2025-06-25 04:51:21
From March 17 – June 20, 2025, our research team conducted a study on the usage of AI agents in the U.S. market. We sourced data from the companies behind the AI agents themselves, as well as third party analytics tools and reports (see Sources). We present our findings below, ranking the top AI agents by market share, use case, and business type.
We define an “AI agent” as a program that:
We calculated each AI agent’s global market share by adding the total MAUs of every known AI agent, subtracting estimated overlap, and dividing each agent’s MAU into the total. We also included reported quarterly user growth, as well as a description of the way each AI agent is typically used.
| Rank | AI Agent | How It’s Used | Example Use Case | Estimated MAUs | Quarterly User Growth | Market Share (%) |
| 1 | Gemini (Agent Mode) | Used to fill out forms and perform browser-based tasks | Auto-fill visa application on government website | 2.6 million | +11% | 57.8% |
| 2 | Claude (Computer Use) | Used by knowledge workers to code, write, and explore files autonomously | Create and run Flask server with login system | 317,000 | +9% | 7.0% |
| 3 | Devin | Used by developers to write, debug, and deploy code | Debug broken backend API and redeploy to Heroku | 284,000 | +8% | 6.3% |
| 4 | LangChain Agents | Used by enterprises to connect data tools, LLMs, and APIs, automating internal workflows | Read a contract and extract notable clauses for review | 216,000 | +15% | 4.8% |
| 5 | AgentGPT | Used by SMBs and solo users to automate travel, research, and lead gen via web-based agents | Plan week-long trip to Spain with bookings and maps | 194,000 | +17% | 4.3% |
| 6 | AutoGPT | Used by tinkerers, businesspeople, and indie devs for moderately complex tasks | Draft investor pitch deck | 191,000 | +16% | 4.2% |
| 7 | Google Project Mariner | Chrome extension used by marketers and ops teams to navigate dashboards and complete ecommerce, marketing, and CRM tasks | Click through Shopify dashboard to export inventory | 187,000 | +11% | 4.2% |
| 8 | Bardeen | Chrome extension used by sales and ops teams to automate LinkedIn scraping, email capture, and calendar sync | Copy Calendly sign-ups into Hubspot | 146,000 | +9% | 3.2% |
| 9 | Reka Core | Used by large enterprises to create an internal chatbot from documentation | Summarize 15 internal e-mails into one status update for exec team | 142,000 | +7% | 3.2% |
| 10 | Adept ACT-1 | Used by business analysts and ops teams to navigate business applications like Salesforce | Open Salesforce, filter leads, and export the list | 129,000 | +11% | 2.9% |
Our team also studied the various contexts in which people used agentic AI. We found that some AI agents were near-ubiquitous for certain use cases. The table below lists the most-used AI agents for each functionality.
| Use Case | Top AI Agent | Runner-Up Agent | Notable Features |
| Customer Support | LangChain Agents | Reka Core | Builds custom support bots from docs, chat logs, and FAQs; integrates with CRMs |
| Workflow Automation | Bardeen | LangChain Agents | No-code browser actions; integrates with Sheets, Gmail, and HubSpot |
| eCommerce Optimization | Google Project Mariner | Adept ACT-1 | Chrome-based automation of Shopify, dashboards, and analytics tools |
| Research & Fact Retrieval | Gemini (Agent Mode) | Clause (Computer Use) | Searches the web, gives sources, explains clearly |
| Financial Analysis & Reports | Claude (Computer Use) | Devin | Analyzes spreadsheets, generates reports, and performs calculations |
| Travel Planning | AgentGPT | AutoGPT | Multi-step planning, map links, bookings via browser |
| Healthcare Use | LangChain Agents | Reka Core | Custom pipeline building; integrates with secure medical data stores |
| CRM/ERP Integration | Adept ACT-1 | Google Project Mariner | Controls Salesforce CRM dashboards like a human |
| Developer Tools & APIs | Devin | Claude (Computer Use) | Fullstack code development and deployment automation |
| Internal Training & KM | Reka Core | LangChain Agents | Turns internal docs into smart chat tools or searchable programs |
At each level of scale, companies have distinct AI needs. The table below lists the most-used AI agents by company size.
| Company Size | Preferred AI Agent | Secondary AI Agent | Key Uses |
| Large Enterprise | Reka Core | LangChain Agents | Internal knowledge retrieval, CRM integrations, compliance documentation |
| Mid-Market | LangChain Agents | Adept ACT-1 | Customer support bots, report automation, CRM/dashboard control |
| SMB | Bardeen | AgentGPT | Marketing, calendar sync, light workflow automation |
If you’d like request a pdf copy of this report or learn more about our agency, you can reach out here.
2025-06-24 05:53:53
Last updated: June 23, 2025
Our team analyzed 75+ agencies to select the top financial services SEO providers of 2025. We evaluated each company in our sample set using the following factors:
We also provide a brief description of the style of SEO each agency practices so you can match your company’s needs with the firm’s capabilities.
| Rank | Company | Established | Founder Led | Principal Experience Score | Average Review Score | Median Employee Tenure | Media References | Notable Clients | Specialty |
| 1 | First Page Sage | 2009 | Yes | 5.0 | 4.7 | 5.1 years | ~790 | US Bank, Credit Sesame, SoFi, defi Solutions | Combining financial thought leadership & SEO to create sustainable lead generation systems |
| 2 | Yes& Agency | 2019 | Yes | 4.4 | 4.2 | 2.1 years | ~30 | United Bank, Resources Global Professionals | Combining PR, Video Marketing, and SEO for financial services providers |
| 3 | TOP Agency | 2019 | Yes | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.2 years | ~290 | Discover, Fidelity Investments, Oppenheimer Funds | Targeted message creation for financial services companies |
| 4 | CSTMR | 2014 | Yes | 4.6 | 4.5 | 2.3 years | ~70 | Lending Tree, SELFi, Credit Karma | Paid media advertising & digital experience design for fintech companies |
| 5 | Banktastic | 1998 | Yes | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 years | ~40 | United Bank & Trust, US Bank, Flow Capital | Full-service marketing for banks |
| 6 | Alaniz | 2008 | Yes | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.3 years | ~50 | CuneXus, Alliance Credit Union | SEO-focused web development & branding services |
| 7 | Thiel | 1981 | No | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 years | ~100 | Country Financial | Brand building for financial services institutions through PR and SEO |
| 8 | LocaliQ | 2008 | No | 3.9 | 3.9 | 6.5 years | ~1,300 | Nelson Financial Planning | Geotargeted SEO for local financial services providers |
| 9 | RNO1 | 2018 | Yes | 3.3 | 4.4 | 2.1 years | ~90 | Highline, Amount, Spring Labs | Market research and UX design for Web3 and eCommerce startups. |
First Page Sage is the top SEO agency in the US that focuses on the financial services industry. Their approach hinges on creating original thought leadership content that positions their clients at the forefront of financial leadership. As a full-service agency, they also provide web development services and SME-staffed email and social teams to ensure the success of each SEO campaign they execute.
First Page Sage is a good fit for financial services firms seeking to invest in lead generation that produces high long-term ROI. Their clients have spanned a broad range of business types, including banks, investment management companies, fintech SaaS companies, payment processors, and credit & loan companies.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| First Page Sage’s teams are “truly experts” in SEO, providing clients with service and content that is “above and beyond what other agencies can do” with a focus on “delivering marketing-qualified leads”. |
Yes& Agency’s SEO services emphasize combining multiple marketing channels, using PR and video to supplement their SEO strategy. Their services are based on comprehensive market research and many of their campaigns are directed toward creating measurable loyalty among their clients’ customers.
One of Yes& Agency’s main distinguishing factors is their event planning services, making them particularly unique among financial services marketing agencies. This makes them a great fit for companies seeking to increase engagement with existing audiences through virtual or in-person events.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Yes & Agency is an “award winning firm” that uses “effective workflow, communicates consistently, and adjusts accordingly”. |
TOP Agency focuses on creating targeted messages, using a combination of SEO, influencer marketing, and traditional advertising to push that message across multiple channels. The multi-channel nature of their approach results in broad reaching campaigns, often generating millions of online impressions over the course of only a few hours.
As one might expect, these campaigns are costly, making them less appealing for long term lead generation. Financial services companies that are best suited for TOP’s approach are larger, established institutions that find themselves in need of a brand refresh.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| TOP Agency provides “professional marketing teams” which “prioritizes understanding their clients” to create “increased traffic.” |
CSTMR exclusively works with financial services providers and fintech companies. They utilize both paid and organic search, making them an ideal fit for customers who need to sacrifice long-term ROI for short-term lead generation, or are exploring new target markets.
CSTMR also offers robust UX design services for financial services companies in need of a website refresh. Combined with their PPC offerings, they’re a good choice for fintech startups or newer financial services firms.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| CSTMR “brings a new perspective” that uses “regular communication and smooth collaboration” which “brings the client’s brand to life.” |
Banktastic is a marketing agency that works exclusively with banks and financial brands. Their services go beyond SEO, also offering video, advertising, branding, and social media marketing services to help financial services companies grow their customer base.
While Banktastic most often works with banks, credit unions, and accounting firms, they’ve recently expanded their clientele to include the fintech sector, indicating an intent to expand into larger markets.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Banktastic is “excellent to work with,” using an “insightful and creative approach” to their clients needs, which have led to results which “have stood the test of time.” |
Alaniz combines SEO-focused web design with branding services. Their approach emphasizes the creative side of marketing and creating a unique visual identity for their clients. Alaniz also offers traditional ad buying services and ABM, but their small size means that they may lack the resources to handle campaigns for larger institutions with complex marketing needs.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Alaniz’s social media campaigns are the “best way to promote your business.” Their teams “build tools that really highlight clients” to improve their overall “market position and SEO” performance for their clients. |
Thiel’s primary concern is brand building. They use both digital and print marketing in service of this goal, but a unique service they offer is “employee branding” services, in which they market to their clients’ employees rather than to potential customers. This practice can help provide their clients with greater internal stability and higher employee satisfaction.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Thiel’s marketing teams are “easily reachable” and specialize in transparent “project management and communication” which they use to “coherently articulate the company’s unique contributions.” |
LocaliQ specializes in providing geotargeted SEO for local businesses, working with wealth advisors, regional banks, and local accounting firms. Their campaigns can scale with their clients growth, expanding to meet their clients’ budget and needs.
Because LocaliQ places a greater emphasis on strategy development and technical implementation, the best fit for their services are smaller firms that have strong writers on staff.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| LocaliQ combines “the expertise of a large national organization with the focus of a smaller local agency” that uses “new tactics and new experiments” in order to “accomplish your goals.” |
RNO1 prioritizes design in their services, supplementing SEO with UX optimization and market research. . Their service begins with a deep dive into their client’s brand, exploring color schemes, typography, and graphics to create designs that make lasting impressions for their client’s target markets.
RNO1’s work in the financial services industry has focused on working with Web3 and fintech startups. They work well with newer companies who need assistance finding a market for their services, and don’t yet have a fully fledged brand identity.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| RN01 is a “extremely responsive and exceptional” agency that uses “open communication and constant feedback” to create “increased engagement from users.” |
2025-06-21 07:47:00
Our team recently analyzed 50+ SEO agencies for private equity firms, ranking them on seven weighted factors:
The table below shares the results of our analysis.
| Rank | Company | Established | Founder Led | Leadership Experience | Average Review Score | Median Employee Tenure | Notable Clients | Approach to SEO |
| 1 | First Page Sage | 2009 | Yes | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 years | FTV Capital, Cresset Private Equity | Thought leadership SEO for private equity firms that is designed to drive leads and build industry authority |
| 2 | MVP Marketing | 1985 | Yes | 4.7 | 4.8 | 8.6 years | The Halifax Group, Gulfstar | SEO-optimized website design & development for private equity firms |
| 3 | TOP Agency | 2019 | Yes | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.2 years | Oppenheimer Funds, Fidelity Investments | Data-driven financial storytelling |
| 4 | Roopco | 1996 | No | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.8 years | Evolution Capital Partners | SEO-friendly content marketing with unique investor relations and internal communications services |
| 5 | Bird Marketing | 2010 | Yes | 4.2 | 4.9 | 1.9 years | Fahad Alrajhi Group, Athos Partners, Salient | Creative web design and digital marketing for financial clients |
| 6 | Bluetext | 2011 | Yes | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 years | Sagewind Capital | Full-service marketing and brand development for private equity clients |
| 7 | Yes& Agency | 2019 | Yes | 4.2 | 4.2 | 2.1 years | United Bank, Resources Global Professionals | Marketing strategy & branding with SEO capabilities |
First Page Sage is the top pure SEO firm in the country, and they have extensive experience across countless industries. They create and execute on fully custom strategic plans by combining traditional SEO with thought leadership content creation, which provides a healthy balance of lead generation and industry authority. They are consistently the most successful US firm at generating low-CAC leads by turning business websites into Google-trusted sources for information, and they have experience working with multiple private equity and M&A firms.
In addition to SEO, they are also an industry leader in generative engine optimization (GEO), ensuring that their clients are well-prepared for the AI search revolution. Their founder and CEO, Evan Bailyn, is regarded as the founder of GEO, publishing some of the highest-quality information on the subject available today based on the data they can collect from their successful campaigns.
They offer a transparent, collaborative process focusing purely on SEO thought leadership success, providing the highest long-term ROI possible. As a result, we can recommend them for mid-size and enterprise private equity firms regardless of their desired campaign size.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| First Page Sage is their clients’ “greatest asset when it comes to lead generation.” They offer “straightforward” service that “takes marketing efforts to a whole new level.” |
MVP Marketing is a full-service marketing and brand development company with a focus on web experience design. They offer SEO as a facet of more comprehensive marketing and branding campaigns, and they run the gamit of almost every channel of marketing. As a result, they do occupy a higher price point, and they are generally built to run campaigns with a larger scope that include several marketing channels and a brand development process.
They also have extensive PE experience, allowing them to develop a standardized process for getting these firms started with a robust marketing campaign and building quality brands. We recommend MVP for startup private equity firms looking for a ground-up brand development and marketing strategy designed to carry you from your business’s infancy throughout its growth into a mid-size business. They aren’t as strong as a pure SEO agency.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| MVP Marketing staff are “responsive and supportive,” and they provide “creative work that gets results.” Clients commend them for their “attention to detail and collaborative process.” |
TOP Agency is a finance-specific marketing firm focused on telling the story of their clients through content marketing across multiple mediums. They create high-quality social media, video, and podcast content for clients to make them recognizable and relatable faces within the finance industry. They also handle PR and brand design, which complement these projects well, as going to TOP for all three is a great way to develop a cohesive, attractive online presence that will keep your business relevant and well-received.
Their SEO services aren’t among their listed specialties, but they do quality SEO work in the context of their other marketing services. They are not a firm to go to for SEO alone, but those looking to attack video and podcast content marketing specifically will find no better fit.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| TOP Agency offers “friendly expert service” and they “keep [clients’] schedule and budget in mind” when developing and executing on their campaigns. |
Roopco is a PR and marketing agency with expertise in finance, and they offer some unique services like investor relations and internal communications that may be uniquely valuable to some private equity firms. While they don’t have the same footprint in the industry as the businesses higher up on the list, these unique value-added services set them apart as an interesting option for firms that want to contract out those services.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Roopco has a “clear, transparent process” for developing marketing and communications campaigns, which leads their clients to “better results than [they’ve] ever had before.” |
Bird is a creative marketing agency that leverages SEO in tandem with content creation and UI/UX design. They are built well for tech-forward firms that want a website and interactive online content that takes their potential partners on a journey. While this may not be the primary concern for many PE firms in the SEO market specifically, we recommend them for firms that do value a modern and cutting-edge web experience. They also offer startup packages, making them a great fit for PE firms just getting off the ground.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Bird “adapts seamlessly to [client] needs” and “consistently demonstrates a high level of expertise.” They are also noted for their “proactive communication” and “collaboration.” |
Bluetext is another full-service marketing and brand development company with private equity experience, but they are known to have a larger minimum project size than MVP. This means they seek out clients looking for an expansive marketing campaign, with SEO as a small part of it. They also handle PR, which can be great for large PE firms that aren’t as interested in the marketing ROI benefits of SEO, and are seeking an SEO partner primarily to build industry authority. A company that can do this while also managing Public Relations can serve as a great 1-2 punch for firms looking to spend the money on both.
We recommend them for mid-size and enterprise firms that are looking to outsource all of their marketing and PR to one company, and aren’t necessarily concerned about the quality of their pure SEO performance or maximizing ROI. Clients of Bluetext should be focused more on maximizing the size and reach of their marketing, not the dollar-for-dollar profitability.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Bluetext is “highly creative and well-informed” on the industries they serve, and they develop a “diverse scope of work” for their clients. “Deliverables [are] always on time” and “exceed expectations.” |
Yes& Agency
Yes& Agency is a marketing strategy and brand design firm that offers SEO as part of their larger content marketing infrastructure. They aren’t the most experienced with PE firms, but many firms like their unique content style, with startups and smaller firms appreciating their comprehensive marketing strategy services. Their larger clients appreciate the massive scope of their marketing services, with exceptional talent in video content creation that many household names have leveraged. We recommend them to both startups that want a comprehensive marketing strategy and larger firms looking for SEO-optimized video content.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Yes& “clearly values long-term relationship[s]” with their clients and “does a great job of presenting” the work they do. This “quickly earn[s] trust” and gives their clients confidence. |
2025-06-21 04:57:05
Last updated: June 20, 2025
Our team evaluated 71 lead generation companies to determine the most successful firms based on their B2B SaaS industry experience. We rank-ordered the companies using the following criteria:
For each agency below, we also describe their approach to lead generation. The results of our research are presented in the table below:
| Rank | Company | Year Founded | Company Size | Leadership Experience | Average Review Score | Median Employee Tenure | Notable Clients | Approach to Lead Generation |
| 1 | First Page Sage |
2009 | 100-250 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.1 years | Salesforce, Verisign, Credit Karma | Using thought leadership and SEO for long-term B2B SaaS lead generation |
| 2 | WebProfits | 2006 | 51-200 | 3.5 | 4.9 | 6.9 years | BnBerry, Popmenu, FarmPiper | B2B SaaS growth marketing for lead generation |
| 3 | The ABM Agency | 2007 | 11-50 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 2.1 years | Baker Hughes, Akeneo, CareMetxGA | Branding and demand generation for B2B SaaS |
| 4 | ZoomInfo | 2007 | 1000+ | 4.5 | 4.5 | 2.7 years | Adobe, Smartsheet, Zoom | Lead generation and lead list buying for B2B SaaS companies |
| 5 | LaunchLeads | 2009 | 51-200 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 7.9 years | Mercato, Mindshare, Celtic Bank | Email lead generation and appointment setting |
| 6 | Epsilon | 2008 | 250+ | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 years | CDW, Annheuser Busch, Faraday | Full-service lead generation for enterprise B2B SaaS clients |
| 7 | SociallyIn | 2011 | 51-100 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.3 years | SGK Landscape, Conexpo, Money Crashers | Social media marketing for B2B brands |
| 8 |
Altitude Marketing |
2004 | 11-50 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 years | HID, Wuxi AppTec, Firma Clinical Research | Trade show lead generation for B2B SaaS companies |
| 9 | ProperExpression | 2018 | 11-50 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 1.3 years | Desk Director, VitusVet, Robocorp | Webinar lead generation and coaching services |
| 10 | Hey Digital |
2018 | 11-50 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 0.6 years | Pitch, Hotjar, Wiza | B2B video marketing and paid channels |
As the largest B2B SaaS-focused SEO firm in the U.S., First Page Sage has worked with many clients in the software industry, including Salesforce, Verisign, and Credit Karma. They develop personalized strategies for each client and then ghostwrite the needed pages and articles, with an emphasis on thought leadership content. They are clear that their main campaign KPIs are number of qualified leads and overall ROI.
SaaS companies interested in SEO that prioritize high long-term ROI are a good fit for First Page Sage’s services. They’ve worked with a wide range of SaaS companies ranging in size from startups to enterprises. In addition to lead generation, they also offer website design, conversion rate optimization, and SEO audit services.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| First Page Sage employs “an in-depth strategic review” in order to support their “strong focus on ROI and lead generation”. Some SaaS customers find that their emphasis on content excellence means that results take a few months to see, “but it’s well worth it.“ |
Webprofits uses a “pay-for-leads” model that allows their clients to only pay for what they receive back in leads. More leads are not always better leads, however, and B2B SaaS companies should consider actual close rates when deciding whether to engage with WebProfits. That being said, they do have a strong record of happy clients, which speaks to the quality of the leads they provide.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Webprofits “help [clients] grow” with “fully organized and tailored” leads, though some reviews feel differently about the quality of leads. |
The ABM Agency takes an ABM-centric approach to lead generation but with a focus on targeting buyers across multiple channels, including email, PPC, social media, and retargeted display ads. As an ABM-focused agency, they are best suited as a partner for companies in industries with a few very high-value clients.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| The ABM Agency has been successful in helping clients “grow and solidify” themselves as “authorities in their industry”. They have demonstrated the ability to not only generate leads, but also “execute campaigns that result in better ROIs.” |
ZoomInfo is one of the most recognizable names on this list, and their lead generation services are largely focused on lead list sales. While lead list buying tends to result in cold leads with poor conversion rates, ZoomInfo is the most reputable agency in this space.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| ZoomInfo’s lists “provide valuable contacts” for their clients, and they have a “seemingly endless” library of leads to tap into for firms willing to pay. |
Launch Leads offers scalable strategies using targeted lead generation through a variety of channels, including online advertising, cold calling, and social media. Ultimately, though, they specialize in creating email lists of qualified leads. Their full-service options also include content generation for those email lists, but we recommend reusing your in-house team’s content as a more cost-effective lead nurturing tactic. They work with a wide variety of industries, with a particular focus on B2B SaaS.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Launch Leads has “amazing followthrough” and engage deeply with clients’ products, but are sometimes “a little slow” in scheduling with clients. |
Epsilon offers full-service marketing for B2B SaaS enterprises leveraging both traditional and digital marketing for their clients. They allow tier clients access to a wide array of services within a single partnership, mitigating the cost of the complex vetting and setup processes those enterprises often have. In addition to their enterprise work, they have also run successful campaigns for high-profile startups such as Faraday.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| Epsilon justifies their “very costly” pricing with teams that are “attentive” and “responsive” to enterprise clients’ needs and “strong” results. |
Sociallyin primarily focuses on B2B SaaS social media campaigns. They perform brand audits to identify a client’s perceived strengths and weaknesses in the eyes of its target audience and develop a marketing strategy to fit what they find. These campaigns can focus on either inbound or outbound lead generation depending on the needs of each specific client. Their emphasis on social media marketing narrows their prospective marketing somewhat, but they would also make a great fit for companies seeking related services, like video.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| SociallyIn is a results-driven agency that “helped the client push their videos to the most recommended,” resulting in “significant growth in following and traffic.” |
Altitude Marketing offers their B2B SaaS clients a variety of lead generation options, including traditional paid ads, brand development, and web design. The unique selling point of this agency, however, is their trade show marketing services that help their clients make longer lasting connections with potential leads.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| The company is noted for taking “a different and effective approach” to marketing that is backed up by “top-notch execution.” |
ProperExpression specializes in digital marketing strategies, with unique offerings like webinar lead generation and coaching services. They also help companies with lead pipeline management strategies by assisting with HubSpot integrations. This makes them the optimal choice for companies that are looking for lead generation assistance and looking to improve their lead pipeline management with Hubspot software.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| ProperExpression has “performed above industry standards” resulting in a “significant increase in revenue, organic traffic, and number of users” however, their “design creatives could be a little bit more imaginative.” |
Hey Digital is a newer firm with great paid advertising options, and some of their best work is with B2B video marketing and PPC advertising. As a result, they are a great fit for firms looking for short-term lead gen, with long-term scalability being taken care of in-house or with another firm.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
| The Hey Digital team is “personable, fun, and intelligent” and they provide “video updates regarding project status” to keep their clients in the loop on everything regarding their campaign. |
2025-06-21 04:46:41
Last updated: June 20, 2025
B2B SaaS companies rely on recurring revenue and a steady source of leads to grow ARR. Their main vulnerability outside of direct competition is the volatility of their subscriber base, which can surge or subside based on seasonality, industry trends, and macroeconomic factors. Thus, their marketing strategy must revolve around organic channels that reliably produce leads without a substantial rise in cost year over year.
While some budget should go to paid advertising to kickstart lead generation and give prospects additional brand touchpoints, the majority of the budget should go towards content-based activities. Used properly, content can both generate and nurture leads.
A mixture of thought leadership marketing and SEO is the ideal fit for B2B SaaS as it accomplishes both lead generation and lead nurturing and produces an exceptional long-term ROI. We’ve created this guide to help B2B SaaS teams find their footing in the complex landscape of thought leadership-based SEO.
Most B2B SaaS companies fall into two categories: (1) platforms that are tightly integrated with their clients’ operations, with long contracts and correspondingly long sales cycles; or (2) subscription-based tools with fickle userbases that switch tools with some frequency. By consistently publishing excellent content that is designed to rank highly in Google’s search results, B2B SaaS companies can create a steady flow of warm leads to their website. This process is the core of B2B SaaS SEO strategy, and its 5 elements and corresponding best practices are shown in the image below:
Following each of the above best practices is necessary to not only rank highly on Google, but also convert organic traffic into actual leads for your sales team.
SEO begins with deeply understanding your audience. Customer personas, which take the form of an in-depth summary of a fictional individual personifying a single member of your target audience, help you not only identify who that audience is but also what types of keywords they search and what content will speak to them.
An effective B2B SaaS customer persona will answer the following questions:
Personas can then be prioritized based on their expected customer lifetime value to ensure keywords with the highest possible return are targeted first. Consider the example persona below:
 George is a COO of an eCommerce firm that has recently evolved into a mid-size operation. It is his job to ensure that the company’s operations scale properly to meet its growing customer base. His level of success is determined by how equipped every department is to perform its day-to-day operations. He is looking for software solutions to equip his customer support, sales, and IT associates with the tools they need to keep up with the increased demand.
He would benefit from an all-in-one customer service management software that can automate the logistics of his customer support department, provide holistic customer profiles for his sales team, and give IT professionals a simpler way to analyze and maintain his company’s network. He also has the power to make the final purchasing decision for this tool. |
As you can see, the persona incorporates answers to all of the four questions listed above. The additional details included also help paint a more precise picture of who the audience member is, and by extension, what keywords they search on Google.
Once you know your target audience, you can begin identifying keywords and phrases they would likely search on Google when they’re encountering problems or pain points. These keywords—ones that indicate a searcher is in the market for your software—are transactional. Examples of keywords wish varying levels of transactionality are shown in the table below.
| Topic: “Customer Service Management” | ||
| Highly Transactional Keywords | Research-Oriented Keywords | Non-Transactional Keywords |
| customer service management software | customer service management strategy | how to write a customer service management proposal |
| customer service management companies | customer service management methods | customer service management key terms |
| customer service management solutions | customer service management best practices | customer service management news |
Highly transactional keywords in B2B SaaS industries typically specify searches for software, solutions, or providers. Your SEO campaign should target these keywords first, as they are the most likely to generate warmer leads. Research-oriented keywords are still somewhat transactional, as some of your target audience may be doing research to prepare themselves to make a purchase. These are a lower priority: although they are not highly transactional and will not generate as many leads, they will build brand recognition and trust.
Non-transactional keywords are those that are searched purely for research purposes. While your target audience could search for them, most searchers of these keywords aren’t ready to make a purchase in the near future. They also tend to be much higher competition, and don’t make good targets for lead generation-focused SEO campaigns.
In addition to being transactional, the keywords your campaign targets must have high search volume. The simplest way to determine if a keyword has enough search volume to be included in your SEO strategy is to begin typing it in the Google search bar and see if the keyword appears in a list of 10 in the autofill, as shown below:
More in-depth options for researching keyword search volume include SEO tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Moz. These tools provide comprehensive analytics on keywords that include search volume, competition from other websites, and many other metrics that can help inform your SEO strategy.
Most B2B SaaS companies have many potential transactional keywords with high search volume they can target. The best way to organize these keywords is to build your campaign around pillars and spokes. Doing so allows your website to establish niche expertise—Google favors websites that are obsessed with a small number of topics—and start generating leads more quickly.
Each pillar represents a specific topic area that you wish rank for, while each spoke will either contain the pillar keyword in its entirety, or target a very closely related keyword. Take our example keywords from the table above. These keywords would all fit into a “customer service management” pillar, with each individual keyword in the table serving as a spoke. A typical 1-year B2B SaaS SEO campaign will target 2-4 pillars in total, as shown below:
Building a campaign strategy is a complex process, and we go into it in much more detail in our article, SEO Campaign Strategy: 2025 Guide.
Google’s algorithm prioritizes content that answers the intent behind each search query, or in other words, a keyword’s search intent. Search intent should inform not just the content of your pages, but also its page type. The following table outlines 7 types of search intent, and the best page type for each:
For example, searchers researching “top customer service management companies” are likely looking to evaluate different options in the industry and would appreciate a comparison blog that covers the major players. Searchers typing “customer service management software” are likely looking for an individual option to buy, so they would be better served by a landing page that provides a quick, comprehensive summary of business USPs.
The content on a page must also match the search intent of the targeted keyword. It must be precise, answering the exact question that brought the searcher to Google; be personalized, using the language of their industry and examples that are relevant to their day-to-day problems; and be the right portion size, providing an answer that is of an appropriate length and detail. Meeting all three of these criteria is necessary for a page to be considered excellent SEO content, and only by doing so is it possible to rank on the first page of Google.
CONTENT PUBLISHING FREQUENCYAccording to our research, B2B SaaS companies should publish at least two pieces of content per week to see significant ROI from SEO. A regular publication cadence will ensure consistent lead flow, increase domain authority, and expand keyword coverage. More frequent publishing tends to increase ROI, but is often difficult for internal teams to maintain without jeopardizing content quality. |
SEO is a long-term strategy that takes 4-6 months to begin showing results. Mistakes are costly, and tracking the right KPIs is essential to effectively adjusting your strategy as needed. The table below outlines important SEO KPIs to track and provides benchmarks to help you evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy:
Campaigns that fall short of the above benchmarks will need to adjust their keyword targeting, increase content quality, or a combination of both. For example, low conversion rates are often the result of poor UX and unclear CTAs, but are exacerbated by targeting insufficiently transactional keywords. Similarly, high bounce rates often indicate that your content is not well-matched to search intent, and does not provide adequate skimmability through infographics, tables, or charts.
REPURPOSING SEO CONTENT FOR OTHER CHANNELSA single piece of high-quality content can be repurposed for multiple channels, greatly increasing the efficiency of your marketing budget. A single blog article can be reshared on LinkedIn, form the basis for a webinar, or be expanded into a gated white paper. Using content in this way increases its reach, which translates into increased conversions, leads, and ROI resulting from your SEO campaign. |
Developing and implementing a successful B2B SaaS SEO strategy requires knowledge, experience, and a palette of resources and tools to help ensure your strategy is continually optimized for Google’s evolving search algorithms. Many companies find it more streamlined and cost-effective to partner with an experienced agency. We have over 14 years of experience using SEO to generate leads, resulting in exceptional ROI for our clients. If you’re interested in partnering with us to generate high-quality leads for your B2B SaaS company, feel free to contact us.
2025-06-21 04:46:20
Last updated: June 20, 2025
Every B2B SaaS company needs an effective lead generation program in order to maintain consistent growth. In this guide, we’ll begin by explaining the lead generation funnel and how prospective customers move through each stage. We then compare the most popular and useful lead generation channels for B2B SaaS companies, discussing the best use cases for each. Finally, we share several creative lead generation ideas that B2B SaaS companies can implement in their own campaigns.
The lead generation funnel refers to the journey that potential customers take before converting into leads for your sales team. It begins when a prospect learns of your company or product, and ends when they perform a conversion action such as filling out a contact form, signing up for a free trial, or requesting a demo of your software. The funnel has five stages, as shown below:
An effective lead generation program will take the whole lead generation funnel into account, using different channels to target prospects at different stages. Before we discuss the details of creating such a program, we first need to understand the most common B2B SaaS lead generation channels, and the role each is most suited for.
| Channel | Average Commitment | ROI (3-Year Average) | Monthly Cost | Notes |
| Thought Leadership SEO | 2 – 3 years | 748% | $7,500 – $15,000 | Combining thought leadership content with SEO makes for one of the most effective B2B SaaS lead generation channels. It connects with prospects across every funnel stage, and delivers very high ROI. Its main downside is in how long it takes to see results, though this can be mitigated through campaign strategy. |
| SEM / PPC | 3 – 6 months | 46% | $3,000 – $30,000 | PPC advertising is often seen as the default option for B2B SaaS companies, as it provides rapid results with low commitment. Because you pay for each lead, however, PPC results in relatively low ROI and is best for short-term campaigns and testing new markets. |
| LinkedIn Organic | 1.5 – 2 years | 229% | $500 – $1,000 | Organic LinkedIn posting campaigns accomplish many of the same goals as SEO, but on a significantly more limited platform that lends itself to more industry-specific use cases. |
| LinkedIn Ads | 6 – 12 months | 94% | $5,000 – 20,000 | LinkedIn Ads are great for generating leads in the short term, with marginal value for improvement in brand awareness and authority. |
| Webinars | 6 months – 2 years | 364% | $5,000 – $10,000 | Webinars are an excellent way to push lower-funnel prospects closer to a conversion, but publicizing a new webinar comes with its own difficulties. |
| Email Marketing | 6 months – 2 years | 201% | $500 – $2,000 | Email marketing is excellent for nurturing existing leads, but less effective at generating new ones. Email campaigns are very low cost, however, and content can easily be repurposed when using a modular content strategy. |
| Trade Shows | > 8 months | 85% | $10,000 – $20,000 | Trade shows are great for discoverability and in-person connections move more quickly through the lead generation funnel. While other channels tend to offer more overall effectiveness, startups in particular can benefit from using trade shows as an opportunity to find the right target audience. |
| Outdoor Ads | ~1 year | 85% | $10,000 – $40,000 | Outdoor advertising is effective only for the Discovery stage and only when used in cities with many prospects. As a result, it is most used by SaaS companies whose products can be used by most businesses. Most B2B SaaS companies will see better returns from investing on other channels. |
| PR | ~1.5 years | 62% | $10,000 – $50,000 | PR tends to be relatively ineffective for direct lead generation, but it helps companies build and maintain a positive image and build positive perception across their industry. It’s one of the few channels that has a significant impact on the Appraisal stage of the funnel, and can play an important role in overall strategy. |
Now that you’ve learned about some of the tried and true methods, let’s take a look at some of the newer channels that are on savvy marketers’ radar.
| Channel | Monthly Cost | Execution Difficulty | Time Until Results | ROI | Overall |
| Original Reports | $5,000 | Medium | 9-12 months | 215% | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Podcasts | $7,500 and up (per podcast) | Hard | 12-18 months | 527% | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Text Message Marketing | $500 – $10,000 | Easy | 1-3 months | 122% | ⭐⭐ |
| Industry News Website | $10,000 | Hard | 24-36 months | 370% | ⭐⭐ |
| Book Authoring or Co-authoring | $20,000 – $100,000 (one-time fee for writing, editing, and publishing) | Hard | 15-18 months | 76% | ⭐ |
Below, we discuss each of these creative ideas in more detail.
Combine your internal data and expertise to publish original reports and white papers that offer hard to find statistics and benchmarks. You will both further your reputation as an industry leader, and these also serve as additional reasons for visitors to land on your website (and therefore enter your conversion funnel).
You can combine this method with SEO, targeting common customer searches, such as Lead Generation Statistics or Content Marketing Benchmarks. Reports on data that can’t be found anywhere else will attract a higher number of links, increasing your domain authority and raising your rankings across the board.
More people than ever before are getting their news and their business insight from podcasts. Produced professionally and targeted properly, podcasts can be extremely effective for engaging potential customers. You have a captive audience — on the treadmill or on the highways — anxious to be entertained and open to being influenced.
Successfully executing a B2B SaaS podcast requires two things: (1) connections to interesting guests, and (2) high production quality. Without either, your potential customers will have little reason to listen to you. Also important to remember is that podcasts need their own marketing while building their audience.
Everyone has a cell phone and many people are hooked on instant gratification. A texting channel that allows you to send personalized messages to those who sign up — or those who respond to an advertisement — combines the two.
Potential customers who opt in to receive text messages have already shown a commitment, which heightens the quality of the lead. However, allowing for just a few words at a time, you’ll need savvy messaging to move them through the sales funnel. Given the mobile, 24/7 nature of the technology, you’ll also need to consider round-the-clock sales support.
Starting an industry news website is an uncommon, but high ROI lead generation method — as long as you have time to spare. The first 1-2 years should be spent establishing the website as a trustworthy, editorially independent source of information. Beginning in years 2 and 3, when this site has high name recognition and search rankings, you can begin introducing more advertising for your SaaS company’s products, as well as publishing (clearly marked) sponsored posts. This helps get your brand in front of more visitors than any other method, but takes a long time to pay off.
Books impress people and book authors are thought of as automatic experts. So it makes sense that books are growing in popularity as a lead generation method, especially now that publishing has become more democratized. Though not easy to write, edit, design and print, book publishing is more accessible than ever and it’s hard to find a better “leave behind” during a sales call than a book.
This method lives and dies by the quality of the book you write. If no one on your team has the time or experience, you will need to hire an excellent ghostwriter. You may also consider partnering with an established author or expert in the field with a successful track record, but these are both expensive options.
A recent survey of B2B SaaS marketers found that only about 1 in 10 described their lead quality as “excellent” and half of them said their lead generation efforts were average or worse. We’ve written the above guide to help change that, but if you’d like more help with your lead generation, schedule a call. We have over a decade of experience working with B2B SaaS companies.