New blog, zero authority. Here's the SEO strategy that got me 808 impressions in 13 days.

I launched a blog for my SaaS on January 13th. Two weeks later, I'm at 808 impressions and 5 clicks on Google Search Console. Average position: 17.9.

Not life-changing numbers, but for a domain with zero authority, the curve is going in the right direction. Here's the exact process I'm following.

The foundation: silos before anything else

I didn't just start writing random articles. Before publishing a single word, I mapped out content silos - topic clusters that make sense together and signal to Google what my site is about.

For a project management tool, silos might look like: "project management for startups", "task tracking software", "team productivity tools", etc.

Each silo has a pillar page (comprehensive guide on the main topic), and every supporting article links back to it. This creates a clear hierarchy Google can follow.

Keyword research: the quick win strategy

I used Semrush's free trial to find keywords for each silo. My filtering criteria for month 1:

Keyword difficulty under 20 (these are winnable for a new site)

Search volume above 50/month (worth the effort)

Clear search intent I can actually match with content

I mapped out 2 months of content before writing anything. Right now my blog has about 22 articles, all following this structure.

The trick: I increase keyword difficulty as I publish more. Month 1 is all KD 10-20. Month 2, I'll target KD 25-35. By month 3, I can go after more competitive terms because the site will have some authority.

One keyword = one page. No exceptions. If two keywords are too similar, I pick one.

Publishing pace

Week 1: 2 articles/day Week 2+: 4 articles/day

Yes, 4 a day sounds aggressive. I use AI for first drafts, then edit heavily. But the real unlock is having a detailed writing guide that makes every article structurally consistent.

Article structure: what actually matters for ranking

This is where most people mess up. They write decent content but ignore the technical structure that helps Google (and AI systems) understand and rank it.

Here's what every article needs:

Key takeaways box at the top

Right after the title, I add 3-5 bullet points summarizing the main insights. This does two things: helps readers who skim (most people), and increases the chance of AI systems citing your content. Semrush research shows this boosts AI citation rates by about 30%.

Proper heading hierarchy

H1 is the title (only one per page). H2s are main sections. H3s are subsections within H2s. Never skip levels - don't go from H1 straight to H3.

The primary keyword must appear in the H1 and at least one H2. Secondary keywords go in other H2s and H3s where natural.

Example for an article targeting "project management for startups":

H1: Project Management for Startups: The Complete 2026 Guide

H2: Why Startups Need Project Management Systems

H2: Best Project Management Methods for Small Teams

H3: Kanban for Early-Stage Startups

H3: Agile for Growing Teams

H2: How to Choose Project Management Software

etc.

Keyword placement that matters

Primary keyword appears in:

Title (H1), near the beginning

First paragraph, within the first 100 words

At least one H2

URL slug

Meta description

Secondary keywords get distributed across other headings and body content. But never stuffed - if it reads awkwardly, rewrite it.

Using consistent lexical field

Google understands topics through related terms. If you're writing about "project management", your article should naturally include words like: tasks, deadlines, milestones, workflows, collaboration, sprints, deliverables, etc.

I don't force these in. I just make sure I'm covering the topic comprehensively, and the related vocabulary appears naturally.

FAQ section at the end

Every article ends with 4-8 frequently asked questions. These should be actual questions people search for - I pull them from Google's "People Also Ask" section.

The FAQ title includes the primary keyword: "Frequently Asked Questions About Project Management for Startups"

Each answer is 2-4 sentences. Concise and direct. This section alone can boost AI citation rates by 25% according to Semrush data.

Internal linking: the part everyone underestimates

Internal links are how you pass authority around your site and help Google understand your content structure. Here's my formula for every article:

3 links to related posts within the same silo

1 link to the homepage

1 link to the silo/category page

But here's the key most people miss: anchor text matters.

Bad anchor text: "click here", "this article", "read more"

Good anchor text: the actual keyword you want that page to rank for.

If I'm linking to my article about "best project management tools for remote teams", the anchor text is "best project management tools for remote teams" - not "check out this post". This tells Google what the linked page is about.

Meta titles and descriptions

Title tag: 50-60 characters, primary keyword near the beginning, power word if it fits (guide, best, how to, complete).

Meta description: 140-160 characters, includes primary keyword naturally, has a clear value proposition or call to action.

These don't directly affect rankings much anymore, but they affect click-through rate - and CTR does matter.

What I'd do differently

Nothing yet - it's only been 13 days. The real test comes at month 2-3 when compound effects should kick in. SEO is a slow game; I'm just trying to stack the deck correctly from day one.

I'll post an update in a month if people are interested.

Anyone else doing aggressive SEO for a new SaaS? What's working for you?