. Typically, at this stage, startups choose to handle SEO in-house, which is cost-effective and achievable with the right approach.

I started my SEO strategy 8 months ago from scratch with no budget and limited resources. The newly indexed site began at 0 and now generates 600 organic monthly visitors. Establishing a strong relationship with Google is a long-term investment so I had to be patient. By following the tips I'm sharing with you today, you will see an increase in organic traffic for your SaaS startup.

Before we get started, begin by ensuring your website’s technical structure is up to date, optimizing for responsiveness, and getting it indexed by Google through Google Search Console. The earlier you do this, the better.

1. Optimize Your Web Performance

Improving your organic traffic starts with a solid understanding of your web performance. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check if you have passed Google's Core Web Vitals. Core Web Vitals are important for SEO because they measure the user experience of your site and can significantly impact your site's search rankings. Using the gathered data, optimize both the mobile and desktop versions of your site to ensure they are user-friendly with responsive design.

Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor traffic and user behavior while tracking the following metrics:

✔ Sessions
✔ Bounce Rate
✔ Conversion Rates
✔ Organic Search Traffic
✔ New vs. Returning Visitors
✔ Top Pages

Use heatmap tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to understand user interactions. Understanding user interactions helps you identify areas where users may encounter issues. A better user experience can lead to increased engagement, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates. 

By analyzing and optimizing your web performance you can positively influence your SaaS site’s visibility in Google’s search engine.

2. Analyze Your Competitors’ SaaS SEO Strategy

I love in-depth competitor research, it is the key to a winning SEO strategy for most SaaS startups. Conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to gain deep insight into your competition. This will help you identify your main competitors, analyze what they excel at and where they fall short, discover opportunities they are pursuing, and uncover market gaps they aren’t filling.

Take competition analysis a step further by using tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to analyze their content strategies, keyword rankings, and backlinks. Getting a solid understanding of your competitors' SEO tactics allows you to adapt and improve your strategies to stay competitive.

3. Keyword Research 

Many SaaS-related keywords are oversaturated and highly competitive, especially those within popular software categories with high DA (domain authority). Conducting thorough keyword research is essential for finding opportunities and increasing organic traffic. Start by identifying short-tail or long-tail keywords specific to your SaaS offering. For example, if you offer a niche project management software, target keywords like "best project management tools for [niche]" or "[niche] project management software."

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Keysearch to find keywords with low to moderate competition but solid search volume. As a cost-effective solution, I like to create a keyword tracker to gather as much data as I can on opportunity keywords. By organizing this information in one place, I can quickly identify trends, prioritize content, and improve our SEO strategy + endless content ideas!

4. Build Quality Backlinks

Building quality backlinks from reputable websites signals to Google that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more credible your site appears, and the higher you rank in SERPs (search engine results pages).

Start by listing your SaaS on directories and websites that are startup-friendly, such as Product Hunt, BetaList, and G2. Here are 6 backlink opportunities for SaaS startups:

G2 https://sell.g2.com/create-a-profile 
Product Hunt https://www.producthunt.com/ 
CNET https://download.cnet.com/add-your-software/ 
Betalist https://betalist.com/ 
Alternative https://alternative.me/how-to/submit-software/ 
AlternativeTo https://alternativeto.net/

5. Create a Strong SaaS Content Marketing Strategy

Developing a strong content marketing strategy will position your SaaS startup for long-term success. Start by creating a detailed content calendar to maintain a consistent publishing schedule. Fill this content calendar with diverse content types such as blog posts, case studies, detailed buyer personas, comparison pages, and tutorials. Promote your content across social media channels, email newsletters, and other distribution platforms of your choice.

The Salesforce Content Hub showcases a solid content marketing strategy, with regular blog posts, whitepapers, and video content customized to their audience's pain points and needs, successfully driving organic traffic. Following their example, you can slowly build a database of valuable content that attracts and retains users to your website.

Key Takeaways

✅ Analyze and optimize your website’s performance metrics.

✅ Study competitors for opportunities and gaps.

✅ Conduct keyword research for relevant terms.

✅ Build quality backlinks from niche directories.

✅ Develop a diverse content marketing strategy.

Investing your time in organic traffic is critical in 2024, because it builds a strong foundation for sustainable growth, reduces dependency on paid advertising, and builds a strong online presence. I believe, SEO is absolutely vital for long-term growth and will position your SaaS as a trusted thought leader in your niche.