Your Complete Guide to Saas Link Building
What is SaaS Link Building?
Understanding the Basics of Link Building in SaaS
The Top 5 Strategies for SaaS Link Building
Best Practices for SaaS Link Building
Measuring the Success of your SaaS Link Building Efforts
Mastering SaaS Link Building
SaaS Link Building Best Practices
Investing in the right SaaS link building strategy is crucial to software brands. After all, links don’t just improve your chances of reaching a wider audience, by positioning your company in different environments. They also have a direct impact on your SaaS SEO strategy.
One of the biggest mistakes SaaS companies make is assuming that to master Search Engine Optimization, all they need to do is create great content that features the right keywords.
The reality is there are numerous factors that contribute to your presence on the SERPs. Studies show that websites with higher “domain ratings”, generated by strong linking strategies, also appear more frequently on the first pages of Google. The more links you can generate for your SaaS brand, the more you demonstrate your credibility to search engines like Google.
The trouble is SaaS link building isn’t easy.
Fortunately, we’re here to help.
What is SaaS Link Building?
Let’s start with the basics: what is SaaS link building?
Link building is the art of acquiring authoritative, relevant backlinks from high-quality domains, which direct customers to your SaaS company website. A strong high quality backlink strategy captures links from reputable websites around the world, to help enhance lead generation, and unlock new sales opportunities.
Links are the lifeblood of the internet. They’re one of the top things considered by Google when it’s ranking websites for the search engine result pages. Studies even show that well over two thirds of SEO experts believe building links has a direct impact on lead opportunities and brand authority.
A SaaS link building strategy involves pinpointing domains you want to earn links from, and keeping on top of your “link network”. This means regularly removing broken links from your site which could harm your reputation. Link building can also involve other types of links, such as internal and outbound links, which we’ll come back to in a moment.
As a key component of SEO link building is important to all businesses, but it’s particularly crucial for SaaS brands. After all, there are countless different SaaS companies on the market today. In order to boost your chances of visibility, and increase your conversions, you need to ensure you’re collecting leads from as many different sources as possible.
The Importance of link building for SaaS companies
In recent years, changes to the Google algorithm made to combat common link schemes prompted some companies to believe link building was no longer important. However, this isn’t the case. While black-hat tactics are never a good idea for SEO, collecting valuable, authentic links will always have a positive impact on your business. SaaS link building:
Increases credibility: The more links you have driving customers back to your SaaS company website, the more of an authority you appear to be in the eyes of both Google, and your audience. Links improve your brand “authority”, which can also lead to more sales.
Improved SEO: Google might be cutting down on underhanded link strategies, but it still examines your backlink profile when determining how to rank your website. Collecting authentic links from quality companies helps you to rank higher on the search engines, which means you earn more organic traffic.
Increased reach: Placing links to your SaaS website on other sites and domains means you give your customers more opportunities to find you -even outside of the search engines. If you position your links correctly, you can even appear as a thought leader to your audience.
More sales and revenue: Carefully placed quality links can help to drive high-intent traffic back to your website. In other words, you’re more likely to capture the attention of customers who are ready to invest in your software. The more high-intent traffic you receive, the higher your revenue will grow.
More sales and revenue: Carefully placed quality links can help to drive high-intent traffic back to your website. In other words, you’re more likely to capture the attention of customers who are ready to invest in your software. The more high-intent traffic you receive, the higher your revenue will grow.
New sources of revenue: A good link building strategy can deliver consistent and ongoing referral traffic to your business. This means you’re constantly finding new customers and prospects, without spending a fortune on PPC ad campaigns. You can even use links as part of affiliate marketing strategies to drive additional conversions.
Understanding the Basics of Link Building in SaaS
Unless you’re working with a dedicated SaaS SEO consultant, getting started with SaaS link building can feel a little daunting. There are a number of factors to think about, from how you’re going to approach other companies to showcase your links, to how you can make the most of linking opportunities. Creating a “link building strategy” is a good way to enhance your efforts.
A link building strategy is a step-by-step plan for how you’re going to improve your visibility and SEO results, through a combination of backlinks, internal links, and outbound links.
Backlinks are perhaps the most important part of any link building strategy for SaaS companies. Otherwise known as “inbound links”, they point customers towards your website from other authoritative pages or domains. Backlinks are important because they play a crucial role in how search engines evaluate the quality of a site.
When a website links to another site, it essentially tells the search engines that the other site is a source of valuable, authoritative information. In other words, it gives you extra authority. When a search crawler finds a link to a page on a website, it will also follow that link, and add the accompanying page to its list of crawlable assets.
The more high-quality and relevant backlinks leading to a website, the more likely it is to be determined as an “authoritative resource” by Google. However, on the other hand, low-quality links can damage a company’s SEO potential, by aligning a brand with unfavorable domains.
As mentioned above, link strategies can also include “outbound” and “internal” links. Outbound links highlight your authority in another way, by showing you credit your sources, and are connected in some way to other reputable brands. That’s why it’s such a good idea to include outbound links in your blogs. Outbound links can also help search engines to understand your niche and high quality content.
Internal links improve the overall structure of your website, helping search engines to see the connection between pages which share relevant content. They help viewers to stay on your website for longer (which reduces your bounce rate), and they assist Google in crawling your pages.
The Top 5 Strategies for SaaS Link Building
So now you know the basics of what SaaS link building is all about, how do you start working on your own campaigns? There are a handful of different options to explore, but we’ve found that some solutions deliver more consistent results than others.
Here are our top strategies for SaaS link building.
1. Earn Natural Backlinks with Content
This is probably the most risk-free strategy for high quality link building, as it doesn’t require you to use any schemes to improve your chances of featuring on another site. Natural backlinks are links you acquire organically, thanks to your production of high-quality content marketing assets.
As mentioned above, companies use outbound links to improve their authority and gain the trust of your target audience. If you create amazing content, other companies will want to link to it, to improve their own reputation.
So, how do you create content that earns links?
Simply put, produce pieces that are relevant, valuable, and insightful.
Pick a topic that’s meaningful to your target audience, and produce content that no-one else has related to it. Some great content options you can consider include:
Statistics and reports: In a tech-focused industry like SaaS, numbers are key. People like reading about reports and using numbers to back up their statements. If you can produce your own stats and reports, people will naturally want to link to them.
Guides: Guides and long-form quality content are fantastic for earning backlinks. According to some studies, long-form articles earn about 77.2% more backlinks than short pieces. Just make sure you’re making the most of your long word count. Create thought leadership articles and in-depth pieces that go beyond the surface of each topic you want to cover.
Free tools: Free calculators and estimators which help your customers answer important questions can be excellent tools for the SaaS industry. For instance, there are countless interactive tools available from brands like HubSpot and OptinMonster.
Expert roundups: People love hearing from authoritative, influential figures. If you can get someone with authority in your industry to give you quotes or tips for an article, you’ll naturally encourage more links to your content.
Glossary pages: Glossary pages are an easy way to earn backlinks, because you don’t necessarily need to create a lot of in-depth content. Instead, you can simply describe all of the key terms and phrases used in your industry, then allow other people to link to your site whenever they need to explain what a term means.
2. Write Authoritative Guest Posts
Aside from earning backlinks the natural way, guest blogging is one of the top SaaS link building strategies, used by businesses all over the world. In fact, 60% of bloggers write at least 1 guest post each month for another authoritative brand. In a world where content is king, companies are constantly looking for ways to fill their content calendars.
Not every business will have the resources required to consistently produce amazing content, but they can expand their readership and engage their audience with blogs written by other brands. Some companies will accept guest blogs for free, while others will charge you for a place on their site.
The key to success is choosing the right platforms for your guest posts. Start with blogs in your industry you already like, reaching out to them with messages about the information you can provide and why it would be useful to their audience.
Whenever you write a guest blog, remember to:
Follow the rules: Most websites will have specific rules to follow when you’re writing for them. With that in mind, make sure you know what the business expects of you.
Insert links organically: Don’t just flood your guest post with inappropriate references to your brand. Make sure the link feels natural and relevant.
Add a bio: Add authority to the posts you produce by including an author’s bio. This is particularly important now that Google is prioritizing human-level posts.
Deliver unique value: Don’t just repurpose a blog you’ve already written for another website. Create something specifically valuable to the audience you’re writing for.
Promote: After your guest post is published, remember to promote it by sharing links in your emails, social media posts, and other content.
3. Use Resource Pages
Resource page SaaS link building is another strategy which revolves around creating high-quality, valuable content for your industry. The goal here is to build something valuable for your target audience, such as an eBook, guide, or free tool. Once you have your resource, you can begin reaching out to websites with “resource pages” or listicles showcasing available tools.
One of the great things about resource pages is that they often have a lot of different companies linking to them as well, which makes your potential reach even greater.
There are two stages to making sure this SaaS link building strategy works for you. The first is making sure you have the right resource. To really capture the attention of other domain owners, you can’t just produce a basic infographic that shares well-known information. You need to offer something of genuine value. It’s worth doing some research to find out what’s available in your space.
Secondly, you need to ensure you approach the resource site owners correctly. Write a message to the website owner that describes what your resource is all about, why it’s valuable (to their audience), and what makes it different. Don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t hear back.
4. Replace Broken Links with Your Own
This is a slightly more technical approach to SaaS link building which can deliver exceptional results when it’s done correctly. Through broken link building, you focus on finding other authority websites which have broken links in their content. Broken links on a website have a negative impact not just on user experience, but also on a company’s chances of gaining search engine rankings.
This means most of the companies who encounter a broken link on their site will want to replace it as quickly as possible with something else. If you have a blog post or resource that offers similar value for the anchor text of the previous link, you can earn a quick backlink.
You can start searching for broken links using digital tools like the Broken Link Checker.
Once again, it’s important to be cautious here. Make sure you’re only reaching out to relevant companies who share your target audience, and provide content relevant to your brand.
Additionally, you’ll need to convince the owner of the website that they should be using your resource in place of the previous link. This means reaching out to the marketing or editorial team with information on what your resource is all about, and why it’s useful.
It can also help to include some insights into your site’s domain authority and the number of viewers you usually get.
5. Partnerships, collaboration, and influencer marketing
Sometimes, the best way to boost your presence with SaaS link building, is to simply work hand-in-hand with another brand. We’re not just talking about working with professional SEO teams here. Strategically partnering with other companies can significantly improve your chances of backlinks, as well as opening the door to other opportunities and promotions.
Partnership and collaboration backlinks are extremely valuable to SaaS brands, as they help to demonstrate your credibility by aligning you with well-known authorities.
Here are some great options to try:
Influencer marketing: Influencers come in a range of different formats, from Instagram celebrities to streaming specialists. Working with an influencer in the SaaS industry is a great way to generate backlinks. All you need to do is find an authoritative individual relevant to your brand, and ask them to link back to your website. In exchange for their efforts, you can offer compensation, or provide access to your software, so they can perform a review.
Link exchanges: Link exchanges have earned a bad reputation in the past, and even come under fire from Google. But they’re not necessarily a bad thing. If you use them correctly, A link exchange involves offering a company a backlink from your website in exchange for a backlink from theirs. You can do this by sharing guest posts for each other’s websites, writing reviews, or creating marketing campaigns with shared links.
Product partnerships: If your software integrates or works well with another software or solution, ask for a product partnership. For instance, Microsoft produces blogs which link to partner apps which work on the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. You can even offer your partner brands special deals for their customers, like a discount on your software when they buy the accompanying hardware or solution from your partner vendor.
PR Campaigns: PR campaigns are an excellent way to partner with media and publication companies for backlinks. If you have a newsworthy story to share, reach out to a publication in your industry with access to the exclusive details. You could even offer quotes, or provide an interview to make their story more compelling. This gives you direct access to earned media which can promote your brand and improve your reputation.
Participate in conferences, webinars and podcasts: Get involved with event experiences happening in the software industry, like conferences, podcasts, and events. If you share your insights, the company will usually link back to your website in exchange. Making a guest appearance at the right events will also make you appear more credible to your audience.
Best Practices for SaaS Link Building
Now you know the top 5 strategies you can use for SaaS link building, it’s time to begin putting your plan together. One thing we should note here is that while link building is essential to the growth of your company, it’s not a solution that delivers instant results.
Link building, like most SaaS SEO strategies, takes time and consistent effort to deliver results. You need to commit to constantly developing your plan and learning from your campaigns.
Here are some quick best-practice tips to keep you on the right track:
Quality, not Quantity: While it’s always good to have a lot of authoritative links coming back to your website, it’s important not to get too bogged down in numbers. The quality of your links is far more important than the quantity. Ensure you’re only cultivating links from high-quality companies with a good online reputation. Your links should also come from companies relevant to your audience and industry. Delete any links from low-quality sites.
Focus on content: The core tool for any link-building strategy is quality content. Whether you’re using guest posting, or resource pages to increase your links, you’ll need amazing content to improve your chances of success. The more time you dedicated to providing your followers with informative and shareable content, the more natural links you’ll generate.
Build relationships: The relationships you build in the business world can make a huge difference to your SaaS link building strategy. Connecting with other authority websites, influencers, bloggers, partner brands, and publications gives you far more backlinking opportunities. With that in mind, always look for ways to foster connections.
Master anchor text: Anchor text in a link should never be overlooked. This is the “visible text” which appears with your link attached to it. The anchor for a link to your website should never be misleading or vague. It should include the keywords mentioned in the blog or resources you’re linking to, so customers know exactly where they’re going.
Monitor and optimize: As mentioned above, maintaining the quality of your links is crucial. That means you should be constantly monitoring where your links are coming from. Tools like Majestic, Ahrefs, and Google will help you to pinpoint low-quality or spammy links which could be damaging your search engine rankings. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for any broken backlinks which aren’t working properly.
Avoid black hat techniques: Remember, Google is hammering down on any “underhanded” link building techniques. With that in mind, you should never use any manipulative, unethical techniques like buying backlinks or using link farms to increase your domain authority. Not only will you risk penalties from Google, but the chances are you won’t be generating a quality backlink.
Measuring the Success of your SaaS Link Building Efforts
Building an effective link campaign for your SEO strategy is a process that takes time, effort, and constant work. It’s not enough to simply send a few emails and assume you’re going to get results. Additionally, you need to make sure you’re measuring the results of your efforts, so you know which link-building campaigns are giving you the best ROI.
There are a few ways you can monitor the results of your SaaS link building strategies. The first is to invest in Google analytics. This simple tool can give you a behind-the-scenes insight into the number of people who visit your website, and which links they’re clicking. This ensures you can see which backlinks and websites are driving the best results for your site.
Other tools like Ahrefs and Majestic are also available which focus directly on monitoring your link-building efforts. These tools will show you how many backlinks you have, the domain authority score of the company linking back to you, and even the anchor text included in your links.
Other ways to monitor the results of your backlinking efforts include:
Monitoring brand mentions: Monitoring mentions on social media, forums, and other online sites can help give you an insight into how often people are talking about your SaaS company. This gives you a fantastic insight into brand awareness, and may help you to discover new linking opportunities with brands that are already mentioned, but not linking to you.
Track crucial metrics: With your website analytics, you should be able to track important metrics like time spent on site, and conversion rate. Analyzing the number of people who visit your website and comparing that number to the amount of people who convert after clicking on a backlink can give you a clearer idea of your ROI.
Monitor your search engine rankings: Remember, good backlinks improve your search results. Monitoring your search engine rankings should give you an insight into how your link building efforts are boosting your visibility in the search results. You can use tools like SEMRush and Google Analytics to see which keywords you’re ranking for.
Mastering SaaS Link Building
It’s no secret that SaaS link building can be a challenging process. There are a number of hurdles to overcome, from finding the right domains to link back to your website, to reaching out to website owners and creating valuable content. However, the more time you spend on your link building strategy, the more likely it is that your SaaS brand will grow.
Just keep in mind that a link building campaign is an ongoing project. You’ll need to frequently work on finding new sources for a link opportunity, monitoring your campaigns, and boosting your authority. If you need extra help with the process, you can always consider working with a specialist in SaaS SEO.
Reach out to Amplifyed today for insights into how we can help you master your SaaS link building strategy.
Scott Johnson
Founder
Hey! I live in San Diego and have been involved with SEO since 2010. Our amazing team at Amplifyed specializes in helping SaaS and tech companies dominate the search rankings. We serve as an extension of your team to make sure your content ranks and drives the right people to your website. Let’s connect on LinkedIn and schedule a chat.