When Functionize first came to us, they were at a crossroads. Their PPC campaigns were yielding results, but they’d hit a ceiling. The cost per lead was climbing, and scaling further wasn’t sustainable. At the same time, their organic search performance was stagnant. They had a Domain Rating of 35, and their website attracted only 4,000 organic visitors per month. Worse, their organic pipeline contribution was negligible compared to paid campaigns.
The leadership team knew they needed to shift gears. Organic search was an untapped goldmine, but they lacked the expertise to mine it effectively. This wasn’t just about traffic—it was about generating high-quality leads that could drive predictable revenue growth.
We aligned with Functionize’s CMO and CEO to define clear, measurable objectives:
- Increase Domain Rating: Boost credibility to compete for high-value keywords.
- Drive Traffic Growth: Move from 4K monthly visitors to at least 20K in 18 months.
- Generate Organic MQLs: Create a sustainable pipeline where organic search outpaces PPC.
- Reduce CAC: Shift away from costly PPC dependency and improve ROI.
These goals weren’t just wishful thinking—they were tied to revenue. Functionize needed organic search to consistently deliver high-intent leads to support their sales targets.
A Foundation for Long-Term Success
To meet these ambitious goals, we implemented a structured SEO strategy centered on three pillars: technical optimization, content authority, and strategic link building.
1. Technical SEO: Fixing the Foundation
We began with an audit to uncover why their site wasn’t ranking. Issues included slow page load speeds, poorly structured metadata, and scattered internal links. Fixing these basics gave search engines a clear path to index and rank their content.
•Result: Page load time dropped by 40%, and crawl errors reduced by 90%, improving site health.
2. Content That Speaks to Buyers
We overhauled their blog strategy to focus on high-intent keywords that aligned with their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Instead of writing broad articles, we targeted topics that directly addressed their audience’s pain points.
For example:
Old content: “What is Test Automation?” (low purchase intent)
New content: “How to Automate End-to-End Testing for Enterprise Apps” (buyer-focused).
We also created in-depth product pages and case studies that showcased how Functionize solved real customer challenges.
Result: These pages didn’t just rank—they converted. Conversion rates on organic landing pages increased by 35%.
3. Strategic Link Building
We built authority through quality backlinks, targeting websites with high Domain Ratings in relevant tech and SaaS niches. Instead of spammy link-building tactics, we focused on genuine partnerships and guest content on reputable platforms.
Result: Functionize’s Domain Rating grew from 35 to 66, giving them the credibility to compete for top spots in SERPs.
The Results: Organic Search Takes the Lead
In just 18 months, the transformation was remarkable:
Traffic Growth: Monthly organic visitors skyrocketed from 4K to 22K, a 450% increase.
MQLs Growth: Organic MQLs now make up 60% of the pipeline, overtaking PPC as the primary lead source.
Revenue Impact: With organic leads converting at a higher rate and a lower CAC, Functionize saw a 30% increase in revenue attributed to SEO efforts.
Cost Efficiency: PPC spending was reduced by 35%, reallocating budget to further invest in SEO.
The most striking achievement? Organic search became a predictable growth engine, delivering high-intent leads consistently without the runaway costs of paid ads.
Just over a year after partnering with Technotize, we saw a dramatic increase in traffic and MQLs, with organic search overtaking our paid channels as the primary driver of leads. Their team’s expertise and dedication made SEO the foundation of our sustainable growth strategy. It’s rare to find an agency that truly understands B2B SaaS like they do.
Colin HarbutHead of Marketing - Functionize
For SaaS CMOs and CEOs, this story highlights a few key takeaways:
1. SEO Is a Revenue Driver, Not a Cost Center
Investing in SEO isn’t just about rankings; it’s about creating a sustainable, scalable pipeline of qualified leads that drive revenue.
2. Alignment Is Key
Functionize’s leadership aligned marketing and sales teams on ICPs, goals, and metrics. This ensured SEO efforts targeted the right audience with measurable impact.
3. Quality Over Quantity
From backlinks to content, focusing on quality ensured we didn’t just grow traffic—we grew the right traffic.
Final Thoughts: The Power of SEO in SaaS
Functionize’s journey proves that with the right strategy, SEO can move from being an afterthought to a primary driver of growth. If your company is struggling to scale with PPC alone or isn’t seeing ROI from organic search, the Functionize story is your blueprint.
So, what’s stopping you from making organic search your growth engine? Let’s discuss how you can replicate these results and take your SaaS business to the next level.
Functionize achieved a remarkable 5X growth in organic search traffic, significantly increasing their Domain Rating from 35 to 66, while organically driving more Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) than their paid campaigns ever did. This strategic shift not only reduced reliance on costly PPC but also built a sustainable pipeline of high-quality leads, cementing SEO as their primary growth engine in just 18 months.
Final Thoughts: The Power of SEO in SaaS
Functionize’s journey proves that with the right strategy, SEO can move from being an afterthought to a primary driver of growth. If your company is struggling to scale with PPC alone or isn’t seeing ROI from organic search, the Functionize story is your blueprint.
So, what’s stopping you from making organic search your growth engine? Let’s discuss how you can replicate these results and take your SaaS business to the next level.
