In today's data-heavy world, content isn't enough—what's truly valuable is content that's easy to find and meets customer needs. Over the past 20 years, information-seeking behavior has drastically changed. With virtually every information available online, studies show that 93% of all product experiences start with a search engine. For a newly launched software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution like ours, this meant optimizing our content strategies and modernizing our documentation to ensure we are visible and rank among the top five search results in our domain.

Discovering What "You" Want to Know: Understanding Search Behavior

Effective documentation begins with understanding user interests and how they search. We leveraged Adobe Analytics and Google Search Console data to uncover what users search for. This helped us identify high-impact keywords and popular search terms. For example, we found that users searched "bulk delete" instead of "delete all" for information on deleting multiple requests. Another example was that users preferred "delegate" over "assign" to perform specific tasks. These data-driven insights shaped our vision. We curated a list of relevant keywords, brainstormed with internal stakeholders, and thoughtfully embedded them throughout our content.

Headings that Speak to You: Crafting Meaningful SEO-Friendly Headings

Low-value, vague headings negatively impact SEO ranking. The popular phrase "what gets seen gets sold" rings true in SEO. While search engines rely on over 200 attributes and complex algorithms to retrieve the best results, meaningful headings help understand the page structure. Traditionally, generic headings like "Overview" or "Introduction" diminish product visibility.

Secret sauce for effective SEO
"Divide content into focused, bite-sized topics, each with a meaningful heading"

By replacing generic headings, like "About Data Protection", with specific, keyword-rich titles like "End-to-End Data Protection with [product name] to Safeguard your Sensitive Information", we improved both search engine visibility and usability. Headings that clarify purpose and include action-oriented language help users to quickly locate the content they need, creating a more effective and fulfilling experience.

Find Your Next Step: Building Robust Content Network through Links

You can boost content discoverability and relevancy by creating a network of internal, related, and backlinks from external sources. This interconnected structure provides a cohesive user experience and enhances webpage visibility. Search engines can better understand the structure and index pages. Beyond adding internal links, we also implemented a "Related Resources" section. Each link was carefully selected to guide users towards contextually relevant information. Additionally, to increase our documentation credibility and visibility, we collaborated with product and marketing teams to include documentation links in media posts, blog announcements, and other external communications.

Expanding Asset Library: Multimedia for Deeper Engagement

Making Documentation a Conversation

Ultimately, our goal with this documentation overhaul was to make content easy to find, accurate, and engaging. We wanted users to feel like they're part of the journey, interacting with content that speaks directly to them. We focused on using a conversational tone, including real-life examples, and following a personalized structure to keep the reading experience simple and crisp.

To deliver clear, concise, and accurate information in every statement, one page at a time, like a conversation!

Wrapping It Up

Through our strategic SEO approach and documentation restructuring, we boosted product documentation visibility in search engines, improved user engagement, and made our documentation a valuable resource. And now, this journey is ongoing. Our transformation is not just about better SEO; it is also about bringing users closer to the product, helping them unlock its potential for their unique needs, and building a connection that goes beyond merely "reading a manual."