With increasing competition and Google algorithm updates, having a strong technical SEO foundation and high-quality backlinks is essential for ranking highly and acquiring leads through search.
In 2024, off-page SEO is more important than ever for SaaS companies looking to drive organic growth. So, here are some off-page SEO strategies to skyrocket traffic and sales.
Backlinks
Not all backlinks have equal value. Backlinks from authoritative sites in the SaaS space carry more weight than links from unrelated or spammy sites. The key is to build natural links from reputable sources closely related to your niche. For example, guest posts on popular SaaS blogs, software directories, and industry publications are great backlink opportunities.
A mix of contextual anchor text is also essential; avoid over optimizing with exact-match keywords. The goal should be developing a diversified, high-quality backlink profile that looks natural and brings referral traffic.
Anchor Text
Using natural, varied anchor text is essential for SEO rather than over-optimizing with exact-match keywords. The best practice is to ensure the anchor text uses descriptive keywords to describe the page or idea you're linking to accurately.
You want to avoid repetitive anchor text that exactly matches your target keywords. Using the same anchor text links across multiple pages can appear manipulative.
The key is using anchor text naturally in the flow of your content, with a mix of branded, generic, and phrase-based variations. Avoid stuffing anchor text with target keywords. Anchor text is just one ranking factor so over-optimizing can do more harm than good.
Link Velocity
While building backlinks is crucial for rankings, links must be accumulated naturally and steadily. Google monitors link velocity to detect unnatural linking patterns that may indicate manipulation. Drastic spikes in new links can trigger a manual review and potential penalty.
The ideal link velocity is between 5 and 15 new referring domains per month. However, the optimal rate depends on your site and niche. A monthly velocity of 5 to 10 new domains is reasonable for a relatively new SaaS site, starting with link building.
As your domain authority increases, you can gradually scale up link velocity while remaining within natural growth patterns. But avoid doubling or tripling new links from month to month, as this will appear inorganic. Focus on building links slowly and consistently over an extended period.
Check your link velocity regularly using Ahrefs or a similar tool. Identify any unusual spikes that could put your site at risk. If you build links too quickly, pause outreach for 1-2 months to stabilize velocity. With a thoughtful, patient approach, your SaaS site can earn the backlink profile it deserves.
Social Signals
Social signals refer to the shares, likes, and overall visibility of a web page on social media platforms. For SaaS companies, building an active social media presence and generating social shares should be a crucial part of an off-page SEO strategy.
There are a few ways that SaaS brands can earn more social signals and increase their visibility:
• Create share-worthy content optimized for social - infographics, guides, data studies, etc.
• Promote new content through social advertising and influencer outreach
• Encourage social sharing by adding share buttons on blog posts and site pages
• Run social media contests and campaigns to increase engagement
• Get brand mentions by reaching out to industry influencers on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Use relevant hashtags and keywords to tap into active social conversations
By generating more social media buzz and brand visibility, SaaS companies can positively influence search rankings and organic traffic. But it's crucial that social promotion feels natural - overly aggressive tactics may be seen as manipulative. Focus on creating content and experiences worth sharing.
Guest Posting on Niche SaaS Blogs
Guest posts allow you to connect with engaged audiences while securing a link from an authoritative site.
When reaching out to potential hosts, focus on niche SaaS blogs with high domain authority and an audience that aligns with your ideal customers. Craft original content that fits the host site's brand resonates with readers, and follows their guidelines closely.
Within your posts, focus on providing insightful analysis and actionable takeaways—not just promotional content. Where relevant, link back to resources on your site. Many hosts will allow you to include 1-2 natural links within a guest post.
High-quality guest posting requires understanding the target audience, aligning with the site's tone, and following its guidelines. Prepare pitches tailored for each website.
Outreach
Start by identifying software reviewers, bloggers, and influencers who reach your target audience. Create a list of potential partners and visit their sites to understand their content style and guidelines. According to Semrush, you should customize your outreach for each website and build genuine relationships over time.
When reaching out, politely ask for a link or mention relevant content. Provide ideas and assets to make it easy for them to reference your brand. Follow up, but avoid being pushy or salesy.
Partnerships
Look for SaaS companies that serve a similar customer base but don't directly compete with your core offering. Arrange a partnership where you provide value to each other's audiences through co-created content, joint webinars, or bundled product promotions. Make sure to include contextual backlinks as part of the partnership activation.
For example, a CRM could partner with an email marketing platform to create a guide on sales automation. The co-branded content would allow both companies to secure a valuable backlink from the other's site. This type of reciprocal linking helps boost domain authority for both partners.
Strategic integrations between complementary SaaS tools can generate ongoing links as your products recommend each other. But avoid overly promotional partnerships that don't provide real value. The best collaborations stem from a genuine alignment between brands.
HARO Outreach
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a platform that connects journalists with sources and experts for articles and stories they are working on. Responding to relevant HARO queries can be an excellent way for SaaS companies to earn high-quality backlinks from major publications.
Monitor the queries that come in regularly and only respond to ones that are a strong fit for your expertise and offerings. It's important to customize each response and provide insightful commentary that gives the reporter what they need for their story.
For example, if a query related to how artificial intelligence is changing the SaaS landscape arises, an AI-powered SaaS could provide its thoughts on crucial impacts and innovations in a few paragraphs. Providing unique statistics and data can also help increase the chances of getting cited.
While HARO queries can result in significant media links, it often takes consistently responding with helpful information before you start seeing published results. The focus should be establishing yourself as a thought leader rather than overt self-promotion. Over time, earned media links can accumulate to strengthen a SaaS site's overall domain authority.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is an effective channel for promoting your pillar content and attracting backlinks. Consider offering gated content upgrades like eBooks, cheat sheets, and templates behind opt-ins. This will incentivize visitors to share their email addresses in exchange for accessing your gated content. You can then use this contact information to nurture leads.
For example, create a comprehensive guide to keyword research and gate it behind a landing page that collects email addresses. Promote this gated content asset on social media platforms, guest posts sites, and through outreach. The landing page will attract backlinks, social shares, and opt-ins.
Strategically gate some of your best informational content behind opt-ins to generate leads. Just ensure the content provides ample value to motivate shares and links.
Conclusion
The key off-page ranking factors in 2024 include backlinks from relevant websites, the authority of linking domains, anchor text diversity, link velocity, social signals like shares, brand mentions, and more. Focusing efforts on these core areas through content, outreach, partnerships, and optimization will be critical.
Struggling to rank high for competitive keywords?
Zorbis SEO services delivers targeted link building and strategic outreach to secure high-quality backlinks essential for 2024 success. We'll help you dominate off-page SEO and drive organic growth for your business. Contact us today for a free quote!
