Copysmith had a problem that’ll sound familiar if you’re running a SaaS company.
Their AI copywriting tool was solid, and users genuinely loved it. But they were hemorrhaging money on paid ads just to get noticed.
Every month, they watched competitors like Jasper and Copy.ai build huge organic audiences, while they continued to write bigger and bigger checks to Facebook and Google.
The numbers were pretty brutal. Their organic traffic was worth about $10 per month. Ten dollars. Meanwhile, they’re spending thousands on ads, webinars, podcast appearances, and anything to get in front of potential customers.
Only 30% of their signups came from people who found them through search, and most of that was branded traffic anyway (i.e., people who were already familiar with Copysmith and typing their name directly into Google).
This wasn’t going to work long-term. They were missing out on all the people searching for “AI copywriting tool,” or “automated content creation” or whatever else their ideal customers were actually typing into search engines.
Eight months later? Their monthly signups from organic search increased by 553%. Organic traffic grew 489%.
But here’s the really important part: the visitors they’re getting now convert at nearly double the rate of their old organic traffic.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What You’ll Learn Here
This case study breaks down exactly how we made this happen:
- Why we ignored high-volume keywords and focused on buyer intent instead
- The SEO strategy that turns Google searchers into user signups
- How we built their organic channel as their top customer acquisition source
- The specific tactics that improved conversion rates while growing traffic
It wasn’t just about getting more visitors. The goal was to attract visitors who actually sign up and become users.
The Problem: Burning Cash While Competitors Pulled Ahead
When Copysmith reached out in late 2021, they were stuck in the classic startup trap where growth becomes increasingly expensive every month.
While Copy AI was generating over $157,000 in MRR by building in public and creating buzz on Twitter, Copysmith was writing bigger checks to ad platforms, hoping to stay visible.
Here’s what their organic presence actually looked like:
They were essentially invisible for high-intent searches.
With just 3,980 monthly organic clicks and a traffic value of $10, their SEO wasn’t even covering a basic software subscription, let alone contributing to growth. Meanwhile, they were spending thousands on paid channels just to reach potential customers.
Most of their organic traffic captured people who were already searching for them.
Of the 529 monthly signups they were getting from organic search, nearly all came from branded searches. People typing phrases like “Copysmith” directly into Google. That’s not growth, that’s just not losing potential users who already know about you.
Their SEO strategy was inconsistent.
They had a blog, sure, but it was filled with generic type posts that weren’t helping anyone make a buying decision. Random informational content that wasn’t ranking for anything meaningful and definitely wasn’t attracting people ready to pay for a copywriting tool.
The bottom line? They were getting some traffic, but it wasn’t the right traffic. And in a competitive space where Copy AI and Jasper were building massive organic audiences, staying invisible in search meant watching competitors capture all the demand they should have been getting.
Sound familiar? If you’re stuck in a similar paid ads trap, let’s see what SEO opportunities you’re missing.
The Solution: Focus on Buyers, Not Browsers
Instead of trying to rank for every AI-related keyword under the sun, we took a completely different approach. We focused on the people who were actually ready to buy copywriting software, not just those who were interested in learning about it.
Here’s how we did it:
1. Understanding What Actually Converts
Before writing a single blog post, we delved into Copysmith’s existing data to figure out what was already working.
We analyzed which pages were turning visitors into customers and why. We examined the customer journey from the first click to paid subscription. Most importantly, we spoke with Copysmith’s Director of Marketing and Head of Customer Support to gain a deeper understanding of the pain points and jobs to be done of their target audience.
This wasn’t just about keywords. It was about understanding the mindset of someone who’s ready to pay for AI copywriting versus someone just curious about AI in general.
What we discovered changed everything: the people converting weren’t searching for “what is AI copywriting.” They were searching for things like “Copy AI alternatives,” “best copywriting tools for agencies,” and “AI copywriting software comparison.”
2. Strategic Keyword Targeting That Focuses on Intent
Most agencies would have targeted high-volume keywords like “AI writing” (which currently has about 135,000 monthly searches). We did the opposite.
We built an SEO strategy that focuses primarily on middle and bottom-of-funnel searches. Keywords that indicated someone was evaluating tools, comparing options, or ready to make a decision.
Instead of competing for informational searches, we targeted:
- Product comparison terms
- Alternative searches for competitors
- Solution-specific queries
- Tool evaluation keywords
These had lower search volumes, but way higher conversion potential. Someone searching “Copy AI vs Jasper” is much closer to buying than someone searching “what is AI copywriting.”
3. Content That Converts, Not Just Ranks
Our content strategy centered on one simple principle: every piece of content should move someone closer to trying Copysmith.
We created three types of content:
- Product comparisons that positioned Copysmith alongside (and often above) competitors
- Solution-focused guides that showed how to solve specific problems using Copysmith’s features
- Use case content with real examples and screenshots of the tool in action
Each article was designed to capture someone who was already in buying mode and give them everything they needed to choose Copysmith. No generic “ultimate guides to AI copywriting.” Just practical, conversion-focused content that spoke directly to people ready to purchase.
4. Optimization Based on Real Performance Data
We didn’t just publish content and hope for the best. Every month, we analyzed what was actually driving conversions and doubled down on what worked.
We tracked the full customer journey, from search query to signup to paid subscription. When we found content that was converting well but not ranking high enough, we optimized for better visibility. When we found high-traffic pages that weren’t converting, we updated them to better guide visitors toward trying the product.
The Results: How Organic Search Became Their #1 Customer Acquisition Channel
Eight months after we started working together, Copysmith had completely transformed its organic presence. But more importantly, they’d built a sustainable customer acquisition channel that didn’t require constantly increasing ad spend.
Organic Search Became Their Top Signup Source
553% increase in signups from organic search. In November 2021, organic search was generating approximately 529 sign-ups per month. By July 2022, that number hit 3,457 monthly signups; all from people who found them through search.
But here’s the really significant part: organic search went from contributing 30% of their total signups to nearly 48%. It became their single biggest customer acquisition channel, outperforming both direct traffic and paid ads.
Even while they increased their paid ad spend during the same period, organic still delivered better results.
Want to see if your SaaS could achieve similar signup growth through SEO? Book a free strategy call today.
Better Traffic That Actually Converts
The conversion rate nearly doubled. This wasn’t just about getting more visitors; the visitors we attracted were much more likely to sign up.
The organic conversion rate increased from 13.2% to 23.7%. That’s a 79% improvement in how often someone who finds them through search actually becomes a user.
Think about what this means: not only were they getting more traffic, but that traffic was converting at nearly double the rate. We weren’t just bringing in browsers; we were bringing in people ready to try their product.
Massive Growth in Organic Visibility
489% increase in organic traffic. Monthly clicks grew from 3,980 to 14,600, while impressions jumped from 114,000 to 672,000.
The majority of this new traffic came from non-branded searches, people discovering Copysmith while evaluating AI copywriting tools, rather than existing customers searching for the Copysmith brand.
Over the eight-month period, their content generated over 70,000 clicks from 3.5 million impressions. That’s visibility they simply didn’t have before; showing up for thousands of searches they were previously invisible for.
The transformation was complete: from a company burning cash on ads to stay visible, to one with a sustainable, high-converting customer acquisition engine that works around the clock.
Ready to build your own organic search growth engine? Let’s discuss how to apply these insights from Copysmith to your SaaS.
Key Takeaways
1. Search volume doesn’t equal business value
It’s tempting to chase keywords with massive search volumes. But someone searching for “what is AI copywriting” is usually just curious. Someone searching “Copy AI alternatives” (much lower volume) is actively evaluating tools and ready to make a decision.
We ignored high-volume informational keywords and focused on lower-volume buyer-intent searches. The result? Traffic that converted at nearly double the rate.
2. Content type determines conversion potential
Not all content is created equal when it comes to driving signups. Generic educational content might rank well, but it rarely converts visitors into users.
The content that actually moved the needle for Copysmith:
- Product comparison pages
- Alternative and competitor comparison content
- Solution-focused guides with real use cases
These formats naturally attract people who are already in evaluation mode, not just learning mode.
3. Non-branded traffic is where real growth happens
Branded searches are just existing awareness; people who already know about you. The real growth comes from capturing non-branded demand.
Most of Copysmith’s traffic growth came from people discovering the company while evaluating AI copywriting tools, rather than those specifically looking for “Copysmith.” That’s how you expand your market, rather than just serving your existing one.
4. Conversion rate improvements compound your growth
Growing traffic by 489% is impressive. But growing traffic by 489% AND improving conversion rates by 79% at the same time? That’s how you create exponential impact.
Don’t just focus on getting more visitors. Focus on getting visitors who are more likely to become users. Quality and quantity improvements together create the biggest wins.
Build Your Own Customer Acquisition Engine
The AI SaaS niche is competitive, but there’s still plenty of opportunity for startups that take the right approach. Most are still chasing high-volume keywords and creating generic content that doesn’t move the needle.
If you’re tired of writing bigger checks to ad platforms every month while watching competitors build sustainable organic growth, we can help you build the same kind of customer acquisition engine we created for Copysmith.Want to see if your B2B SaaS startup has similar untapped opportunities? Schedule a 20-minute discovery session now to get started.
