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SEO for Growth

SEO for Technology Companies: Tips, Best Practices, and Strategies

Trying to create an SEO Strategy for your tech company? This practical guide includes tips and tricks you can implement today!

19 mins read time
Jeanna Barrett
Jeanna Barrett

Jul 12, 2022

What is SEO?

Your tech company is gearing up to do big things. You’ve got a great product, the right market fit, and a USP that beats the competition. You’re certain customers will be lining up once they know about your brand.

But therein lies the problem: How will they know where to find you? With over 3 billion Google searches conducted every day, surely there are many potential customers looking for what you have to offer. But without top-notch SEO, they may end up getting lost along the way (or worse, taking a detour straight to your competitors).

SEO helps search engines find, index, and serve up your web pages to your target audience. Without SEO, your chances of being found dwindle to, well…around 1 in 3 billion.

seo workflow

SEO can be a complex process that includes strategy-building, technical SEO fixes, and on-page and off-page optimization. SEO for technology companies is critical to your brand’s success, but if you aren’t an SEO expert (and don’t have one on staff), you’re going to need some help and support. Here’s why you need an SEO agency for technology companies and how to find the best fit for you.

Why Do Tech Companies Need SEO Services?

SEO for B2B tech companies plays a vital role in a brand’s overall success. It will improve your SERP (search engine results page) rankings, build trust and authority, and align your brand with your ideal buyer’s search intent. Ultimately, SEO will drive results for your brand, but only if it’s done right.

seo drives results

Organic search is a powerful tool for your brand and your marketing team, but with more than 90 percent of all web pages getting no organic traffic, there’s a lot of room for improvement. Finding an SEO agency for technology companies is the quickest and most efficient way to reap all the rewards of a good SEO strategy. But with an endless supply of agencies out there, how do you narrow the field?

5 Features to Look for in an SEO Agency for Tech Companies

In the tech world, SEO is acknowledged as a necessity. So much so that a majority of tech companies have an SEO manager on staff.

do you have an seo manager

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However, not all tech companies have the resources to support an SEO team or even an individual SEO expert in house. You might find yourself in the same situation. Perhaps you’re a startup just trying to find your footing in the market. Or you’re realizing that hiring in house comes with a lot of extra costs and considerations. Whatever your reason, an SEO agency for B2B tech companies will give you the results you want…if you know what to look for.

1. Industry Expertise

You can’t expect an SEO agency that doesn’t have experience with tech brands to deliver the best results. Look for an agency that specializes broadly in SEO for technology companies, whether it’s SaaS, fintech, or startups. Make sure their portfolio is packed with brands you recognize and that they offer case studies and testimonials to prove their success.

2. Results-Based SEO

Do you want more leads, traffic, conversions, or overall growth in revenue? Maybe all-of-the-above? Be sure prospective agencies can show exactly how they’ve improved clients’ KPIs with hard data. When vetting agencies, look for transparency when it comes to sharing how they track, measure, and report results.

3. Customized SEO Strategy

An SEO strategy is the backbone that supports all of the SEO work done for your brand. A good strategy will outline every element of SEO, from technical to on-page and off-page, and will most often pull in your other marketing channels, like content and lead gen.

4. Full-Service SEO

A robust SEO strategy, as mentioned above, will work cross-channel. You’ll need optimized content to ensure successful SEO, and you’ll want your strategy to inform other efforts, like lead gen, social media, and email. A la carte options may sound appealing (and cost-effective), but for a growing tech company, a full-service agency will ensure you’re covered.

5. Reporting

Visibility is important when you’re launching an SEO strategy. You want to know how the recommended tactics are being implemented and how they’re performing. Discuss communication with prospective agencies from the start, and find out how frequently they make reports and what information will be included.

Why Hire First Page Strategy to Build and Implement a Technology-Focused SEO Strategy?

Now you know what to look for and the only question remaining is: Where do you find it? You could Google it, of course (and maybe you already have), or you could ask for referrals from other brands in the same industry. And while we’d never tell you to “take our word for it,” we can say with certainty that at FPS, we deliver all the qualities mentioned above…and a whole lot more.

Leaders in Growth Marketing

Growth marketing is a mystery to many, but it’s really all there in the name. The goal, at all times, is growth. At FPS, we take a strategic approach to growth, experimenting with different tactics until we find the ones that deliver measurable results. What does that mean for your tech brand? It means that the goal of the SEO work we do for you always comes down to one thing: growth. But not just any kind of growth — long-term, sustainable growth. So the benefits you see from the moment we get started will only compound over time.

Data-Driven Results

Oh man, do we love numbers — especially when the numbers show a clear upward trend. We don’t make decisions without consulting the data, and we always stay on top of your strategy’s performance so we’re ready to adapt and adjust whenever needed. Ultimately, our ability to pivot swiftly means we make informed decisions and optimize the results.

Dedicated Team of Experts

Sure, you could hire an SEO expert in-house. Just remember their salary comes with a lot of additional overhead, like training, PTO, sick time, benefits, and more. And it’s still only one person. When you go with an SEO agency like FPS, you get an entire team of experts working for your brand. 

Successful SEO Stories with Technological Companies

Better keyword ranking, higher domain authority, and better ranking in SERPs — what’s not to love? Add to that tremendous growth that just keeps going like a certain pink bunny, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Here are two FPS case studies that show how our SEO team of experts delivered results.

Client A: Fintech Offshoot Looking to Ramp Up New Product

The client approached us as an established fintech firm. Their new product, a business funding venture, needed support to distinguish it from other products and brands in the market and many unrelated products with a similar name.

The existing URL had numerous issues, including:

  • Low domain authority
  • Decreasing traffic
  • Difficulty maintaining keyword rank
  • Being outranked by brands with similar name and keywords

Ultimately, we knew a full rebranding was in order. In the time it would take us to build up the existing brand’s keywords, traffic, and SERP ranking, we could just as easily start from scratch with a brand that would grow with them.

In six months, our SEO experts were able to achieve:

fps tech case study

Our SEO efforts for the client were supported by content strategy, inbound marketing methodology, and technical SEO fixes.

Client B: Digital Business Formation Provider Comes to Us on the Rebound

Client B connected with FPS just after they’d fired their original SEO agency. After two years, they hadn’t seen any traffic growth or improvement in overall ranking. So it was FPS to the rescue!

Our SEO launched an intensive website audit and built a strategy focused on technical SEO, on-site updates, and link building. When we started, our goals included:

  • 7 landing pages published per month
  • 5-10 links built per month
  • 8 blogs published per month
  • Ongoing social media management

Here’s what our six-month plan delivered:

fps case study

Six years later, we’re still working with Client B, and we’re thrilled to say they’ve seen long-term growth as a result of our efforts. In fact, in that time, we’ve helped them acquire hundreds of backlinks, have published hundreds of blog posts, and completed a full website migration to a new CMS.

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How to Build an SEO Strategy for Tech and IT Companies

A quality SEO strategy should be robust and all-encompassing. It isn’t just about keywords and SERPs — it’s about how all your marketing channels come together to support long-term growth for your brand. We can’t speak for the other SEO agencies for tech companies, but this is how we do it (and how it works!) at FPS:

Establish KPIs for SEO

Yes, you’ll want to keep an eye on the standard metrics for SEO, like traffic, keyword ranking, and click through rates. But there are a couple KPIs that are unique — and integral — to measuring SEO performance.

Domain Authority

Domain authority is a scoring system created by Moz that evaluates your site’s backlink portfolio. A high DA score signals that your site is trusted and reputable — and deserving of those links from high-quality external sites. 

And while Google is tight-lipped about whether they use backlinks to determine ranking (and how), it seems to overall be one of the largest contributing factors.

 

 

Domain Rating

Similar to DA, domain rating is another scoring system used by Ahrefs. While the general purpose is largely the same, both systems use a different rubric to determine overall scores. And again, while there’s no hard evidence that Google is using backlinks to rank pages, the numbers clearly show that a higher DR typically means a higher first page rank.

domain rating and first page google rankings

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Trust Flow

Trust Flow is yet another scoring system used to monitor backlinks, started by Majestic. Also called Topic Trust Flow, TF monitors the topics and industries from which your site is receiving backlinks.

trust flow example

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Your SEO agency may use only one of these scoring rubrics or a combination. While the goal (determining your brand’s trustworthiness and standing in your industry) is roughly the same, the methodologies used will vary. Your SEO experts will know which one best suits your brand’s needs and goals.

Determine Your Audience

When it comes to SEO, you don’t want more visitors coming to your site — you want the right visitors. The best way to ensure that is to create a detailed buyer persona. Your buyer persona goes beyond mere demographics — it should show psychographics and behavioral attributes as well.

At FPS, we create buyer personas that are fully fleshed out and reflect the very real humans they are meant to represent.

Adopt a Topic Cluster Approach to Keyword Research

Topic clusters are an integral part of inbound marketing methodology, and they are incredibly effective when used as part of your SEO strategy. In a topic cluster, you’ll select topics based on the primary keywords for which you’d like to rank. A central pillar page becomes the repository for all content on that particular topic, surrounded by supporting cluster pages.

topic cluster map

Interlinking plays a crucial role in topic clusters, with all supporting pages linking to one another, to secondary cluster content, and back to the pillar page. 

Create a Content Marketing Plan

Content marketing and SEO go together like Sonny and Cher (in the good years, of course). But if you’re looking around for a content strategy and aren’t able to say, “I’ve got you, babe,” you aren’t alone. In fact, most B2B brands have no documented content strategy.

does your organization have a content management strategy

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When looking for a potential SEO agency, make sure they incorporate content marketing in your overall SEO strategy. We can promise you that they always perform better together. 

A good content strategy will include:

  • A content calendar mapped to your funnel, search intent, and keywords
  • A content distribution plan that covers all your channels
  • A publishing schedule that is planned and consistent
  • A plan to refresh, rewrite, or repurpose old content

Use SEO to Build Authority and Reputation

Reputation is critically important to tech companies, especially those that want to get to the first page. Competition is fierce, and brands that have been around longer often have the advantage. However, SEO can be used to build your brand reputation through strategic content distribution.

online reputation managementSource

Backlinks also come into play here. As noted above, a strong backlink portfolio will increase your Domain Authority and/or Domain Rating, which positions you as a reputable and trusted brand.

Stay on Top of Google Algorithm Updates

These days, it feels like a somewhat impossible task. Google’s algorithms are frequently in flux, and the search giant isn’t always the most transparent when it comes to communicating these updates.

That’s where a trusted team of SEO experts will come in very, very handy. No, we aren’t all-seeing, all-knowing wizards (we wish), but we do have industry insight and the expertise to swiftly adjust to whatever Google happens to throw our way.

Improve the Visitor Experience

The experience your visitors have on your website influences the actions they take there. A positive experience will increase dwell time (the time they spend interacting on the page) and decrease bounce rate (how quickly they exit your site and return to the SERPs). A number of SEO factors influence visitor experience, but to know where you can improve, ask yourself these questions:

seo factors that influence visitor experience

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Optimize Site Speed

Site speed is also a part of the overall visitor experience, and this is one area in which you can’t afford to fall short. Slow site speeds are usually easily remedied through technical SEO and on-page optimization. And yet, most landing pages still miss the mark.

landing page speeds

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While Google recommends site loading speeds of around five seconds, in reality, most of your visitors will likely jump ship around the three-second mark. 

Write Content that Fulfills Search Intent

So, you know visitors will be looking for your brand…but why? Search intent is critical to SEO, as that’s what drives not just the most traffic, but the best traffic, to your site. You’ll want to work with your SEO agency to make sure your content covers all the forms of search intent.

types of user intent

All of the content created for your site should align with one of these forms of search intent. Map them to the different stages in your funnel, and speak directly to visitors who are looking for answers to these types of questions.

Improve UX and Accessibility

User experience has always been important, but now it’s an absolute must. And it isn’t just about delivering a pleasant browsing experience — it’s about ensuring that anyone can access your site and understand the content housed there. 

7 elements for developing accessible websites

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Ways of improving website accessibility include:

  • Making sure every image contains alt tags
  • Adding captions to video content
  • Implementing keyboard-based functionalities
  • Clear, easy-to-follow website architecture
  • ADA compliance with accessibility tools and software

There are around 1 billion people in the world who are differently-abled and rely on accessible websites to give them a positive experience. If your site isn’t one of them, your brand is missing out.

Use Internal Links to Help Readers Find Content

We keep extolling the virtue of backlinks, but that’s only half the picture. Internal linking — links to other pages on your website — are nearly as important and can seriously ramp up your SEO results.

internal links structure

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As noted above, make sure all pages are three clicks (or less) away from the homepage. Check anchor text to avoid duplication (the same text leading to different pages), and check frequently for broken links or redirects. A solid internal linking strategy will ensure your site is crawlable and will improve indexing, rank, and domain authority.

If Your Audience is Local, Think Local SEO

To most tech companies, digital transformation is old hat. But that doesn’t mean you should be neglecting local SEO. In the last few years, local search has proven to be a powerful means to reach increased sales and revenue.

smartphone search statistics

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Think about ways you can take advantage of local search. Remember that if your product will be sold in retail outlets, most people will search for the product type with the phrase “near me.” People are also more likely now to choose a product and select an option to pick up in a store that is local to them. 

In any case, it’s always a best practice to make sure your Google My Business profile is updated with the correct information and that you make sure your website explains fully where your products can be found.

Use Social Media to Build Brand Awareness and Grow Your Audience

Instead of tracking down your ideal buyer all across the vastness of the internet, it’s much easier to just start hanging out where they already are (i.e., social media). Getting your brand’s voice established on the right platform delivers you a pre-made audience that will only grow with time.

how social media supports seo

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Ultimately, what you post on social media is just another form of content. Every bit of it should be optimized for search, as it will lead more visitors to your site. Your brand should have a presence on the big platforms, but depending on your buyer persona and your product, you may also have success on niche platforms.

Build High-Quality and Relevant Backlinks

Yep, we’re going to say it again: Backlinks are nonnegotiable. But they’re also not exactly easy to get.

most challenging seo processes according to it companies

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For tech brands like yours, it’s the top challenge. And while it might be tempting to take an easier route like looking for any and all backlinks or even paying for them, a backlink profile of irrelevant or non-reputable links will hurt more than they help.

Instead, trust a qualified SEO agency to work on your link building strategy to ensure you get prime backlinks to add to your portfolio and build your domain authority.

Optimize for Technical SEO

You’ll often hear technical SEO referred to as “low-hanging fruit,” and to be honest, we’ve been guilty of it ourselves. That’s because, most of the time, tech SEO issues are easy to detect and often simple to fix. That comes with one really big caveat, though — IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

If you don’t, well…just back away slowly. You could end up doing more harm than good. But, when you have a tech SEO expert on hand, you’ll find that their special brand of wizardry makes a major difference in your SEO performance. This is because technical SEO ensures that the very first, most basic components of search can be carried out.

With great technical SEO, you can rest assured your site is able to be found.

Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup is a very specific type of vocabulary added on to your site’s coding that helps search engines understand what it’s all about.

Google’s Knowledge Graph, a sort of flowchart that outlines the relationships between online entities, reads schema markup to better understand what your brand is offering and deliver that information up to your target audience.

The best part? They don’t even have to know your brand, the product name, or much else, really. In the example below, we wanted to know the name of a book character. But all we could remember is that he was a wizard and, at one point, he lived under the stairs (please note: this is all completely hypothetical, lest you think we’ve been locked in a cupboard under the stairs for the last 20 years). 

schema markup result example

But it isn’t wizardry that delivered this result. It’s SEO. And in this case, it’s likely schema markup that enabled us to find the answer to our question.

Optimize for On-Page SEO Elements

Once you get the technical SEO issues addressed and resolved, it’s time to move on to on-page SEO. This involves literally everything — every piece of content, every CTA, every widget — that exists on every page. 

on-page seo factors

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On-page SEO improves user experience, ensures your website is easier to crawl and index, and can boost your conversion rate. 

List on Relevant Directories

Just like social media, industry directories deliver you a built-in audience. Apply to get your tech brand listed on these directories:

  • G2: A huge repository of business software and a space for peer-to-peer reviews
  • TrustRadius: A review site for software and SaaS across numerous B2B industries
  • GetApp: A software directory that focuses on product and service comparisons
  • Capterra: A sort of middle-man that matches software buyers with the services and vendors they need 

review directories

There may be other directories you want to appear on, depending on your industry and the services/products you offer. It’s a great and easy way to get your brand in front of the right audience and increase traffic and conversions.

Incentivize Customers to Write Reviews

All of the directories listed above are dependent on reviews, which are a powerful tool for growing your brand.

off-site seo reviews

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Aggregating reviews will boost your SEO by giving individuals better, more relevant search results. Part of your strategy should be seeking out reviews from existing satisfied customers.

Optimize for Voice Search

Voice search is growing across all demographics, but it’s not just about getting your brand found — it’s also a powerful way to boost sales and revenue.

voice commercial sales

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Here are just a few ways you can improve your chances of being discovered through voice search:

  • Align your content with search intent.
  • Answer questions that pop up in the “People Also Ask” section of Google results for your keywords.
  • Build quality backlinks and perfect your internal linking strategy to build authority.
  • Optimize for local search.
  • Make sure your content sounds natural and conversational, at around a 9th-grade reading level.

SEO is a Long Road, but the Results are Worth the Effort

More traffic, more visibility, more conversions. What tech brand wouldn’t want that? We’re sure you would, but if you’ve made it this far, you probably also realize that effective SEO is a really big feat. 

The answer, we believe, is finding an agency that specializes in SEO for technology companies. Wouldn’t you like to know where you can find one? Asking for a friend, of course. Okay, no, we’re not. It’s us. We’re the friend. And we’re ready to be your SEO BFF. 

Our team of SEO experts is ready to deploy and go to work to optimize your site and move you from page 1,837 to page one. Ready to find out how we’ll do it? Let’s have a chat and see if we can be First Page Strategy team that gets you to the first page of results.

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Jeanna Barrett

Jeanna is the Founder & Chief Remote Officer for First Page Strategy, an award-winning, fully distributed marketing agency. Jeanna has a combined 17 years of inbound marketing experience at venture-backed startups, digital agencies and Fortune 500 companies, with an expertise focus on business and tech. She's been named 'Top 40 Under 40' of brand marketers and 'Best in the West' for financial technology marketing. In 2016, Jeanna left the U.S. to lay roots and build her business in Belize, and in 2021 First Page was named #43 in fastest growing private companies of Inc. 5,00 Regionals: California.

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