Feature pages only
The category The home page, on page two
The job No page for it
The alternatives A competitor’s page ranks
The integrations Built in JavaScript, not indexed
Trials only from people who already know your name
What it is
What is SaaS SEO (software SEO), and why is it different?
SaaS SEO, also called software SEO, is search engine optimization for software companies: getting the pages buyers need at each stage, from the category and the job to the alternatives and pricing, ranked and clicked. It’s judged inside the product, by whether the people who find you start a trial or book a demo, and stay, not by signups alone.
One AP automation product, and the four searches its buyers make:
A page for each stage
The category A category page, on page one
The job A page for each job buyers search
The alternatives Your own fair comparison
The integrations Readable and indexed
Buyers find the page for their stage, and start a trial that activates.
The method is the same as in any SEO program. What changes: pages for jobs, comparisons and integrations, an app that search engines can’t always read, and results that end in recurring revenue. See the pages for each stage ↓
Need more than search? As a SaaS marketing agency, we plan search, ads and conversion together.
The SaaS pages that drive signups
SEO for SaaS: which pages win buyers at each stage?
A different page at each stage, each with its own next step. Software buyers search the problem first, then the kind of tool, then named alternatives, then price and setup. Pick a stage to see the pages that win it, what they must show and the event we track.
Our page map, filled in for a typical AP automation product
| Page type | Problem | Solution | Shortlist | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Rarely searched | Key page | Also helps | Rarely searched |
| Use cases | Also helps | Key page | Rarely searched | Rarely searched |
| Integrations | Rarely searched | Also helps | Key page | Also helps |
| Comparisons | Rarely searched | Rarely searched | Key page | Also helps |
| Templates and tools | Key page | Also helps | Rarely searched | Rarely searched |
| Pricing | Rarely searched | Rarely searched | Also helps | Key page |
Problem
They know the pain, not the product: “how do we stop chasing invoice approvals?”
Templates and tools
Key page- Search
- “invoice approval workflow template”
- Must show
- A free template that works without the product, and the steps the product removes
- Next step
- Start a trial with the template loaded
- Tracked as
- Template download, then trial
Use cases
Also helps- Search
- “how to speed up invoice approvals”
- Must show
- The job step by step, with the product doing the slow part
- Next step
- Watch the product tour
- Tracked as
- Tour started
Solution
They look for the kind of tool: “AP automation software”.
Category
Key page- Search
- “AP automation software”
- Must show
- What the category does, who it is for and how you differ, in plain words
- Next step
- Start a trial, or book a demo above a company size
- Tracked as
- Trial started or demo requested
Use cases
Key page- Search
- “automate three-way matching”
- Must show
- The workflow with screenshots and the result teams see
- Next step
- Start a trial
- Tracked as
- Trial started
Integrations
Also helps- Search
- “AP automation for NetSuite”
- Must show
- What syncs, how setup works and who maintains it
- Next step
- Try the integration in the trial
- Tracked as
- Integration connected
Templates and tools
Also helps- Search
- “AP automation ROI calculator”
- Must show
- A calculator with the visitor’s numbers and the assumptions shown
- Next step
- Book a demo with the result attached
- Tracked as
- Calculator used
Shortlist
They compare named tools: “Competitor A alternatives”.
Comparisons
Key page- Search
- “Competitor A alternatives”
- Must show
- A fair comparison: where each tool fits, with prices and limits
- Next step
- Book a demo
- Tracked as
- Demo requested
Integrations
Key page- Search
- “AP automation QuickBooks integration”
- Must show
- Supported versions, sync direction and limits
- Next step
- Start a trial and connect it
- Tracked as
- Integration connected
Category
Also helps- Search
- “best AP automation software”
- Must show
- Where you fit among the leaders, and for whom
- Next step
- Open the comparison page
- Tracked as
- Comparison opened
Pricing
Also helps- Search
- “AP automation pricing comparison”
- Must show
- Plans and what drives the price
- Next step
- See the plans
- Tracked as
- Pricing viewed
Decision
They check price, setup and fit: “AP automation software pricing”.
Pricing
Key page- Search
- “AP automation software pricing”
- Must show
- Plans, the unit of price and what each plan includes
- Next step
- Start a trial, or talk to sales above a size
- Tracked as
- Plan chosen or sales call booked
Integrations
Also helps- Search
- “NetSuite AP automation setup time”
- Must show
- Setup steps, time and who does them
- Next step
- Book an onboarding call
- Tracked as
- Onboarding call booked
Comparisons
Also helps- Search
- “Competitor A pricing vs Competitor B”
- Must show
- Prices side by side, with what each plan includes
- Next step
- Start a trial
- Tracked as
- Trial started
A common pattern for B2B software, not research on your buyers. Your own map comes from Search Console, your sales calls and your product data.
Step one
What does the free search potential map show?
One priority product or use case in one market, in up to 2 business days: how much buyers search for it, who wins that demand today and why, whether your site is ready to compete, and a first look at AI answers. Then a 20-minute call with Mike or Alex and one direct recommendation.
Our map format, filled in for a typical AP automation product
01 Search demand
How much buyers search for your service, by query group.
Search demand
Found- What we saw
- 41 buyer queries with steady monthly searches. Integration and alternatives queries are a third of the commercial demand.
- Why it matters
- Buyers who search for an integration or an alternative are close to a trial.
- What to do
- Build first for the category, the two integrations buyers search most and the main alternatives.
- How we’ll check
- In the strategy: every query in the keyword map, by buying stage, assigned to the one page that should rank for it.
Check it yourself. Search for the job your product does. Does a page of yours answer it?
02 Who wins it today
Two similar competitors and the search leader, page by page.
Who wins it today
Gap- What we saw
- Review sites hold three of the top five places for the category search. Competitor A ranks first when buyers search for alternatives to your product.
- Why it matters
- Buyers who compare tools read the review sites and a competitor’s comparison before they reach your site.
- What to do
- Complete, current profiles on the review sites that rank, and your own fair alternatives page.
- How we’ll check
- Your place on the review-site lists and your alternatives page in the top ten, every month.
Check it yourself. Search for alternatives to your product. Whose page ranks first?
03 Page types you lack
The pages buyers look for before they get in touch.
Page types you lack
Gap- What we saw
- Feature pages only: no pages for the jobs buyers search, no integration pages and no pricing page that explains the price.
- Why it matters
- Buyers search for the job and the integration, not for the name of a feature.
- What to do
- A use-case page for each job with demand, and a page for each of the two integrations buyers search most.
- How we’ll check
- Rankings, clicks and trials for each new page.
Check it yourself. List the integrations buyers ask about. How many have a page of their own?
04 Site readiness
Whether your site can compete for the demand it finds.
Site readiness
Gap- What we saw
- The integrations directory is built in JavaScript on a subdomain, and Google indexes 3 of its 40 pages.
- Why it matters
- A page Google can’t read can’t rank, however good it is.
- What to do
- Render key pages in HTML and move the directory into a structure Google can crawl, before new pages go live.
- How we’ll check
- Indexed key pages in Search Console, every month.
Check it yourself. Search Google for site:yourdomain.com/integrations. Are the pages there?
05 AI snapshot
A first look at what AI answers say about your category.
AI snapshot
Watch- What we saw
- Five buyer questions on ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, run once. The answers named four tools and you once, with last year’s price.
- Why it matters
- AI answers draw on the same review sites and comparison pages. One run is a first look, not a measurement.
- What to do
- If AI answers matter for how your buyers choose, the SEO and GEO strategy covers both in the same time.
- How we’ll check
- In the GEO program: 30 buyer questions on seven AI platforms, every month.
Check it yourself. Ask ChatGPT for the best tools in your category. Are you named, and is the price right?
06 The recommendation
One direct answer on what to do next.
The recommendation
Found- What we saw
- Go to an SEO strategy: there is demand at every stage, and the gaps are pages and fixes your team can ship.
- Why it matters
- Every map ends with one recommendation, so you know what to do next, even if it’s to wait.
- What to do
- One of four: an SEO strategy, an SEO and GEO strategy, fix the site first, or come back later.
- How we’ll check
- A 20-minute call with Mike or Alex to go through it.
Check it yourself. Could your team publish a new page this month?
Every part ends as Found (in place), Gap (missing or broken) or Watch (check again). The map is yours, whether you work with us, your own team or another agency.
SaaS SEO and AI search
Is SaaS SEO still worth it when buyers ask AI?
Yes, and AI answers draw on it. To appear in Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, a page has to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet in Search (Google Search Central). What changes is where the clicks go: the answer often sits above the links.
- GEOBe named and described correctly when buyers ask AI.AI search optimization →
- AEOBe the direct answer to a specific question.
- SEORank the pages buyers need and earn the click. Technical fixes, commercial pages, content, links and mentions.This page
When SaaS SEO pays off
- Buyers search for the job or the category before they try a tool.
- A customer stays long enough to pay back several months of work.
- You can publish pages and fix the site without waiting for a product release.
- You want trials that don’t stop when ad spend does.
When it won’t, yet
- A new category nobody searches for yet. The free map checks this before you spend anything.
- You need trials next month. Paid search is faster. SEO builds over months.
- The marketing site can only change with a product release.
The Wonderflow Method
How does a SaaS SEO program run?
In four stages, each a complete piece of work with its own result. After each one, you decide whether to continue. First changes on individual queries usually show one to three months after a page goes live. We judge trials and demos over six months, and revenue over the length of your sales cycle.
Map, audit, strategy, monthly work
◆ You decide
Up to 2 days Free search potential map
One priority product or use case in one market: how much buyers search for it, who wins that demand today and why, and whether your site is ready to compete for it.
◆ You choose what comes next: an SEO strategy, an SEO and GEO strategy, fix the site first, or come back later.
From you Your site, one priority product or use case and the market.
Optional · 10 business days SEO audit
For when you need a diagnosis before a plan: technical health, content and on-page, internal links, links from other sites and the path to a trial or demo, with every issue ranked by impact. The strategy includes its own technical audit, so most companies need one or the other. If you start the strategy within 14 days, the audit’s price counts toward it.
From you Search Console and analytics access. One site in one language.
3–4 weeks SEO strategy
Keyword map by buying stage, site structure, competitor and review-site analysis, technical audit including how Google renders your pages, page and conversion requirements, link strategy, and a six-month plan with a forecast in three scenarios.
◆ You approve the plan and the forecast.
From you Access to analytics and Search Console, your priority products, the competitors you know and the activation event your product team uses.
Every month Monthly SEO program
The strategy turned into published pages, content and fixes, from a set monthly capacity. Every task is agreed with you before work starts.
◆ You agree each month’s tasks.
From you One owner for the site, and your experts’ check of the facts.
The map, the audit and the strategy stay with you, whether you implement with us, your own team or another agency.
What the monthly work covers
- Search research and page map by stage
- What buyers search at each stage, from the problem to pricing, each query mapped to the one page that should rank for it.
- Technical SEO
- Crawling, rendering, indexing, redirects, speed and Core Web Vitals, fixed in order of impact, with docs and app pages Google can read.
- Pages for every stage
- Category, use-case, integration, comparison and pricing pages, and templates where they help. Facts checked with your product team.
- Links and digital PR
- Mentions and links from integration partners, review sites, communities and publications your buyers read, by a separate plan with targets and budget agreed first. No link packages.
Every month, without spending units
- Monitoring
- Technical health, indexing and security of key pages.
- The panel
- Rankings, clicks, trials and demos by page group, plus competitors and their links.
- Priorities
- What changed in search, and what to do about it.
- Report and plan
- Plan, done and result, and a meeting on the next month.
Build a month
What can a month of SaaS SEO deliver?
At Growth pace, about 2 commercial pages, 2 articles and 4 page improvements. The monthly program is a set capacity in units. Pick a pace, then change the mix. Every task has a fixed size. Monitoring, the panel, the report and the plan run every month without spending units.
| Pace | Units a month | Commercial pages | Articles | Page improvements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Growth | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Scale | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
A turnkey commercial page takes 3 units, or 1 if your team designs and builds it. A comparison page in your existing template, an article, a page improvement, a technical fix and a conversion review take 1 each.
Trials, demos, MRR
How do we measure SaaS SEO, from trials to MRR?
By trials that activate and the revenue behind them, not by signups or traffic alone. Signups can rise while paying accounts stay flat, and brand searches flatter any ranking report. So we check the same set of buyer queries every month, agreed with you, and set the trials that activate, from your own product data, against the forecast. Pick a step for the details.
Commercial visibility
- We count
- Positions for the set of buyer queries we agree with you, checked with the same settings every month, each query type on its own: category, use case, integration, comparison, pricing and informational.
- We leave out
- Brand queries in the headline number. They usually rank from the first month and make any report look good.
- Source
- Rank tracking and Search Console. We build the list from keyword research with professional tools, your analytics and Search Console, your sales and support questions and what competitors rank for. You approve it.
Trials and demos
- We count
- Trial signups and demo requests from organic search, by landing page, counted once.
- We leave out
- Test accounts, duplicates and signups from your own team.
- Source
- Your analytics or product analytics, with the landing page saved on every signup.
Activated trials
- We count
- Trials from search that reach the activation event your product team defines, such as a first invoice approved.
- We leave out
- Trials that don’t reach the activation event. Before the first report we agree the event with your product team.
- Source
- Your product team, from its own analytics: how many trials from search reached the event, shared for each report.
New MRR from organic
- We count
- New paying accounts from trials that came from search, and their recurring revenue, as your team reports them.
- We leave out
- Upgrades from accounts that came by another channel. They go on a separate line.
- Source
- Your billing, reported by your team. We don’t need access to it. The strategy sets a forecast in three scenarios, and every report sets the result against it.
What you get every month
A report your product and finance teams can check: activated trials and new revenue against the forecast, what shipped, what we found and fixed, and what comes next.
Our report format, filled in for a typical month of an AP automation product.
SaaS SEO report
Month 4
Checked
- The agreed queries, same settings
- Every month
- Brand queries
- On their own line
- Landing page on every signup
- Checked in analytics
Result
- Activated trials from search
- From your team, against the forecast
- New MRR from organic
- From your team, on its own line
Shipped
- Use-case page for invoice approvalsPublished in week 1
- Integration page for QuickBooksPublished in week 3
- Links from the category page to bothChecked on the site
Found and fixed
A product release moved the integrations directory behind a login. Fixed in two days, and every release is now checked for it.
Next month
A fair alternatives page, once your product team confirms the comparison facts.
By industry
How do buyers search for your kind of software?
It depends on how they buy. A landlord signs up for a trial alone, a dental practice books a demo, a finance team brings IT in for the ERP connection. Pick your product.
Fintech · AP automation software
- Who buys
- The finance team, often with the controller, and IT for the ERP connection.
- How they search, stage by stage
- First the problem: “invoice approval bottleneck”. Then the shortlist: “AP automation for mid-size companies”. Last the checks: “AP automation implementation time”.
- The pages that win
- Use-case pages by job, an integration page for each ERP, a fair comparison and a pricing page that explains the price.
- What we check first
- Whether the integration pages are indexed, and whether the pricing page says what drives the price.
Your buyers’ market: Fintech marketing →
Dental · practice scheduling software
- Who buys
- The practice owner and the office manager, often with an outside IT provider.
- How they search, stage by stage
- First the problem: “reduce dental no-shows”. Then the shortlist: “best dental scheduling software”. Last the checks: “dental software with imaging integration”.
- The pages that win
- A category page, pages by practice size, integration pages and a clear price per chair.
- What we check first
- Whether every page leads to a demo, and who reviews what the pages say about patient data.
Your buyers’ market: Dental marketing →
Real estate · rental management software
- Who buys
- Landlords with 10 to 200 units, often alone, sometimes with a bookkeeper.
- How they search, stage by stage
- First the problem: “collect rent online”. Then the shortlist: “property management software for small landlords”. Last the checks: “pricing per unit”.
- The pages that win
- Use-case pages by job, pages by portfolio size, and a pricing page per unit.
- What we check first
- Whether trials start from the use-case pages or only from the home page.
Your buyers’ market: Real estate marketing →
Travel · tour booking software
- Who buys
- The owner of the tour company, often with the operations lead.
- How they search, stage by stage
- First the problem: “take tour bookings online”. Then the shortlist: “tour operator booking software”. Last the checks: “booking software with a channel manager”.
- The pages that win
- A category page, pages by tour type, integration pages for booking channels, and plans by number of bookings.
- What we check first
- Whether the pages load fast on phones, and whether a trial starts without a sales call.
Your buyers’ market: Travel marketing →
Healthcare · patient intake software
- Who buys
- The clinic manager and the medical director, often with IT and the billing team.
- How they search, stage by stage
- First the problem: “patients fill in forms twice”. Then the shortlist: “patient intake software”. Last the checks: “Competitor A alternatives”.
- The pages that win
- A category page, pages by specialty, a fair comparison and an integration page for each records system.
- What we check first
- Whether a comparison page exists, and who reviews what the pages say about patient data.
Your buyers’ market: Healthcare marketing →
Team
Two founders, one strategy.
Our SEO team runs your program day to day, and a designer and a developer join for page tasks.
-
-
Every project has a founder on it and a team lead for each service.
- SEO teamAn SEO specialist, a marketer, a copywriter and a project manager. A designer and a developer join for page tasks.
If the people on your program change, the page map, the query list and our notes stay with the project, and so does a founder.
- 2015founded
- 100+client projects
- 15+projects for US companies
Most of our clients come through a recommendation. Meet the team →
Price
How much does SaaS SEO cost?
The search potential map is free. The strategy starts at $X, and the monthly program starts at $X a month, set by the pace you choose. SaaS SEO is usually sold as a monthly retainer, often after a one-time audit or strategy.
Free search potential map
$0
Up to 2 business days
- One priority product or use case in one market
- Search demand, who wins it today and why
- Whether your site is ready to compete, and a call with Mike or Alex
SEO strategy
From $X
One time · 3–4 weeks
- Keyword map by buying stage
- Competitor, results and technical analysis
- A page map for every stage, with requirements for pages, links and conversion
- A six-month plan with a forecast in three scenarios
Monthly program
From $X a month
Starter, Growth or Scale pace
- 6, 12 or 18 units of work a month
- Monitoring, the panel, the report and the plan without spending units
- Every task agreed with you before work starts
How the program works
- The pace sets the price. You can change it from the next month.
- Unused units move to the next month if the delay is ours.
- Link building has its own plan, and the placement budget is agreed with you first.
If you leave
Give us 10 business days’ notice. The map, the strategy, every page we built and every report stay with you, and so do your Search Console and analytics.
- What moves the price
- For the monthly program, only the pace. For the strategy, the size of the site and the number of markets and languages.
- SEO audit
- From $X, one site in one language, in 10 business days. Its price counts toward the strategy if you start it within 14 days.
- Not included
- The link placement budget, translation, and development beyond the agreed tasks. Each is quoted separately.
At six months we set activated trials and new revenue against the forecast with you and agree on what to change.
Questions buyers ask
SaaS SEO FAQ
The short answer comes first. Open any question for the detail.
How is SaaS SEO different from regular SEO?Different pages, a harder site, different metrics.
Buyers search for jobs, integrations and alternatives, so the page types differ. Product sites often rely on JavaScript and subdomains that Google reads badly. And the result shows up in product analytics and billing, not in a contact form.
How much does a SaaS SEO agency cost?Map free. Strategy and monthly work from $X.
Agencies usually charge a monthly retainer, a fixed fee for a project or an hourly rate for consulting. Ours: the map is free, the strategy starts at $X as a fixed fee, and the monthly program starts at $X a month. The monthly price depends only on the pace, in units a month.
How long does SaaS SEO take to drive trials?First moves in 1–3 months. Judge trials at six.
Search engines need time to crawl a new page and test it for new queries. First changes usually show one to three months after it goes live, trials and demos follow, and revenue shows over the length of your sales cycle.
Should SaaS companies build comparison and alternatives pages?Yes, if they’re fair.
Buyers who compare tools are close to a decision. If you don’t publish a comparison, a competitor’s page answers for you. A fair page with sourced, dated prices and limits is one buyers can trust, and one your sales team can send.
Does SaaS SEO work for product-led and sales-led companies?Yes. The next step changes, not the method.
In a product-led company, pages lead to a trial and we track activation. In a sales-led one, they lead to a demo and we track pipeline. Many companies need both, by company size.
Do you build integration or template pages at scale?Only where each page has value of its own.
We build an integration or template page only when it has something of its own to say, such as what syncs, the limits and the setup. We don’t multiply pages from one template to cover more searches.
What do you need from our team?Access, facts and a monthly count of activated trials.
Access to Google Analytics and Search Console, your priority features and integrations, the competitors you lose to, a contact in the product team who checks the facts, and each month the number of trials from search that activated.
Can you guarantee first-page rankings?No.
We don’t promise rankings or a set number of leads. No one can. Rankings depend on search engines, competitors and how quickly changes go live. We control the work: pages, fixes, content and links. The strategy sets a forecast in three scenarios, and every monthly report compares the result with it.
Insights
An article and two guides for software teams
AI search optimization: what to check, change and measure
An AI answer can leave out a company, describe its offer incorrectly or cite a source that explains the product poorly. Each observation calls for investigation. The practical work starts by recording the answer and checking the information behind it.CheckedMQL vs SQL: what counts as a qualified lead
Marketing and sales often mean different things by “qualified.” Here is one deal followed through both marks, a one-page agreement to fill in, and a way to teach Google, Meta and LinkedIn from the second mark.CheckedIdeal customer profile (ICP): a B2B template with examples
Nine fields, filled in for a typical B2B company. How to build your own from won and lost deals, how it differs from a buyer persona, and how it becomes a LinkedIn target list and Google Ads settings.Checked
Start here
Is SaaS SEO worth investing in for you now?
Within two business days you’ll know whether buyers search for what your product does, who wins that demand today and where to start. The map is free.
What happens next
- 01Tell us your site, one priority product or use case and the market.
- 02Within two business days you get the map: demand, competitors, site readiness and a first look at AI answers.
- 03A 20-minute call with Mike or Alex and one direct recommendation.
Already know you need a diagnosis? Request an SEO audit: a ranked list of what blocks your rankings and trials, with briefs your developers can work from.