SEO for Technology Companies: Gameplan, Tools, and In-House Examples

Tech and IT firms have specific SEO needs that a generic SEO agency may not grasp.

We explain how that works below.

We will also share in-house tactics that have brought clients like inBeat these kinds of results:

So, let’s see what SEO for technology companies entails.

TL;DR:

• SEO Importance: Essential for technology firms to gain visibility in a competitive digital landscape and attract more qualified leads.
• Custom Strategies: Tech companies need specialized SEO approaches that go beyond basic keyword use, focusing instead on detailed content about product features and strategic link building.
• Content Types: Effective content for tech SEO includes in-depth guides, white papers, product pages, and other linkable assets that demonstrate expertise and drive high-quality backlinks.
• Tools and Techniques: Utilizes tools like Ahrefs and Google Analytics for targeted keyword research and competitive analysis, enhancing both visibility and conversion rates.
• Step-by-Step SEO Plan: Includes defining goals and KPIs, conducting keyword research, building a content marketing strategy, creating a link-building plan, optimizing on-page SEO, and technical adjustments for improved site performance.
• Agency Selection: When choosing an SEO agency, look for one with a deep understanding of the tech industry, proven track record with tech clients, advanced analytical capabilities, strategic content creation, and robust link-building strategies.

What Is SEO?  [And What Makes SEO for Technology Companies Different]

SEO means improving your website so search engine algorithms favor it, pushing it higher up in the organic search results. As a result, you gain more organic visibility, which helps you reach potential customers without investing constantly more into paid advertising.

Now, when it comes to SEO for technology companies, the game changes slightly because:

• You're not just aiming to attract any traffic—your goal is to attract more qualified leads. Basically, you’re going after potential clients who are most likely to convert into paying customers because they are actively searching for the specific high-tech solutions you offer.
• SEO goes beyond sprinkling relevant keywords across your website. It requires a strategic approach to content creation, focusing on detailed product features and optimized product pages.
• Link-building strategies for technology companies go beyond traditional methods. Building linkable content assets, such as white papers, in-depth guides, or even proprietary tools can earn high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources within the tech industry. That’s how you can increase your domain authority and search engine rankings.

Insider story: We at Blue Things positioned ThreatX as a leading API and web application protection authority. We used a slew of different SEO techniques, from in-depth competitor analysis to relationship link-building, to help it rank for valuable keywords:

You can also notice a steady source of organic traffic that brings it considerable value monthly:

Why Do Technology Companies Need SEO?

SEO is essential for technology companies because it helps you stand out in a highly competitive digital landscape.

We’ve been in the industry for years, so we noticed this process typically happens after you start implementing a solid SEO plan:

1. You get more organic search traffic: Most technology decisions start with a search. Optimizing your site increases your visibility in search engine results, thus driving more organic traffic directly to your product pages and resources. That’s because the higher your site ranks in search results, the more likely people are to see your brand when they search for relevant tech solutions. 
2. You target more qualified leads: Effective optimization strategies attract visitors who are looking for specific tech solutions that your company provides. This focus increases the likelihood of converting general traffic into engaged customers. 
3. User experience is better: SEO requires a well-structured, clearly navigable website. This ensures that potential clients can easily find and appreciate your solutions. As a result, you get better engagement and conversion rates.
4. You get better conversion rates: SEO aligns your website’s content with your customer journeys. As a result, you guide prospective clients from awareness to decision-making, increasing the chances they choose your solution over others.
5. You gain a competitive advantage: The tech industry is crowded and competitive. Staying ahead is about more than just innovation. It’s also about visibility. Effective SEO helps you stay top of mind and visible in search results, even against competitors with similar offerings.

Insider tip: We know that technology products have long sales cycles. So, use SEO to nurture your leads throughout the entire process. Optimize content to answer questions at different buying stages, from awareness to decision. And always use targeted keywords that reflect each stage’s intent. Also, don’t just focus on blog content – emphasize your product pages as well.

For example, Threat X has this neat Bot Management product page, which is really informative but also extremely SEO-optimized, from keyword research to user navigation and on-page optimization:

Here’s how you can achieve the same.

Our Agency’s Step-By-Step Guide to Building SEO for IT and Technology Companies

Yes, you read the title correctly. This part is where we share our in-house strategies and tools we have specifically honed for technology and IT companies over the years. 

It’s how we helped influencer analytics platform Tiddle.io over-rank a slew of authoritative online dictionaries for its brand name:

These types of solid results start with a good plan.

Step 1: Define Goals and KPIs

We love data. That’s why we rely on data to inform all our SEO strategies for all our clients.

But you also need specific SEO goals with aligned KPIs so your strategies can drive the desired outcomes. 

And you may have different goals.

For example, you may aim to enhance your visibility for certain keywords or in certain locations. This goal is essential when you’re launching new products, entering new markets, or want to be associated with a specific brand image.

Basically, you’re ensuring you capture attention where it counts. In this case, follow SEO metrics like search ranking for a specific keyword.

Insider tip: We’re always explaining to our clients in our strategy calls that SEO can be about more than enhancing visibility in SERPs. It’s okay to have different goals, like:

• Lead generation
• Improving your content strategy
• Getting more quality traffic to product pages
• Sales conversion
• Online reputation management
• Maximizing local user engagement
• Building domain authority with a solid backlink profile

Insider tip: When setting KPIs, go beyond generic metrics like traffic and rankings. We advise tech companies to consider specialized metrics like innovation dissemination—how effectively your content spreads new ideas and technologies—as a KPI to truly gauge your SEO's impact on the market positioning.

Step 2: Do Keyword Research 

Keyword research for technology companies has its unique challenges and opportunities. We love them. 

One challenge is discovering targeted keywords that fit into a buyer’s journey through the sales funnel. Basically, each sales funnel stage, from awareness to loyalty, requires different keywords to engage and convert your target audience.

Let’s geek out on this for a while.

Focus on Sales Funnel Stages

• Awareness: Here, potential clients might be entering broad, informational keywords like “the latest advancements in AI technology” or “what is blockchain?”. Topics like these can be your starting points, drawing in people at the top of the funnel who are gathering information.
• Consideration: As people move down the funnel, their searches become more specific. Keywords like “AI software applications” or “blockchain for banking” indicate a deeper interest, guiding your content strategy toward more detailed and comparison-based information.
• Decision: Near the bottom, searches like “buy AI software for small business” or “blockchain solutions pricing” emerge. These transactional keywords help you capture ready-to-convert users, guiding them directly to your product or service offerings.

Tools We Use

At our SEO agency, we rely on robust SEO tools like Ahrefs to conduct this intricate keyword research. Ahrefs helps us uncover not just high-volume keywords but also those niche, long-tail phrases with lower competition and higher conversion potential. 

These are gold in the tech industry, where specificity wins.

Of course, Google Analytics, Google Trends, and Google Search Console are part of our arsenal.

We’ve also compared Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest, but Ahrefs almost always comes on top.

Conducting Keyword Research with Ahrefs

• Start with seed keywords: Open Keyword Explorer and type basic terms related to your tech offerings. These could be as broad as technology solutions or as specific as enterprise cybersecurity software.

Insider tip: The thing we love about Ahrefs is that it introduced this AI tool to suggest seed keywords related to your topic. This will help you get more targeted suggestions according to your niche or search intent. 

For example, you can pick comparative phrases about cybersecurity software for middle-of-the-funnel topics.

‍

• Explore keyword ideas: After you generate a list of keywords, look at matching terms and related keywords. Ahrefs shows keyword difficulty and search volumes so you can prioritize the most profitable terms.

Insider tip: Analyze search intent. Many new SEOs miss this step, but you must evaluate the intent behind the search for each potential keyword. Align this intent with the appropriate stage of your sales funnel to make sure you’re actually attracting the right audience.

• Competitive analysis: Use Ahrefs to check who currently ranks for your chosen keywords. Analyze their content and backlink profiles to identify opportunities for improvement and differentiation in your own SEO strategy.

For example, Ahrefs says “cybersecurity software solutions” is a medium-difficulty keyword.

However, we see that the top-ranking domains have very high domain ratings and have built tens of links to their articles. Some of them also write 4,000 to 6,000 words.

Insider tip: Use keyword tools to identify emerging technologies and terminologies in your industry. This forward-looking approach helps you capture new search traffic as technological trends rise, placing you ahead of competitors.

Step 3: Build a Content Marketing Strategy

We always explain to our clients that building a content marketing strategy isn't just about creating articles. It's about constructing a comprehensive framework that aligns with your SEO goals. 

Basically, you’ll have to start by clustering topics based on targeted keywords and ensure that all content serves your strategic objectives.

Here’s our proposed game plan:

• Identify core topics: Define the core topics that resonate with your brand and expertise. These should be broad enough to generate multiple subtopics yet focused on your technological niche.
• Cluster topics around keywords: We like to implement a topic cluster model. Here, you create a “pillar” content piece that offers a broad overview of a core topic. Then, develop “cluster” content that targets more specific keywords related to this topic. 

Pro tip: Linking related content together ensures your website is better organized and more authoritative in the eyes of search engine bots. And that’s how you rank higher.

Types of Content Assets for Technology Companies

• Technical guides and white papers: These prove thought leadership and in-depth knowledge. You can focus on complex subjects that cater to B2B tech companies and address their specific challenges.
• Product updates: Keep your audience informed with regular updates about new technologies or enhancements to your products. This drives repeat traffic and nurtures ongoing customer relationships.
• Case studies and customer testimonials: Showcase your success stories to illustrate how your technology solves real-world problems. These are powerful for converting prospective clients at the decision stage of the sales funnel.
• Video tutorials and webinars: Leverage video content to explain complicated tech processes or host expert discussions. Videos can increase engagement and are shareable across digital marketing channels, boosting your SEO goals.
• Blog posts and articles: Regularly updated blog content that addresses current tech trends, solutions, and insights can attract and engage both new and returning visitors. Use this to target long-tail keywords and to keep your site dynamically fresh.

Insider tip: Leverage your unique tech insights by creating advanced tutorial series or deep-dive analysis pieces that answer specific, complex questions. This type of content ranks well for niche queries and also boosts your authority A LOT.

For example, our client ThreatX, whom we love, has created a massive library of resources apart from its blog:

Notice analyst reports, case studies, product tours, webinars, podcasts, documentation and the free ThreatX Academy that offers general cybersecurity lessons.

All this content builds authority and attracts editorial backlinks from reputable sources.

That brings us to the next point.

Step 4: Create a Link Building Plan

Link building enhances your SEO efforts, and it’s especially important in your technology sector because you want to build credibility and authority. Let’s break down the components of an effective link-building plan we recommend to technology and IT companies:

Linkable Assets

This is exactly what we mentioned about ThreatX’s content library.

Creating linkable assets is your starting line. Think of software tools, in-depth research reports, or interactive data visualizations. These assets should offer significant value to your audience, making them naturally shareable and attractive for external links. Think of high-quality content that showcases technological expertise or innovations that can set you apart and boost your domain authority.

Insider story: That’s what we helped influencer marketing platform inBeat do:

We advised them to create useful tools for marketers interested in working with influencers, like engagement rate calculators, fake follower checkers, or collaboration cost calculators. All these tools bring incredible organic traffic and backlinks.

Insider tip: Create case studies and success stories detailing your technology's impact. Such content is highly linkable and more likely to earn natural backlinks from industry publications and satisfied customers.

Guest Posts

Writing guest posts on reputable platforms remains a powerful strategy. Choose platforms that align with your business goals and where your potential clients will likely visit. The goal is to write compelling content that includes inbound links to your site, driving referral traffic and increasing your site's authority. 

Insider tip: Use strategic keywords to optimize these posts and also link to them from your own website.

Relationship Link-Building

Building relationships within the tech industry can lead to numerous link-building opportunities. Engage with key influencers, attend tech industry forums, and participate in community discussions. These relationships can yield guest post invitations, joint ventures, and shared content initiatives, all contributing to a stronger link profile.

Insider tip: We value relationship link-building very highly at Blue Things. In fact, it’s one of the strategies we used for growing fundraising intelligence software iWave’s organic traffic from 6,000 to over 18,000 visitors:

Content Promotion

Promote your content actively across various channels. 

Use social media, email newsletters, and digital marketing channels to spread the word about your latest content. 

The more visible your content is, the higher the chance it attracts valuable backlinks. 

Step 5: On-page SEO 

On-page SEO optimization is essential but really often neglected because of all the minutiae involved. Here are some on-page elements we typically see overlooked:

• Title tags: This is your first impression in search results. Make it count. Your title tag should grab attention and incorporate target keywords effectively to increase click-through rates. It has to reflect the page's content while also including the target keywords. 
• Meta descriptions: This text snippet appears under your title in search results. Though not a ranking factor, it influences click-through rates. Use it to briefly summarize the page content, enticing potential clients to click while weaving in keywords.
• Headings and subheadings: Use headings to structure your content and make it easier for users and search engines to navigate your pages. Include secondary keywords in headings to help search engine crawlers understand your topic.
• Internal linking: Internal links strengthen your website architecture. These links help search engines understand the hierarchy and relationship between different pages on your website. Use descriptive anchor texts that include SEO goals or user intent, which guide visitors naturally through your site.

Insider tip: We’ve seen many websites oscillate between ignoring internal links or spamming them throughout their content. Remember to only link to relevant pages because you’re not going to be able to trick Google by spamming it.

• Image optimization: We always advise our clients to optimize their images with descriptive, keyword-rich file names and alt tags. This approach helps you appear in image search results, which can be a significant traffic source for tech-related queries.
• Structured Data Markup: Implement structured data to help search engines better understand your pages' content. This can lead to richer search results (like snippets or knowledge panels) that enhance how your pages are displayed. Use it especially for product pages, reviews, or upcoming events.

Insider Tip: On tech-heavy product pages, use schema markup to enhance your listings in search results with rich snippets like ratings, pricing, and software version. This strategy improves visibility but also user click-through rates from search results.

Step 6: Technical Optimization

Technical optimization is the bedrock of your website's SEO. We’ve said it before in other articles and plenty of strategy calls, but technical errors can hide your website from search engines or affect your ranking without you even being aware.

You should consider:

• Mobile optimization
• Site speed
• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to protect user data 
• Fixing 404 errors
• A clean URL structure with straightforward URLs that include target keywords 
• No duplicate content that confuses search engines and dilutes keyword relevance some text
  • Pro tip: Use canonical tags to direct search engines to the original content.
• XML Sitemaps to facilitate search engine crawling by outlining your site’s structure

As a solid example, look how great ThreatX’s sitemap looks:

Insider tip: Implement progressive web apps (PWAs) to deliver an app-like experience. They can significantly improve your website performance and user engagement, which are major ranking factors that impact your search engine visibility.

Step 7: Optimize Product and Service Pages

Product and service pages are the linchpins of your website. Optimizing these pages boosts search engine rankings, sure, but more practically, it helps you convert visitors into leads and customers.

Here’s what we advise you to consider:

• Define your pages: Categorize your offerings clearly. You might have separate pages for each major product, such as a SaaS platform, or services, such as IT support or software development. Each page should focus sharply on one specific offering.
• Site architecture: Ensure your website architecture supports SEO and usability. Structure it logically—making it easy for both users and search engines to navigate. Each product or service page should be accessible with minimal clicks from the home page.
• On-page elements: For each product and service page, tailor your title tags, meta descriptions, and headers with targeted target keywords and search terms.
• Keywords: Strategically incorporate a relevant list of keywords throughout your content to align with what your potential clients are searching for. Avoid keyword stuffing, though. Ensure you offer only high-quality, informative content that addresses customer journeys and business goals.
• Interlinking: Interlink your product pages from your blog content so search engine crawlers can understand your authority and site architecture. Of course, this strategy also gets more potential customers to your product pages, which increases conversion rates.
• Link-building: Get external links from reputable and relevant sites to your product pages. This strategy directs high-quality referral traffic to your services.

Insider tip: A/B testing different elements on your product pages can be incredibly revealing. Test variations of your call-to-action buttons, images, and even how you display product benefits. Insights gained from how these variations perform can guide you to fine-tune your pages for top-notch user engagement and conversion rates.

Optional Step: Local vs International SEO

Choosing between local and international SEO strategies depends on your technology company's specific business goals and target markets. 

Here’s what we recommend.

• Local SEO: Do it if you serve customers in specific geographical areas. Whether it's a tech repair shop, a local IT consultant, or regional software training sessions, local SEO helps attract nearby clients. You can do this by optimizing your Google Maps profile and using local keywords like “tech support in New York” to connect with community-specific search queries.
• International SEO: If your target audience spans across different countries, international SEO makes your website visible to users in multiple countries. Start by using hreflang tags to tell search engine bots which language your pages are targeting, and use culturally aligned content creation. And you can get high-quality backlinks from international websites to enhance yoru search engine performance.

Insider tip: If you’re a technology company looking to expand internationally, consider leveraging local domain extensions and hosting servers in target regions to improve load times and SEO rankings in those areas. This approach boosts your SEO traffic and enhances user experiences because people have faster access to your website.

Step 7: Evaluation and Re-Optimization

We told you before: we love data.

But it’s not just us.

It’s essential to consistently assess your SEO performance. Use tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs to monitor metrics such as organic search traffic, keyword rankings, and bounce rate. 

These insights reveal how well your content resonates with your target audience and where improvements are needed.

Dive deep into your data. 

Look for trends in search engine rankings and user engagement. Are certain pages performing better than others? Why? Analyzing these elements will get you valuable insights into your SEO strategy and content marketing effectiveness.

Based on your analysis, tweak your SEO tactics. If certain pages are underperforming, adjust your content or on-page SEO elements like meta tags, headings, and internal links. 

Always aim to enhance the user experience and meet the specific needs of potential clients in the tech industry.

Insider tip: Leveraging user feedback directly can provide a goldmine of insights for re-optimization. Implement feedback mechanisms on your product pages to gather real-time input from users. This direct line of communication can reveal what truly matters to your customers and how well your pages meet their needs.

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

Okay, you’ve seen our game plan.

Now, it’s up to you to implement it or find a solid SEO agency that can help you with this.

Here are five essential features to look for that align with the specific needs of the tech industry:

• Deep understanding of the tech Industry: The agency must know your industry forums and understand your product updates. 
• Proven track record with tech clients: Look for an agency with proven success in improving the digital presence and organic search traffic for other tech companies. Like us. 
• Advanced analytical capabilities: An agency that leverages Google Analytics and other keyword research tools effectively can provide deeper insights into your SEO traffic and user intent. But it’s more than collecting data. It’s about interpreting it to drive strategic decisions.
• Strategic and compelling content creation: Tech content is highly specialized. The agency should excel in creating valuable content for all your audience segments. 
• Robust link-building strategies: Domain authority and high-quality backlinks are essential for SEO success. Your SEO agency should have specialized link-building knowledge and relationships in the tech sector. Again, like us.

Insider tip: When evaluating potential agencies, ask them about their approach to search engine algorithm changes. A top-notch agency will be proactive, anticipating shifts and adapting strategies quickly and effectively.

And if you want that top-notch agency, you can set up a free strategy call with us.

We can help you get the same awesome results as we did for Tiddle, ThreatX, iWave, and inBeat.