Key takeaways
- Start with a defined audience and business goal.
- Use only credible, verifiable expertise and evidence.
- Set quality and disclosure rules before outreach.
- Measure relevance, context and outcomes—not domain metrics alone.
Written and reviewed by Jenny Moris
Jenny Moris is Co Founder of Editorial Backlinks and leads editorial outreach, campaign messaging, media relationships and content quality. Last reviewed July 29, 2026.
Map the buyer journey
Identify informational questions, comparison searches, integration needs and purchase objections. Build assets for each stage rather than sending every link to the homepage. This creates natural destinations for journalists and publishers.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Use credible internal experts
Founders, product leaders, engineers, security specialists and customer-success teams can provide distinct perspectives. Create approved topic areas and biographies for each source so outreach matches real responsibility.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Create linkable product resources
Useful assets include benchmarks, calculators, templates, integration guides, security documentation, migration checklists and original usage data. The asset must help a reader even when the person does not buy the software.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Run data-led and reactive PR
Analyze anonymized product data, survey a relevant audience or comment on industry developments. Publish transparent methodology and prepare experts to respond quickly when the news cycle changes.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Approach comparison content carefully
Comparison pages can attract links and conversions when they are fair, specific and updated. Avoid unsupported claims about competitors. Explain the use case, tradeoffs, pricing assumptions and who may prefer another option.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Use ecosystem relationships
Partners, integrations, marketplaces and implementation consultants can create legitimate co-marketing and resource opportunities. Focus on shared customer value rather than reciprocal link exchanges.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Fix technical SEO before scaling outreach
Ensure important pages are indexable, canonicalized and internally linked. Improve page performance and make product resources accessible without unnecessary forms. Outreach cannot compensate for weak site architecture.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Measure pipeline as well as links
Track qualified referral traffic, branded search, assisted trials, demo requests and movement on priority non-brand queries. Review whether placements reach the right buyers, not only whether they meet a domain metric.
Practical action
Document the decision, assign an owner and connect the action to a measurable campaign objective. Review the outcome after publication and update the process when evidence shows a better approach.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Which SaaS pages are easiest to promote?
Original research, free tools, integration resources and detailed educational guides usually provide stronger editorial value than feature pages.
Should links point to pricing pages?
Occasionally, when the context genuinely requires pricing information. Most editorial citations will naturally point to useful resources or research.
How can a small SaaS company compete?
Use specialized expertise, proprietary product data and fast reactive commentary in a narrow market.
Do directory listings count as link building?
Relevant software directories can support discovery, but they are different from earned editorial coverage and should not be the entire strategy.