As a solo founder bootstrapping PitchBob.io, an AI-powered platform that helps early-stage entrepreneurs structure their startup ideas, craft compelling pitches and generate documents for accelerators and investors, I quickly realized that building a company without external funding means learning how to do nearly everything yourself — from product development to customer support and yes, even SEO.
At first, I outsourced SEO to an agency at $2,000 per month. But over time, I noticed the returns didn’t justify the spend. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. This article outlines the 15 strategies I used to grow our organic traffic, increase visibility and improve rankings — all without relying on an agency or massive budget.
Related: 5 Ways to Bootstrap SEO When You’re on a Tight Budget
1. Monitor and improve site health
The foundation of good SEO is technical performance. I started by setting up regular audits using tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to monitor the health of our website. These tools helped identify issues like broken links, crawl errors, slow page speeds and mobile usability problems.
By keeping our Site Health score above 90, I ensured that search engines could easily crawl and index our pages. A fast, error-free site not only ranks better but also provides a better experience for users, which reduces bounce rates and increases time on site, both positive signals for SEO.
2. Leverage ABC link exchanges
Link building is one of the most powerful (and time-consuming) elements of SEO. I began receiving outreach emails from companies looking to exchange backlinks. Instead of ignoring them or engaging in basic reciprocal linking, I proposed ABC exchanges.
In an ABC link exchange, site A links to site B, site B links to site C, and site C links to site A. This model avoids the penalty associated with obvious reciprocal linking and creates a more organic-looking backlink profile. It allowed me to build quality links from high-authority domains without doing traditional cold outreach.
3. Use AI to build a content cluster
Content is still king, but structure is queen. I developed a content strategy based on topic clustering — building pillar pages with related subtopics internally linked. I used AI writing tools to generate dozens of articles around our niche, focusing on long-tail keywords.
This silo structure helped organize content logically and improve topical authority in the eyes of search engines. Internal linking between cluster pages and pillar articles improved crawlability and made the site more useful for visitors, which boosted engagement metrics.
4. Expand through multilingual SEO
Since our users are international, I knew that optimizing for English alone was limiting our reach. I used AI translation tools to create versions of our content in multiple languages. This included not only landing pages but also blog content and product descriptions.
When we hit technical limits on our platform, we created subdomains for specific regions and translated content there. This approach helped us reach markets like Asia and Europe more effectively. It also gave us localized content, which performs better in region-specific search engines.
5. Build a community forum
Search engines value user-generated content. I decided to build a community forum using Discourse to encourage discussions, feedback and knowledge sharing. The initial content was generated and seeded using GPT-based prompts to simulate organic engagement.
By structuring categories around high-volume keywords and startup topics, we created a library of searchable content that continues to grow and index. Community forums not only drive SEO but also deepen engagement and build trust with users.
6. Publish press releases with data
Press releases aren’t just for PR — they’re a strong SEO asset when used strategically. I wrote and distributed releases through reputable networks, focusing on feature launches and research-based updates.
I made sure each release included original data or insights, which made them more appealing to journalists and more likely to be syndicated across multiple sites. Each distribution generated authoritative backlinks and reinforced our credibility within our niche.
7. Use global and niche directories
Directory listings are one of the oldest SEO tactics, and they still work when done right. I registered PitchBob.io with global directories, industry-specific platforms and local business listings. Some required payment, but most were low-cost.
These listings provided steady, do-follow backlinks and drove occasional referral traffic. They also increased our domain authority and helped us appear in more long-tail search results.
Related: The 8 Best Free and Low-Cost SEO Tools for Small Businesses
8. Turn partnerships into backlinks
Every business collaboration is an opportunity for SEO. I made a habit of requesting backlinks from partners, especially universities, accelerators and ecosystem players with high domain authority.
This wasn’t just a cold ask — I would typically create a piece of content or a social media post around the partnership and then follow up with a polite request for a mention or link on their website. Over time, these added up to a strong backlink profile with high-trust domains.
9. Join founder-led SEO sprints
I joined communities where founders collaborate on SEO. These groups organize content-writing and backlink-sharing sprints where participants support each other’s growth. During each sprint, I contributed articles or shared links — and received the same in return.
This collaborative model is especially useful for solo founders who don’t have a team but want to maintain consistent SEO efforts. It builds relationships and expands visibility through peer support.
10. Become a media contributor
Contributing to a high-authority publication can dramatically improve your SEO footprint. I applied and was accepted as a contributor to a business media platform. Writing articles on entrepreneurship and innovation allowed me to earn quality backlinks while sharing valuable insights.
Even though direct traffic from these articles was moderate, the SEO value of being linked from a respected domain made a big difference. It also improved credibility when reaching out to potential partners or customers.
11. Use lifetime deal platforms for SEO
Submitting to SaaS deal platforms helped us gain both exposure and strong backlinks. These platforms often create evergreen product pages that remain indexed and link back to your site.
It’s a lesser-known SEO strategy, but one that brings value over time — especially if your deal gets attention from affiliate bloggers or community forums.
12. Launch on Product Hunt
Launching on Product Hunt was a turning point. Winning “Product of the Day” earned us dozens of backlinks from blogs, newsletters and directories that cover Product Hunt launches.
The event also drove direct traffic and helped establish social proof, which in turn increased the chances of other websites mentioning us — another indirect benefit to SEO.
13. Partner with events and conferences
We treated each event, whether online or in-person, as a potential backlink opportunity. Participating in startup events, hackathons or speaking engagements allowed us to be featured on event websites and partner pages.
These often included logos and company descriptions with backlinks, contributing to our domain authority and helping build our digital footprint.
14. Use podcasts as backlink gateways
Although I haven’t fully implemented this strategy yet, many founders report that being interviewed on small podcasts can lead to backlinks on platforms like Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts. Even if the podcast itself has a small audience, the distribution network provides strong SEO signals.
In the near future, I plan to test this by appearing on startup-focused podcasts and monitoring the SEO results.
15. Respect the fundamentals
Lastly, I never neglected the basics. Each of our key landing pages contains substantial, original content — enough to inform users and satisfy search engines. Avoiding thin pages and ensuring keyword optimization helped us maintain consistent rankings across core pages.
While many founders chase advanced tactics, simply writing good, helpful content is often the most sustainable strategy of all.
Related: How to Use SEO Like a Big Business — On a Small Business Budget
SEO doesn’t require a massive budget — it requires consistency, curiosity and a willingness to learn. As a solo founder, I turned what seemed like an expensive mystery into a predictable system.
You don’t have to master every SEO nuance, but by focusing on structure, partnerships and content, you can build a steady, scalable traffic engine that works even while you sleep. If I did it solo, you can do it too.
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