Why SEO is important for SaaS businesses

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is vital for any company with an online presence. It refers to the process of improving the visibility of your website in the organic results of search engines such as Google. Many factors go into the algorithms that generate search engine rankings, including keywords, links and mobile optimization, which means there are lots of techniques you can use to improve your website’s position. If you run a SaaS business (one in which customers pay for access to a software product), SEO is going to be particularly important for you and your company. Here’s why.

Drive traffic to your website

This is perhaps the most obvious benefit of having a good SEO strategy. The higher up your website appears on Google when people search for a relevant keyword or phrase, the more likely they are to click through to your page. It’s estimated that over 25% of people click on the first organic search result on Google, and people rarely go on to even the second page of results. Combined with the fact that most online experiences begin with a search engine, it’s easy to see why SEO is a vital part of getting customers onto your site.

Publicize your business without spending money on advertising

Lots of SaaS companies turn to paid advertising to promote themselves, which is a completely valid strategy but can take up a lot of your budget. Therefore when it comes to SEO SaaS companies have a cost-effective alternative to help generate more web traffic and gain more customers, particularly in the long term. This is especially helpful for newer SaaS businesses that perhaps don’t have a large budget for advertising, or who are happy to invest some time in creating the sort of high-quality content that ranks well. In the highly competitive world of SaaS, this can be a fantastic strategy.

Stand out from your competitors

As mentioned above, the SaaS market is a very competitive one. It’s rapidly growing and expected to be worth over $140 billion globally by 2022. Standing out in such a crowded marketplace can be difficult, but a good SEO strategy can be a big help. By consistently appearing at the top of search engine results, it’s more likely that potential customers will remember and recognize your company name – even if they don’t click through to your site at first. Plus your main competitors will probably be utilizing SEO themselves, so you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t do the same.

Get more customers

Essentially this is what it’s all about. The reason that you want more traffic to your site and greater brand recognition is all to help get more people to subscribe to the software you’re offering. Appearing at the top of search engine listings doesn’t just encourage people to click through to your site, it also helps boost your company’s credibility and trustworthiness. Organic content such as blog posts and videos tends to be viewed more highly in comparison with advertising, so packing your pages with great content not only helps improve your rankings, it also builds you a better reputation. It’s a win-win!