Building a content strategy for SaaS in the face of AI search

The whaling industry disappeared overnight when the industrial economy discovered how to get oil from the ground. When it comes to traditional content strategy for SaaS, some feel we’re on a similar trajectory. But that’s far from the truth.

AI content generation and strategy always produce output based on a dataset. So, while AI can be effective for routine tasks and everyday topics, there are better ways to create original, innovative, and creative content ideas for your content marketing efforts.

Now, combine the two strengths of humans and AI, and you can get a pulse on the future of content. Matched with humans’ innovation and AI’s efficiency, you can create fast, effective content at scale.

But even if companies master AI and content, they still face the realities of a new search type. As more users work with AI search features in Google, Perplexity, and similar tools, their search habits (and how they compete for SERP) will change.

Find out how AI search influences content strategy for SaaS companies and what you can do to evolve for sustainable conversions.

How AI changes organic search

One Reddit user expresses frustrations on the reality of a changing search engine environment (Source)

Just recently, Google search engines had an infinite scroll. Before AI content generation, users needed a way to quickly find a resource, even if it meant searching further down the results page. AI search changed Google into an answering machine. Google eliminated infinite scroll, and now search results are limited to a single page with options to turn to the next one, disrupting the user search flow.

Marketer Ross Simmonds lays out the history and innovation of search (Source)

As an answer machine, Google can pose many ethical concerns, like who controls information. But for brands, it also calls attention to how they can shape their SEO content strategy. Your company needs to publish content while leveraging an answer engine designed for users to get a solution without clicking the link. SEO goes beyond leveraging keyword research tools and building a high-quality piece of content with search intent: SEO now involves incorporating AI influences on SERP.

So, how should you change your content strategy?

What brands should focus on the most for blog articles

Search Engine Journal (SEJ) dives into research by a multi-university study on AI search engine optimization. SEJ laid out three notable optimizations that the paper recommends:

1. Optimize by citing sources
2. Optimize by adding quotations
3. Optimize by adding statistics

After implementing these strategies, the researchers saw a thirty to forty percent increase in overall improvements.

These findings point to the importance of adding subject matter expertise. Anything original from an interview or expert is new and valuable and can be featured on Google. If Google’s AI creates an answer for a particular search query, it will cite you at the bottom of the results.

As users form new search habits, they’ll click on these citations for more information or to verify what they learned. Tools like Perplexity include a footnote so searchers can dive deeper into content sources.

Notice how Perplexity cites sources for AI search results. Users can dive into valuable insights by clicking on the citations.

Using these trends and new technologies, you can focus on the following SaaS strategy improvements for every content type:

1. Create conversational content: Publish content written like a human for humans so you can connect with readers. 
2. Add expertise: Include studies, experts, and sources that add value and credibility to the piece—particularly unique perspectives. 
3. Include different media: Add visual elements like charts, graphics, and assets like templates to make an enjoyable read and offer something tangible for visitors to use afterward. 
4. Craft better content: As AI writing strategies flood search engines, concise, original, and unique content writing will stand out and become more valuable over time. Create enjoyable content to read and provide something useful and relevant to the target audience.

Whether you plan on executing your SaaS content marketing plan on your website, through social media posts, or even publishing to your email list, follow these tips for improved content that helps you meet your conversion goal

AI search strategy using the marketing funnel

AI search results will provide the most value for TOFU content, like funnel posts in the awareness stage. Your content marketing experts should focus on more in-depth stages of marketing funnel content

While top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) content can be valuable for expanding your customer reach to a wider audience, there might be better solutions with AI search innovating SERP. AI will answer broad and introductory questions at lightning speed. With only a sentence or two, searchers get what they want and don’t need more context. 

Instead, SEO content marketers can fill their content calendar with middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) and bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) content. These questions align more with buyer-intent keywords, and searchers are likely not satisfied with a quick AI answer. Potential buyers want in-depth information that can solve a complex problem. 

MOFU and BOFU pieces of content can help you compete with AI results and increase the likelihood of being featured in one of AI’s search answers. If AI generates an answer and cites you, it increases social proof and authority and creates a new advantage by utilizing an AI marketing channel. Your B2B marketers can create a blog writing strategy that’s valuable enough to be featured by AI but also serves potential client needs. 

How companies can leverage user-generated platforms for SEO

Another shift in AI search is how companies like Google prioritize user-generated content more. Google made a licensing deal with Reddit to use its data for improved AI search training.

Any Reddit user can see how much more valuable a credible and honest forum can be when you need a particular problem solved. If you’re one of those users, you may have been typing Google queries with “Reddit” in the search term for the best answer.

Thanks to online community-centric content, Reddit and forums are so authentic and specific that you can find an answer to some of your most challenging problems. I remember fixing my dishwasher and car stereo, learning to use a design tool for the first time, and finding a perfect answer when every other source failed me.

These user-generated priority initiatives point to two things for content distribution:

1. Your content strategy should include content that’s highly relevant to your target audience. You need to know your potential customers’ pain points, frustrations, and what they’re thinking as much as possible. This starts by using audience research tools like SparkToro for critical audience data, getting in the trenches yourself, and conversing with your customers and audience.
2. You can leverage user-generated content for your own SEO and discoverability strategy. Repurpose your valuable content on Linkedin, Reddit, or other social media sites by commenting, linking, and engaging in groups. Some of these posts will show up in Google, like in Reddit’s case, and you will also generate organic traffic to your site through other methods beyond search.

How to utilize AI and human intelligence together

Marketing AI tools and search change the game. But that doesn’t mean your content marketing strategies are less effective. It’s time to adjust your plan for AI discoverability and efficiency.

Creating better content, adding expertise, and improving relevance will help you stand out when users search for a problem and get immediate answers. The clearer your content, the more straightforward the AI answer sourced from you will be. Users will know they can click on you to dive deeper.

What makes a great blog post in the AI-content age? Use this graph for structuring your plan and different types of content while you leverage relevant keywords

Then, you can use AI to scale your content strategy. You can use tools like ChatGPT to create starter outlines, edit your first draft by removing unnecessary words or finding mistakes, and insert a list of SEO keywords. There are many ways marketing teams and companies can use their creative human strengths with the scalability AI offers.

AI is efficient but not original. Your SEO content team should create unique assets for high-quality content

SEO content writers can better serve audiences and target customers as they learn to grow with AI. And that’s the key. We have to ask, “What does my audience actually want, and how do they want to find it?” If we can answer that question, we can benefit from AI search and execute a more efficient content strategy for SaaS.

If you want to grow your content strategy while optimizing for AI search, contact me for quality content and SEO strategies that moves readers to action. Together, we can build a plan and develop articles that AI search engines (and people) love.