To quote Woody Allen, “80% of success is showing up.”
78% of B2B purchases start with a Google search. Not LinkedIn. Not personal networks. Google.
So, quite literally, ~80% of your success in customer acquisition is showing up (on search engines, that is). This article goes into deep detail at the strategy and tactical level for every single item on this checklist.
The Ultimate SaaS SEO Checklist:
- Keyword research: Assess search intent, volume, difficulty & relevance; use Keyword Planner and cluster by funnel stage
- On‑page optimization: Optimize title tags (130–155 chars), meta descriptions, headers, URLs & image alt tags; avoid keyword stuffing
- Content refresh: Update pages ranking on SERPs 1–3 with added value (new sections, videos, downloads)
- Internal linking: Create a logical hierarchy with clickable CTAs; minimize extra clicks
- External linking: Cite reputable sources and build “linkable” assets (infographics, stats)
- E‑E‑A‑T signals: Include author photo, bio, credentials and social links
- UX & technical SEO: Fix broken links, ensure <2 s load time, mobile‑optimize and audit Core Web Vitals
- Schema markup: Generate JSON‑LD via Structured Data Helper and validate in Google’s testing tool
- ICP‑driven content: Define buyer personas; build topic clusters and pillar pages; avoid self‑focused copy
- Adding Free value: Offer tools, resources and ungated case studies to earn backlinks and engagement
- Audience education: Publish how‑to guides, videos, webinars, maintain a knowledge base and engage in forums
- Transparency: Publish pricing, roadmap, policies and competitor comparisons
- Performance monitoring: Track organic MQLs/SQLs, assisted conversions and iterate based on data
- Video & Image SEO: Add full transcripts, submit a video sitemap, implement Open Graph/Twitter Card tags, and optimize file names with clear captions & alt text
- Crawl Budget & Site Architecture: Maintain a clean XML sitemap, tune robots.txt to block irrelevant pages, and flatten deep link hierarchies
- Backlink Audit & Competitive Link Analysis: Conduct regular backlink profile reviews, disavow toxic links, and perform gap analysis against top competitors
- Algorithm Update Monitoring & Risk Mitigation: Subscribe to core update alerts, run quarterly penalty audits, and have a recovery playbook ready
- Conversion Rate Optimization for SEO Traffic: Run A/B tests and heatmaps on high‑traffic landing pages, and optimize form fields for smoother conversions
- Mobile‑First & Progressive Web App Considerations: Implement service workers for faster loads, consider a PWA for app‑like UX, and evaluate AMP where it adds value
- Security & Privacy Compliance: Enforce HTTPS site‑wide, deploy GDPR/CCPA‑compliant cookie banners, and clearly disclose data handling practices
Comparing SaaS vs General SEO
This comprehensive checklist was created to help SaaS companies get started with SEO. SaaS stands for “software as a service,” so if you are a software company you are in the right place! However, you should be aware that many of the action items that go into search engine optimization apply no matter who you are or what you do.
Doesn’t matter if you’re selling software, peddling t-shirts on a Shopify store, or blogging about the latest trends in vegan cooking.
This section of the guide covers Google’s algorithm has some basic criteria it uses to rank any and all websites, so that’s where you’ll start.
Keyword research
Keyword research is the first, most important item on our SEO checklist and its actually quite simple. You need to figure out what people are typing into Google when they’re looking for stuff you offer. For many SaaS companies, your initial keyword is going to be “[blank] software” but to do SEO you need a fully researched and categorized set of keywords to go after.
Broadly, there are four criteria you want to look at when determining what SEO keywords want to rank for:
- Search intent. Don’t mix up your informational keywords (like “how to do X”) with commercial keywords (like “best X software for small businesses”) or transactional keywords (like “X software pricing”).
- Search volume. A “good” keyword volume could really be anything. And data from keyword research tools is limited in some aspects. Ideally, target keywords with 100-1,000 monthly organic searches for a solid ROI.
- Difficulty. You’ll never outrank Salesforce for “CRM” (unless you’re equally authoritative). Shoot for keywords with <30 difficulty when building a keyword strategy.
- Relevance. Your keywords are tied to pieces of web content, so you have to ask yourself what your goal with that content is. Awareness? Conversion? You also have to consider if there’s a natural fit between the keyword and what you’re offering.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list, you can use Google Keyword Planner to estimate the CPC/CTR and see search volume trends for each keyword.
We’re talking about organic search, not ads. But the keywords people are willing to spend more money on are the ones that are converting.
Instead of just going down your keyword list, maximize your SEO ROI by organically ranking for keywords with a high CPC and CTR.
From there, group keywords into clusters like “Awareness Stage,” “Consideration Stage,” and “Decision Stage,” as well as product-specific tags to align with business aspects and customer journey stages.
You can use Ahrefs to create segmented keyword lists.
How does SEO keyword research differ for SaaS companies? I’ve written a comprehensive guide to SaaS keyword research, which I recommend you read (if you haven’t already).
On-page optimization
There’s a lot that goes into on-page optimization. It’s not just keywords in your content (although that is important). Even though updating SaaS website pages, especially product pages, can start a flame war between sales and marketing teams, you still need to revamp your content in order to maximize your SEO. Here’s the key action items:
- Title tags and meta descriptions. The title tag is what appears as the blue link in search results, and the meta description is the snippet of text underneath. Ideally, you want keywords within both of these elements. Keep them to 130-155 characters.
- Headers. Include your target keyword (or a variation) in at least one header tag (H1, H2, etc.) on each page.
- URLs. Keep URLs as short and descriptive as possible, including a keyword. Normally, it will match the page title.
- Image alt tags. Include keywords in image alt tags to help with accessibility and help search engines read your content.
- Keyword distribution. Avoid keyword stuffing at all costs.
- Semantically-related keywords. Use multiple variations of the same keyword (like a human naturally would).
A special note for your home page, product pages, and landing pages:
You want these web pages to be conversion-driven. Use them to showcase your product, highlight its benefits, and add some personality.
Here’s a good example:
Notice they don’t say “Spend Management and Corporate Cards.”
Writing for B2B & SaaS SEO
The next area to cover in our ultimate SaaS SEO checklist is writing! Besides the on-page optimization elements that help search engines read and understand your content, you have to remember you’re writing for people.
Of course, you’ll identify relevant keywords and publish new content. But you don’t have to start from scratch.
Start with your current search engine rankings. Find the content that’s on pages 1, 2, or 3 using your keyword research tool. In Ahrefs, you can find it under Organic Keywords.
From there, add additional value and accelerate the already-spinning wheel. Here are quick ideas for how to expand and improve an article for SEO purposes:
- Adding a new section
- Highlighting research you’ve done
- Creating a video
- Including a downloadable resource like a checklist or template
- Expanding on your original topic
Before you execute the rest of your SEO strategy, that’s how you get a few quick wins (and keep your content up-to-date).
Internal, external linking, and backlinks
All three types of links- internal links, external links and backlinks have a special importance for SaaS SEO. In this section we’ll cover the basics of both and soon you’ll be fully linked up!
Internal links
Internal linking within your web content creates a logical site hierarchy and helps your readers find more relevant content.
As an example, here’s an internal link to our post about why internal links are so important.
By linking to pieces of content where you use the keyword, you’re also sending signals to search engines about which content pertains to certain search terms, topics, and phrases.
On your SaaS website, you should also use internal links in the form of clickable assets. On Base.ai’s homepage, individual buttons with labeled descriptors highlight where users can navigate to a specific product use case.
I will say this, though: Keep the amount of pages a visitor needs to switch between to a minimum. As much as possible, relevant info should stay within the same page.
For example, ClickUp’s homepage highlights all of its core features with clickable buttons.
Rather than force a customer to go down a rabbit hole, users can click through the highlights to see more details without switching screens.
External links
Where it makes sense, link to relevant external pages, like statistical research and industry reports from reputable sources.
High-quality content links to high-quality sources, so search engine crawlers use external links as a way of determining whether what you’re saying is actually credible. For your readers, it also adds context to your argument.
Where possible, also try to create “linkable” content.
- Add statistics
- Publish your own research
- Create infographics
- Curate and add commentary to industry news
While link building is something you’ll personally have to put tons of effort into, this will help you earn a few links naturally.
Backlinks
Backlinks are 3rd party or “offsite” references to your website in the form of a link. Every startup that wants to succeed in organic search has to start building backlinks, reviews, mentions and get the word out any way you can. Here’s our go-to list of places to start getting backlinks explicitly for SaaS companies:
Dedicated SaaS Review Platforms
- G2 – the go‑to for enterprise‑grade software reviews and backlink opportunities
- Capterra – high‑traffic directory for B2B software with SEO‑friendly listings
- TrustRadius – in‑depth reviews you can leverage for social proof and links
- GetApp – a Gartner company’s comparison site that links back to your product page
- Software Advice – free listings plus citations in their buyer’s guides
- SaaSworthy – niche directory focused exclusively on SaaS offerings
App Marketplaces & Integrations
- Salesforce AppExchange – list your app to reach millions of CRM users
- HubSpot App Partner Directory – get featured and linked from HubSpot’s ecosystem
- AWS & Azure Marketplaces – distribute serverless or infrastructure‑adjacent tools with vendor links
- Google Workspace & Slack App Directories – capture productivity audiences and earn directory backlinks
- Atlassian Marketplace – for Jira/Confluence add‑ons, complete with review and rating features
Product Launch & Early‑Adopter Channels
- Product Hunt – prime spot for launch‑day reviews, discussions & upvotes
- BetaList & Betabound – showcase new features and collect user feedback (and links)
- HackerMoon, Hacker News (“Show HN”) & Indie Hackers – hard‑to‑earn mentions, but huge credibility boosts
Earned Media & Community Mentions
- SaaStr & SaaStock blogs/events – pitch guest posts or sponsor content with contextual links
- HARO & SourceBottle – respond to journalist queries about SaaS topics and win mentions
- Industry podcasts/webinars (e.g. The SaaS Podcast, GrowthTL;DR) – interview slots often come with show‑notes backlinks
- Niche forums (e.g. Reddit’s r/SaaS, StackOverflow) – share insights and link back to relevant resources
Does E-E-A-T Matter for SaaS Companies?
More than just building backlinks, in this era you have to actively build trust a myriad of ways. Google’s web crawlers do more than just read your content. They use E-E-A-T signals to assess its authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
- Experience (Has the author done what they’re talking about?)
- Expertise (Do they have the knowledge and credibility to write about it?
- Authoritativeness (Do they and the website they represent have a good reputation?)
- Trustworthiness (Is the content free of errors and manipulation? Can it be fact-checked? Are users safe from malicious content?)
Checking these boxes is actually easier than it sounds. Since you’ve already built and are actively selling a software product, search engines already know you aren’t just some Joe Shmoe. On the product side, the best way to boost your E-E-A-T scores is by building positive reviews on your own platforms and also on 3rd party reviewing sites.
To reinforce that credibility, though? You need to add a few elements to your articles:
- Credentials (if you don’t have any, say someone on your team with the creds wrote it, like your CTO)
- Author social media links (most important)
- Photo
- Bio
- Education
- Other business affiliations
At the end of every article on Benepass’s website, they include a photo, name, and short blurb about the author. They also link to their social media accounts.
UX and technical SEO
Do you ever walk into a store or coffee shop, then immediately leave because the line was too long?
How long does it take you to make that decision? Maybe 1-2 seconds?
The same principle applies to website speed. That’s why it’s always been one of Google’s most important ranking factors.
- No glitches or broken links
- < 2 seconds load time
Got it?
To pinpoint the issues you have with your site’s basic UX and technical functions, run a Core Web Vitals audit using Google Search Console or PageSpeed Insights.
In addition to a score from 0-100, you’ll get a list of problems with your site holding you back from being a high-performing SaaS website.
Normally, fixing these issues (some of which, by the way, you can probably do right now) will give you a near-immediate boost in organic traffic.
Your site should also be pretty. Users should enjoy looking at it.
- No neon colors
- Have a good mixture of text and multimedia
- Use white space to create clear sections
- Avoid clunky animations and long videos
- Include user-friendly menus and buttons
- Make sure it’s mobile optimized
- Clearly contrast your CTA buttons with the rest of your page
Schema for SaaS Companies
The next item on our SEO checklist for SaaS companies is structured data from schema.org. Schema markup is a type of microdata you can add to your website’s code to help search engines understand the content on your web pages better. It also helps your readers get to the info they’re searching for faster.
You can use it in your web content to highlight reviews, article sections, prouduct pricing, and any other data points you want to stand out.
When someone searches your company (e.g., “Monday.com“), it can help certain types of search engine users get where they need to go more quickly.
If your SaaS website has a lot of content, you can even add a search function from search engine results pages, which readers can use to filter and search for content.
Use Google’s intuitive Structured Data Markup Helper to create JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) code.
From there, it’ll auto-generate code for you.
Then, test it in Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool before copying it into your site’s backend.
Do that for every page as you add more content.
Our SaaS SEO checklist
We’ve just covered the aspects of SEO true for all companies. Now…there’s more to SaaS SEO than just the basics. Let’s dive into what SaaS companies need to focus on specifically for a successful SEO strategy.
SaaS Content strategy
These days, keyword research is rarely overlooked. If anything, it’s actually overemphasized in SaaS content. A lot of SaaS companies make the mistake of focusing too heavily on keyword data and not enough on their actual audience when they publish articles.
- Create ICPs, then generate keyword ideas. Don’t just focus on general traffic.
- Keywords and content need to match search intent (informational vs. transactional, top vs. middle vs. bottom of the funnel).
- Most importantly, it’s about the topics you cover in your content, not just specific keywords.
- Build topic clusters, where one “pillar” page links to several other related pages.
Beyond that, there are a few rules of thumb when it comes to SaaS content marketing. The most important thing to remember…repeat after me:
Nobody cares about your company, except you.
Maybe an investor. And maaaybe one customer. But don’t talk about yourself and wonder why nobody’s converting off it.
None of the “I’m doing this amazing thing” and “We’re so proud of our new product release” stuff. No one cares.
A quick way to build authority and pump out lots of content is to create a glossary. A glossary is a hub of long-form definitions for industry terms you link to from your blog posts.
They target the top of the funnel, and the authority you build through this approach will transfer to your other web pages.
My one piece of advice here: Don’t batch-generate these with AI. Put some thought into them (your competition most definitely is).
Add (free) value
Obviously, your content should be “valuable.” That’s SaaS SEO 101.
I’m talking about how you can help people without them needing to buy your product. Because, in doing so, a lot of them will.
What most SaaS companies do is offer free tools or a freemium version of their product. That’s the best way to:
- Get mentions of your brand across forums, communities, and other blogs
- Earn backlinks to your site
- Build brand awareness from all angles
- Land more users and, eventually, customers
For example, HubSpot offers a free website grader tool (plus, a whole suite of free marketing and sales tools).
Free informational resources are also a must. Seriously…don’t gatekeep all your content. Especially not case studies (why would you want to hide customer success stories from your prospects?).
Put everything out there for anyone to find and share. Save your email gates for free trials, extensive reports, webinars, and other big pieces.
Teach
They say, “Those who can’t do, teach.”
You aren’t selling a “Make $10K/month” business course or professing at your local uni. That doesn’t apply to you.
Start with forum participation. Over the last 6 months, Google has placed huge emphasis on Quora and Reddit as valuable sources of information (probably because of the “Experience” aspect of E-E-A-T).
As an exec representing your company, being active on these forums is the new way to answer FAQs and position yourself as the expert off-site.
Besides that, there are a few critical ways you, as a SaaS vendor, need to educate your audience.
- Create how-to blog content (don’t put your product at the center, unless it’s a specific technical fix, use case, or workaround)
- Create explainer videos and webinars for your audience
- Get a knowledge base going
- Be active in your own community forums, if you have them
- Add product documentation
Be open
Your content should turn people away.
That isn’t even a clickbait headline. This is about transparency. And it’s huge in SaaS SEO.
- From your pricing model and product roadmap to data sharing policies, let customers know how you operate.
- Create pages for security, privacy policy, terms of use (and make them easy to find in the footer).
- Talk about your competitors, and share your thoughts on different solutions. That’s how you create a consistent stream of MQLs that might actually benefit from your product.
Be patient
SEO for SaaS companies (or for any company, really) takes time.
You’ll see small wins right away by making quick technical fixes (like fixing broken links) and updating/improving your already-ranking content. But don’t expect a massive jump in traffic just because you built a few links or ranked for a few keywords.
In the meantime, pay attention to conversions. If your SEO conversion rate sucks, a bunch of organic traffic is just a vanity metric.
With so many touchpoints, it’s more challenging to set up an attribution model than if you were selling, say, a DTC product.
Still, you can use Google Analytics to track MQLs and SQLs through the funnel and see what the conversion path looks like.
You can also look at assisted conversions to see how your organic content contributes to sales and customize conversion events to include specific actions.
Need Help with SaaS SEO?
I don’t blame you…SaaS SEO is quite the beast.
Ranking a SaaS website takes a team. So why not hire ours?
Advanced SaaS SEO Checklist Items
Ready for more SEO items specifically built to help SaaS companies? Linkflow is ready to help you level up your game. These aren’t your basic SEO moves—they’re the advanced SEO tactics that separate the digital startups from the tech scale‑ups.
Video & Image SEO Items
Don’t let your rich media sit in the shadows. SaaS marketing managers know they need to showcase their products using videos and images. How can you optimize these videos for SEO? Always include full video transcripts so search engines can “read” your content, and submit a dedicated video sitemap. For social previews, add Open Graph and Twitter Card tags so your thumbnails look sharp when shared. Rename files with descriptive, keyword‑rich names and use clear captions and alt text—every little bit helps.
Crawl Budget & Site Architecture Considerations
Your site’s structure should be a GPS, not a maze. Keep your XML sitemap clean and up to date, and tune your robots.txt to block irrelevant pages (think staging or tag archives). For massive sites, flatten deep link hierarchies—if it takes more than three clicks, you risk pages never getting indexed.
SEO Backlink Audit & Competitive Link Analysis
Links are still king, especially for SaaS businesses where all your competitors are tech savvy. The most important tip here is that quality beats quantity every time. Even if you’ve only ever used white hat link building, its still important to run regular backlink profile reviews to spot spammy or toxic refs and disavow them before they hurt you. Then benchmark against your top three competitors—where are they earning links you’re missing? Use that gap analysis to fuel your outreach.
Algorithm Update Monitoring & Risk Mitigation
Google changes the rules all the time—so you need a playbook. Subscribe to update alerts (think SEMrush or Moz), and set up quarterly “penalty audits” to catch any sudden traffic drops. When you detect a hit, activate your recovery plan: identify the culprit, remove or improve problem content, and submit a reconsideration request if needed.
Conversion Rate Optimization for SEO Traffic
Organic traffic is great, but conversions pay the bills. On your highest‑traffic landing pages, run A/B tests on headlines, CTAs, and form fields. Layer on heatmaps to see where people click (or ignore), and tweak form layouts to reduce friction. Tie each change back to SEO landing pages so you know exactly which organic keywords drive the best ROI.
Mobile‑First & Progressive Web App Considerations
Google’s mobile‑first indexing means your site must perform flawlessly on phones. Implement service workers for faster repeat loads, and consider a Progressive Web App to give users an app‑like experience without the app store. If AMP makes sense for high‑volume content, roll it out—but only after measuring the impact on engagement.
Security & Privacy Compliance for SaaS
Trust is a ranking signal. Make HTTPS non‑negotiable across your entire site and keep that SSL certificate up to date. If you serve EU or California users, configure GDPR/CCPA‑compliant cookie banners and clearly disclose how you handle personal data. A secure, transparent site not only pleases Google but keeps your users coming back.
