Why Domain Rating Matters for SaaS Companies
High Domain Rating is crucial for SaaS businesses because it directly impacts customer acquisition, investor confidence, and competitive positioning in crowded software markets.
Improved search visibility: A higher Domain Rating improves organic rankings for high-intent keywords like 'best [category] software' and '[problem] solution'. This directly signals trust to potential customers evaluating your product against competitors, which is crucial when customers are comparing options in your market.
Business growth opportunities: High DR unlocks partnership opportunities with other SaaS platforms and integration marketplaces. Beyond partnerships, it reduces customer acquisition cost (CAC) by improving organic conversion rates, making your marketing efforts more cost-effective over time.
Long-term value: A strong Domain Rating increases domain value for potential acquisitions or funding rounds. Additionally, it enables faster ranking for new product features and landing pages, allowing you to scale your content strategy more efficiently.
Understanding the key factors that influence Domain Rating helps you build a more effective link building strategy for saas companies.
Unique Challenges for SaaS Domain Rating Growth
SaaS companies face specific obstacles when building domain authority that require tailored strategies.
Competitive landscape: High competition from established players with DR 60+ domains means you're competing against well-established brands that have spent years building their authority. You also face the challenge of needing continuous content to support product updates and feature launches, which requires consistent investment in content creation and promotion to maintain momentum.
Content limitations: Limited linkable assets compared to content-heavy industries make it harder to create naturally linkable content compared to publishers or media sites. Additionally, product-focused content is harder to earn editorial links for, requiring you to stay agile and adapt quickly to market changes.
External factors: Rapid market changes requiring quick content pivots can disrupt your link building strategy. Moreover, integration partnerships often provide nofollow links, which can dramatically impact your traffic and revenue overnight if not properly managed.
SaaS-Specific Strategies to Increase Domain Rating
These proven tactics are specifically designed for software companies looking to build sustainable domain authority.
Product Launch Content & PR
Create comprehensive launch content that journalists and bloggers want to cover. Product launches are natural link-building opportunities that generate valuable backlinks.
Publish detailed product announcement posts with screenshots and demos Create comparison pages (vs. competitors) that earn natural backlinks from review sites Additionally, pitch tech journalists with unique angles (first-to-market features, funding news) to earn editorial backlinks can help expand your reach and visibility.
Other effective approaches include submit to product directories like product hunt, g2, capterra with optimized profiles for dofollow backlinks, create launch press kits with assets journalists can use, increasing chances of backlinks in coverage, target high-dr tech blogs and publications for product reviews that include backlinks and build relationships with industry influencers who can link to your product in their content.
Original Research & Industry Reports
Conduct and publish original research that positions your SaaS as a thought leader in your category.
Survey your customers to create industry trend reports Analyze public data to create benchmark studies (e.g., 'State of [Industry] 2024') Additionally, publish usage statistics and insights from your platform (anonymized) can help expand your reach and visibility.
Other effective approaches include create annual reports that become go-to references for journalists and partner with other saas companies for joint research projects.
Integration & Partnership Link Building
Leverage your integration ecosystem to earn backlinks from partner websites and directories. Each integration partnership is a potential backlink opportunity.
Get listed on integration marketplace pages (Zapier, Make, Microsoft AppSource) for dofollow backlinks Create integration landing pages that partners link to from their documentation Additionally, write guest posts for partner blogs about integration use cases with contextual backlinks can help expand your reach and visibility.
Other effective approaches include collaborate on co-marketing content with complementary saas tools that includes mutual backlinks, get featured in partner case studies and success stories with backlinks to your site, build integration partnerships that result in backlinks from partner resource pages and create integration tutorials and guides that earn backlinks from developer communities.
Educational Content & Resource Pages
Create comprehensive guides and resources that naturally attract backlinks from your target audience.
Publish in-depth guides on solving problems your SaaS addresses Create free tools, calculators, or templates that earn citations Additionally, build resource pages that other sites link to (e.g., 'best practices for [use case]') can help expand your reach and visibility.
Other effective approaches include develop templates and frameworks that become industry standards and create video tutorials and webinars that get embedded and linked.
Community Building & Thought Leadership
Establish your SaaS as an authority through community engagement and expert positioning.
Publish thought leadership content on industry trends and predictions Speak at industry conferences and get speaker bio links Additionally, participate in expert roundups and get quoted with backlinks can help expand your reach and visibility.
Other effective approaches include create and moderate industry communities (forums, slack groups) and host webinars and podcasts that earn backlinks from attendees.
Track your Domain Rating progress in Ahrefs to measure the impact of your link building efforts for saas companies.
SaaS-Specific Link Building Opportunities
These high-value link opportunities are particularly effective for SaaS companies.
Product Launch Directories & Submission Services
Get your SaaS listed in 100+ product launch directories through LaunchDirectories. This great service lists your SaaS in Product Hunt-style directories, helping you gain valuable backlinks from high-authority launch platforms. This is especially effective for new SaaS products looking to quickly build domain authority and gain backlinks. We highly recommend their done-for-you submission service at LaunchDirectories submission service?via=increasedomainrating which can save you 70+ hours while building valuable backlinks to boost your domain rating.
Product Directories
G2, Capterra, Software Advice, GetApp, and other SaaS directories provide dofollow links and improve discoverability. Optimize your profiles with keywords and case studies.
Integration Marketplaces
Zapier, Make (Integromat), Microsoft AppSource, and Shopify App Store listings often include dofollow links to your website. These also drive qualified traffic.
Tech News & Blogs
Pitch TechCrunch, Product Hunt, HackerNews, Indie Hackers, and niche tech blogs with product updates, funding news, or unique data insights.
Comparison & Review Sites
Get featured on sites like G2, TrustRadius, and SoftwareWorld. These often have high DR and provide valuable backlinks plus social proof.
Industry Resource Pages
Find curated lists like 'Best SaaS Tools for [Industry]' or 'Top [Category] Software' and request inclusion. These pages often have DR 50+ and provide contextual links.
Domain Rating Benchmarks for SaaS Companies
Use these benchmarks to understand where your SaaS stands and set realistic DR improvement goals.
Need Help Increasing Your Domain Rating?
Our team specializes in securing high-quality backlinks from DR 60–90 domains that deliver fast, sustainable DR improvements. We handle the entire process: research, outreach, content creation, and relationship building. When we confirm your DR boost via Ahrefs, you get a complete backlink report and ongoing monitoring.
SaaS Companies Domain Rating FAQ
How long does it take to increase Domain Rating for a SaaS company?
Typically 4–6 months to see meaningful DR increases (5+ points) for SaaS companies with consistent link building. Product launches and PR campaigns can accelerate results. DR updates every 3–4 weeks in Ahrefs, so patience is required.
Do product directory listings help Domain Rating?
Yes, high-authority directories like G2, Capterra, and Product Hunt provide dofollow links that contribute to DR. However, focus on earning editorial links from tech blogs and industry publications for maximum impact.
Should SaaS companies focus on DR or product marketing?
Both are important. DR improves organic visibility and reduces CAC, while product marketing drives conversions. The best approach is integrated: use product launches and features as link-building opportunities while building domain authority.
Can integration partnerships increase Domain Rating?
Yes, but selectively. Integration marketplace listings (Zapier, Make) provide backlinks, and partner case studies often include dofollow links. However, many integration partnerships only provide nofollow links, so prioritize editorial placements.
What's a good Domain Rating for a SaaS startup?
DR 20–30 is solid for a SaaS startup under 2 years old. DR 35+ indicates strong early link building. DR 40+ within the first 2 years is exceptional and usually requires significant investment in content and PR.