The year was 2010. I had just aced my engineering entrance exam and was buzzing with excitement about university life. Adulthood was finally here. Hello, freedom! But with newfound freedom came a very real problem – I needed some extra cash.
Enter my first gig: writing 10 whole articles on SEO. Was I an expert? Nope. But I gave it a shot. My reward? A grand total of $50. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old just dipping their toes into the writing world.
Fast forward to today, and wow—what a ride it’s been! Those SEO articles pulled me straight into the world of content creation. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I had spent the last 14+ years ghostwriting for software and tech companies. My IT engineering background made it easier to understand all the jargon and solutions, which turned out to be a huge advantage.
I’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of content—how we create, market, and consume it. And let me tell you, it has been a wild ride. So, as I reflect on my journey as a B2B SaaS content writer, here are five major lessons I’ve learned along the way…
1. Top SERP Rankings Don’t Always Mean Conversions for B2B SaaS Companies
Unpopular opinion, I know, but hear me out.
The belief that climbing to the top of SERPs (search engine result pages) automatically leads to more signups and subscriptions for SaaS businesses? Yeah, not exactly true.
I’ve seen companies go all in—publishing 20+ pages a month, laser-focused on SEO, climbing those Google rankings like their lives depended on it. And yet… crickets when it came to conversions.
Churning out 20+ pages a month isn’t just exhausting; it’s counterproductive unless you have a powerhouse team ensuring every piece is top-tier. But nowadays, many SaaS companies are letting AI do the heavy lifting, repackaging competitor content, missing user intent, and failing to position their product in the right context.
Somewhere along the way, content marketing became all about SEO metrics instead of what truly matters: building trust and driving buy-in. Sure, seeing your traffic spike feels great, but if those visitors aren’t converting, what’s the point?
Take AI overviews, for example. AHREFs found that 99% of informational searches in their study returned AI-generated summaries. So, even if your content ranks high, people might never even see your site. Ouch.
Especially in B2B, the buying journey is long, winding, and packed with multiple touchpoints. Your audience isn’t necessarily clicking “Sign Up” or booking a demo right from your high-ranking landing pages. They’re browsing, researching, and engaging elsewhere.
This is why top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) SEO rarely drives leads. Most conversions happen deeper in the funnel—on product pages, case studies, and other key touchpoints. Instead of obsessing over TOFU content, shift your focus to high-value, mid-to-bottom-of-the-funnel content that speaks directly to where your audience is in their journey.
And that brings me to lesson #2… 😉
2. Go Beyond the Mass-Produced Content
Let’s be real—there’s a lot of filler content out there. You’ve seen it. Heck, you’ve probably written it at some point (no judgment; we’ve all been there). I’m talking about those ultra-basic, top-of-the-funnel articles that exist purely to check an SEO box.
You know the ones:
What is ETL?
What is a CRM?
What is VoIP software?
A quick Google search will show AI-generated summaries or the same big players owning the top spots. And even if you somehow manage to rank, is it really worth it? Probably not.
Here’s why: If someone doesn’t even know what ETL is, they’re miles away from being ready to buy an ETL solution. Converting them will take forever, and in the meantime, your sales team will be twiddling their thumbs.
So, what should you do instead?
Stop playing the mass-production game and start creating content that actually moves the needle. This means shifting your focus down the funnel—where buying decisions happen, the sales enablement content.
Now, this doesn’t mean ditching top-of-the-funnel content entirely. It just means making it smarter and more valuable. Instead of writing another “What is ETL?” post, show why it matters, how companies are using it, and what mistakes to avoid.
Here’s what I recommend:
Thought leadership – Answer real, strategic questions your audience is asking. Here are three wonderful examples of such articles: see here, here, and here.
Feature articles – Tell engaging customer stories that show how your SaaS solves real problems. Examples: here and here.
Industry analysis – Use original data and insights to stand out. I am a fan of AHREFs’ data-backed articles. Here is a research piece I recently wrote.
The best approach? Mix all three. That way, you’re speaking to different segments of your audience without wasting time on content that won’t convert.
3. Let Your Audience Experience Your SaaS Before They Even Sign Up
Here’s the thing about SaaS: you can’t hold it, smell it, or try it on like a pair of sneakers. No one walks into a store, pokes around at a software box, and says, “Yep, this is the one.”
So, how do you get people to trust a product before they’ve even tried it?
I do that by making sure that my content creates an experience.
Step 1: Understand the Business Psychology
Companies don’t buy software just for fun. They buy it because they have a problem that needs solving. But listing features and hoping for the best? That’s a losing game. Instead, I show them how my SaaS fits into their world.
Here’s how I do it:
Case studies that tell a real story. Slack does this brilliantly—real customers, real results.
Explainers that simplify the complex. Canva is a great example of making things easy.
Comparison guides that help decision-makers. ActiveCampaign nails this by breaking it all down.
Step 2: Speak to the People Behind the Business
Companies don’t make decisions, people do. And those people have different priorities. So, speak to them:
CFOs love numbers. Show them a whitepaper on cost-saving strategies.
CTOs geek out on integrations. Give them a webinar on how your SaaS plays well with their tech stack.
The marketing leads care about usability and results. Give them quick demo videos showing real use cases for the everyday user.
Step 3: Go Beyond SEO
I get it, ranking on Google is nice. But if all your content lives in blog posts, you’re leaving money on the table. Meet your audience where they hang out:
YouTube → Show, don’t just tell. Product walkthroughs work wonders.
LinkedIn → Thought leadership = credibility = trust.
Review Sites → Let happy customers do the talking for you.
In my experience, this is the best way to turn curiosity into conversions.
4. Be a Mentor, Not Just a Marketer
Let’s be real: B2B content has a reputation for being dull. And honestly? It’s well-earned. Too much jargon and not enough real talk.
But here’s the thing: I don’t just write for businesses. I’m writing for the humans behind them. People who are probably skimming my content between meetings, sipping their third coffee of the day, and wondering if that new tool is actually worth the investment.
So, my goal is to make their lives easier, not harder. I want my audience to see me as the person who gets them, the one who answers their questions before they even know they have them. And that trust comes from creating content that genuinely helps instead of just selling something.
I don’t just sit around brainstorming catchy headlines (though I do love a good pun). I dig deep to find the real stories and struggles my audience faces. Here’s how:
I bug the product marketing team – They know every little detail about our product. I squeeze out the juiciest insights.
I talk to customers 1-on-1 – Their stories? Absolute content gold. Frustrations, wins, and “aha!” moments—they all matter.
I stalk... I mean, analyze surveys and support feedback – Patterns emerge. If people are ranting (or raving) about something, I take notes.
I chat with sales teams – They know what’s closing deals and what’s making prospects run for the hills.
Instead of asking generic stuff, I dig deeper:
What’s frustrating you the most about your current solution?
What’s the one thing that would make your life easier?
What almost stopped you from choosing our product?
What would make you say, “Shut up and take my money” without hesitation?
Once I have these answers, I create content that doesn’t feel like just another sales pitch. Instead, it feels like someone finally gets it.
Landing pages that actually speak to a problem – No fluff, just solutions.
Content that answers real questions, even if it won’t rank #1 on Google – Because helping > chasing keywords.
Customer quotes and real-life language – Nothing beats the way actual customers describe their pain points.
Content that’s the right length, tone, and depth – Because no one has time for a 5,000-word novel on why SaaS is cool.
At the end of the day, marketing is about connection. And the more helpful, relatable, and human my content is, the more my audience trusts me.
So, am I a content marketer? Sure. But I’d rather be a mentor, someone my audience actually wants to hear from. And trust me, that’s what has always made all the difference.
5. Back Your Content with Research, Not Assumptions
Ever spent hours crafting a blog post only for it to get zero traction? No clicks, no shares, no engagement. It’s frustrating, but here’s the likely reason: your content was based on assumptions, not research.
A lot of B2B SaaS companies make the mistake of writing content based on what they think their audience wants. But audiences don’t engage with content just because it’s well-written. They engage because it’s relevant.
Let’s take an example.
Imagine you run a SaaS company, and you publish a blog post titled:
“The Best CRM Software for Small Businesses”
Seems useful, right? But when you check the data, you realize that your target audience isn’t searching for that. Instead, they’re looking for:
“How to automate follow-ups and close deals faster”
“Ways to manage sales leads without a huge learning curve”
They don’t care about a list of CRMs; they care about solving a specific problem.
This is why research matters. If you don’t understand your audience’s actual needs, your content will miss the mark.
Instead of guessing, I follow a three-step approach to ensure every piece of content is valuable and relevant.
Step 1: Listen to Real Conversations
The best insights don’t come from SEO tools alone - they come from real people. Here’s where I look for them:
Customer support and sales calls – What questions do prospects ask? What frustrations do existing customers have?
Product reviews – What are people praising or complaining about?
Online communities – Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn groups—these are goldmines for understanding what people are actually struggling with.
A single forum thread can tell you more about your audience’s pain points than a generic keyword report ever could.
Step 2: Analyze Search Behavior (But Go Beyond Keywords)
SEO is useful, but it’s not just about stuffing in high-volume keywords. I focus on:
Search intent – Are people looking for general info, product comparisons, or a step-by-step solution?
Emerging topics – Sometimes, the most valuable content isn’t what’s trending—it’s what’s gaining traction.
Competitor gaps – What aren’t your competitors talking about? That’s where you can stand out.
For example, if a competitor’s article ranks for “Best Project Management Tools” but all the comments ask “Which tool is best for a team of 5?”—that’s your opportunity to write something more specific and useful.
Step 3: Validate with Small Tests Before Scaling
Before committing to a full-blown content campaign, I test ideas in low-risk ways:
Post a LinkedIn update or tweet about a topic: does it spark engagement?
Run a small ad test with different headlines: what gets clicks?
Send a short survey to your email list: what pain points keep coming up?
If a topic resonates in a quick test, it’s worth diving deeper into.
Once I’ve done my research, I turn insights into high-impact content:
Blog posts that answer real questions in a clear, actionable way
Case studies that showcase how others solved the same problem
Comparison guides that help readers make informed decisions
No fluff. No guesswork. Just content that connects and converts.
So, What’s Your Lesson?
At the end of the day, great content isn’t just well-written—it’s deeply relevant. And relevance comes from research, not guesswork. Before hitting publish, I always ask myself: Is this solving a real problem, in a way my audience actually wants it solved? If the answer isn’t a confident yes, it’s back to the drawing board.
I encourage you to pause for a second. Think about your content strategy. Not just the surface-level stuff, but the deeper patterns—the wins, the misses, the unexpected surprises. What is it teaching you?
After all, content isn’t just about writing. It’s about connection. It’s about creating something that makes people stop, nod in agreement, or even rethink the way they see things. It’s about making someone feel understood.
So, are you truly listening to your audience? Or are you just hoping they’ll listen to you?
If this article gave you something to think about or made you smile, let me know. Your thoughts matter to me, and I’d love to hear them.
And if you’d rather connect one-on-one, reach out to me on LinkedIn. My inbox is always open.
If you’re looking to create content that feels authentic, builds connections, and actually works, let's get the ball rolling.