The SaaS industry is growing at a rapid rate. According to data from Statista, SaaS revenue is expected to reach $207.20 billion this year. Furthermore, the CAGR from 2022 to 2027 is expected to be 9.80%, which is quite impressive.

But here’s the thing about competing in a rapidly growing market: standing out can be challenging. Especially if you’re working in a specific niche or with a shoestring marketing budget that doesn’t allow much spending. Fortunately, there’s a strategy that could help you boost your brand’s visibility and authority and get more people to invest in your solutions: Search Engine Optimization.

So, whether you’re preparing for launch or looking to assist growth, here’s why organic SEO is the best investment for your SaaS company.

Cater to the Google Algorithm

Though you probably already know this, there’s a system according to which results are ranked on Google. The position of search engine page results (SERPs) is determined by the Google algorithm, which ranks results based on several confirmed factors. These factors include relevance (accomplished by creating content for specific search terms), backlinks (which impact domain authority), website security, mobile-friendliness, page speed, UX, and freshness.

By investing in SEO, you’re essentially optimizing your website and content to rank high on Google. 

If you’re unsure why this is important, consider the following information. According to research from 2022, ranking #1 on Google generates a CTR of 39.6%. This is more than double the 18.4% for position #2 and almost 4x the 10.1% CTR for position #3. 

And if you look at further data, you’ll also discover that only .63% of people click on a Google result on the second page, showing just how crucial it is for your SaaS brand to rank high on Google.

Work for the Buyer’s Journey (Not Against It)

Another considerable benefit of investing in organic SEO for your SaaS company is that doing it right can help you attract your target audience, overcome common conversion obstacles, and move prospects through the sales funnel more quickly, consequently lowering customer acquisition costs.

For example, did you know that the B2B buyer’s journey is described as “complex” by 77% of buyers, seeing that shopping for a solution can involve anywhere between six and ten decision-makers? By investing in SEO, you can ensure that all of these decision-makers perceive your solution as the best one out there, seeing that they’re likely to do at least some research on Google.

Or, if you’re a B2C SaaS company, it’s worth knowing that the average buyer’s journey requires eight touchpoints, which highlights the importance of getting your content seen by your target audience. Search engine optimization is, naturally, the easiest way to create these touchpoints. However, if you combine SEO with a robust social media marketing strategy and retargeting, you’re guaranteed to achieve better sales results than by simply waiting for people to magically discover your SaaS products and land on your website.

Overcome Trust Issues

In 2022, consumer trust is at a low point. People don’t have confidence in the media or their governments, and a significant portion of them don’t trust businesses to deliver on their promises either.

For any brand trying to boost sales and conversion rates or prove its authority, this is a significant problem. However, the great thing about investing in organic SEO is that it can help overcome it via the proxy of positioning valuable content at the top of search engine results pages.

For example, the MOZ search survey from 2020 discovered that most users trust results on Google, especially the content that appears in the Featured Snippet and Knowledge Panels on SERPs. 

With this in mind, it’s logical that creating and optimizing content meant to win these sections pays off, seeing that it doesn’t just secure a high-ranking position for your SaaS brand. More importantly, it creates a connection between your company and valuable, trustworthy information or products, which is what most consumers look for in the first place.

Accomplish Measurable Benefits

As you explore the benefits of investing in organic SEO for your SaaS company, don’t forget that there are more tangible benefits to optimizing your website, publishing content meant to generate backlinks, and investing in the technical optimization of your site.

Investing in organic SEO will help you:

• Get more website visits by attracting new prospects through well-positioned content.
• Generate higher-quality leads by ensuring that your landing pages and content are relevant to your audience’s position in the sales funnel, that you’ve shown you understand your prospects’ pain points, and by pointing out the effectiveness of your solutions.
• Achieve higher conversion rates by optimizing your website to encourage sales and engagement.
• Lower acquisition costs by allowing your SaaS company website to appear where most consumers start their product research journeys.
• Save on PPC by having your site rank high and by acquiring measurable results regarding what search terms and keywords attract the most clicks (which is information you can then use to optimize your PPC campaigns).

And the best part is that you can:

1. Outsource the SEO process to a trustworthy agency that will use industry-specific knowledge to deliver the results you’re after. And;
2. Easily track the success of your search engine optimization efforts by keeping an eye on your website analytics. A quick look at any of these metrics will tell you whether what you’re doing in terms of SEO is enough, whether you need to change your strategy, or if, perhaps, you need to allot a portion of your marketing budget to other tactics to get bang for your buck.

Achieve Lasting Results

Finally, as you explore the reasons SEO is such an excellent investment for SaaS companies, don’t forget that this marketing tactic delivers long-lasting results.

True, a robust SEO strategy requires time, effort, and patience. But once you’ve done what you need to do, you’ll continue seeing results well into the future (unlike with paid ads or social media). A well-written piece of content optimized for high-volume search terms can be a super-successful source of web traffic and a way to establish brand credibility, consequently boosting conversions.

Wrapping Up

When building up a successful and long-lasting SaaS business, it’s crucial that you invest your time and money in things that will create value in the long run. SEO is definitely one such investment, with a huge potential for helping your brand stand out from your competitors.

And the great thing is, you don’t have to have a huge budget to do it right (and see the results you’re after). All it takes to use organic SEO to advance your SaaS business is patience, dedication, and a little bit of help from a trustworthy source of information.