SaaS link building is challenging because numerous companies are vying for attention and backlinks in the software space.
In SaaS SEO, the primary pillar is link building. Technology websites that have a lot of strong backlinks from high authority domains have the best chances of ranking higher on Google.
In this guide, I will share seven powerful SaaS link building tactics to propel your software business to new heights through strategic link building.
What is SaaS Link Building?
SaaS link building is the process of acquiring relevant tech-focused hyperlinks pointing back to your website from high-authority software domains.
SaaS links act as votes that tell search engines that your website is trustworthy, resulting in higher organic rankings.
Earning backlinks from relevant websites in your niche helps to boost your SaaS company’s online reputation and improve its visibility in search engine results, ultimately attracting potential organic leads.
Why is Link Building Important for SaaS Businesses?
The major perks of link building for technology and SaaS companies are:
Higher Search Engine Rankings
One of the top advantages of SaaS link building is higher rankings in the organic search results.
Having high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites is incredibly important for your SaaS website.
Links are one of the strongest Google ranking factors that search engines calculate in its organic ranking algorithm. Websites having more high-quality and natural backlinks are ranked higher up in the search results.
Increased Referral Traffic
When high-traffic and relevant websites link to your SaaS business, you acquire more qualified referral traffic to your domain.
Relevant referral traffic helps to bring more prospects, thereby leading to more sales and improved ROI from your SEO investment. To generate quality referral traffic, you should get links from sites related to your industry and having good organic traffic.
Improved Authority
Website authority is what search engines analyze when ranking a domain. Authoritative websites are ranked higher up in the organic results.
Tools like SEOptimer can help you analyze any website's domain authority. The tool displays the number of external backlinks and the Referring Domains linking to your site.
Hence, when you build links from authoritative and relevant websites, it helps position your SaaS business as an industry authority. This newfound credibility enhances your reputation, making potential customers more inclined to trust and have confidence in your offerings.
Increased Brand Exposure
Link building introduces your software brand to a broader audience, connecting with users who might not have come across your brand otherwise.
This boost in visibility can lead to greater brand recognition and, in turn, open up more opportunities for growth and expansion. By reaching out to new audiences through backlinks, you can effectively increase your business's reach and make significant strides towards achieving your growth goals.
Enhanced Conversion Potential
When your SaaS business earns backlinks from websites that are relevant to your target audience, it significantly enhances the likelihood of attracting qualified leads.
These leads represent individuals who have a genuine interest in your product or service, making them highly likely to convert into paying customers. With increased conversion rate, you can defeat your existing competitors and enjoy long-term success.
More Partnership Opportunities
Collaborative link building efforts often revolve around forming partnerships with other businesses within your industry.
Through these partnerships, you can discover co-marketing opportunities, reach shared audiences, and experience mutually beneficial growth.
By working together and exchanging valuable backlinks, both businesses can leverage each other's strengths to expand their online presence, engage with new audiences, and foster a strong network of support within the industry.
Long-term Benefits
Unlike certain short-term marketing strategies, link building offers lasting benefits.
When you acquire high-quality backlinks, they can keep driving traffic to your website and steadily enhance your search engine rankings over an extended period.
This means that the efforts you invest in building reputable links continue to yield positive results well into the future, making it a valuable and sustainable strategy for long-term growth and online visibility.
Advantages Over Competitors
SaaS link building is a game-changer, giving you a clear advantage over your competitors. By establishing a strong backlink profile, you ensure that your presence remains prominent and relevant within your industry.
A strong organic visibility of your brand establishes your SaaS products as one of the top in the industry, thereby bringing in more prospects.
Top SaaS Link Building Strategies
Before I begin discussing the top SaaS link acquisition techniques, it is crucial to understand the difference between good and bad backlinks. While doing SaaS link building, you should always acquire good backlinks.
Backlinks from websites that are relevant to your industry or niche and have high authority are considered good.
Similarly, backlinks from websites that are not related to your industry or have low authority are considered low-quality.
Also, you should not create backlinks from link farms or PBNs as these networks are created solely for the purpose of generating backlinks, and search engines consider them manipulative and against their guidelines.
Image source: Delante
Now that you understand the types of links to avoid, let’s discuss the top SaaS link building techniques.
Here are the best link building tactics for SaaS services:
Create Linkable Content & Assets
Linkable content refers to valuable and shareable pieces of information that attract backlinks naturally from other websites, bolstering your SaaS site's authority and visibility.
You can create any linkable content types for SaaS, as discussed below:
- Ultimate Guides: These are guide-style articles that explain the working of a product or service in detail. Guides can also feature tips, listicles, how-to content, video’s, etc. The aim of an ultimate guide is to educate the reader about the entire topic in detail.
- Interactive Tools: It can be a software tool or calculator that provides instant value to users and encourages others to link to it for convenience.
- Industry Reports: These are original research or surveys within your industry that publishes the findings in a report format.
- Infographics: These are complex data or concepts presented in an easily understandable graphic format.
- Case Studies: These are success stories and real-world examples of how your SaaS solution has helped clients achieve their goals.
- Video Tutorials: These are engaging video content that demonstrates how to use your SaaS product effectively.
- Templates and Resources: These are downloadable templates, checklists, or resources that save time and effort for your target audience.
Get Links from Resource Pages
Getting links from resource pages is a powerful link building strategy for boosting your SaaS website's authority and search engine rankings.
Resource pages are curated collections of valuable information or tools that webmasters love to create and people love to read.
To secure links from resource pages, create high-quality and unique content that stands out in your niche. Reach out to website owners with a personalized pitch, emphasizing the value your content brings to their visitors.
Here is an example of a resource page from Skillcrush listing web design and development resources:
By strategically pursuing links from resource pages, you can attract targeted traffic and establish your SaaS brand as a trusted authority.
Acquire Links from SaaS Review Sites
Acquiring links from SaaS review sites can significantly enhance your SaaS business's online visibility and credibility.
SaaS review sites are platforms where users and experts evaluate and rate various software solutions. These sites are trusted sources for potential customers seeking unbiased insights before making purchasing decisions.
Research and compile a list of reputable SaaS review sites that cater to your industry or niche.
Ask current customers to leave reviews on these review sites. Happy users are more likely to provide favorable testimonials, contributing to positive link building opportunities.
Here are some of the top SaaS review sites to approach:
- G2
- Capterra
- TrustRadius
- Software Advice
- GetApp
- FinancesOnline
- Crozdesk
- SaaSHub
- SaaSGenius
- Product Hunt
- TrustPilot
If you believe your SaaS product aligns well with a specific review site's target audience, consider reaching out to the site's administrators. Politely inquire about the possibility of having your SaaS product reviewed on their platform.
You can also offer copies or free trials of your SaaS product to review site editors or prominent industry influencers. This can incentivize them to try out your product and potentially feature it on their platforms.
Perform Broken Link Building for SaaS
Look for websites, blogs, or resource pages in your SaaS niche or related industries that have broken links. You can use broken link checkers or browser extensions to expedite the process.
Develop high-quality and valuable content that matches the subject or topic of the broken link you intend to replace. Ensure that your content provides an improved, up-to-date, or more comprehensive resource than the broken link.
Make sure that your content is directly relevant and contextually fitting to the content that was originally linked to. Relevance is crucial for successful broken link building outreach.
Craft a personalized outreach email to the website owner or content manager.
Politely inform them about the broken link on their site, and suggest your content as a suitable replacement. Emphasize the value your content brings to their readers.
Below is an example template of a broken link outreach email:
Subject: Broken Link Replacement - Valuable Resource for [Topic/Industry]
Hi [Website Owner/Content Manager],
I noticed a broken link on [Page URL] under "[Section Title]." I'd like to offer a replacement resource that could benefit your readers.
I recently created an in-depth guide on [Topic], covering [Key Point 1], [Key Point 2], and [Key Point 3]. It provides valuable insights and actionable tips for [Benefits of Your Content].
You can find the guide here: [Your Content URL]
Feel free to consider including it as a replacement. I'm confident your audience will find it valuable.
Thanks for your time, and I hope this resource adds value to your website.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Company]
[Your Website/Contact Information]
Claim Unlinked Mentions
Successfully claiming unlinked mentions and turning them into valuable backlinks is a great link building tactic for your online software services.
This proactive approach improves your website's authority and visibility while providing users with easy access to your SaaS offerings.
You can use online tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or Brand24 to monitor mentions of your SaaS brand across the web. Keep track of websites that mention your brand without linking to your website.
Review the mentions to identify instances where the mention lacks a hyperlink to your website. Make a list of these unlinked mentions for outreach.
Reach out to the website owners or content managers of the sites that mentioned your SaaS brand without linking back. Politely thank them for mentioning your brand and request a hyperlink to your website for added context and user convenience.
To make it easier for the website owner, suggest specific anchor text or the most relevant page on your website they can link to.
Here's a template you can use for your outreach email:
Subject: Request for Link: Unlinked Mention of [Your SaaS Website] on [Website]
Dear [Website Owner/Content Manager],
I hope this email finds you well.
I came across [Website] and noticed that you mentioned [Your Website] in your recent post [Post Title].
Thank you for including us in your valuable content! However, I noticed that the mention didn't include a hyperlink to our website.
I would be incredibly grateful if you could consider adding a link to [Your Website URL]. This would provide your audience with easy access to explore our SaaS solutions and learn more about how we can assist them in [Specific Benefits].
Feel free to use the anchor text "Visit [Your Website]" or any other suitable text that fits naturally within your content. I sincerely appreciate your support in featuring [Your SaaS Website].
Looking forward to your positive response.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Company]
[Your SaaS Website/Contact Information]
Do SaaS Guest Blogging
Guest blogging allows SaaS businesses to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites.
Research and identify authoritative SaaS blogs that align with your niche and target audience. You should look for software and tech blogs that are currently accepting guest posts.
The best way is to prepare a Google sheet having all the guest blogging sites data. Once compiled, review the guest posting guidelines of each target blog to understand their content requirements, word count limits, formatting preferences, and submission process.
Now prepare a list of relevant and engaging topics that showcase your expertise and resonate with the target blog's audience. Focus on providing actionable insights and valuable information.
Finally, write a personalized and persuasive email pitch to the blog owner or content manager.
Once your pitch is accepted, begin crafting your guest post. Ensure it is well-structured, informative, and aligns with the blog's style and tone. Use data, case studies, and examples to support your points. Also, include a contextually-relevant backlink to your website so that it looks natural.
If necessary, follow up professionally to inquire about the post's status.
Engage in Guest Podcasting
Guest podcasting is another effective SaaS link acquisition strategy for boosting the visibility of your SaaS business.
Identify podcasts that focus on topics related to your SaaS niche or target audience. Prepare a list of podcasts with lots of subscribers.
Listen to some episodes of the researched podcast to understand what the show covers. Based on the type of content featured, you can prepare your content and tailor your pitch to the host.
The pitch should be personalized and engaging. Introduce yourself, explain your expertise in the Software-as-a-service industry, and suggest potential topics that align with their podcast's theme and audience.
Once your pitch is accepted, prepare value-driven content that provides actionable insights, valuable tips, and industry trends. Aim to share your expertise and provide unique perspectives that resonate with the podcast's audience.
Guest podcasting not only helps you earn backlinks but also allows you to showcase your expertise, reach a broader audience, and build meaningful relationships within the industry.
Conclusion
SaaS link building has always been challenging. The core of effective SaaS link building lies in building meaningful relationships with industry peers, website owners, and target audience members.
When doing SaaS link acquisition, prioritize quality over quantity. A few authoritative links have more impact than numerous low-quality links. Also, avoid purchasing links or participating in link schemes.
Each link earned through strategic and ethical means strengthens the foundation of your SaaS business, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success.
