Opinions expressed by business contributors are their own.
Some of the biggest software companies in the world credit SEO as their driving factor to reach unicorn status: Canva, MailChimp – and the list goes on.
SEO is a channel through which software companies can capture demand and convert that demand into paying customers. But most tech companies today are repeating the same SEO playbook as all their competitors: reposting top-of-the-funnel, basic content to get the most traffic possible. The problem? You want the right traffic, not the most traffic.
Here are three unusual SEO strategies specifically designed for software companies to stand out and get customers.
1. Fewer keywords, more thought leadership
Keyword stuff is important for search engine optimization. The overall goal of SEO is to capture an existing search demand. For example, if someone searches for a comparison of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, you want your CRM software to show up as a candidate.
However, keyword content can only get you so far, very quickly. In order to classify content organically, Google evaluates a number of factors that help determine which pieces of content a user sees when they search. Their algorithm prioritizes in-depth, accurate content from trusted sources.
One of the best ways to become a trusted source is to establish thought leadership in your niche. The more people who trust you and your brand, share your content and return your content, the better.
Google rewards authentic brands with confidence in their markets. A great way to measure this is through internal links pointing to your website, also known as backlinks. No, not the spammy type of backlink that you can buy for $5 on a shady website (avoid those). The kind of backlink that can only be earned with really great content, brands and relationships. The kind that is the true result of creating and developing a valuable piece of content that people can’t help but move around.
This is where your thought leadership strategy comes in. Common link-building is spammy. Sending mass emails to websites asking them to link to you. Instead, your goal is to write content so thought-provoking and unique that people can’t help but share, connect and promote it. This is thought-leadership content and has a huge beneficial effect on your SEO because it earns more backlinks and distribution than a list of keywords like “5 Best CRM Software this Year.”
For example, I wrote a blog piece for a software company about how data tells you in tools like Google Analytics. It is not meant to capture keyword rankings but to drive social shares, engagement and virality. I used a strong and impressive voice. I have supported my position with examples. I left readers with a final question to share. Then, I sent it to my list and website. Within weeks I had generated hundreds of backlinks from high-powered websites sharing my post – more backlinks than most websites will ever get from a single article.
If I still wrote “XX best tools” like most software companies, I would be left with zero shares, zero links and no brand influence. No one wants to share boring, basic content. While you shouldn’t stop creating keyword-rich content that captures the demand, you should also focus on thought leadership that has tremendous viral potential, creating downstream benefits for your entire SEO strategy. Then, distribute and market that text across all channels to maximize your impact.
Related: Why Trust Is The New Marketing Currency
2. SERP monopoly strategy
Publishing new content isn’t always the fastest way to generate leads, sales and revenue. It takes time to rank new content naturally. Especially if your brand is not established and you don’t have a track record of success. Instead of publishing a large number, send the SERP monopoly strategy: get your software company listed in all circles and compare your position with valuable keywords.
For example, if your software company is CRM software, you would want to search for keywords like “best CRMs,” make a list of the top 20 categories that rank for this keyword and then create valuable awareness on those networks. to get your CRM list. This is a SERP monopoly strategy.
It allows you to block thousands of searches in days, not months. Instead of publishing a new piece and waiting months for it to rank normally, you tap into existing content that is already driving traffic. And because it’s so relevant, you can drive qualified buyers and leads to your website within days if you run a successful campaign.
Your ultimate goal is to write a list of every post that ranks for a list or comparison of keywords in your site, so the name “SERP Monopoly” Using the example of “Best CRM”, this keyword gets 9,000 unique searches per month, according to SEO tools. There are countless articles on top CRMs, all of which are an opportunity for you to contact the author of the article and ask them to try and review your software.
If it’s a really good product, they’ll be more than happy to recommend you to their list of readers, as it’s a win-win for them and their readers.
When pitching your content to site owners, always ask yourself: what can I do to make this valuable to them, not just me? Can you offer an affiliate deal, so they get a percentage of the sales that drive your list? Can you give them a free lifetime to use the tool so they can actually review and rank you? This strategy is incredibly effective for software companies due to the large amount of content evaluating the best tools for a given niche. Leverage it to drive qualified buyers to your site in weeks, not years.
Related: 5 Essential SEO Strategies for Businesses to Boost Their Traffic
3. Sales enablement content for SEO
Content marketing SEO is a powerful strategy to automatically rank in organic search results for your competitors’ branded searches. Key selling enables SEO content usually follows three different types: Reason, Best, Opposite. For example: Product X and Product Y: which one is better? These are key components at the bottom of the material that people look for when making a purchasing decision. They want to learn why a particular device is best for their individual needs.
Creating this type of content may feel counterintuitive: Why are you highlighting some of your competitor’s strengths? Well, for many reasons. Customers won’t trust your brand if all you do is talk about how bad your competitor’s offering is. Badmouthing your competitors is dishonest, and customers can see right through it. Instead, your goal should be to differentiate yourself – to speak positively about the competitor, but acknowledge where your product shines and who.
Leave your bias at the door and write a comparative piece that explains why your software is a success with your target audience. By creating comparison categories, you’ll begin to rank higher for branded searches than competitors. In other words, if your competitor is “Brand X,” you can actually add a search for “Brand X” to Google by creating a comparison category like “Brand X vs Your Brand.”
Content marketing becomes more diverse and expands the keywords you can target, then captures more needs from your target market that may not even know you exist. Coupled with the two strategies mentioned above is a sure way to increase leads, sales and qualified income for your software company.
SEO stands for “engine optimization.†In simple terms, it means the process of optimizing your site to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business on Google, Bing, and other search engines.
How do I start SEO?
How to Start an SEO Campaign
- Step 1: Set KPIs & amp; Goals…
- Step 2: Analyze Your Current Website Setup. …
- Step 3: Content Creation & Keyword Research. …
- Step 4: Develop a Column Content Strategy. …
- Step 5: Perform an SEO Audit. …
- Step 6: Act on the Audit Results. …
- Step 7: Work on Local SEO. …
- Step 8: Work on Backlinks
Can SEO be done by yourself? You can completely do SEO yourself or DIY SEO (Do It Yourself SEO). With some research and lots of practice, anyone can learn how to do SEO for their business.
What is the first step to start SEO?
Defining relevant keywords is the first step in creating search engine optimized website content. Using keywords and building your topics around them will create content that answers Google searches.
What is SEO in simple words?
Search engine optimization is the science of optimizing a website to increase its visibility when people are searching for products or services. The more the website has in the search engines, the more likely the brand will do business.
What is SEO and how does it work? Well, SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’, which is the process of getting free traffic, organic, editorial, or natural search results from search engines. It aims to improve your website’s position in search results pages. Remember, the higher the website, the more people will see it.
What is the purpose of SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process designed to improve a website’s ranking in search engine listings, and can be considered a part of internet or web marketing. The main purpose of SEO is to get higher rankings on search engines which in turn creates more target audience.
What is SEO marketing? SEO marketing is a part of digital marketing that involves optimizing websites and web pages for major search engines like Google.
What is SEO in Google?
SEO – Search engine optimization: the process of making your site good for search engines. Also the job title of someone who does this for a living: We just hired a new SEO to improve our web presence.
What is Google SEO used for?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the practice of adding content to your website that can improve your website’s visibility in search engines and their usage. In other words, SEO can help your site appear more often in relevant searches.
What is SEO in Google?
SEO – Search engine optimization: the process of making your site good for search engines. Also the job title of someone who does this for a living: We just hired a new SEO to improve our web presence.
What is Google SEO used for? SEO, or search engine optimization, is the practice of adding content to your website that can improve your website’s visibility in search engines and their usage. In other words, SEO can help your site appear more often in relevant searches.