Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not the same for all companies. Traditional SEO can be effective for the vast majority of companies and has a long record of being successful. However, Software as a Service (SaaS) companies have different needs when it comes to search engines and SEO. The traditional methods may not work for them. In this article, we discuss the differences between traditional SEO and SEO for SaaS companies.
The Difference in Objectives
SEO is about one thing: bringing potential customers into the start of the sales funnel. There are many ways to do this, and SEO has proven to be highly effective. However, what traditional SEO does well is bring people into sales funnels. For SaaS companies, and other types of service companies, this is not the most effective method.
Instead of the quick motivation to buy that traditional SEO provides, SaaS companies focus on creating long-term relationships with potential clients. The reason for this is the difference in service models. SaaS companies provide ongoing services and support for clients. This means that their desire to buy has to maintain over a longer stretch of time and traditional SEO services cannot do that.
SaaS companies modify their SEO practices with they can create long-term relationships. This is often done by trying to stay relevant in the customer's daily life. Establishing themselves as an expert in providing free information to customers is a successful way to become a partner rather than trying to complete a one-off sale.
Focused Keywords
One major difference in how SaaS companies do SEO is that SaaS companies focus on a few specific keywords rather than ranking for all of the possible keywords related to a topic. With traditional SEO, companies need to make one-off sales. They focus on a wide selection of keywords so that their SEO practices are very wide-reaching and cover a lot of possible search options.
SaaS companies do not benefit from doing keywords that way. Instead, they had a very focused idea of who their target audience is. They use that to identify specific keywords related to the target audience and the company focuses its SEO efforts on a few very specific keywords. This is the company to cultivate an audience of people that fit into a very small niche that their SaaS services can cater to. Since they will not be getting a large segment of the market by focusing on many associated keywords, they are more focused on building a small niche within a market that is hyper-focused on what their product is designed to do.
A Technical Perspective
The differences in relationships that SaaS companies are trying to create with their customers, long-term rather than immediate purchase, also affects the way that SaaS companies develop content. For most companies, the content on their websites that they use for SEO purposes tends to be simple and general. For the most part, they rarely go into technical details about products and services. This is because they are trying to reach a wide audience for the audience is not focused on technical details.
SaaS companies are building long-term relationships with a small niche of users, which means those users are more focused on the technical specifications of the product or service and how it can help them. Since these companies are selling to technology-minded customers, they need to go into more detail in the content that they create. Not only does this establish those companies as experts in their fields, but it also gives the customers a better understanding of how their products and services work and how they can be used to their advantage.
Iterations on Keywords to Keep Focus
SaaS companies build long-term relationships, which involves keeping customers interested in specific topics for a long period of time. Because they focus on specific keywords, it is important that they find ways of keeping those keywords relevant. This is easier for SaaS companies because they often iterate an upgrade on their products over time.
Their SEO content must focus on using the same keywords that they established before while keeping the content new, fresh, and interesting. This involves reframing previously discussed topics, while also relating important keywords to changes and developments within the company. This takes a lot of effort, but it can prove effective in the long run since the company does not have to try to target a lot of different keywords. Instead of finding new keywords, the company simply focuses on redefining how they are used in viewed by customers as their products and services change over time.
Partnering for Long-Term Improvements
Companies that need to focus on long-term relationships, like SaaS companies, often partner with content development and marketing agencies to help them maintain their brand awareness with potential customers. At KitelyTech, we work with companies to establish an online presence and to maintain it through the development of new content and managing communication channels. Call us at (800) 274 2908 to discuss how we can help you reach your target audience.
