How to Sell SEO Audit Services to SaaS Companies in 2025

If you have a digital marketing agency, you have to personalize your selling strategies.

SaaS companies are a lucrative market, so you’ll have to find out what makes them tick.

In our previous article, we shared how we increased inbeat.co (SaaS) traffic from 500 to 300,000+ per month.

SEO works. 91% of marketers reported that SEO had a positive impact on their website performance and marketing goals.

But everything starts with an audit.

So read this guide to determine why SaaS SEO audits are different and how to sell SEO audits to SaaS companies.

Besides, we’ll discuss what key metrics to include and the best strategies to hook more SaaS clients.

TL;DR

• Personalize selling strategies: SaaS companies are a lucrative market. Personalization is essential given their distinct needs.

Why SaaS SEO is different:

• SaaS companies require higher commitment and user engagement due to their subscription model.
• Focus of SaaS audits should be on conversions and user engagement.
• E-commerce brands are more transactional, focusing on technical SEO and image/video search.

Charging for SaaS SEO audit:

• While some offer free SEO audits, premium charges are justified by the use of advanced tools and comprehensive analyses.
• Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and Website Auditor have costs.
• In-depth audits may take up to 16 hours, accounting for multiple SEO factors.

Metrics for SaaS SEO audit:

• Traditional metrics plus user engagement metrics, conversions audit, internal linking audit, onsite content.
• Consider heatmap audits for sites with significant traffic to understand user behavior.

Top tips for selling SEO audits to SaaS companies:

• Personalize your pitch — SaaS companies have different growth models, pricing structures, and KPIs than eCommerce or local businesses.
• SaaS SEO is about engagement, not just traffic — It’s about retention, product adoption, and lifetime value, not just one-off conversions.
• Don’t give away full audits for free — But a free Phase 1 audit (quick win analysis) can build trust and open doors.
• Charge based on value, not hours — Your expertise and tools justify premium pricing, especially if you tailor to their business goals and sales cycle.
• Focus on metrics that prove ROI — Include user engagement, micro-conversions, internal linking structure, and heatmap behavior, not just rankings.

Conclusions:

• Check out our SaaS SEO audit services proposal checklist.
• SaaS companies operate on a subscription model, often with premium features.
• Selling strategy: Clients pay first for audit, followed by a working agreement if satisfied.
• Pricing based on website size (indexed pages): Small ($250), Medium ($500), Large ($1000), Extra-large ($2000).
• Highlight the importance of initial audits to potential clients: transparency, precision, cost and time-saving, clear priorities.
• Offer a free phase 1 SEO audit for clients with significant SEO budgets as an attraction strategy.

Actionable Step: Direct potential clients to a sales page where they can choose packages and book a time.

Why Is an SEO Audit for SaaS Different?

SaaS SEO audits differ from SEO audits for e-commerce brands, for instance, because SaaS companies are unique.

You already know that SaaS brands retail their software subscription services through websites, just like e-commerce companies.

However, SaaS businesses need recurring payments, aka subscription plans.

Thus, they need more commitment and user engagement.

To achieve these goals, SaaS companies produce awesome content, including videos and actionable blog posts. The longer people spend on their websites or reading their blogs, the higher the conversion rate.

That’s why a SaaS company audit should focus on analyzing conversions and user engagement metrics.

By comparison, e-commerce is more transactional.

So, these websites don’t focus on producing original, funny, and highly actionable content. Instead, they need to optimize for technical SEO, image search, or video search.

As a result, your packages will feature different services which don’t cost the same.

That means you will have to personalize your selling strategies, too, according to your client.

Why Should You Charge for a SaaS SEO Audit?  

Some agencies boast free SEO audits. That’s not necessarily wrong.

You can provide this service for free if the client buys other services from you.

For example, you can offer SEO audits as a bonus, along with content optimization and link building.

Now’s the point where you furrow your eyebrows.

Just like you, we’ve seen plenty of agencies boasting free or dirt-cheap SEO to SaaS companies – and other companies, too – no strings attached.

But here’s the catch:

Agencies that are doing that are probably using very standard tools and doing extremely basic SEO.

Techy SaaS business owners can do that themselves with a very mild learning curve. All they need is the right SEO audit tools.

Of course, free standard audits are an excellent hook. A low-grade SEO audit costs very little, and you can give your client a taste of your services.

If they like what you’re doing, they can opt for the premium stuff.

Just remember this:

Nothing good is free, especially if you want in-depth actionable audits.

Thus, charging a premium price for your audit service is the right solution if you want your SEO agency to expand.

Remember: 49% of marketers report that organic search has the best ROI of any marketing channel. This justifies the value and investment in SEO audits.

This fee you ask shows your clients that you’re using premium tools and doing a fantastic job, expanding their online presence, getting them more organic traffic, and fixing all the technical issues they face.

What does a fantastic job mean?

Well, it means hiring the best people and nitpicking a particular website thoroughly. That means building a reliable action plan with key performance indicators and using premium auditing tools such as:

• Ahrefs
• Moz
• SEMrush
• Website Auditor

These tools cost around $500/ month, plus you’re also charging for your time.

Depending on the website’s size, a standard audit requires at least three hours of your time.

But it may take up to 16 hours if you’re also assessing load speed and page optimization, which includes:

• Meta descriptions
• Title tags
• H1s
• Redirects
• Internal linking
• And more stuff we’re sure you know about

Remember: SaaS founders are tech people, so they understand that this industry isn’t cheap.

That’s your best way in. Now, let’s see how to sell your audit.

How to Sell Your SaaS SEO Audit in 5 Easy Steps

We’ll now show you exactly how to sell your SEO audits to SaaS business owners – we’ll even include the prices. Let’s dive in.

1. Understand the SaaS Customer Journey (and How SEO Fits In)

Selling SEO services to SaaS companies requires more than just technical skills — it demands a deep understanding of the customer journey and how to guide it with a tailored SaaS SEO strategy. Unlike local businesses relying on Google Maps, SaaS companies win by building trust, educating prospects, and nurturing them across a long decision cycle.

Side note: You can still use Google My Business visibility to boost your company in search results.

🔍 Map SEO Content to Each Funnel Stage

A successful SaaS content strategy supports every stage of the funnel with quality content optimized around relevant keywords:

• Top of Funnel (TOFU): Use content marketing to attract ideal customers early in their journey. This includes blog posts, how-to guides, and comparison articles — each piece of content should target high-search-volume informational queries.
• Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Optimize for mid-intent terms like “best [type of software] for [problem]” using in-depth guides, webinars, and online tool demos.
• Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Build landing pages for high-converting search engine bots and users alike. Here, strong keyword rankings, proof of results, and smart use of internal links to pricing or demo pages are crucial.

Each of these assets should be designed with core web vitals, loading speed, and content quality in mind — not just keywords.

✅ Real SEO Funnel Example – ClickUp

TOFU (Top of Funnel)

📄 Content: “How to Manage a Software Development Team Remotely”

• Search intent: Informational
  
• Target keyword: manage a software development team remotely
  
• Purpose: Educates people experiencing collaboration problems — not necessarily looking for project management software yet.
  
• Tactic: Strong content marketing strategy to build awareness and trust through quality content.
  

MOFU: Consideration & Comparison

📄 Landing page: Asana vs Trello vs Click-up

• Search intent: Commercial
  
• Keyword: [tool] vs [tool] comparisons
  
• Goal: Capture users actively comparing platforms.
  
• Why it works: It highlights product strengths while targeting high-converting search terms.

 BOFU: Ready to Convert

📄 Page: ClickUp Pricing

• Search intent: Transactional
  
• Keywords: ClickUp pricing, ClickUp premium
  
• Tactic: Fast load times, clear CTAs, optimized core web vitals, and strategic internal links to product features.
  
• Goal: Convert bottom-funnel traffic and reinforce trust.

🎯 Why Search Intent Matters More in SaaS

SaaS buyers typically move through a longer sales cycle, often involving multiple decision-makers and higher stakes. That’s why organic traffic alone isn’t enough. You need to map every piece of content to the user's search intent and make sure it's easily discoverable via strong SEO campaigns.

For example, targeting a high-volume keyword like “CRM software” might get clicks, but if your content doesn't match the user’s intent (are they comparing tools? looking for pricing? researching integrations?), you're going to lose them — fast.

🔁 How SEO Supports Retention and Expansion

Most marketers focus only on acquisition. But in SaaS, SEO also plays a critical role in customer retention and expansion:

• Publish onboarding guides and product tutorials as part of your content creation roadmap.
• Keep feature changelogs and documentation optimized for relevant keywords so customers can self-serve.
• Clean up broken links and maintain a healthy backlink profile — both affect your perceived reliability and organic traffic.

A strong technical SEO audit, paired with ongoing detailed reports, can highlight what content needs updates, what’s decaying in value, and what needs better internal linking.

2. Target The Right Types of SaaS Companies

Not all SaaS businesses are built the same, and neither are their SEO needs. To close more deals and run more effective SEO campaigns, you need to understand which types of companies benefit most from your services. Targeting the right prospects helps you align your content creation, technical SEO audit, and content strategy with their goals and challenges.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common SaaS business types — and how your services can help them drive organic traffic, climb keyword rankings, and convert more of their ideal customers.

Remember: Organic traffic is extremely important for your clients; in fact, 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search, while 27% is driven by paid search.

🏢 B2B SaaS

What they need: Long-form, trust-building content that nurtures leads over a longer customer journey.

• Focus on creating quality content like case studies, whitepapers, and ROI calculators.
• Optimize for long-tail, relevant keywords with strong commercial intent. In fact, long-tail keywords make up almost 92% of all search traffic. If that's what people are looking for, that's what you should optimize for.
• Fix broken links, optimize internal links, and prioritize loading speed for smooth decision flows.
• Run audits to ensure their backlink profile supports authority in their niche.

💡 They care most about decision-stage content, measurable ROI, and detailed reporting that maps to the buyer funnel.

📲 B2C SaaS

What they need: Faster wins, scalable visibility, and laser focus on search volume and conversions.

• Use online tools like PageSpeed Insights to optimize core web vitals and deliver frictionless user experiences. After all, a B2B site that loads in 1 second has a 3x higher conversion rate than a page that loads in 5 seconds.
• Develop BOFU content optimized around target keywords (e.g., “best budgeting app for students”).
• Invest in content marketing that aligns with emotional triggers and visual UX.
• Make sure technical SEO audits surface mobile usability and search engine bot crawlability issues early.

💡 B2C SaaS usually compete on UX and price, so performance optimization and intent-driven landing pages matter more than depth.

🚀 PLG (Product-Led Growth) SaaS

What they need: SEO that feeds product activation and reduces churn.

• Build out educational SEO content that supports customer retention through how-tos, feature pages, and product tutorials.
• Use heatmaps and engagement reports to strengthen internal links between discovery and activation pages. Hotjar is a great heatmap tool you can use.
• Identify technical gaps through regular technical SEO audits — especially for broken nav flows, weak onboarding paths, or unindexed help docs.

💡 Your pitch here is: SEO isn’t just acquisition — it’s part of your product experience.

🏭 Vertical SaaS

What they need: Specialized content strategies and nuanced keyword targeting.

• Use keyword research tools to find niche search terms and target keywords that competitors miss.
• Create highly specific pieces of content tailored to regulated or compliance-heavy industries.
• Keep their Google My Business listings and Google Maps visibility optimized if they offer local-facing tools or hybrid services.

💡 This is where quality content and depth win over volume. You’ll need to show you understand the vertical to win them over.

3. Include the Right Metrics

SaaS audits go deeper than traditional search engine optimization checklists. You're not just tracking rankings — you're diagnosing product engagement, funnel friction, and on-site behavior that affect customer retention and lifetime value.

Let's review what to focus on.

Except for traditional metrics like technical SEO, on-page, off-page, you should include the following for SaaS websites:

• User engagement metrics
• Conversions audit
• Internal linking audit
• Onsite content
• For sites with over a thousand visitors per month, consider heatmap audits to understand how users interact with your pages.

Let’s detail these a bit:

User Engagement Metrics

User engagement metrics assess how people engage with the SaaS Company’s website. The most significant variables include:

• Time on page: How long they stay on your website
• Click heatmaps: Where they click and how they interact with particular content
• Pages per session: What pages they view and what they read
• Exit vs. back button behavior: What pages they close and if people heat backspace to get out of that website quickly

Remember: Google values user engagement metrics the most because these mean a stellar user experience on that website.

Conversion Audits

Conversions audits assess whether a SaaS website sells or not. Therefore, you should explain to your clients that they need to optimize their conversion rates to become (more) profitable. In fact, the average conversion rate for SEO is 2.4%, so that's the benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of your SEO strategies.

Thus, the key performance indicators to consider here are:

• Traffic-to-signup ratios
• Demo form completions
• Micro-conversions (e.g., clicking “Get Started,” pricing page visits)
• Bounce rate on key conversion pages

💡 Use this to connect your audit directly to their business goals and customer acquisition costs. For example, updating old blog posts with new content and republishing can increase organic traffic by approximately 106%. This increase in organic traffic can also scale conversion rates accordingly.

Internal Linking Audit

Internal linking needs to work correctly because it helps create more engagement on a SaaS company’s website. If you remember, SaaS brands need this engagement to hone in more sales.

That means you’ll have to check:

• The link structure, especially to pages your client wants to rank high on search engines.
• The anchors should include the main keyword
• Relevant backlinks from authoritative sources
• Link equity to ensure value for money

Tools like SiteBulb are a reliable place to start, but remember that their free version is relatively basic. Here’s an easy tutorial to start auditing internal links for your clients:

On-Site Content & Keyword Relevance

You’re not just looking at volume — you’re evaluating search intent and content depth across the site.

• Are blog posts targeting informational keywords or buyer-intent phrases?
• Are meta titles, headers, and copy aligned with search terms? After all, Pages that have a keyword in their URL have a 45% higher click-through rate. ​
• Are product descriptions clear and crawlable?

💡 Flag thin content, off-brand blog content, or mismatched search queries.

Heatmap Audits

Heatmap audits are part of risk assessments.

These visual tools will help you to define and organize the threats and opportunities. Thus, your clients will be able to understand these things quickly.

Together, you can build an action plan effortlessly starting from this heatmap.

You’ll assign different colors from green (low-risk) to red (very high-risk) to show your clients the impact and likelihood of a particular problem.

You can read more about that here.

4. Price SEO Audits Correctly for SaaS Companies

Pricing your SEO audits isn’t just about hours worked — it’s about value delivered. SaaS companies expect results tied to metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and customer acquisition efficiency, not just a list of technical fixes.

Here’s how to structure your pricing — and how to justify it to even the most budget-conscious SaaS founder.

📏 Why Pricing by Page Count (or Site Size) Makes Sense

The number of indexed pages and the structure of the website directly impact the time needed for a comprehensive technical SEO audit and content audit. A 500-page knowledge base takes more time to analyze than a 20-page landing site.

• Smaller sites (under 500 pages): $250 – $500
• Medium sites (up to 5,000 pages): $500 – $1,000
• Enterprise SaaS (20,000+ pages): $2,000+

💡 Use crawl stats from tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to justify the workload.

⏱ When to Charge Flat Rate vs. Hourly

• Use flat-rate pricing when selling standardized audit packages — ideal for clients who want predictable outcomes.
• Offer hourly pricing ($100–$150/hr) for one-off requests, broken links checks, or content creation recommendations that extend beyond the audit.

🎁 How to Bundle Your Services to Increase Value

Your base audit can focus on:

• Technical SEO audit (crawlability, core web vitals, loading speed)
• Backlink profile audit
• Keyword rankings and content quality

Then, bundle in:

• Content strategy planning
• Internal links optimization
• Detailed reports with next steps
• Competitive content gap analysis

💡 You can upsell additional services or monthly retainers tied to audit findings — like implementing the strategy or executing your content marketing roadmap.

💸 How to Handle Common Price Objections

SaaS founders may ask, “Why is this audit $1,000 when I can get a free one from an online tool?”

Here’s how to respond:

• Free tools only surface surface-level issues. Our audits include manual reviews, expert analysis, and prioritized actionable insights.
• You’re not just paying for data — you’re paying for interpretation, strategy, and experience.
• A great audit saves you money by preventing wasted dev cycles, fixing leaks in your customer journey, and improving conversion points.

5. SEO Audit Outreach

Whether you're pitching a new SaaS prospect or following up after a cold intro, how you present your offer matters. A well-crafted outreach message can be the difference between getting ignored and landing a meeting. Below are two proven templates you can adapt — one for email, one for LinkedIn or cold DMs.

📬 Sales Email Template for SEO Audits

Subject line: 🚀 Quick SEO insight that could boost [Company Name]'s demo signups

Email body:

Hey [First Name],

I came across [Company Name] while researching SaaS brands doing great work in [their niche/industry]. I ran a quick pass using a few of our tools and noticed a couple of quick opportunities to improve:

• A few broken links and redirect chains that may be slowing down search engine bots
• Some high-potential target keywords that aren’t currently ranking
• Pages with slow loading speed based on core web vitals checks

We help SaaS teams like yours run full-scope SEO audits to surface missed growth opportunities across content strategy, technical SEO, and internal links — all tied to the customer journey and your current funnel.

Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call so I can share a few actionable insights and send over a sample detailed report?

Let me know,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
[Link to case study or audit sales page]

💬 Cold Outreach Template (LinkedIn, Slack, or DM)

Hi [First Name] —

Saw you’re scaling [Company Name] and figured I’d reach out.

I help SaaS teams improve organic traffic and product sign-ups using high-touch SEO audits (technical + content). Most founders we work with already have strong content — but are missing out due to broken links, missed search volume opportunities, or unoptimized content quality.

Happy to run a free Phase 1 audit (15 mins of our time) and show you a few ways to improve visibility and performance.

Want me to send over a preview?

— [Your Name]

What to Include in a SaaS SEO Audit Proposal

Your SEO audit proposal is more than just a list of deliverables — it’s a sales tool. It should clearly communicate the value of your service, how it aligns with the client’s business goals, and what makes your approach different from basic reports generated by an online tool.

Here’s exactly what to include in your proposal to stand out and win the deal:

📝 Executive Summary

Start with a short overview of the client's current situation and how your audit will help.
Example:

“[Company] is a B2B SaaS platform currently attracting ~10K monthly visitors. Our audit will uncover technical bottlenecks, missed keyword opportunities, and content optimization gaps to drive more qualified organic traffic and demo conversions.”

🔍 Audit Deliverables List

Outline the full scope of what your audit will cover, such as:

• Technical SEO audit (crawlability, core web vitals, loading speed)
• Backlink profile analysis
• Review of broken links, internal links, and redirects
• Keyword rankings and visibility across target keywords
• Content quality evaluation for top pages and blog posts
• Gaps in content strategy and content creation roadmap
• Detailed analysis of customer journey alignment

💡 Tip: Break this down by funnel stage — awareness, evaluation, conversion.

🛠 Tools & Methodology

List the tools you'll use (e.g., Google Search Console, SEMrush, PageSpeed Insights, heatmap tools). 

Explain that this ensures accuracy and goes far beyond free SEO campaigns or audit generators.

⏰ Timeline

Set clear expectations for how long the audit will take — e.g.,

“We deliver your full audit and next-step recommendations within 7 business days.”

💰 Pricing Tiers

If you offer multiple audit levels or package bundles (e.g., audit + content roadmap), show that here with page-based pricing.

You’ve already listed ranges in your article — now is where you remind them.

✅ Next Steps

Make it easy for them to move forward. Include:

• A scheduling link for a discovery call
• Payment details or invoice terms (if prepaid)
• Clear CTA: “Approve to begin your audit” or “Book your intake call”

In Conclusion. How to Sell Your SEO Audit Services to SaaS Companies

SaaS companies are initiators of this innovative subscription-based business model where they charge people for using their software.

Of course, customers pay for premium features like support.

That's why explaining how you work to SaaS founders should be easy:

• You pay first
• We do the audit
• If you’re happy, we start working together

Be sure to explain the ROI they can obtain. For example, websites that consistently invest in SEO see traffic growth of 20-30% annually. Also, a solid SEO campaign's ROI can be up to 750% - much higher than Google Ads.

But first, consider the prices.

Use your intake process; the prices depend on how many indexed pages there are on a client’s website. Here are some fees you can use as a guide for your offers:

• Small (under 500 pages) - $250
• Medium (under 5000 pages) - $500
• Large (under 20,000 pages) - $1000
• Extra-large (under 50,000 pages) - $2,000

Of course, you can personalize your offers with additional packages, such as on-page and keyword packages.

Every time somebody messages you, explain to them why initial audits are essential.

Make sure to touch these points:

• This initial audit is crucial to analyze your website’s stage and how much effort it needs first.
• Firstly, we want to be transparent and straightforward.
• Secondly, you can save money in the long term because a well-done audit is precise.
• The initial audit saves us from mistakes, doing useless things, and lost time.
• Another advantage is that we can establish priorities.
• There are no strings attached. You can hire another company or an in-house auditor, but you already have a comprehensive audit to start from.
• You can also include a free offer for a phase 1 SEO audit if the client has a substantial SEO-dedicated budget. This part of the audit should take up to an hour, so it’s a wise investment to attract serious potential customers.

Next, include a link to your website.

The clients should be directed to your sell page, where they can choose the right package and book a time.

That’s it. Happy auditing, or contact us to help!

FAQ

1. Should I offer a free SEO audit to SaaS companies?

Only partially. A free Phase 1 audit (such as a surface-level technical scan or mini content review) is a great trust-builder. But in-depth, actionable SEO audits should be paid — especially if they involve keyword research, heatmap analysis, or fixing technical SEO issues.

2. Why do SaaS clients need a different SEO strategy?

SaaS websites are designed for recurring revenue, not one-time purchases. That means SEO should drive long-term engagement, product education, and funnel retention — not just clicks. You’ll focus more on search intent, content depth, and conversion paths than quick wins.

3. What tools should I use in a SaaS SEO audit?

At minimum:

• Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz for keyword & backlink insights
• Sitebulb or Screaming Frog for site audits
• PageSpeed Insights for performance
• Hotjar or Clarity for heatmaps

4. What’s the best way to sell SEO audit services to SaaS founders?

Speak their language. Focus on data, efficiency, and ROI. Emphasize how your audit aligns with business goals, streamlines their sales cycle, and lowers customer acquisition costs. Always tie your audit to tangible business outcomes — not just rankings.

5. Can I resell white-labeled audits from another agency?

Absolutely, you can resell white-label audits. If you’re strong in content or technical SEO but don’t offer full-scope audits, you can partner with a white-label SEO agency. This helps you upsell your current clients, close more deals, and scale without hiring in-house.

6. How much should I charge for an SEO audit?

It depends on the scope, website size, and depth of analysis.

• Basic audits (for small sites under 500 pages): $250 – $500
• Mid-sized SaaS sites (up to 5,000 pages): $500 – $1,000
• Enterprise-level or strategic audits: $2,000+

You can also offer custom pricing based on indexed pages, tech stack complexity, or bundled with additional services like keyword research, CRO analysis, or content planning.

7. How do I sell SEO services effectively?

Selling SEO services is about aligning your offer with the client’s business goals. Here’s how:

• Diagnose before you prescribe — lead with an audit, not a pitch.
• Show how SEO ties into customer acquisition, retention, and revenue.
• Be transparent about timelines and expectations — SEO is long-term.
• Use real data to show past wins or offer a quick-win preview audit to build trust.

💡 Bonus tip: Tailor your message by vertical (e.g., SaaS vs. eCommerce vs. local SEO).

8. Are SEO audits worth it?

Absolutely, SEO audits are worth it when done right. A good SEO audit:

• Identifies technical bottlenecks that hurt visibility
• Finds content gaps and duplicate content issues
• Reveals untapped search intent opportunities
• Helps prioritize fixes that can improve search engine rankings and conversion rates

For SaaS businesses, this means higher trial sign-ups, better product discovery, and long-term search engine visibility.

9. Is SEO easy to sell?

SEO is not always easy to sell because it takes time and isn’t instantly visible like ads. But it becomes much easier to sell SEO when:

• You offer specific deliverables (like audits, keyword maps, or CRO fixes)
• You speak in revenue and retention, not just rankings
• You show how SEO reduces customer acquisition costs over time

Think of it like this: SEO is hard to sell as a buzzword but easy to sell when framed as a business growth strategy.