10 Common SaaS SEO Mistakes That Hurt Your Brand

Having worked with SaaS companies from all different kinds of niches and industries we’ve seen it all. 

To try and make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes as those that came before you, we decided to put together this handy guide to common SaaS SEO mistakes. 

So take everything that we’ve learned as a SaaS SEO agency and use it to your advantage.

Prioritising the Wrong Keywords

You might be patting yourself on the back for attracting a ton of traffic, but if you’re making the mistake of prioritising the wrong keywords, you’re probably just filling up your site with visitors who aren’t interested in what you’re selling.

This is where keyword relevance comes into play. It’s not about stuffing your content with keywords; it’s about aligning target keywords in your SaaS SEO strategy with terms that are beneficial to your business and being able to create product-led content around them.

Remember, driving massive traffic is pointless if those visitors don’t convert into customers.

Understanding search intent is also critical in avoiding this common SaaS SEO pitfall. Your keyword research needs to focus on bottom-of-the-funnel keywords that target users seeking solutions like yours or experiencing problems that you can solve. 

Think about building your content strategy from the ground up. Even though highly targeted keywords drive less volume they convert at a much higher rate. 

Some examples of bottom-of-the-funnel keyword research would be:

• Product comparisons: [Your software] vs [Competitor software]
• Feature explanations: [Your software] features
• Alternatives: [Competitor software] alternative
• Buying process: Best [Relevant keyword]
• Type of product: [Keyword] for [use case]

If your content isn’t addressing their queries directly, chances are they’ll bounce off without a second thought.

Instead of obsessing over high-volume keywords, give priority to relevancy and intent – these will drive meaningful engagement and help grow your revenue in the long run.

Lacking Site Authority

Without a strong site authority, it’s difficult to rank high on search engine results, which can drastically reduce web traffic and potential customer reach.

As a SaaS business, you need to understand the significance of building backlinks and establishing trust signals as part of your SEO strategy. 

Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites; they tell search engines that your website’s visibility and content are valuable and worth ranking. Similarly, trust signals such as SSL certificates, user reviews, social media presence, and transparency about your business operations can bolster your site’s credibility in the eyes of both users and search engines.

Consider running a Digital PR campaign, it’s the method our agency uses to build high-quality links and increase the authority of SaaS businesses. 

We will work with your team to create a piece of content that provides your audience with value such as infographics or free tools. This then gives us something to outreach authoritative sites with and receive links to your site in return. 

It’s seen us acquire links for SaaS brands from the likes of Microsoft. You should consider building a Digital PR campaign if your brand lacks authority. 

However, building site authority isn’t an overnight process. It requires consistent effort in creating high-quality content that others would want to link to. 

Authority indicators like domain age and high quality backlinks can take time to accumulate but play a crucial role in determining how highly Google ranks you for chosen keywords.

Forgetting About Product Marketing

Concentrating solely on creating search engine-optimised pieces of content might lead you to forget about product marketing. 

In order to benefit from the new organic traffic you’ll be bringing in, it’s essential to dedicate some time to product marketing. By product marketing, we mean creating content that shows off your product (or in this case software).

This could take the form of content such as

• Case studies
• Educational resources (how to do X with your software)
• Product walkthroughs (video or text)

Not only does this help convince consumers who are in the consideration stage of the buying journey that your product is the one they need, but also means consumers are likely to spend more time on your site. You might also be surprised that some of your product marketing has search engine optimisation value. 

For many SaaS companies, focusing on their product visibility within their content can feel a bit pushy. But remember, your goal isn’t just to attract visitors; it’s about turning them into customers.

By strategically integrating internal links within your content, you’re not only providing value but also subtly guiding users down the sales funnel SEO route towards your product.

Failing to mention your product in your content is a common SaaS SEO mistake that could cost you potential leads and conversions. Think of it this way: every piece of content should serve as a stepping stone that brings the reader closer to understanding how they can solve their problem with your tool or service.

It’s all about finding the right balance between being educational and promotional without coming off as overly salesy. This approach will not only improve user engagement but also boost your SEO efforts by increasing time spent on site and lowering bounce rates.

Thinking SEO Only Exists on Your Blog

One of the common SEO mistakes that we see is believing that SEO only functions within the confines of your blog. This will limit the reach of your most important pages. 

The importance of website SEO extends far beyond blogging, it encompasses all parts of your site. Every page on your website, from product pages to core content areas is an opportunity to rank. 

Ignoring these pages could mean missing out on valuable ranking opportunities for high-intent keywords.

Diversifying your SEO efforts across all types of content can yield considerable results. For instance, optimising images ensures they appear in image searches and featured snippets, which can be especially useful for informational intent if you have an infographic that answers user queries.

Not Writing for Your Audience

One common SaaS SEO mistake is not writing for your audience.

You may have top-notch content, but if it doesn’t resonate with your target market, it won’t drive engagement or conversion. 

Your content needs to be speaking the same language as your target audience. This is even more important when you’re dealing with B2B SaaS SEO. 

That’s where audience segmentation comes into play. It involves identifying and separating your customers into different groups based on their needs and behaviour.

This way, you can tailor your content to meet their specific interests, problems or questions. Content personalisation is another critical aspect that many SaaS companies overlook. If you’re just producing generic information without considering who will be reading it, you’re missing out on an opportunity to make a deep connection with your potential customers.

Your content should be more than just informative; it should tell a story that resonates with your audience’s experiences and aspirations. Engaging storytelling can transport readers into the world you’re describing and compel them to act. Whether that’s subscribing to your service or making a purchase decision.

Failing to Research Your Competitors

Overlooking the importance of strategic competitor analysis can leave your business at a disadvantage. In the world of SaaS SEO, understanding what strategies your competitors are using is crucial to staying competitive and maintaining a strong market positioning.

It’s not just about copying strategies, but rather learning from their successes and failures. This involves looking at their keyword strategy, backlink profile, content marketing efforts, and more. By doing so, you’ll gain insights into what works well in your industry and where there might be gaps that your business can fill.

However, failing to research your competitors can result in missed opportunities or even making the same mistakes they’ve made. Don’t simply dismiss them because they’re competition. Instead, turn it around by leveraging this as an opportunity for growth and learning.

You need to know who you’re up against in order to stand out from the crowd. So dive deep into competitor analysis – check out their blogs, sign up for newsletters if they have one; study how they engage with customers online and observe trends among successful players in your niche.

Bad User Experience

Website navigation should be intuitive and straightforward; if users have to click through multiple pages or struggle with an unclear menu system, they’re more likely to bounce off your site and you’ll lose potential leads or customers.

Slow loading can also contribute to this problem, people expect websites to load in seconds. If yours takes too long, visitors might abandon it altogether.

As for confusing design elements on your SaaS website, remember that less is often more. A simple and clean interface allows users to quickly understand what you offer without having to decipher cryptic icons or deal with cluttered information.

Misleading links or buttons can lead viewers down frustrating paths where they don’t end up finding what they need.

All these factors combined create a poor user experience which isn’t just bad for keeping users engaged with your content – it’s also detrimental for search rankings as search engines like Google take into account searcher’s navigation paths when ranking sites.

Bad Technical SEO

Technical SEO is more than just pretty graphics and engaging content, it involves several behind-the-scenes factors that search engines use to rank your site.

If you haven’t paid much attention to the technical side of things, then we would recommend performing a SaaS technical SEO audit. This is one of the first things that we do when we start working with a SaaS company. 

• Site maps
• Schema
• Title tags
• Crawlability
• Indexation
• Internal link structure
• And much more

Tools such as Screaming Frog and Sitebulb can help you to find issues with your website. This data will provide you with a path to understanding what needs to be fixed. If your team doesn’t have technical SaaS SEO experience, it pays to work with someone who does. 

Another common SaaS SEO mistake that can harm your SEO efforts is duplicate content. When multiple pages of your site contain the same or very similar content, search engines have trouble deciding which version is most relevant to a specific query. This confusion often results in lower search engine rankings for all versions.

Lack of Posting Consistency

Ensure that you are regularly publishing new, relevant material. Without it, your audience might lose interest or forget about your brand altogether.

Remember, consistency is key for maintaining and improving engagement metrics – these numbers are crucial indicators of how well your content strategy is working.

Avoiding the common mistake of inconsistent posting will not only help keep your SEO rankings steady but also build a loyal following.

Not Staying up to date with SEO

It’s not just about mastering a few link-building strategies. SEO is a dynamic field and Google’s algorithm changes frequently. 

If you don’t stay updated, your SaaS company could easily get left behind in terms of visibility on search engines.

One day you’re ranking high and the next, gone from the top results due to an algorithm update that you didn’t account for. That’s why continuous SEO training is so important for your SaaS business. 

By regularly updating your knowledge base and adjusting your strategies accordingly, you’ll be better equipped to roll with the punches that come with these constant changes.

This doesn’t necessarily mean going back to school or spending hours each day reading about SEO. There are numerous online resources, webinars, podcasts, and even informative newsletters that can help keep you informed without consuming all of your time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of backlinks in SaaS SEO?

Backlink analysis is crucial in SaaS SEO as it boosts search engine visibility and your site’s authority. Quality backlinks show search engines that you have content worth seeing. Don’t underestimate the power of quality backlinks.

How does the site’s loading speed affect its SEO?

Performance metrics show that accelerated loading enhances user experience, leading to better engagement. Remember, search engines favour sites with fast loading times due to its importance in user satisfaction.

How does mobile optimisation influence SaaS SEO?

Mobile optimisation enhances your SaaS SEO by improving user experience and responsive design. It’s pivotal to mobile optimization, as Google uses mobile indexing primarily, so if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re missing out on potential traffic.

What are some effective ways to build quality backlinks for SaaS websites?

Leverage guest posting benefits by providing valuable content on relevant blogs. Harness influencer outreach to gain quality backlinks. Implement a content syndication strategy, republishing your best posts on popular platforms for wider reach and exposure.