SaaS SEO Mistakes: 10 Things SaaS Companies Get Wrong About SEO

We’ll start the new article with a reminder you already know – SEO (search engine optimization) is the crucial element in driving organic traffic to your website. And surely, one of the most common SaaS SEO mistakes we’ve been spotting for long is – believe it or not – not implementing the proven SEO tactics to attract an audience, convert leads through optimization, and nurture them using tailored content based on extensive keyword research and analysis. 

And we must say, SaaS companies that don’t incorporate SEO into their marketing strategy are losing a lot. First, the matching search queries can bring relevant traffic to the website. And we all know if they find value, they’ll stay on the website, willing to learn more about what you have to offer. 

The SaaS industry is too competitive to make SEO mistakes and ignore the potential it has for your business. So, in this article, we’ll highlight ten things SaaS companies sometimes get wrong or make mistakes when it comes to search engine optimization for their websites. 

1. Skipping Customer Research

Starting a strategy without understanding the audience is like going somewhere, but you don’t know what transportation method to use, where you go exactly, and who you’ll meet there. It’s just like trying to reach a destination you’ve never been before without a map.

So, before jumping into things like keyword research, building backlinks, and writing content, you need to take some time and put the audience, i.e., customers, first. You must understand what they need, but also their search behaviors. Detect their pain points and identify relevant search queries they’re likely to look for. Understanding the target audience means you’re ready to embrace them as customers. 

Many SaaS SEO mistakes come from the fact that companies are trying to create content for high-traffic and very competitive keywords, thinking they can easily win the search engine game. But, the earlier you understand that customer research comes first, the more successful your SEO strategy will be.

2. Focusing on Too Broad Topics

Focusing on too broad topics instead of niche-specific ones is another common mistake SaaS companies make. Surely, you don’t need to exclude the broad keywords, as you can target a larger audience, but they’re very competitive, and it’s hard to rank higher for them. 

On the other hand, if you focus on long-tail and very specific keywords that align with your SaaS product or service, optimization becomes easier. Spot the keywords that highlight the product’s unique features or solutions, and make sure you wisely combine them with some broader queries in your content. 

The mistake many SaaS companies make is trying to rank for overly broad keywords with high competition. So, disappointment and frustration come, making things harder and more costly for the company. But if you follow the tips we shared on focused optimization, you’ll surely avoid that challenge.

3. Avoiding Low Search Volume Keywords

Even the most experienced SEOs and industry experts sometimes completely ignore the zero or low search volume keywords. But for SaaS, even matching keywords with 5 or 6 searches every month makes a difference. Imagine targeting a keyword with zero or less than ten searches and missing a highly motivated user who is actively seeking a SaaS solution just like yours. 

SaaS SEO often means precision in your keyword strategy. The zero or low search volume keywords mean you can capture targeted and low-competition traffic. So, include such keywords in your content strategy, and you can easily find the users who are specifically looking for a solution just like yours.

4. Not Doing On-Page Optimization

SEO is many things, but it seems like on-page optimization is what’s holding the rest of SEO in one place. Indeed, you plan on optimizing your site to rank better and appear for relevant searches, which means on-page tactics are essential for success. 

On-page SEO includes optimizing titles, meta descriptions, headings, and image alt text. Everything starts with these steps, and missing one of them lets Google decide what to use as a title or meta description, which is not what you’re aiming for. 

Neglecting on-page optimizations can harm your ranking long term, so avoid this common SaaS SEO mistake and optimize each page with relevant keywords, great meta description, and appropriate title, and, when possible, set up a user-friendly URL.

5. Content Mismatch: Keywords and Content Don’t Align

One of the most common SaaS SEO mistakes is optimizing for keywords without taking care of the context and the content purpose. This technique may have worked a decade ago, but now, every keyword must be strategically incorporated into your content so it meets the search intent but also offers the value the users are searching for. 

It’s essential to develop content that reflects the intent behind specific keywords. That way, you ensure the content provides the information your users expect when they find you in the results and click on your link. If you don’t do that, visitors will leave your website more confused than they were before.

6. Neglecting the User Experience

User experience (UX) is another crucial factor in SEO success, as Google and other search engines prioritize fast and smooth websites with easy navigation and mobile responsive design. So, neglecting UX results in high bounce rates, which is not what you’re looking for. 

Things like confusing navigation, inadequate responsiveness for mobile, or slow-loading pages can be costly SaaS SEO mistakes. So, make sure everything works fine from the aspect of the casual user who wants to find information on your website. 

7. Focusing on Traffic and Impressions Only

Traffic and impressions are great metrics to track, but are they your ultimate goal? How many page visitors turn into leads and then into customers? How do the traffic numbers affect your business growth? 

Many companies focus on traffic, which surely lifts the spirits, but that traffic means nothing when not converting. So, the goal of SEO in SaaS is to attract relevant traffic, not the general one. That’s why fixating on traffic and impressions is wrong. 

Our advice is to focus on relevant keywords and quality content creation, matching the SaaS buyer journey. That’s the only way to capture those leads and convert them into loyal customers (who will later become your brand advocates, hopefully). 

8. Not Using Internal or External Links

Internal links help with user navigation and the website’s authority, while external links can aid your credibility. So, don’t overlook the internal and external linking strategies because you don’t want orphan pages on your website. 

Internal links help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website. So, make sure you practice them regularly, as well as external linking, to enhance your SEO efforts. 

9. Forgetting About Off-Page Efforts

Off-page SEO, including ethical gaining backlinks, social media exposure, and online reputation management, additionally helps boost your SEO strategy. However, many SaaS companies focus solely on on-page optimization or don’t invest enough in off-page. 

Overlooking these efforts will hold your business back, never letting you reach its full potential when it comes to search engine rankings. So, invest enough effort and resources into cultivating a positive online reputation, establishing authority, and surely obtaining quality backlinks. 

10. Not Tracking the Progress/Decline

Thinking about SEO as a one-time effort that will only keep on giving is wrong on so many levels being one of the gravest mistakes SaaS companies can make. Monitoring the progress and tracking the KPIs, such as organic traffic, conversion rates, and ranking, is essential to see where your strategy is going. 

The SEO journey is not a flat line. It comes with so many bumps and alternative roads, so you need to find the most optimal one, test it, see how it goes, and adapt according to the results. 

Monitoring and analyzing the SEO performance is essential to see what exactly works, what you should stop doing, and what steps you can improve. By leveraging tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and whatever you find fitting, you can spot progress or declines and make data-driven decisions. 

Final Words on SaaS SEO Mistakes

We all make mistakes, but it’s crucial to spot them on time and fix it. To check if your SEO strategy works, you need to review what you rank for already and whether your audience receives the relevant information from your website. Make sure the content strategy is relevant and balanced, too. 

Check on the on-page elements and make sure they align with target keywords and provide value to the page visitors. Pay attention to your off-page efforts, too, to see if all backlinks work properly. By refining customer research and focusing on the user experience, SaaS companies can surely drive more conversion and increase profits. So, avoiding the 10 SaaS SEO mistakes we mentioned is the key to the company’s success.