Did you know that the Software as a Service (SaaS) market has been experiencing almost exponential growth during the past few years, with a projected market value surpassing $200 billion in 2023?
SaaS companies have revolutionized the way businesses use software, offering cloud-based solutions that are easily accessible and cost-effective. As the industry continues to evolve, effective SaaS link building strategies are becoming vital for businesses to establish a strong online presence and attract customers.
To succeed in this rapidly expanding landscape, your business must adopt best practices in SEO, link building, and content marketing that enable you to stand out among the crowd and capture the attention of your target audience.
In the following article, we will be taking a deep dive into link building for SaaS. We will examine the most effective tactics, the most important metrics, and the most common mistakes businesses can make while conducting link building campaigns.
Why is Link Building for SaaS Businesses Important?
Link building refers to the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to your own site. These backlinks act as “votes” in Google’s eyes, with each high-quality, relevant link contributing to the overall authority and credibility of your website.
The strategy of SaaS link building allows a brand to differentiate itself from the competition. When a SaaS brand invests in link building, it is effectively working to increase its visibility on SERPs. This is because backlinks constitute one of Google’s most important ranking factors.
As your brand’s website gains more authority, it is more likely to rank higher in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find and engage with your company. This increased visibility can lead to higher organic traffic, which can translate into more leads and sales for your SaaS business.
Moreover, a strong link-building strategy not only improves search engine rankings but also has a number of other benefits that will give your business an advantage over its market competitors. Some of these are:
- Reaching new audiences
- Driving more referral and organic traffic
- Increasing brand awareness and credibility
- Increasing the website’s Domain Authority (DA)
8 Most Effective Link Building Tactics for SaaS Businesses
The fast-paced and cluttered SaaS industry (similar to the travel industry) requires businesses to employ effective link building tactics to stay ahead of the competition and establish a strong online presence. A well-rounded and diversified SaaS link building strategy is crucial for driving organic traffic, enhancing brand visibility, and improving search engine rankings.
From our experience working with clients in the SaaS industry, we have identified the eight most effective tactics specifically tailored to link building for SaaS.
They are:
- Guest Posting
- Product Reviews
- Linkable Assets
- Expert Roundups
- Resource Pages
- Interviews & Podcasts
- Link insertions
- Hire a SaaS Link Building Agency
By implementing these strategies, SaaS companies can build a diverse and authoritative backlink profile that fosters long-term growth and success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
#1: Guest Posting
Guest posting is one of the principal link building tactics in almost every industry. The idea is to create a high-quality article or blog post and offer it to be published on another website or blog within the SaaS industry. The content typically includes a backlink pointing to your company’s website, contributing to its overall backlink profile and enhancing its search engine rankings.
The main steps involved in the guest posting process are prospecting, outreach, and content creation.
We have also created a specialized guide for guest posting in the SaaS niche which delves into more nuanced details.
Step 1: Prospecting
The prospecting process involves identifying potential websites or blogs where you can submit your guest post. The goal is to find relevant, authoritative sites within the industry that have an engaged audience and accept guest contributions.
To identify suitable prospects, you can use targeted search queries combined with terms like “write for us,” “submit a guest post,” or “guest post guidelines.” This can help you find websites that explicitly invite guest post submissions.
Here is how it works in action:
With the first method, we already found a few potential prospects on the first page of Google. Remember to analyze the website metrics to see if it would be a good fit for you. Also, don’t forget to create a spreadsheet to keep track of all of your link-building prospects! 🙂
Another way to find guest posting opportunities is to use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to analyze the backlinks of your competitors. You can also leverage these useful SEO tools that will crush your SaaS marketing game!
Look for websites where your competitors have published guest posts and consider reaching out to these sites as well.
From there on, you can analyze each domain and do the following:
- See if there are pages where you could link to them as well.
- Check the competitors of the same domain via the “Organic Competitors” report in Ahrefs and find even more prospects.
Finally, you can browse relevant social media and industry forums and communities to identify websites and blogs that are popular within your niche. Reach out to them if they accept guest posts.
Step 2: Outreach
Once you’ve compiled a list of potential prospects, it’s time to pitch your guest post idea. When planning your guest posting outreach campaign, make sure to do the following:
- Personalize your emails: Address the website owner or editor by their name and demonstrate your familiarity with their website. Mention specific articles or topics they’ve covered that align with your pitch.
- Provide value: Explain how your guest post will benefit their audience and why you’re the right person to create the content. Showcase your expertise and provide samples of your previous work.
- Be concise and professional: Keep your email brief, well-structured, and to the point. Make sure to proofread your message to avoid errors.
- Follow the submission guidelines: If the website has specific guest post submission guidelines, follow them closely to increase your chances of a positive response.
Here is a sample guest post outreach template you can customize to leverage higher email open rates and conversions:
Step 3: Content Creation
After securing a guest posting opportunity, it’s crucial to create high-quality, valuable content that resonates with the target audience. Tailor your content to match the interests and needs of the website’s audience and use a tone and style consistent with the site’s existing content. Provide fresh perspectives or actionable tips to make your guest post stand out from the others.
Once your article is complete, don’t forget to check it for grammatical errors and incorporate a natural, contextually relevant backlink to your website within the content.
Check out our case study on how the guest posting strategy worked like a charm for one of our clients!
#2: Product Reviews
Finding bloggers and influencers to review your SaaS product can significantly improve your company’s online presence. Influencer and blogger reviews are often seen as more trustworthy and credible than traditional advertising, seeing as their audience generally trusts their opinions and expertise.
Identifying and contacting relevant bloggers and influencers is in many ways akin to the prospecting and outreach steps of the guest posting process we discussed in the previous section.
You can use Google search and social media platforms to identify popular and reputable individuals with significant following and high engagement rates in the SaaS industry.
Additionally, you can use tools like BuzzSumo or NinjaOutreach to find bloggers and influencers based on their reach, authority, and engagement metrics.
Curated lists or directories of blogs within the SaaS industry can also help you find popular and reputable bloggers.
When reaching out to them, make sure to briefly introduce your product and emphasize the potential value their audience can derive from their review. Bloggers generally have little time or patience for long emails, so keep your messages as brief as possible. Here are some tips to improve your email deliverability and open rates.
It is often advisable to provide incentives to bloggers and influencers. Incentives can motivate influencers to create high-quality content featuring your product or service, prioritize your collaboration over others, and build a long-lasting relationship with your brand. By offering incentives, you demonstrate that you value their time and effort, making them more likely to invest in creating a positive and authentic review or endorsement.
Some of the things you can offer to sweeten the pot:
- Free access or discounts
- Affiliate Program
- Cross-promotion
- Sponsored content or partnerships
#3: Linkable Assets
Linkable content is the centerpiece of SaaS link building campaigns. These assets are high-quality, valuable, and shareable pieces of content that naturally attract SaaS backlinks.
Linkable assets are an effective link building tool because they offer value to the audience and establish your SaaS company as a thought leader or expert in your industry. When you create content that people find useful, informative, or entertaining, they are more likely to share it with others and link to it from their websites.
Below we have provided a list of exceptionally popular types of content in the SaaS industry, along with examples of masterfully crafted linkable assets of each type:
- Comprehensive guides or tutorials – HubSpot’s “Inbound Marketing Certification Course”
- Original research or case studies – Buffer’s “2022 State of Remote Work Report”
- Infographics – Zendesk’s “2023 CX Trends Report”
- Interactive tools or calculators – HubSpot’s “Website Grader”
- Webinars or video tutorials – Moz’s “Whiteboard Friday” video series
- Templates or checklists – Asana’s “Project Management Templates”
- Listicles or roundup posts – Capterra’s “Top 20 Most Popular Project Management Software”
The topics of linkable content assets need to be popular and relevant in your particular niche. To come up with topics, it is crucial to stay informed on industry news, trends, and buzzwords by following relevant blogs, social media accounts, and forums.
Additionally, monitor online conversations and questions on platforms like Quora, Reddit, or industry-specific forums to discover discussions related to your niche. Use these insights to develop content that addresses common questions or challenges faced by your audience.
Keyword research can also help you identify popular search terms and topics in your niche. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to uncover high-volume keywords and build content around them.
As of recently, you can also use ChatGPT to create linkable assets for your website. The AI can help you brainstorm ideas, craft attention-grabbing headlines, and even write content for you! Don’t forget to review and edit the generated content to ensure it meets your expectations and aligns with your brand’s voice and style.
You can use this sweet prompt builder we use in ChatGPT to create a personalized prompt for your certain needs:
#4: Expert Roundups
Generally speaking, roundup posts are a type of blog post or article that curates and compiles a list of valuable resources, expert opinions, or industry insights. These posts are popular because they offer a comprehensive overview of the subject, making it easy for readers to access diverse perspectives and valuable information in one place. In this section, we will be talking specifically about expert roundups.
These types of posts work well in the SaaS niche for several reasons:
- They provide value: SaaS customers often seek information on industry trends, best practices, and product comparisons. Roundup posts offer a convenient, organized source of knowledge, making them valuable to readers.
- They promote networking and collaboration: Featuring insights or quotes from industry experts or influencers in your roundup post can foster connections and encourage collaboration within the SaaS community.
- They generate backlinks: When you include experts or influencers in your roundup, they are more likely to share the post with their audience or link to it from their website, improving your backlink profile and boosting your SEO efforts.
Creating roundup posts can be an exceptionally time-consuming process. Imagine having to individually reach out to 50 experts in your niche. It could take weeks and consume a huge chunk of your time.
This is where media request services come in. These platforms connect journalists, bloggers, and content creators with subject matter experts, industry professionals, or influencers who can provide valuable insights or quotes. Once you sign up, craft a media request outlining the topic of your roundup post, the type of insights you’re seeking, and any specific questions you’d like contributors to answer.
Below are a few media request services you can use to create a roundup post:
#5: Resource Pages
Resource pages are web pages that curate and compile a list of helpful resources, tools, or links related to a specific topic, industry, or niche. These pages provide valuable information for readers seeking a comprehensive collection of resources, making it easier for them to find relevant and reliable information.
Examples of popular resource pages include Moz’s “SEO Learning Center” and HubSpot’s “Free Business and Marketing Resources”, the latter one having almost 80,000 backlinks!
Resource pages in your niche are the perfect opportunity to have your product or brand included and linked to. Websites that feature such pages already have the incentive to include relevant resources and brands, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them.
You can leverage Google search operators to find opportunities for getting featured on resource pages. For example:
- “intitle:[keyword] + resources”
- “inurl:[keyword] + resources”
- “intitle:[keyword] + links”
Another way to find opportunities is to analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles to find resource pages linking to their websites. Identify opportunities where you can request to have your content included as well.
Finally, an evergreen SEO tactic, find broken links that point to outdated or non-existent resources and suggest your resource as a suitable replacement. You can use tools like Check My Links or Dead Link Checker to find broken links more efficiently.
Seeing as resource pages are often very popular due to their helpfulness, they could also be considered as belonging to the category of linkable assets we discussed earlier in this post. Therefore, apart from getting featured on a resource page in your niche, you can also create your own!
When creating a resource page for your website, make sure to stick to the following general guidelines:
- Choose a relevant topic
- Curate high-quality resources
- Organize content logically
- Provide context and descriptions
- Keep the page updated
#6: Interviews & Podcasts
Conducting interviews and participating in podcasts for your SaaS product or brand can significantly contribute to your marketing efforts by generating backlinks, increasing social proof and brand awareness, and attracting more customers. When you participate in interviews or podcasts, the host often links back to your website or product in their show notes, episode description, or on their website.
Apart from earning you backlinks, appearing in a podcast will allow you to showcase your expertise and knowledge in your industry. By sharing valuable insights and addressing common pain points, you can build trust and credibility with your target audience. This social proof can make potential customers more likely to consider your SaaS product when they are seeking solutions in your niche.
To find interview or podcast opportunities use podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. You can also use platforms like Listen Notes or Podchaser to search for podcasts by keywords, categories, or hosts.
You can also just Google it and find some relevant resources:
Outreach guidelines for podcasts are generally the same as for guest posting. Introduce yourself, explain your expertise, and propose a compelling topic or discussion that would be valuable for the audience. Be sure to personalize your outreach and demonstrate familiarity with their podcast.
#7: Link Insertions
Link insertions (also called niche edits) are similar to guest posting in terms of SEO effect. The difference is that with guest posting you are providing fresh content for the target website, whereas with link insertions you are adding your link to pre-existing content.
Link insertions are a popular SaaS link building strategy since they can help you secure valuable backlinks without the time-consuming process of creating new content.
To identify the best prospects for link insertions, create a list of potential targets and evaluate them based on specific criteria:
- Domain Authority (DA): Developed by Moz, Domain Authority is a metric that predicts a website’s ability to rank in search engine results. It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater authority. When selecting prospects for link insertions, consider targeting websites with higher DA, as backlinks from authoritative domains carry more weight and can improve your own site’s ranking.
- Page Authority (PA): Also developed by Moz, Page Authority is similar to DA but measures the ranking potential of individual web pages rather than entire domains. A higher PA indicates that a specific page is more likely to rank well in search results. Targeting pages with higher PA can enhance the value of your SaaS backlinks.
- Page Relevance: It is crucial to ensure that the content of the page where your link will be inserted is relevant to your website or product. The more relevant the content, the more valuable the link will be in terms of SEO and driving targeted traffic. Look for prospects with content closely related to your niche or industry.
- No-follow/Do-follow: No-follow links have the “nofollow” attribute, which signals to search engines not to pass any link equity, whereas do-follow links pass link equity, helping to improve your site’s search ranking. While no-follow links still have some value in driving traffic, prioritize do-follow links when seeking link insertion opportunities to maximize your SEO benefits.
- Backlink profile: Assess the prospect’s backlink profile to ensure it’s high-quality and free of spammy links. A clean and diverse backlink profile with links from reputable websites indicates that the site is trustworthy, and a link from such a site would be more valuable for your own website.
Once you compile a list of prospects, reach out to them with a well-crafted pitch, highlighting the value of adding your link to their content. Explain how your link will benefit their audience by providing additional information, resources, or solutions.
Make sure to follow up on your initial outreach and build relationships with content creators and website owners. This can lead to more link insertion opportunities and even guest posting or collaboration prospects in the future.
#8: Hire a SaaS Link Building Agency
In the highly competitive SaaS industry, effective SEO is a critical factor for success. Earning high-quality backlinks is a complex and time-consuming process, involving multiple stages such as prospecting, outreach, content creation, and relationship-building. Each of these stages requires a high level of expertise to ensure that desired outcomes are achieved.
By outsourcing this essential process to a specialized agency, you can ensure maximum results, as the work will be handled by experienced professionals who are well-versed in industry best practices. Furthermore, outsourcing link building eliminates the need for in-house recruitment and training, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Additionally, a specialized agency already has access to the required tools and resources, reducing content creation and research costs.
Digital marketing agencies understand the importance of adhering to search engine guidelines and ethical practices. Therefore, hiring an agency ensures that your link building efforts are conducted by the book, minimizing the risk of penalties.
Perhaps most important, outsourcing link building frees up your internal resources, allowing your team to concentrate on your core business activities. This enables you to allocate your resources more efficiently and drive overall business growth.
By partnering with SaaSmatic, your SaaS business can benefit from our comprehensive analyses, detailed optimization strategy, and personalized outreach campaigns. Our proven processes and extensive industry experience ensure that you’ll outpace your competitors and achieve constant organic growth.
Measuring SaaS Link Building Results
To truly understand the impact your link building efforts are having on your business, it is crucial to quantify them accurately. By monitoring the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), you can optimize your strategies and make informed decisions.
There are numerous KPIs that can be used to evaluate the success of your link building efforts. The exact choice will, naturally, depend on the specific nature of your business and the products you offer.
However, in our experience working with SaaS companies, we have found the following KPIs to be of central importance:
- Conversion rate: The ultimate goal of link building for SaaS is to drive qualified traffic to your website and convert that traffic into paying customers. Monitoring the conversion rate of visitors who arrive through backlinks helps you determine the effectiveness of your link building efforts in generating leads and sales.
- Organic traffic: A successful link building strategy should result in improved search engine rankings, leading to increased organic traffic. Keep an eye on the volume of organic traffic to your website to assess the impact of your link building efforts on search engine visibility.
- Referral traffic: SaaS backlinks not only improve search engine rankings but also directly drive referral traffic from other websites. Analyze the volume and quality of referral traffic to understand the effectiveness of your link building strategy in attracting visitors from other sources.
- Domain Authority (DA): Domain Authority is one of the most important metrics in any SEO effort. Tracking the DA of your website can help you gauge the overall effectiveness of your link building strategy in improving your site’s authority.
- Page Authority (PA): Similar to DA, Page Authority measures the ranking potential of individual web pages. Monitor the PA of your key pages to assess the impact of your link building efforts on the visibility of specific content within search engine results.
- Link velocity: Link velocity refers to the rate at which you acquire new backlinks. Monitoring this metric can help you identify any unnatural spikes or drops in link acquisition, which may indicate issues with your link building strategy or potential penalties from search engines.
- Return on Investment (ROI): Ultimately, you should track the ROI of your link building efforts to ensure that the resources invested in acquiring backlinks result in a positive return in terms of increased traffic, leads, and sales.
4 SaaS Link Building Mistakes to Avoid
Now that we’ve covered the most important things to do when conducting SaaS link building campaigns, we need to briefly address the things you should try to avoid.
Below is an overview of the four most common pitfalls SaaS businesses can find themselves in when doing link building. They can lead, at best, to an inefficient long-term strategy that will provide diminishing returns, while at worst they can lead to penalization or even complete removal from search engine results.
Not Having a Clear Strategy
Many businesses will dive into SaaS link building head first, without having a clear and well-defined strategy. This can quickly turn out to be a waste of time, effort, and resources, as well as lead to disappointing results.
A lack of strategic planning can produce a scattergun approach to acquiring backlinks, with little thought given to the quality, relevance, or long-term value of the links obtained. In the worst-case scenario, this can even lead to penalties from search engines for employing improper tactics.
Therefore, when doing link building for SaaS, it is essential to establish a comprehensive plan that precisely outlines your SEO objectives. By doing so, you can ensure that your link building activities are targeted, efficient, and focused on securing high-quality, relevant backlinks that contribute to improved search engine rankings, increased traffic, and higher conversions.
Focusing on Quantity Over Quality
A common misconception in the realm of SaaS link building is that acquiring as many links as possible is always the best course of action. However, while it is true that a higher number of backlinks can be advantageous, this should not be the sole focus of a link building campaign.
It is imperative to understand that not all links are created equal. Search engines like Google place a greater emphasis on the quality and relevance of backlinks when determining a website’s ranking. A few high-quality, contextually relevant links from authoritative sources can be far more beneficial to your website’s ranking and overall online visibility than a large number of low-quality or irrelevant links.
In the worst-case scenario, low-quality links can even harm your site’s reputation and result in penalties from search engines. Acquiring a large number of low-quality, irrelevant, or spammy backlinks can be perceived as an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings, which goes against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines (now called Google Search Essentials). As a consequence, Google and other search engines may impose penalties on your website, which can include reduced search visibility, lower rankings, or even complete removal.
Therefore, always ensure that the websites linking to your content are reputable and have a high DA. Links from authoritative sources carry more weight in the eyes of search engines and are more likely to improve your rankings.
Ignoring Link Relevancy
We already mentioned that backlinks need to be not only high-quality, but also relevant to your niche.
What exactly does this mean?
For example, if you operate a SaaS platform that offers project management solutions, it would be more beneficial to secure backlinks from websites dedicated to project management, productivity, or related technology fields rather than from websites covering topics like gardening, cooking, or fashion. This ensures that your backlinks are not only valuable from an SEO perspective but also drive targeted referral traffic to your site.
Focusing on relevant websites within your niche is essential to maintaining a robust and effective link building strategy. By obtaining backlinks from websites that are directly related to your industry, you demonstrate to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant to your target audience.
On the other hand, acquiring links from irrelevant sites can signal to search engines that your website may not be as authoritative or trustworthy as it appears, leading to lower rankings and diminished online visibility.
Neglecting Relationship Building
Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, the fact is that link building in the SaaS industry isn’t just about placing links on other websites. A crucial aspect of SaaS link building that can easily be overlooked is the importance of building relationships with other website owners and influencers.
Most of the strategies we’ve described earlier are simply different ways of approaching people. The thing that ultimately leads to more backlinks and increased brand awareness is establishing connections with others in your industry. By building genuine rapport, you can create a network of like-minded individuals who may be more willing to share your content, promote your brand, or collaborate on projects.
To cultivate these relationships, consider engaging with industry influencers on social media, attending conferences or networking events, and offering your expertise in the form of guest posts or collaborations. By being proactive in your outreach and demonstrating genuine interest in the success of others, you can foster strong connections that will bolster your link building efforts and contribute to your brand’s long-term success.
Ready To Level Up Your SaaS Link Building Game?
As the competitive space continues to grow, investing in SaaS link building is crucial for companies to stay ahead.
By implementing effective link building strategies, SaaS businesses can achieve a strong online presence and drive organic and referral traffic to their websites. Avoiding common mistakes and focusing on tactics such as guest posting, product reviews, linkable assets, roundups, and resource pages will allow SaaS companies to build a robust and diverse backlink profile that contributes to long-term success in the industry.
To take your link building efforts to the next level and ensure maximum results, consider partnering with SaaSmatic. Our team of dedicated professionals, passionate about the SaaS industry, have established proven processes that guarantee constant organic growth through industry-relevant link building. Let us help you outrank your competitors and reach your business goals.
Reach out to SaaSmatic today and experience the difference that our expertise and tailored strategies can make for your SaaS business.
