Seven practical SEO tips for SaaS founders

Executive overview

Most SaaS founders ignore SEO or make avoidable structural mistakes that silently cost them rankings. Ross Hudgens, CEO of a 110-person SEO agency, walks through seven high-leverage fixes and tactics specific to SaaS.

The tips range from one-time structural changes (subdomain vs subfolder) to ongoing content strategies (feature page keywords, passive link assets). Most require low ongoing effort once set up.

The core insight: SEO for SaaS is mostly about removing friction for Google to understand what you are, then giving people reasons to link to you without asking.

Tip 1: Move your blog from a subdomain to a subfolder

• website.com/blog outperforms blog.website.com — Google does not reliably treat subdomains as the same site.
• Moving can produce a 20–30% traffic lift.
• Use a reverse proxy if your blog runs on a separate stack (e.g. WordPress on a Rails site).
• HubSpot succeeds on a subdomain, but it is the exception — the data consistently favours subfolders.

Tip 2: Make the URL slug exactly the target keyword

• The URL slug should match the main keyword precisely — e.g. /podcasting-tips, not /podcasting-tips-for-saas-companies.
• Every word added after the keyword dilutes the topical signal to Google.
• The article title can be longer and more brand-voiced; the slug should stay exact.
• Put the keyword as close to the front of the title as possible.

Tip 3: Target "keyword + software" on every feature page

• Each feature sub-page is an opportunity to rank for long-tail software queries, even at very low volume.
• Example: home page targets "podcasting software"; a sub-page targets "podcast analytics software".
• Check whether adding "software" makes sense per page — not every feature will, but most will.
• Low search volume = low competition; enterprise buyers searching these terms are highly qualified.
• The research also reveals what users want from the product, which can inform the landing page copy.

Tip 4: Target "best X software" indirectly via review sites

• Ranking your own site for "best [category] software" is very difficult — users want a third-party opinion.
• Instead: identify which review sites rank for that query, get listed and collect reviews there.
• Capterra, Software Advice, and G2-type sites have held these positions long-term.
• Targeting "podcasting software" (without "best") on your own site is more attainable.

Tip 5: Apply on-page readability best practices

• Font size 18px or larger; black text on white background (not grey on white).
• Column width of ~50–60 characters per line for easy line tracking.
• Images under 200KB to keep page speed acceptable.
• Use bullet points, line breaks, and callout sections — make content scannable.
• Page speed matters most when your audience has slower internet or your content is heavily visual.

Tip 6: Build passive link assets around statistics and trends

• Create pages targeting queries like "podcasting statistics" or "podcast listening trends".
• Bloggers and journalists search these terms to grab data points and naturally link to the top result.
• These pages can accumulate thousands of links with no outreach, building domain authority that lifts your software pages.
• Keep it relevant — only build statistics content that maps to your product's topic area.

Tip 7: Answer the keyword question immediately after the H1

• Lead with a direct definition right after the post title: "UX research is…"
• This signals to Google what the page answers and increases the chance of winning a featured snippet.
• Long-form depth can follow, but the answer comes first.
• Sub-header structure also works: use the post title as the H1, add a sub-header that states the definition, then expand.

Additional SaaS-specific tactics

• Add a sticky nav with a contrasting CTA button (sign up / get a demo) across all blog pages.
• Publish "X vs Y" competitor comparison pages — search volume is low but conversion rates are extremely high.