Too many startups struggle with distribution and we end up building products no one knows exist.
Having worked in SEO and marketing for 12+ years, I knew I had to build and distribute at the same time. So, I started with SEO and content.
Within 9 months, I've gone from zero visibility to ranking #1 in Google for all software category keywords.
I now get 4,000 visitors per month, 10 sign ups per day and paying customers. It's only the 7th October and it's already my best month ever.
There's dozens of SEO tactics I used but here's what I believe has had the most impact.
1. Listicles
I have several top 10 lists on my website. I actually tested different platforms, used real screenshots and update them frequently.
Don't worry about cannibalization. One article ranks #1 on Google and another one ranks #1 on Bing. Both drive qualified traffic.
2. Guest posts
Find tech-related/ B2B / SaaS websites and pitch them content. Make sure there's context. For ex. one of my posts is on a Woocommerce site, so my article is how OKRs can help grow your ecommerce store.
I've published 30+ guest posts this year. 90% are branded backlinks. And some, have no link at all. Pure brand play.
3. Existing listicles
If you search for "Best X", there are dozens of articles already ranking in Google. Reach out to them and ask to be featured. Some will ignore you, some will ask you to pay, but eventually - some will say yes. I've ended up on 10+ existing sites.
When you add all this together, it means that when you search "Best OKR software" my website is featured in approx. 20% of the top 50 results. A great way to establish credibility.
4. Original research
I launched the Startup OKR report in June and it got picked up by some big media outlets. Sure, it takes time to create, but I'm still distributing the research today. I try to link to the research 2-3 times in either my own content or in guest articles.
I use a variation of the anchor "According to research by OKRs Tool". This is the strongest way to build authority.
5. Keep content fresh
I've published 100+ articles on my own website this year and I make sure it always stays fresh - and never more than 6 months old. Each month, I updated content that is close to being more 6 months+ and rewrite the intro and include 1-2 internal links to new content.
steven_okrstool•4mo ago
Having worked in SEO and marketing for 12+ years, I knew I had to build and distribute at the same time. So, I started with SEO and content.
Within 9 months, I've gone from zero visibility to ranking #1 in Google for all software category keywords.
I now get 4,000 visitors per month, 10 sign ups per day and paying customers. It's only the 7th October and it's already my best month ever.
There's dozens of SEO tactics I used but here's what I believe has had the most impact.
1. Listicles
I have several top 10 lists on my website. I actually tested different platforms, used real screenshots and update them frequently.
Don't worry about cannibalization. One article ranks #1 on Google and another one ranks #1 on Bing. Both drive qualified traffic.
2. Guest posts
Find tech-related/ B2B / SaaS websites and pitch them content. Make sure there's context. For ex. one of my posts is on a Woocommerce site, so my article is how OKRs can help grow your ecommerce store.
I've published 30+ guest posts this year. 90% are branded backlinks. And some, have no link at all. Pure brand play.
3. Existing listicles
If you search for "Best X", there are dozens of articles already ranking in Google. Reach out to them and ask to be featured. Some will ignore you, some will ask you to pay, but eventually - some will say yes. I've ended up on 10+ existing sites.
When you add all this together, it means that when you search "Best OKR software" my website is featured in approx. 20% of the top 50 results. A great way to establish credibility.
4. Original research
I launched the Startup OKR report in June and it got picked up by some big media outlets. Sure, it takes time to create, but I'm still distributing the research today. I try to link to the research 2-3 times in either my own content or in guest articles.
I use a variation of the anchor "According to research by OKRs Tool". This is the strongest way to build authority.
5. Keep content fresh
I've published 100+ articles on my own website this year and I make sure it always stays fresh - and never more than 6 months old. Each month, I updated content that is close to being more 6 months+ and rewrite the intro and include 1-2 internal links to new content.