Link Building for SaaS Startups: 3 Strategy That Drive Result

Link building is an essential component of any successful digital marketing strategy, especially for SaaS startups looking to establish their presence in a competitive online landscape. Links work to improve your company's visibility for search engines and push your website to the top of search engine rankings. In the meantime, higher rankings naturally bring more backlinks. 

Thus, top-ranking sites boast nearly 4 times more references. Hence, the importance of link building for SaaS cannot be overstated.

In this guide, we'll explore three powerful link-building strategies specifically tailored for SaaS startups that have been proven to yield tangible results and provide you with actionable insights to elevate your promotional efforts. 

SaaS Lik-Building: Why It's Important

The prime goal and benefit of building links for any business including SaaS is boosting online visibility to make the company's website, solutions, and offers visible and discoverable for potential customers. The higher your website climbs up in search engine rankings, the easier prospects will find it, and the higher the chances to attract leads and guide them toward conversion.

Enhanced search engine visibility aside, there is a bunch of other reasons why link building for SaaS companies is important:

• Higher Targeted Traffic Influx: SaaS startups, especially those in competitive markets, need to earn their target audience's trust to succeed. Quality backlinks from trustworthy websites serve as virtual stamps of approval, signaling to users that your startup is credible, reliable, and worthy of their attention. Likewise, they demonstrate your website's authority to search engines.
• Amplified Brad Authority and Trust: Link building enables SaaS ventures to tap into targeted audiences genuinely interested in their offerings. When you secure backlinks from websites relevant to your niche, you access a pool of potential customers initially interested in your product or service. Attracting qualified convertible leads will result in higher ROI.
• Gaining Competitive Advantage: By acquiring high-quality references and building relationships with influencers and industry leaders, newly formed companies can carve out their niche, differentiate themselves from competitors, and solidify their position as industry innovators.
• Long-Term Growth: Unlike some forms of paid advertising that yield immediate results but fizzle out once the campaign ends, the benefits of link-building endure the test of time. Quality mentions continue to drive organic traffic, boost search engine rankings, and amplify brand visibility long after they've been acquired, providing a steady stream of leads and opportunities for growth.

With nearly 67% of web pages having no references at all, you have a lot of opportunities to get the most out of digital promotions. So, whether you delegate this task to SaaS link-building services since 41% view linking as the most difficult SEO aspect or you reserve it for your in-house specialist, link-building should be a part and parcel of your marketing concept. 

3 Best Strategies for SaaS Startups ​

​Link-building is a dynamic field, with multiple techniques, methodologies, and tactics for digital promotion in it. Some of these practices are more or less standard and work the same way for different industries. However, others turn out more effective for certain sectors.

SaaS is a specific industry that widely hinges on digital presence and calls for complex well-thought promotion concepts to reach target audiences, popularize digital products, and stimulate business growth. Below, we'll consider three strategies that SaaS link-building experts consider to be the best for this sphere. 

Content-Driven Link-Building

Content is still king. 89% of marketers across industries create content to build links. Content-based link-building is a strategic approach for SaaS companies and startup projects too. Within this approach, there are a few techniques that can push your digital business to new heights.

Creating Quality Linkable Content​ 

Creating some random materials or content for the sake of content won't result in efficient links. Link-builders view quality linkable content as one of the most effective linking tactics. This is content that not only resonates with your target audience but also provides immense value for others in your industry, making them eager to share your content with others and refer to it. Statistically, long-form content attracts over 77% more links than short-form pieces. Content types particularly effective for SaaS include:

• Ultimate Guides: Comprehensive guides that delve deep into a specific topic within your niche serve as go-to resources for your audience, positioning your brand as an authority in the field. "What" and "Why" articles and infographics are nearly 26% more effective in link-building than other posts.
• Whitepapers: In-depth reports or studies that explore industry trends, challenges, and solutions are excellent for showcasing thought leadership and attracting attention from industry professionals.
• Case Studies: Real-life examples of how your SaaS solution has helped clients overcome challenges and achieve success provide social proof and demonstrate the tangible benefits of your product or service.

Outreach and Content Promotion

The way you promote content is no less important than content quality. To amplify the reach and attract qualified backlinks from relevant sources, you can rely on the following techniques:

• Strategic Outreach: Identify authoritative websites, blogs, and influencers within your industry and reach out to them with personalized pitches. Highlight the value that your content brings to their audiences and explain why it's worth sharing or linking to.
• Social Media Promotion: Leverage your social media channels to promote your content to a wider audience and gain leads beyond your normally targeted prospects. Encourage followers to engage with and share your content to increase visibility and potential for references. Nearly 62% of marketers utilize social media for outreach ad promotion.
• Email Campaigns: Use your email list to notify subscribers about new content releases. Include a compelling call to action prompting recipients to read, share, or refer to your content.

Guest Posting

Guest posting remains a tried-and-tested method for acquiring quality references. About 65% of link-builders implement this technique within their marketing strategies.

Research industry-relevant websites and blogs that accept guest contributions. Look for platforms with a strong domain authority and engaged audience. Tailor your pitches to each target website, emphasizing how your proposed topic aligns with their audience's interests and needs. Showcase your expertise and highlight the unique value you bring as a guest contributor.

Once your guest post is accepted, produce excellent content that offers valuable insights, actionable advice, and engaging storytelling to captivate readers and encourage them to further explore your brand.

Repurposing Content for Multiple Platforms

You can maximize the impact of your content by repurposing it for various platforms and formats by

• Transforming written copy into visually appealing infographics, videos, or slideshows. Visual assets tend to perform well on social media and can attract a different audience segment.
• Redesigning your written pieces into podcast episodes or guest appearances on relevant podcasts within your industry to embrace prospects prioritizing this content format.
• Converting written materials into interactive webinars or workshops where you can engage directly with your audience, answer questions, and provide additional insights.

Relation-Based Link-Building

This tactic goes beyond transactional exchanges and focuses on establishing genuine connections with influencers, industry leaders, and stakeholders. According to Influencer Marketing Hub research, 21% of brands cooperate with 10 to 50 influencers while 16% engage over 50 influencers for their campaigns.

Influencers and industry leaders wield significant influence over your target audience. By tapping into their networks, you can enhance your brand's reach. So, begin by identifying industry leaders who align with your brand values and target audience.

Look for individuals with a strong online presence, engaged followers, and expertise in your niche. Instead of one-time contacts, seek to establish authentic relationships that will last. Engage with influencers on social media, share their content, and participate in conversations. Building rapport might take time, yet, will pay off with long-term benefits.

To build effective collaboration

• Give influencers access to exclusive resources, such as beta versions of your software, industry reports, or proprietary tools. Demonstrating the value will help build goodwill and encourage them to engage with your brand.
• Position yourself as an informative resource by offering expert quotes or insights for influencers' content. Provide commentary for blog posts, participate in interviews, or contribute to round-up articles to add credibility to their content and increase the likelihood of receiving backlinks.

Participate in Industry Events

Industry-specific events and conferences provide a wealth of opportunities for potential collaborations and face-to-face contacts. Actively participate in networking events, workshops, and panel discussions. Initiate conversations with a genuine interest in learning from others and sharing your expertise. Exchange contact information and follow up with personalized messages to nurture connections beyond the event.

Stand out as a thought leader by hosting workshops or giving presentations on topics relevant to your niche. Come up with meaningful observations and actionable advice to demonstrate your credibility and grab the attention of influencers and potential partners. 

Technical Link-Building

​SaaS is a tech-oriented sector per se where innovations and advancements reign supreme. So, technical link-building can be a game-changing SaaS link-building strategy for boosting organic traffic to your website. Two techniques stand strong in this realm: broken and resource page link building.

Broken Linking​ 

Broken references are like cracks in the digital foundation, disrupting user experience and hindering SEO efforts. However, for savvy SaaS marketers, they represent a golden opportunity for link acquisition. According to Ahref's survey, within the last decade, nearly 48% of links have been sourced from dropped pages.

Start by scouring the web for websites and pages within your niche that contain broken links. Specialized digital tools can streamline this process by automatically detecting broken links on a given page. Once identified, notify the website owner or webmaster about the broken mentions in a courteous manner.

Seize the opportunity to provide value and offer a replacement in the form of your own high-quality resources or content assets. Remember to ensure that your replacement content seamlessly fills the void left by the broken link.

Resource Page Linking

​Resource pages serve as curated collections of valuable resources, making them prime real estate for high-quality references. According to Aira's report, 24% of SEOs actively use this tactic and it proves to be quite efficient for SaaS in particular.

Take your time to conduct thorough research to identify resource pages within your industry or niche, including directories, lists of tools or software, or compilations of informative articles. Look for ages that cater to your target audience and match your SaaS offering.

Craft personalized pitches for the owners or administrators of those pages, highlighting the value that your SaaS solution brings to their consumers. Emphasize how your product or service fills a gap or addresses a specific need within the niche. Provide compelling reasons why you should be included as a valuable resource on their page.

Wrapping up

Link building isn't just another checkbox on your digital marketing to-do list. It's a fundamental pillar that can make or break your venture's online success. By following these three SaaS link-building tips, you can chart a course toward sustainable development and growth of your newly formed business in the dynamic world of technology entrepreneurship.