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10 SaaS Keyword Research Methods To Rank #1

In today’s digital landscape, organic traffic is the lifeblood of any SaaS company. But how do you ensure potential customers find your solution amidst a sea of competitors? Enter the science of SaaS keyword research. It’s the key to unlocking the secrets of search engines, propelling your website to the coveted #1 spot, and attracting a steady stream of qualified leads. This guide dives deep into 10 powerful methods to refine your keyword strategy. Consistent keyword research for saas, is your ticket to long-term organic growth.

What is the Purpose of SaaS Keyword Research?

Forget keyword stuffing – effective SaaS keyword research is about understanding the “why” behind your target audience’s online quests. Customers with burning questions about marketing automation type queries into search engines to seek solutions. Will they discover your competitor’s page in search rankings or yours?

Strategic keyword research empowers you to crack your audience code. You uncover the problems they’re desperately trying to solve and the information they crave. Are they just becoming aware of a need (awareness stage), actively evaluating options (consideration stage), or ready to pull the trigger (decision stage)?

Keyword research helps you identify the keywords people use at each crucial customer journey stage. Let’s say your SaaS product automates social media scheduling. During the awareness stage, target keywords like “manage multiple social media accounts effectively” or “social media marketing challenges.” As potential customers move to consideration, their searches become more specific, like “top social media scheduling tools” or “must-have features in a social media scheduler.” Finally, in the decision stage, keywords like “social media scheduler pricing comparison” or “[ company name] vs. competitor” become relevant.

By aligning your content with these distinct stages or partnering with a SaaS marketing agency , you create a targeted journey that attracts and converts leads. These content pieces, informed by your keyword research, become magnets and draw potential customers at every stage of their buying journey, leading them to your solution.

10 SaaS Keyword Research Methods That Work

The path to ranking #1 for coveted keywords requires more than a hunch. Here, we’ll explore techniques that tap into valuable data sources, uncover hidden opportunities, and ultimately refine your keyword strategy for long-term SEO success.

Dig Into Google Ad Converters

Your PPC team isn’t just about paid advertising – they hold a treasure trove of valuable keyword insights! Collaborate with them to leverage their data and gain a competitive edge in the keyword research process. Their campaigns provide a real-world testing ground, revealing which keywords resonate with your target audience and drive conversions.

By analyzing Google Ads data, you can identify high-performing keywords that attract clicks and convert them into paying customers. Look for strong click-through (CTR) keywords and a healthy conversion rate. These keywords clearly indicate user intent and purchasing behavior, giving you a roadmap for using profitable keywords and organically attracting high-quality leads.

The ultimate goal is to acquire customers. Targeting keywords with a proven track record of driving conversions for your SaaS product allows you to focus your SaaS SEO services on attracting users who are most likely to convert into paying subscribers. Think of it as a double win: you gain valuable insights from paid search to inform your organic strategy, maximizing your return on investment (ROI) across all channels.

Analyze Competitor Keywords

Knowledge is power, especially in the competitive world of SEO. Don’t underestimate the value of analyzing your competitor’s keywords. Here’s why:

  • Uncover Hidden Keywords: Your competitors invest time and resources in keyword research. By analyzing their ranking keywords, you can discover valuable terms you might have missed. These “hidden gems” could be niche keywords with lower competition, offering opportunities to rank higher and attract qualified leads.
  • Identify Industry Trends: Competitor keyword analysis lets you see which keywords perform well within your industry. This can reveal emerging trends and user search patterns, helping you stay ahead of the curve and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly.

Methods to Analyze Competitor Keywords

  • SEO Tools: Leverage the power of SEO tools. These tools offer features specifically designed for competitor keyword research. Simply enter your competitor’s website URL, and the tool will reveal a treasure trove of data, including top organic keywords, estimated search volume, and even their ranking positions.
  • Organic Search Results: Conduct a simple search on Google using keywords relevant to your industry or product. Analyze the top-ranking websites – these are likely your key competitors. Scrutinize the keywords they’ve targeted within their content to gain insights into their strategy. You can also take help from SaaS SEO: a four-step strategy for growth.

Beyond Imitation, Innovation:

Analyzing competitor keywords isn’t about copying their exact strategy. The true benefit lies in identifying gaps in their approach. Are there relevant keywords they’re missing? Can you create high-quality content targeting these opportunities and establish yourself as a thought leader in those specific areas? Capitalizing on these gaps can carve out a unique niche and attract a targeted audience.

Leverage the Power of Google Suggest

Google Suggest, the handy dropdown menu that appears as you type in your search query is a goldmine for keyword research. Here’s why:

  • Peek Inside the User’s Mind: Google Suggest offers a window into the minds of your target audience. As you type in a broad keyword related to your SaaS product, Google suggests users are actively performing related searches. These suggestions reveal real-world user queries, which help you understand their needs and pain points.
  • Unearth Long-Tail Gems: Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases with lower competition. Google Suggest excels at revealing these keywords. By analyzing the suggested searches, you can discover long-tail variations of your target keywords that users are actively searching for.
  • Boost Ranking Potential: Targeting long-tail keywords offers a strategic advantage. Because they’re more specific, they often have lower competition than broad keywords. Long tail keywords leads to a higher chance of ranking on the first page of search results, driving more organic traffic to your website.

Here’s how to leverage Google Suggest for your keyword research:

  • Start Broad, Refine Gradually: Begin by typing in a broad keyword related to your SaaS product. Analyze the suggested searches and identify relevant terms. Refine your search by incorporating those terms and see what new suggestions emerge.
  • Combine with Other Methods: Don’t rely solely on Google Suggest. Use it with other keyword research methods like competitor analysis and SEO tools. The comprehensive approach ensures you discover diverse relevant keywords to fuel your SEO strategy.

ICP & the Anti-ICP

In B2B SaaS, understanding your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is paramount. An ICP is a detailed profile outlining the characteristics of your perfect customer—their company size, industry, budget, and pain points. But for effective keyword research, we can take it a step further by considering the “anti-ICP.”

  • Know Your Ideal Customer: Your ICP is the foundation for targeted keyword research. By understanding your ideal customer’s needs, challenges, and online behavior, you can identify the keywords they’re searching for. For instance, if your SaaS product caters to marketing agencies, your target keywords might include “marketing automation for agencies” or “scalable social media management tools.” Check out this SaaS content marketing: a complete guide to create content that ranks.
  • Embrace the Anti-ICP: The Anti-ICP flips the script. It defines the characteristics of users who are poorly fit for your product. Anti-ICP could include companies with a limited budget, those in a different industry, or users with needs your product doesn’t address. By identifying these anti-ICP traits, you can refine your keyword targeting and exclude irrelevant keywords.
  • Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: Think of attracting a high volume of website traffic only to discover that the visitors are not qualified leads. Such a scenario wastes resources and time. By filtering out keywords that attract users who don’t align with your Anti-ICP, you ensure your website attracts high-quality leads who are more likely to convert into paying customers. The targeted approach maximizes your return on investment (ROI) and fuels sustainable growth for your SaaS business.

Focus on Jobs to be Done

Move beyond basic needs and delve into the “Jobs to be Done” framework. It’s a powerful concept that helps you understand the functional and emotional needs users are trying to fulfill when they seek your SaaS product.

  • Understanding the “Job”: Think of your SaaS product as a tool that helps users complete a specific “job.” This job isn’t just about a product category but the desired outcome. For example, the “job” for a project management tool isn’t just “manage projects.” It’s about “streamlining workflows, boosting team collaboration, and delivering projects on time and within budget.”
  • Identify Your User’s “Jobs”: To leverage this framework, identify the specific “jobs” your SaaS product helps users accomplish. Conduct user interviews, analyze customer support tickets, and study industry trends. Understanding these “jobs” gives you valuable insights into the core challenges and desired outcomes that drive user behavior.
  • Target Task-Oriented Keywords: Once you understand the “jobs” your product solves, target the keywords related to those specific tasks. This approach ensures your content speaks directly to user needs. With the help of a SaaS content agency, you can create content that speaks to your audience. For instance, instead of targeting “project management software,” target keywords like “how to improve team collaboration on projects” or “best practices for managing remote teams.” These task-oriented keywords resonate with users actively seeking solutions to their problems, increasing the likelihood of attracting qualified leads.

The method aligns with customer journey mapping. By understanding the tasks users undertake at different stages of the journey, you can create targeted content that addresses their needs and guides them towards your product as the ideal solution.

Create a Customer Journey Map

Understanding your customer’s journey is highly beneficial for crafting a winning keyword strategy. A customer journey map visually depicts users’ stages, from initial awareness to becoming loyal advocates.

  • Benefits for Keyword Research: By mapping the customer journey, you better understand user intent at each stage. This helps to identify the specific keywords users search for as they move through the funnel.
  • Key Stages of the SaaS Customer Journey:
    • Awareness: Here, users become aware of their problems or needs. Target keywords related to broad industry challenges (e.g., “challenges of managing social media accounts”).
    • Consideration: Users research potential solutions. Target keywords focused on product categories and comparisons (e.g., “best social media scheduling tools”).
    • Decision: Users evaluate specific offerings. Target keywords with buying intent signals (e.g., “[your product name] vs. competitor”).
    • Use: Users learn to navigate your product. Target keywords related to product features and tutorials (e.g., “how to use [your product name]’s scheduling feature”).
    • Advocacy: Satisfied users become brand champions. Target keywords focused on success stories and case studies (e.g., “[your product name] customer testimonials”).
  • Targeted Content Strategy: Mapping the journey allows you to create a content strategy aligned with user intent at each stage. It ensures your content resonates with users, attracts them at the right moment, and guides them towards conversion.

Use Reviews to Get the Voice of the Customer

Customer reviews are a treasure trove of user insights waiting to be unlocked. These reviews tap into the minds of your target audience, revealing their pain points, desired features, and the language they use to describe them.

  • Know User Needs: Reviews provide valuable information. By analyzing them, you can identify recurring themes and frustrations users express. These insights shed light on your target audience’s specific challenges and help you pinpoint relevant keywords that directly address their needs.
  • Sentiment Analysis Tools & Manual Review: There are two main approaches to analyzing customer reviews for keyword research:
    • Sentiment Analysis Tools: Leverage the power of sentiment analysis tools. These tools categorize reviews as positive, negative, or neutral and can even extract key phrases and topics. They let you identify the language users associate with satisfaction and frustration, informing your keyword strategy.
    • Manual Review: Don’t underestimate the power of manually reading reviews. While time-consuming, this approach allows you to delve deeper and better understand user sentiment. Pay close attention to customers’ specific words and phrases to describe their experiences.
  • Keywords Rooted in User Language: The most valuable keywords are those that resonate with your target audience. By analyzing reviews, you discover the exact language users employ to describe their problems and needs. This approach allows you to target keywords that feel natural and relevant, attracting qualified leads actively searching for solutions you can provide. How about targeting a keyword like “improve social media engagement” because that’s the phrase your ideal customer uses in their review. This targeted approach positions your content as the perfect solution to their struggle.

Analyze Sales Calls

Your sales team is a goldmine for keyword research. They interact with potential customers daily, uncovering concerns, questions, and buying triggers that drive user behavior.

  • Understand Customer Concerns & Triggers: Sales calls offer a direct line to your target audience’s minds. Analyze recordings or call notes to identify recurring pain points and customer questions. Pay close attention to the specific questions your sales team encounters. These questions often highlight buying triggers when users are most receptive to your product’s value proposition.
  • Analyze Call Data: Leverage call data for keyword research through two key methods:
    • Sales Call Recordings: Listen actively to successful sales call recordings. Identify the specific language and questions prospects use when discussing their challenges and exploring potential solutions. These phrases are golden nuggets – they represent the keywords your ideal customer searches for online.
    • Call Notes: Analyze call notes taken by your sales team. Look for recurring themes and the specific questions prospects ask. These notes offer valuable insights into user intent and the information they seek during consideration.
  • Target User-Specific Keywords: Analyze sales calls to identify the keywords and questions that resonate most with your target audience. Calls empowers you to target these user-specific keywords within your content strategy.

Consider creating blog posts or landing pages that directly address the questions and concerns your sales team encounters most frequently. This targeted approach positions your content as the answer, significantly increasing the likelihood of attracting qualified leads.

The method beautifully complements customer journey mapping. By understanding the specific questions users ask at different stages of the journey, you can create content that addresses their needs at the most opportune moment.

Consider Adjacent Use Cases

Adjacent use cases can be a secret weapon in your own keyword research tool whih reveals hidden opportunities you might have missed. These are like unexpected superpowers for your SaaS product – ways it can solve problems users wouldn’t have considered at first glance.

Expanding Your Keyword Universe: By diving into adjacent use cases, you’ll discover how your product can tackle challenges in entirely new territories. This translates to a treasure trove of fresh keywords to target, helping you attract a wider audience with diverse needs.

Brainstorming Bonanzas & Industry Intel: Here’s how to identify these golden keywords:

  • Brainstorming Blitz: Gather your team and unleash your creative energy! Brainstorm alternative applications for your product. How could it be used in different industries or address challenges outside its usual domain?
  • Industry Research Deep Dive: Become an industry guru! Research trends and pain points in related fields. Look for areas where your product, even in an unexpected way, can add value and solve specific problems.

Target the Unforeseen Problem-Solvers: By targeting keywords related to adjacent use cases, you can attract users who might have overlooked your product initially. In this way, you can position your SaaS solution as a versatile and powerful tool that conquers a broader range of challenges. Think of attracting users searching for keywords like “improve marketing agency team communication” even though your product is a general project management tool. This approach broadens your reach and nabs a wider audience with unique needs. So, ditch the silo mentality and embrace the potential of adjacent use cases. You might be surprised at the keyword goldmine you uncover!

Use Topic Clusters and Pillar Content Strategy

The topic cluster and pillar content strategy is a powerful approach to dominating your niche in the search engine results pages and results. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Topic Clusters & Pillar Pages: A topic cluster revolves around a broad, high-level keyword (think “project management software”). Pillar content is a comprehensive, in-depth guide on that main topic. Supporting this pillar page are subtopic pages that target related, long-tail keywords (e.g., “best practices for remote project management,” “common project management challenges”).
  • Keyword Research Fuels Subtopics: Your keyword research becomes the launchpad for identifying subtopics. Leverage the earlier methods to discover relevant long-tail keywords that connect to your chosen pillar content theme. Focus on keywords with search volume but lower competition, allowing you to attract targeted traffic.
  • Organic Traffic Powerhouse: By creating a content hub with a pillar page and its supporting subtopics, you establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche. This comprehensive structure attracts organic traffic through a network of targeted keywords, making it easier for users to find the information they need. Imagine your pillar content acting as a magnet, drawing users in with the main topic and then offering them a variety of subtopic pages that delve deeper into specific aspects, all within your website. This approach establishes your expertise and keeps users engaged and on your site for longer.

How to Measure the Effectiveness of SaaS Keyword Research

So, you’ve invested time and energy into crafting a stellar keyword research strategy. But how do you know if it’s paying off? This section dives into key metrics that unveil your chosen keywords’ effectiveness and overall SEO strategy. By tracking these metrics, you can ensure your website attracts high-quality traffic, generates leads, and ultimately drives conversions for your SaaS business.

Assessing Keyword Metrics

Not all keywords are created equal. Here are some crucial ones to consider:

  • Search Volume: This metric indicates the average number of times a specific keyword is searched for per month. It reflects the potential traffic a keyword can drive to your website.
  • Competition Level: This metric gauges how difficult it is to rank for a particular keyword. High competition indicates more established websites vying for top positions.
  • Cost-per-click (CPC): This metric applies if you plan to incorporate paid search advertising alongside your SEO efforts. It represents the average cost you’d incur each time someone clicks on your ad triggered by that specific keyword.

Tools for Keyword Metric Analysis: Leverage the power of SEO tools and keyword research platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz.

Monitoring Organic Traffic and Conversions

Website traffic is the lifeblood of your SaaS business, and organic traffic – visitors who land on your site through search engines – is a key metric to measure the effectiveness of your keyword research. Here’s how to monitor its impact:

  • Tracking Organic Traffic: Tools like Google Analytics and comprehensive SEO platforms offer detailed insights into your website traffic. They allow you to isolate organic traffic specifically, revealing the number of visitors who found your site through search engine results.
  • Conversion Tracking: But traffic alone isn’t enough. You also need to track conversions – those valuable actions visitors take on your website, such as signing up for a free trial or purchasing. Most analytics platforms allow you to set up conversion tracking to measure how many organic visitors convert into paying customers.
  • Keyword Research ROI: By monitoring organic traffic and conversions alongside your targeted keywords, you can assess the return on investment (ROI) of your keyword research efforts. If specific keywords consistently drive high-quality organic traffic that converts into leads and customers, you know you’re on the right track. This data empowers you to refine your keyword strategy and attract valuable users through organic search.

Utilizing SEO and Keyword Research Tools

SEO tools supercharge your keyword research. These platforms go beyond suggestions, offering features to streamline research and gain a competitive edge.

  • Keyword Research on Autopilot: Enter seed keywords and generate vast lists of relevant long-tail variations with estimated search volume and competition level. Prioritize high-potential, lower-difficulty options.
  • Competitor Keyword Intel: Uncover high-performing keywords your top competitors rank for. This valuable intel helps you identify gaps in your own strategy and potentially outrank them in search results.
  • Beyond Keywords: Many platforms offer features for backlink analysis, SaaS link building services, on-page SEO optimization suggestions, and content gap analysis. This empowers you to create a holistic SEO strategy for long-term success. Check out this guide on SaaS link building: 15 strategies to capture traffic to build your authority.

Understanding User Intent

Understanding user intent unlocks the power of keyword research. It’s not just about keywords; it’s about comprehending the user’s goal behind a search. Like understanding your audience, user intent allows you to tailor content to their needs.

  • Cracking the Search Query Code: Analyze top results for your target keywords. What content dominates (articles, comparisons, tutorials)? This reveals user intent – informational, transactional, etc. Many SEO tools offer search query analysis features that categorize intent.

By aligning content with user search intent first, you significantly boost its relevance. Imagine creating a project management guide when the user searching “project management software” clearly wants to learn how to manage projects, not browse features. This targeted approach positions you as a valuable resource and drives conversions. Together with a SaaS design agency, you can create a structure that fulfils the user intent.

Learn From Customer Support and Sales Team

Customer support and sales teams interact with users on the front lines daily, providing a wealth of information for keyword research.

  • Meetings & Surveys: Schedule regular meetings with these teams to discuss user challenges, buying triggers (when users show interest), and the language they use to describe their problems. Conduct surveys or analyze existing feedback to gather user-specific keywords and phrases.
  • Targeting Real User Needs: By incorporating these insights, you can tailor your keyword strategy to directly address user intent and capture valuable traffic. Imagine targeting a keyword like “improve social media post engagement” because it’s a common customer pain point you identified. This approach positions you as a solution provider at the right moment, significantly increasing the likelihood of attracting qualified leads.

Conclusion

Effective keyword research is the cornerstone of a thriving SaaS SEO strategy. This guide has equipped you with ten powerful methods to identify the right keywords, that drive targeted traffic, generate leads, and fuel your SaaS business growth. As your industry evolves and user needs change, stay vigilant and adapt your strategy accordingly. By continuously refining your keyword approach, you’ll ensure your SaaS solution remains visible at the top of search results, attracting high-quality users and maintaining a competitive edge in the ever-changing digital landscape.

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