There’s a large chunk of startup founders who said “B2B would be great,” and one of the first “low hanging fruits” of their marketing plan was to embrace some SEO. However, if you’re in B2B SEO now, the rules have changed. Google’s Search algorithm has shifted its focus, and it’s favoring the biggest players in the SaaS space. Startups are feeling the squeeze of this change like never before and for most it’s time to re-evaluate your strategy. Here’s what’s going on in the back end and what you need to know.
Startups used to have a shot at ranking against the giants of the search engine. However, now more than ever, that door is slowly closing – actually, it’s closing kinda fast. Google is now prioritizing the largest SaaS brands, making it more difficult for smaller companies to break through with SEO. Names with deeper pockets are dominating, leaving less room for the newcomers. If you’re a startup, it’s an uphill battle.
Remember when you were looking for which Project Management Software to use? There’s a chance you will land on a top 5 or top 10 list from a platform such as G2 or Capterra, which hold significant sways when it comes to software reviews. However, their influence is beginning to fade. Google’s new favoritism extends beyond just big SaaS brands – it’s also benefiting the larger publications such as PC Mag and Forbes. The traditional media brands are taking the lead in rankings, leaving programmatic review sites in the dust. So, if you’ve been relying on G2 or Capterra reviews to boost your company’s visibility, we’ve got some really bad news for you.
While link building still works relatively well, it isn’t the SEO cornerstone it used to be. It’s become somewhat of a giant mix between “really good” and “laughable.” Google has devalued the old-school methods of getting backlinks, and the value some of them once held no longer rings true. The focus has shifted from the quantity or quality of backlinks toward the actual user experience and depth of the content on your site. Realistically, if link building is the top of your strategy, you’re just spinning wheels.
As mentioned above, whenever we’d look up the best software for whatever use case, we would always land on a piece of content like “Top 10 Software Tools for X.” Those pieces of content used to be the gold standard for drawing traffic and generating leads. However, they’re currently being replaced by solutions and features landing pages. That’s right. These pages are now outperforming the once-reliable “best list” articles, signaling a clear preference shift from Google. SaaS companies are now focusing on showcasing their depth and benefit of their offerings through feature-specific landing pages and it’s winning the long-game of SEO at the moment.
You’ve just read what seems to be a nightmare waiting to happen for your marketing team. However, you shouldn’t feel lost in it all. Here’s what you can do to survive and grow again in the world of SEO.
The world of B2B SEO has changed. It’s going to remain changing forever. Startups now face a challenge, but with the right mindset and strategy shift in place, you can still carve out your own space in the game. The key to it all? Evolving – and do it fast!