Most software companies have a link problem that looks like a content problem. They publish solid feature pages and useful guides, yet competitors with weaker pages outrank them because more relevant sites point to those competitors.
SaaS link building closes that gap. This guide covers ten strategies, grouped by how much authority and budget each one needs, along with which pages to send links to, how to measure the work, and the tactics to avoid.
What makes link building different for SaaS
Link building for a software company follows the same rules as any other site, but a few things change the plan:
- The pages that earn revenue are hard to link to. Few writers link to a pricing or feature page on their own, so you need to give them a reason.
- You already have relationships most sites lack. Integration partners, customers, communities and review platforms all have pages that can mention you.
- Buyers research in many places. Comparison posts, review sites, forums and AI assistants all shape the shortlist, so mentions there matter as much as the link itself.
- Competitors often share the same keywords. In a crowded category, page-level authority on your commercial pages is frequently what separates the results.
Match the strategy to your stage
The most common mistake is running a strategy built for a well-known brand on a site nobody has heard of yet. A data study from an unknown company rarely gets coverage, while a partner listing works from day one.
| Stage | What works best | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New site, little authority | Partner listings, review profiles, customer stories, founder podcasts | You are already entitled to these links. They need relationships, not reputation |
| Growing site with some authority | Guest posts for your buyers, link reclamation, competitor gap outreach, resource pages | Editors start to take your pitches seriously once your site has useful content |
| Established brand | Original data, free tools, digital PR, expert commentary | You have the reach and credibility to earn links at scale |
Strategies for a new SaaS website
1. Integration and partner directory listings
Every platform you integrate with probably has an app marketplace, partner directory or integrations page. These are among the most relevant links a software company can get, because they connect your product to tools your buyers already use.
List every integration, find each partner's directory, and submit a complete listing. Check whether the listing actually links to your site, and ask for the link to point to your dedicated integration page rather than your homepage.
2. Review and software comparison profiles
Claim and complete your profiles on the main software review platforms for your category. Some of these links are nofollowed, but the profiles often rank for "best [category] software" searches and appear in the shortlists buyers build. Treat them as visibility first and links second, and keep the product details consistent with your own site.
3. Customer stories and case studies
Customers who like your product will often write about how they use it, or let you write it with them. A case study on the customer's own site, or a mention in their "tools we use" page, is a relevant link with a built-in endorsement. Offer to draft the piece so the customer only has to review it, and only publish results the customer has approved.
4. Founder podcasts and interviews
Industry podcasts, newsletters and interview series usually link to their guests' sites from the episode page. Make a short list of shows your buyers listen to, pitch a specific topic the founder can speak about with real experience, and send listeners to a relevant page on your site.
Strategies once your site has some authority
5. Guest posts written for your buyers
Guest posting works when the post is genuinely useful to the host site's readers and those readers match your buyers. Pitch topics the publication has not already covered, write from hands-on product or industry knowledge, and include a link only where it helps the reader, such as to a guide or feature page that explains the point in more depth.
Skip sites that publish anything for a fee, accept guest posts on every topic, or exist mainly to sell links. Those links carry risk and send no useful readers.
6. Unlinked mentions and broken links
People mention your product without linking to it, especially after launches, funding news or product updates. Set up brand alerts, then contact the writer and ask whether they would add a link. The request is easy to accept because they already chose to write about you.
Do the same for broken links. If a page that linked to an old URL on your site now returns an error, fix the redirect. If a relevant site links to a dead resource elsewhere, offer your own page as a replacement when it truly covers the same topic.
7. Competitor link gaps
Use a backlink tool to list the sites that link to two or three of your closest competitors but not to you. Sort them by relevance, not just by authority score. Review sites, industry roundups and "best tools" lists that include several competitors are often open to adding another option when you give them accurate details.
8. Resource pages and roundups
Many industry sites keep curated lists of tools, templates and guides. If you have a genuinely useful free resource, such as a calculator, template or in-depth guide, it can earn a place on those lists. Make sure the resource stands on its own without a sign-up wall, or editors will not link to it.
Strategies for an established SaaS brand
9. Original data and free tools
Data that only you have is one of the most reliable ways to earn editorial links. Anonymised product usage trends, a survey of your audience or a benchmark built from public data can all become reference points that writers cite. A small free tool that solves one job well can earn links for years.
Be careful with the numbers. Publish your method, sample size and dates, and never stretch the findings to make a better headline.
10. Digital PR and expert commentary
Digital PR turns your data, opinions and product news into stories journalists want to cover. Pair it with expert commentary: respond to journalist requests where your team has real expertise, and offer clear, quotable insight. Coverage on publications your buyers trust builds links and brand recognition at the same time.
Where to point your SaaS backlinks
Links do the most good when they land on pages that answer the searcher's question and lead toward a sign-up. Plan your targets before outreach begins:
- Feature and use-case pages for searches that describe a job your product does.
- Integration pages for links from partners and integration roundups.
- Comparison and alternatives pages for buyers who are already weighing options.
- In-depth guides that earn links naturally and pass value to commercial pages through internal links.
- The homepage for brand mentions, press coverage and partner listings that name the company.
Use descriptive anchor text when you have any say in it. Google's documentation notes that link text helps people and search engines understand what the linked page is about, so "project time tracking software" tells readers more than "click here".
Link building tactics to avoid
- Buying links that pass ranking credit. Google's spam policies count this as link spam. Paid placements should be marked as sponsored or nofollow.
- Private blog networks and link farms. Sites built only to host links rarely send readers and can lead to manual actions.
- Large-scale article swaps and reciprocal links. Excessive link exchanges are named in Google's spam policies.
- Irrelevant links from high-authority sites. A link from an unrelated site does little for a software product page.
- Exact-match anchors on every link. A natural profile mixes brand names, page titles and descriptive phrases.
How to measure SaaS link building
Agree on the measures before the first link goes live, so the results are judged on evidence rather than impressions:
- Links earned to each target page, and how relevant each linking site is.
- Rankings and clicks for the target page in Google Search Console, tracked from a fixed start date.
- Sign-ups, demo requests or trials from organic search to those pages.
- Referral visits from the linking pages, which show whether real readers follow the link.
- Brand mentions on review sites, communities and AI answers in your category.
Review these monthly, and expect the strongest effects on commercial pages to build over several months rather than weeks.
How Sirajia Sol approaches SaaS link building
Our SaaS link building work starts with the pages that bring in customers, then matches each one to sites your buyers actually read. We earn placements through guest posts, digital PR and partner outreach, report every link we secure, and never use paid link networks. If you are still choosing a partner, our guide on how to choose an SEO agency lists the questions to ask any provider, including us.
If your product pages are being outranked by competitors with more links, talk to our team about a link plan built around your revenue pages.