Link-Building Strategies for SaaS Companies

What is link building?

It is the process of acquiring hyperlinks (also known as backlinks) from other websites to your own. 

Search engines use these links to determine the authority and relevance of your website, which can affect your search engine ranking.

The goal of link building is to get your website mentioned on high-quality websites that are relevant to your industry. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as guest blogging, creating infographics, and building relationships with other website owners.

Why is SaaS link building important for SEO?

SaaS link building is important for SEO because:

• Links are a major ranking factor. Google and other search engines use links to determine which websites are most relevant and authoritative for a given search query. The more high-quality backlinks your SaaS website has, the higher it is likely to rank in search results.
• Links drive traffic. When other websites link to your SaaS website, they are essentially referring their visitors to you. This can drive a significant amount of traffic to your site, especially if the linking websites have a large audience.
• Links improve brand awareness. When people see your SaaS website linked to on other websites, it helps to build brand awareness and credibility. This can lead to more people visiting your site, signing up for your SaaS product, or becoming customers.

Here are some specific benefits of SaaS link building for SEO:

• Increased organic visibility: Backlinks from high-quality websites can help your SaaS website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more visible to potential customers.
• More organic traffic: Higher rankings in SERPs lead to more organic traffic, which can translate into more leads and sales for your SaaS business.
• Improved domain authority: Domain authority is a measure of how authoritative a website is in the eyes of search engines. Backlinks from high-quality websites can help to improve your SaaS website's domain authority, which can lead to even higher rankings in SERPs.
• Better brand reputation: When other websites link to your SaaS website, it shows that they trust and value your content and expertise. This can help to improve your brand reputation and make you more attractive to potential customers.

Overall, SaaS link building is an important part of any SEO strategy, but here are some other reasons:

• Publisher partnerships: Link building is a great way to build relationships with other publishers in your industry. These partnerships can be mutually beneficial, as you can help each other promote your content and reach a wider audience. For example, you could offer to promote each other's upcoming webinars or blog posts.
• Long-term traffic: Once you've built a link on another website, it will continue to drive traffic to your site for years to come. This is unlike paid advertising, where your traffic stops as soon as you stop paying.
• Brand authority: Getting mentioned on other reputable websites can help to boost your brand authority and credibility. This is important because potential customers are more likely to trust and do business with brands that they perceive as being experts in their field.

What are the different types of links

Dofollow and nofollow backlinks

There are two types of backlinks that can drive traffic to your website: dofollow and nofollow. The difference between the two lies in the HTML code, but they are indistinguishable to the reader.

Dofollow backlinks

Dofollow backlinks tell search engines that the source of the traffic is from a different domain. These backlinks are considered in Google's search algorithm and can have a direct impact on your website's rankings. Dofollow links are the easiest to build and are the most valuable for SEO.

Nofollow backlinks

Nofollow backlinks have a rel="nofollow" tag in the HTML code. This tells search engines to ignore the link when assessing your backlink profile. Nofollow links are not as valuable for SEO as dofollow links, but they can still be beneficial. For example, nofollow links can help to drive traffic to your website and improve your brand awareness.

When to use dofollow and nofollow links

You should generally aim to build dofollow backlinks whenever possible. However, there are some cases where nofollow links may be more appropriate. For example, you may want to use nofollow links for sponsored content or links to low-quality websites. Consider using a free backlink checker to ensure everything is top-notch.

Google's new nofollow tags

Google has recently introduced two new nofollow tags: rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc". These tags provide more information to search engines about the nature of the link. For example, the rel="sponsored" tag can be used to identify paid links, while the rel="ugc" tag can be used to identify user-generated content (such as comments and forum posts). 

How to get authoritative domains that should mention you?

Identify backlink opportunities from competing domains

One way to find backlink opportunities is to audit your competitors' backlink profiles. This will give you a list of the domains that are linking to them. You can then start by reaching out to these domains and seeing if they would be interested in linking to your website as well.

Of course, not all of the domains on this list will be a good fit for your website. You will need to eliminate any domains that are partners of your competitors, or domains that have a high domain rating threshold that you do not yet meet.

However, you should be able to find a number of publications and blogging websites on this list where you can get mentioned with little effort. 

These can serve as a great starting point for your link building campaign.

Here are some tips for reaching out to potential link partners:

• Personalize your outreach emails. Take the time to learn about the website and its audience before you reach out.
• Offer to provide something of value. For example, you could offer to write a guest post for the website or to share their content on your social media channels.
• Make it easy for the website owner to link to your content. Include a link to your website in your email signature and make sure that your content is easy to find on your website.  Consider using email signature management tools to streamline this process and ensure consistency across all your communications.

Link building can take time and effort, but it is a worthwhile investment for any website that wants to improve its SEO and online visibility. 

Here are some ways to obtain backlinks

So the question is how do we get started in link building, let get into it. 

Identify Relevant Keywords​

The first step in the SEO for SaaS link-building process is identifying keywords relevant to your target audience's search queries. 

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can assist you in researching and analyzing these keywords. 

Once you have identified the keywords, incorporating them into your content will help improve visibility and attract traffic. 

One way to find backlink opportunities is to audit your competitors' backlink profiles. This will give you a list of the domains that are linking to them. You can then start by reaching out to these domains and seeing if they would be interested in linking to your website as well.

Of course, not all of the domains on this list will be a good fit for your website. You will need to eliminate any domains that are partners of your competitors, or domains that have a high domain rating threshold that you do not yet meet.

However, you should be able to find a number of publications and blogging websites on this list where you can get mentioned with little effort. These can serve as a great starting point for your link building campaign.

Here are some tips for reaching out to potential link partners:

• Personalize your outreach emails. Take the time to learn about the website and its audience before you reach out.
• Offer to provide something of value. For example, you could offer to write a guest post for the website or to share their content on your social media channels.
• Make it easy for the website owner to link to your content. Include a link to your website in your email signature and make sure that your content is easy to find on your website.

Link building can take time and effort, but it is a worthwhile investment for any website that wants to improve its SEO and online visibility.

Develop Exceptional Content

​Creating top-notch content serves as the foundation for a link-building strategy. It's important to generate engaging and valuable content that addresses the problems faced by your target audience. When your content is of quality and relevance, it naturally attracts website links.

Here are some steps you can take to develop exceptional content for your blog to get more traffic:

1. Choose a niche. What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? Choose a niche that you can write about with authority and enthusiasm.
2. Identify your target audience. Who are you writing for? What are their interests? What are their needs? Once you know who your target audience is, you can tailor your content to their specific needs and interests.
3. Research your topics. Before you start writing, take some time to research your topic. This will help you to write informative and engaging content.
4. Write high-quality content. Your content should be well-written, informative, and engaging. Make sure to proofread your work before you publish it. The longer the content the better around 800 - 2000 words is great, inculde images, name the images after the h2 heading, always use H1, H2 H3, and points, back up your points, include Why, How, When, Where in your content.
5. Optimize your content for search engines. Use relevant keywords and phrases throughout your content so that people can easily find it when they search for those terms online.
6. Promote your content. Share your content on social media, email it to your subscribers, and submit it to relevant directories.

Here are some additional tips for developing exceptional content:

• Write unique and original content. Don't just copy and paste content from other websites. Write your own unique thoughts and insights.
• Be consistent with your publishing schedule. Publish new content on a regular basis, so that your readers know when to expect new content from you.
• Use images and videos to break up your text and make your content more visually appealing.
• Interact with your readers. Respond to comments and questions, and participate in discussions on social media.

By following these tips, you can develop exceptional content that will help you to attract more traffic to your blog.

Engage in Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is an adopted technique used for link building, which involves writing articles for established blogs within your industry while including a backlink to your website. This approach can significantly expand your exposure to audiences while enhancing your site's visibility and authority.   If you are not sure how to conduct this campaign properly, you should definitely seek out help and work with a SaaS SEO company for better and quicker results.

To get the best results from guest blogging, you need to be strategic in your approach. 

Here are some tips:

• Choose your targets wisely. Not all guest blogging opportunities are created equal. Some websites are more authoritative and have more traffic than others. When choosing websites to guest blog on, focus on high-quality websites that are relevant to your niche and have an audience that would be interested in your content.
• Pitch high-quality ideas. When you pitch a guest post idea to a website owner, make sure it is something that is interesting, informative, and valuable to their audience. Take the time to research the website and their audience, so that you can come up with ideas that are relevant and engaging.
• Write high-quality content. Once you have been accepted to write a guest post, make sure to write high-quality content that is well-written, informative, and engaging. Proofread your work carefully before submitting it.
• Promote your guest post. Once your guest post has been published, be sure to promote it on your own social media channels and email list. You can also reach out to other websites in your niche and ask them to share your guest post.

Here are some additional tips for engaging in guest blogging:

• Build relationships with other bloggers. Get to know other bloggers in your niche and build relationships with them. This will make it easier to pitch guest post ideas to them in the future.
• Be consistent. Guest blogging takes time and effort, but it is a worthwhile investment for any blogger who wants to increase their traffic and reach a new audience. Be consistent with your guest blogging efforts and you will start to see results.

Here are some ways to measure the results of your guest blogging efforts:

• Track traffic from your guest posts. Use Google Analytics to track the traffic that comes to your website from your guest posts. This will help you to see which guest posts are generating the most traffic.
• Track social media engagement. Track the social media engagement that your guest posts generate. This will help you to see which guest posts are resonating with your audience.
• Track backlinks. Track the number of backlinks that your guest posts generate. Backlinks are a valuable ranking factor in Google, so it is important to track them.

By following these tips, you can engage in guest blogging effectively and get the best results.

Broken Link Building

The link-building process for SaaS SEO involves finding links on other websites and replacing them with links leading to your site. 

This strategy can boost your website's credibility, drive traffic, and enhance your search rankings.To begin, you can utilize tools like Ahrefs to locate links on websites within your industry. 

Contact the site owner once you identify a backlink that leads to a 404 error page. Offer informative content from your website as a replacement for the broken link.

When you find a broken link on another site that could be replaced with a link to your site, you should reach out to the site owner and politely ask them to consider replacing the broken link with yours.

Here is a sample call to action:

You can also offer to write a new guest post for the site owner if they are not interested in linking to an existing piece of your content. This is a great way to build a relationship with the site owner and get a link to your website at the same time.

When writing your call to action, be sure to be polite and respectful of the site owner's time. Avoid being pushy or demanding. The goal is to provide the site owner with value and make it easy for them to link to your website.

Infographics​ 

Infographics are a means of creating appealing content for your website while also attracting inbound links from other sites. Infographics are easy to consume and share, making them valuable in attracting backlinks. 

When crafting infographics to gain backlinks, ensure they are informative, well-designed, and relevant to your target audience.

To increase brand visibility and drive traffic to your website, consider incorporating your logo and website link into an infographic and promote this infographic on social media platforms. 

Infographics are a popular way to present information visually. 

They are often used on websites to break up text and make content more engaging. Infographics can also be used to promote content on social media and other online platforms.

Here are what the statistics say on the use of infographics:

• 65% of businesses have used infographics in the past.
• Content posts that include images and graphics have up to 650% higher engagement.
• Infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than a written article.
• 74% of people are more likely to remember information if it is presented in a visually appealing way.

Does Infographics provide value to readers?:

• They can help to make complex information more understandable and easier to digest.
• They can be used to summarize information from a longer article or blog post.
• They can be used to highlight key statistics and data points.
• They can be used to tell a story or illustrate a concept.

How does it boost SEO traffic:

• They can help to make your website more visually appealing and engaging.
• They can encourage people to spend more time on your website.
• They can be shared on social media and other online platforms, which can help to drive traffic to your website.
• They can be used to build backlinks to your website, which can improve your website's ranking in search results.

Tips for creating effective infographics:

• Choose a topic that is relevant to your target audience and that can be presented visually in an interesting and informative way.
• Use high-quality images and graphics.
• Keep your text concise and to the point.
• Use a clear and easy-to-read font.
• Use a consistent design throughout your infographic.
• Include a call to action at the end of your infographic.

By following these tips, you can create effective infographics that will provide value to your readers and boost SEO traffic to your website.

Social Media

Social media platforms can be highly effective in raising awareness about your brand and attracting visitors to your website. Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram provide opportunities to share content and engage with others in your industry.

Utilize social media as part of your link-building strategy by sharing content that offers value to users. By doing so, you can encourage them to share and link back to your site. Additionally, you can actively participate in industry chats and forums and connect with businesses for collaborative linking opportunities.

Keep Up with your Competitors

Analyze your competitors' link profiles to identify any backlinks they have that you might need to include. Tools such as Ahrefs and SEMrush offer competitive analysis features that can help you pinpoint these backlinks and uncover linking opportunities.

Take note of the sources from which your competitors are obtaining their backlinks. This information will serve as insight for developing linking strategies for your website.

Initiate Scholarships for Links

Consider implementing a scholarship program targeted toward students within your desired market segment. Offering scholarships or financial awards in exchange for links to your site is a way to build brand recognition while attracting backlinks.

To initiate the scholarship application process, create a webpage on your website. This page should provide information about the eligibility criteria, application procedures, and the scholarship award amount. 

Also, contact universities and colleges requesting them to include your scholarship on their award pages.

Wrapping up 

The strategies for building links in today's landscape are constantly evolving. To stay competitive, it is crucial to have a defined plan in place. 

The strategies mentioned in this article can assist your SaaS company in enhancing visibility, attracting traffic, and acquiring backlinks that contribute to search rankings. 

It is important to remember that link-building is a process that demands effort and patience. With perseverance and dedication, you will eventually reap the benefits of an executed link-building strategy.