A transparent look at what’s really working in B2B content marketing in 2025
Bottom Line: While everyone’s declaring SEO dead and pivoting to AI-generated content farms, we took the opposite approach. The result? 33.6M search impressions annually, 5x growth in 12 months, and complete category dominance in B2B SaaS search.
The “SEO is Dead” Narrative is Wrong (At Least for Us)
You’ve heard it everywhere: Google favors AI slop, authentic content doesn’t rank, and SEO is a waste of time in 2025.
Our data tells a different story.
Over the past 12 months, SaaStr’s organic search performance has exploded:
- From 50K to 245K daily impressions (that’s 5x growth)
- 33.6M total impressions in the last year
- 327K clicks from organic search
- 1% average click-through rate (double the industry standard)
While other B2B publications are chasing ChatGPT SEO hacks and pumping out generic listicles, we doubled down on what we’ve always done: deep, authentic, data-driven content about real SaaS companies and real growth challenges.
What Actually Drives B2B SEO Success in 2025
1. Authority Over Volume
We don’t publish 100s of AI generated posts per week — although we do publish a fair amount, about 20+ hand crafted (with some AI help) posts a week. We publish somewhat fewer pieces, but each piece ideally becomes the definitive resource on its topic. When someone searches “OpenAI revenue breakdown” or “SaaS valuation metrics,” they find SaaStr first—not because we gamed the algorithm, but because we actually know what we’re talking about.
The numbers prove it:
- “saastr” searches: 75,903 monthly impressions
- “jason lemkin” searches: 22,099 monthly impressions
- “openai revenue” searches: 31,230 monthly impressions
2. Research-Intent Content, Not Buying-Intent Spam
Most B2B SEO targets bottom-funnel keywords like “best CRM software” or “Salesforce alternatives.” That’s a race to the bottom.
Instead, we rank for research-stage queries:
- “How much equity should a VP of Sales get?”
- “Why most AI agents aren’t working yet”
- “What Anthropic’s $4B valuation means for SaaS”
Why this matters: We capture prospects 6-18 months before they buy, when they’re forming opinions and building mental vendor lists. By the time they’re ready to purchase, they already trust SaaStr’s perspective.
3. Community-Driven Amplification
Our content doesn’t just rank—it gets shared by the people Google trusts most. When Jason posts about AI agents on LinkedIn and gets 500+ comments from SaaS executives, Google notices. When our “996 culture” post sparks industry debate, Google sees the engagement signals.
The compound effect: Social amplification → backlinks → domain authority → better rankings → more social amplification.
The Metrics That Actually Matter (And Why Most Companies Get This Wrong)
Traditional SEO Metrics Everyone Obsesses Over:
- Keyword rankings ✓ (We rank top 3 for most SaaS terms)
- Organic traffic ✓ (327K clicks annually)
- Domain authority ✓ (Google clearly trusts us)
The Metrics That Actually Drive Business Results:
- Newsletter growth: 250K+ subscribers (up from content discovery)
- Event registration: 17K+ searches for “SaaStr 2025” alone
- Brand association: When prospects think “SaaS industry insights,” they think SaaStr
- Sales cycle impact: Prospects come to demos already familiar with our POV
Why Most B2B Companies Fail at SEO (And What We Did Differently)
The Common Mistakes:
- Chasing keyword volume over search intent
- Publishing generic content that doesn’t add unique value
- Trying to rank for everything instead of owning specific categories
- Measuring success by traffic instead of business impact
What Actually Works:
- Pick your category and own it completely (We own B2B SaaS industry analysis)
- Create content only you can create (Our founder-level insights and real company data)
- Build for humans, not algorithms (Though algorithms reward human-focused content)
- Patience and consistency over growth hacks (This took 12+ months to compound)
The Real SEO Strategy: Be the Source, Not the Echo
While competitors scramble to reverse-engineer our keyword strategy or copy our content formats, they’re missing the fundamental point: You can’t fake industry authority.
Our SEO success comes from:
- Jason’s 20+ years of B2B experience (authenticity Google can’t replicate)
- Access to real company data (revenue numbers, growth metrics, founder insights)
- A community of 250K+ engaged SaaS professionals (natural amplification and validation)
- Consistent publishing over 10+ years (domain authority you can’t buy)
When we write about Anthropic’s revenue, it’s because Jason knows the founders. When we analyze SaaS valuations, it’s because we’ve seen hundreds of deals. When we predict industry trends, we’re drawing from a decade of firsthand experience.
Google rewards this kind of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) more than ever in 2025.
What This Means for Your B2B Content Strategy
If You’re a B2B Founder:
- Stop chasing keyword volume metrics
- Start creating content only you can create (founder insights, customer stories, industry POV)
- Build your personal brand alongside your company content
- Be patient—real authority takes time
If You’re a B2B Marketer:
- Focus on research-stage content, not just buying-stage keywords
- Quality over quantity (10 great pieces beat 100 mediocre ones)
- Build community around your content (engagement signals matter)
- Ride the AI wave with authentic insights (Every B2B buyer is researching AI—be their guide)
- Measure business impact, not just traffic
If You’re Looking to Partner with Us:
The 33.6M impression growth isn’t just vanity metrics—it represents the largest, most engaged B2B SaaS audience in search. When your prospects research solutions, they start with SaaStr. When they evaluate competitors, they read our analysis. When they plan growth strategies, they consume our content.
Sponsoring SaaStr isn’t just buying ads—it’s associating your brand with the most trusted voice in B2B.
The Bottom Line: SEO Isn’t Dead, But Lazy SEO Probably Is
While everyone else pivots to the next shiny growth channel, we’re proving that authentic, expert-driven content still wins in search. The key isn’t gaming Google’s algorithm—it’s becoming the resource Google wants to rank.
Our 5x impression growth in 12 months isn’t a fluke. It’s the compound result of consistent, authentic content creation by actual industry experts.
SEO might be dead for companies trying to fake their way to the top. But for those willing to build real authority over time? The opportunity has never been bigger.
What’s your take? Are you seeing similar results with authentic content, or are you stuck in the “SEO is dead” cycle? Let me know in the comments.
Data source: Google Search Console performance analysis, 12-month period ending September 2025.
