SEO for SaaS in 2026: what still works

We've spent the last 18 months running SEO programs for B2B SaaS clients ranging from pre-launch to $20M ARR. Here's the honest version of what works in 2026.

What's changed

• AI overviews are stealing top-of-funnel traffic. Generic "what is X" content gets summarized by Google and never clicked.
• Programmatic content is dying fast. Sites that scaled with 10,000 template pages are getting deindexed wholesale.
• E-E-A-T is no longer optional. Real authors, real expertise, citable sources — every time.

What still works

1. Comparison and alternative pages. When someone searches "Notion alternative" they have intent and AI summaries can't replace the structured comparison they need.

2. Original research. Anyone can write "10 ways to..." Almost no one can publish actual data. We've helped clients rank #1 for high-intent terms by running surveys and publishing the results.

3. Tools and calculators. A free ROI calculator targeted at your buyer earns links and trust in a way blog posts can't.

4. Topical clusters with real depth. Pick three topics you can credibly own. Write 20 interlinked pieces on each. Skip the rest.

What we'd skip

• Generic "ultimate guide to" content
• Programmatic location pages (unless you actually serve those locations)
• Backlink swap schemes (Google detects them)
• Anything an AI could have written without checking your codebase or customer data

The 2026 SEO playbook in one sentence

Write less, but write things only you could have written.

If you're thinking about your SEO strategy and want a second opinion, we run one-week audits.