Brief

JetBrains is a global software company known for its developer tools and IDEs, used by more than 15 million developers worldwide. Qodana, its static code analysis platform, was developed to extend intelligent code inspections into CI/CD workflows, helping teams identify bugs, vulnerabilities, and code quality issues early. 

Despite strong technical foundations and integration across major platforms, Qodana entered the market as an emerging product with limited standalone visibility. Organic performance was constrained by a relatively thin website, low awareness, and strong competition from established alternatives such as SonarQube. Internal overlap with other JetBrains products also created challenges around keyword cannibalisation. 

JetBrains engaged SALT to increase awareness and demand for Qodana, improve website performance, support enterprise sales, and drive more product trials. However, underlying these objectives was a more fundamental challenge: Qodana needed to build non-brand visibility and establish itself as a credible authority within its category. 

We were brought in to develop a scalable organic growth strategy capable of capturing new demand, strengthening positioning, and supporting long-term growth. 

Achievements

SALT built a structured content and visibility system designed to capture non-branded demand and position Qodana as a recognised player in the static code analysis space. 

First we established a scalable content foundation. Qodana lacked the informational depth required to compete for high-volume, non-branded queries, so we planned, structured, and delivered a comprehensive Static Code Analysis Guide. This content hub captured top-of-funnel demand while positioning Qodana as an authoritative resource. 

We supported this with detailed keyword research, competitor analysis, and intent mapping, aligning every asset with how developers search. The team structured the guide as a topic cluster, using internal linking to maximise visibility across related queries. 

Alongside new content, we strengthened existing pages by improving crawlability, refining keyword targeting, and aligning content more closely with search intent. This ensured the entire site contributed to discoverability. 

With limited development resource available, SALT adapted our delivery approach. The team prioritised high-impact updates – including navigation improvements and internal linking – and identified alternative implementation routes to maintain momentum without relying on heavy development support. 

As visibility increased, we expanded into commercial content. The team launched use case pages and supporting assets to capture mid- and bottom-of-funnel demand, laying the foundation for future conversion growth and stronger alignment with enterprise sales. 

The work transformed Qodana from a limited web presence into a structured, strategically aligned content ecosystem – one that drives awareness, captures new demand, and supports the full customer journey. 

SALT continues to support Qodana as the product evolves into new areas, including agentic and provenance-led development. 

Expertise

  • Thorough keyword research and content planning
  • Detailed competitor and SERP analysis
  • Technical content creation, and content optimisation
  • AIO optimisation, focusing on LLM visibility and discoverability

Results

  • Non-brand position one rankings increased 1650% – to 105 rankings
  • Position one rankings increased 201.9% to 160 rankings
  • Guide clicks increased 254% in nine months
  • Non-brand clicks increased by 68% YoY
  • Tracked ranking keywords up 15.3%
  • Static Code Analysis Guide generated 400K+ impressions
  • 90 keywords ranking from guide content alone

“At JetBrains Qodana, we have a highly technical team that values flexibility as much as it does technical acumen. It was easy to see that SALT would provide both within the first six months of working with their team. Our Static Code Analysis Guide was just one of the many ambitious projects we took on, and it’s been incredible having SALT support us so consistently along the way.”

– Kerry Beetge, Product Marketing Manager at JetBrains 

“Working with SALT helped us approach SEO in a much more strategic and data-driven way. From identifying high-impact keyword opportunities to shaping content that performs well in traditional and AI search, their team consistently brought both strong SEO expertise and a deep understanding of developer audiences.”

– Anastasia Pavlova, SEO Specialist at JetBrains 

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