Proven SaaS Keyword Research Strategies to Boost Your Online Visibility

A recent report by Demand Gen highlights this trend, revealing that a whopping 47% of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before ever engaging with a sales representative. This statistic underscores the critical role that content plays in the modern B2B sales funnel.

Think about it: software purchases, particularly those involving significant investment, can have a lasting impact on a business. It's not surprising that decision-makers (and let's face it, everyone on the buying committee) would prioritize thorough research before making a choice that could potentially impact their jobs or the company's bottom line. Just like you wouldn't want a pushy salesperson following you around the store, B2B buyers appreciate the space to conduct their due diligence without feeling pressured.

This is where strategic keyword research and high-quality content come into play. By understanding the information your target audience is actively seeking, you can create content that addresses their pain points, showcases your expertise, and positions your brand as a trusted resource.

Throughout this guide, we'll delve into the world of SaaS keyword research in 2024, equipping you with the tools and techniques to craft content that attracts, informs, and converts.

Definition and importance of keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of a successful content marketing strategy. It's identifying the specific terms and phrases your target audience uses on search engines to find products and services that address their needs. In the context of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), keyword research becomes even more crucial due to the unique characteristics of this industry.

Why Keyword Research Matters More in SaaS

Unlike other verticals where purchases might be driven by impulse or emotional connection, SaaS solutions cater to a more deliberate and information-driven buying process. Sales cycles for SaaS products tend to be longer, with buyers conducting extensive research before committing. One of the primary sources of this research is search engines. This is why you require content that resonates with each stage of the buyer's funnel, helping them make the final call:

• Informational Content: Imagine a prospect struggling with low team productivity. They might search for terms like "how to increase team productivity" or "tips for better work management." By targeting these informational keywords, you can create valuable content (like blog posts or infographics) that positions your CRM as a potential solution.
• Navigational Content: As the prospect progresses, they might refine their search with terms like "best CRM software for small businesses" or "top CRM tools compared." This navigational stage presents an opportunity to showcase your CRM's unique selling points through comparison guides or product listing pages optimized for relevant keywords.
• Transactional Content: Once the buyer has identified a shortlist of potential solutions, they'll delve deeper into product comparisons. Here, keywords like "[Your CRM tool] vs. Competitor" or "[Your CRM tool] pricing" become key. By creating informative content that addresses these transactional concerns, you can guide the buyer towards a confident purchase decision.
• Commercial Content: Finally, after thorough research, the buyer is ready to convert. Optimizing your website's pricing page and other commercial content with relevant keywords ensures clear communication about your offerings and simplifies the buying journey.

Purpose of keyword research: beyond traffic, towards conversions

While driving traffic to your website is important, the true power of SaaS keyword research lies in its ability to generate qualified leads and ultimately, conversions. Content at various stages of the buyer's funnel serves distinct purposes, and keyword research allows you to tailor your content to achieve those goals.

In the past, many companies adopted the "HubSpot playbook," focusing on broad, top-of-the-funnel topics and crafting lengthy content pieces (think 4,000+ words) to dominate search results with sheer volume. However, the SEO landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. While HubSpot's success is undeniable, the playing field has shifted. Established companies with significant resources can readily maintain that top-of-funnel dominance. For newer SaaS businesses, such an approach can be resource-intensive and slow to yield results. Remember, you need revenue to keep the lights on, and top-of-funnel content might take months or even years to translate into sales.

This is where targeted keyword research comes in. By understanding the specific terms your ideal customers are searching for at different stages of the buying journey, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs and search intent.

Here's the key difference:

• Targeting someone actively looking for a CRM solution with keywords like "[Your CRM tool] vs. Competitors" or "Free trial of [Your CRM tool]" has a much higher chance of immediate conversion compared to someone simply searching for general sales process tips.

Marketing leaders and teams always face increased scrutiny, especially when it comes to ROI. This targeted approach allows you to make the most of your resources and see a faster payoff from your content marketing efforts.

Mistakes to Avoid When Doing SaaS Keyword Research

While keyword research is a powerful tool, there are pitfalls to avoid for optimal results. Here are some common mistakes SaaS companies make, along with tips to get you on the right track:

Mistake #1: Chasing Broad, Top-of-Funnel Keywords

It's tempting to focus on high-volume, top-of-the-funnel (TOTF) keywords like "sales management software" or "customer relationship management." While these terms have high search volume, they might not translate into immediate conversions as they have low search intent. Searchers using such broad terms are likely in the early research stages and may not be ready to buy.

Mistake #2: Prioritizing Volume Over Intent

Don't get caught up in just chasing high search volume. Focus on high-intent keywords. These keywords indicate the user is actively looking for a solution, making them more valuable for lead generation. For example, "[Your CRM tool] pricing" or "[Your CRM tool] free trial" are high-intent keywords that signal purchase readiness.

Mistake #3: Blindly Following Competitor Strategies

While competitor analysis is valuable, it shouldn't be your sole strategy. Just because a competitor ranks for a particular keyword doesn't guarantee it's the best option for your business. Consider your unique value proposition and target audience when conducting keyword research.

SaaS Keyword Research Process: What Separates Good from the Best

Building Upon a Strong Customer Foundation

While solid keyword research tools are valuable, the best SaaS keyword strategies are built on a deep understanding of your customers. Here's where good keyword research separates itself from the truly exceptional:

A Well-Defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

Everything starts with a clear picture of your ideal customer. This Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the company or individual who would benefit most from your SaaS solution. It goes beyond demographics to encompass firmographics (company size, industry), technographics (existing software used), and psychographics (goals, challenges, pain points).

By creating a well-defined ICP, you can tailor your keyword research to target the specific language and search terms your ideal customer uses.

Deep understanding of "Jobs to be Done"

Beyond understanding your ideal customer, you need to delve into their motivations. What problems are they trying to solve? What tasks are they trying to accomplish? This concept is often referred to as "Jobs to be Done" (JTBD). By understanding your customer's JTBD, you can identify the keywords they use to search for solutions that will help them achieve their desired outcomes.

Clear customer journey map

The buyer's journey for SaaS products typically involves several stages: awareness, consideration, decision, and retention. Developing a customer journey map helps visualize this process. By mapping out the touchpoints and information needs at each stage, you can identify relevant keywords that resonate with your ideal customer at every point in their journey.

Alignment with sales

Don't operate in silos! Collaborate with your sales team to gain valuable insights into the language and keywords your ideal customer uses during the sales process. These real-world interactions can provide gold nuggets for your keyword research- whether it is pointing out what features attract most prospects, what difference do they see between your solution and their current one or simply why they switched from your competitors. this information helps you identify search terms with high conversion potential.

SaaS keyword research fundamentals: create a content funnel that converts

1. High quality data for powerful keywords

As we've pointed out before, target keywords (especially in the SaaS domain) shouldn't be a list of high volume, low difficulty keywords or even the ones that your competitors are targeting. Finding the right keywords requires accurate data, critical thinking and

Step 1: Leverage existing assets

While a keyword tool is fantastic for discovering high-volume keywords, they can have a limited view of user intent and the specific language your ideal customer uses. Hence, the keyword ideas generated by these tools can fall short in many ways:

• Limited user context: These tools primarily focus on search volume and competition, not the specific challenges and vocabulary of your target audience.
• Missing long-tail gems: Long-tail keywords, which are more specific and often have higher conversion rates, might be overlooked due to lower overall search volume.

This is why, you should rely on other sources for a more accurate representation of your ideal customer and their vocabulary:

• Customer reviews: Reviews are a treasure trove of user pain points and the language they use to describe them. Look for recurring phrases and keywords that resonate with your audience's needs. For example, a project management software company might see terms like "improve team communication" or "streamline workflows" popping up frequently.
• Organic & paid search data: Look at your existing traffic sources. Analyze keywords driving organic traffic through Google Search Console. See which keywords from your paid search campaigns (through LinkedIn, Google ads etc) have high conversion rates. This data reveals what keywords resonate with your target audience and convert well.

Example: Let's say you offer a marketing automation SaaS product. A keyword research tool might suggest "marketing automation software" as a primary keyword. But by analyzing customer reviews, you discover they frequently use the term "marketing campaign management tool." This helps you target a more specific keyword with higher conversion potential.

Step 2: Expand your list with SaaS keyword research tools

• Secondary keyword research with SEO tools: Utilize keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google keyword planner or Moz to discover relevant secondary keywords related to your primary keywords. These tools suggest keyword variations and long-tail keywords with lower competition but potentially higher conversion intent.
• Google Suggest: Leverage Google Suggest (autocomplete) to uncover additional keywords people are searching for related to your industry or product. This helps you understand user search patterns and identify long-tail keywords with more specific intent.

Step 3: Validate & categorize - refine your arsenal

While we acknowledged the limitations of keyword research tools in uncovering user intent and hidden gems, they still play a crucial role in validating your findings and prioritize keywords that are most profitable. Let's delve deeper:

• Search volume & keyword difficulty (KD): Keyword research tools provide search volume estimates and difficulty scores (KD). Search volume indicates the number of searches a keyword receives per month, giving you a sense of potential traffic. KD reflects the competition level for ranking on the first page of search results.
• Prioritization based on data: Analyze both factors to prioritize keywords in your list. Target a mix of keywords with:
  • High Search Volume & Moderate KD: These are ideal targets, attracting significant traffic without overwhelming competition.
  • Low Search Volume & Low KD: These can be excellent long-tail keywords with high conversion potential due to their specificity.
  • Higher Search Volume & High KD: While challenging, these keywords can be targeted later in your strategy with a focus on in-depth content and strong SEO optimization.

Step 4: Keyword competitive analysis:

Traditionally, competitor analysis involved simple copy-paste tactics and keyword targets. This often led to search results overflowing with redundant write-ups optimized for search engines but failing to engage human readers. The result? Low traffic, low conversions, and a frustrated audience.

• Analyzing competitor content: Analyze how your top competitors rank for your target keywords. Look at the content strategy for those keywords. This reveals the type of content they're creating and the user intent they're targeting (informational, navigational, transactional, commercial).
• Identifying missed opportunities: By analyzing competitor content, you can conduct a thorough keyword gap analysis. These are relevant keywords your competitors haven't targeted effectively, presenting an opportunity for you to dominate those searches with high-quality content.

Example: You discover a competitor focuses on broad informational content for "marketing automation software." This reveals a gap for more specific, long-tail keywords with higher conversion intent, like "marketing automation for e-commerce businesses." By creating targeted content for this gap, you can attract a highly relevant audience with a stronger purchase intent.

Using these tactics, TripleDart was able to help our client Databrain build its content repository from scratch to rival the presence of competitors like Tableau and Power BI. They recorded a 2X increase in traffic and a 16x increase in rankings with this strategy:

Identified intent keywords: We focused on discovering bottom-of-the-funnel and high-traffic intent keywords that assist the client in increasing website traffic steadily.

Solution pages: We identified and created industry-specific solutions that address user pain points. This practice helped us boost the existing conversion rate.

Comparison pages: We also identified the top industry players and created comparison pages to pitch the product to gain the right attraction from the target audiences.

Cluster pages: We even developed cluster pages for target themes like embedded analytics, customer-facing analytics, and others to gain topical authority and boost the website's credibility.

Website performance: Our SEO team conducted in-depth tech audits to identify persistent issues with the website and resolved them to improve website performance.

On-page optimization: We even conducted the on-page optimization practice to boost low-performing pages' performance. The optimization process involved improving keyword density, using keyword variations, completing interlinking on pages, improving metatags, using keyword-oriented blogs, and more.

The results:

2. Build Topical Authority: Content Pillars and Clusters

Google's algorithm prioritizes Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EAT) when ranking content. Content clusters excel at establishing EAT by demonstrating depth of knowledge in a specific topic area.

Step 5: Create content clusters based on JTBD & use cases

• Comprehensive pillar pages: Each cluster centers around a comprehensive pillar page, acting as the main hub for a specific topic related to your SaaS product. This pillar page provides a high-level overview and links to supporting content pieces within the cluster.
• Supporting content: Articles, blog posts, and other content formats within the cluster delve deeper into subtopics related to the pillar page's main theme. This interconnected web of content establishes your website as a trusted source on that particular topic.

The traditional way to look at this would be to categorize keywords for the subtopics and aim to satiate the search engines with a "keyword hierarchy". But the best way to look at categorization is to understand the SaaS buying journey. It often involves multiple decision-makers with varying priorities:

• Mid-level champions (Head of Marketing, Marketing Manager): These individuals identify problems (e.g., improve team communication, streamline workflows) and research potential solutions (your SaaS product). Their JTBD might focus on improving efficiency, increasing ROI, or demonstrating the value proposition to higher-ups.
• Senior decision-makers (CFO, CEO): These stakeholders hold the final approval power and prioritize factors like budget allocation and return on investment (ROI). Their JTBD might revolve around cost-saving measures or long-term financial benefits.

By creating content clusters, you can cater to the specific needs and priorities of each decision-maker within the buying journey:

• Content for mid-level champions: Focus on content that addresses their JTBDs, such as articles demonstrating how your SaaS product improves team communication, streamlines workflows, and delivers a strong ROI. Provide case studies and data showcasing successful implementations in similar companies.
• Content for senior decision-makers: Cater to their concerns with content highlighting cost-saving benefits, long-term financial gains, and integrations with existing systems. Focus on scalability, security, and the overall value proposition your product brings to the organization.

By using content clusters that address the JTBDs of different personas within the buying committee, you create a comprehensive and informative resource. TripleDart implemented a similar strategy for our Client Phyllo. Phyllo helps marketing agencies gather social media data from influencer profiles, such as profile details, engagement metrics, and much more-

Pillar Page: We created a comprehensive pillar page titled "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media API Integration for SaaS Businesses." This page served as the central hub for all social media API-related content.

• Supporting Content Clusters: Within this cluster, we developed in-depth articles focusing on specific social media platforms like Instagram API, TikTok API, and LinkedIn API. These articles explored functionalities, use cases, and implementation details for each platform.
• Strategic Interlinking: We strategically interlinked all supporting content back to the pillar page. This created a web of interconnected resources, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of social media API integration.
• Keyword Targeting: Besides relying on traditional keyword research data (search volume, competition), we also targeted content based on:
  • PAA Questions: We identified frequently asked questions related to social media API integration, particularly those related to pricing, features, and "how-to" guides. These questions became the foundation for dedicated blog posts within the cluster.
  • ICP Trigger Points: We addressed challenges faced by our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) when dealing with social media APIs. For instance, we created content exploring "Challenges with Free APIs" and how our solution overcomes these limitations.

The strategy garnered Phyllo: A 573% increase in blog-only organic traffic - 1500 to 11k

and a whopping 1,850% surge in total events (leads, opportunities, MQLs, SQLs, and customers) - from 2 leads per month to 39 leads per month

Step 6: Highlighting interlinking & backlinking:

Strategic interlinking is the art of connecting your content pieces within clusters and to your pillar page. This seemingly simple practice offers significant benefits:

• Enhanced user experience: By linking relevant content, you guide users on a journey through your content funnel. They can easily discover deeper resources related to their initial search, keeping them engaged and informed.
• Improved topical authority: Interlinking signals to search engines the relationships between your content pieces. This demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of a topic, strengthening your website's topical authority on that subject.
• SEO benefits: Search engines consider interlinking when evaluating the relevance and structure of your website. This can positively influence your search engine ranking for targeted keywords.

Backlinking:

Backlinks are essentially links from other websites pointing back to your content. These act like votes of confidence, indicating your website is a valuable source of information. Here's how backlinks contribute to your success:

• Enhanced authority & trustworthiness: Earning backlinks from high-quality, relevant websites increases your website's authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines.
• Improved search ranking: Backlinks are a significant ranking factor for search engines. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your content is likely to rank in search results.
• Increased referral traffic: Backlinks from relevant websites drive targeted traffic to your content. Users following these links are already interested in the topic, making them more likely to convert into customers.

Building a backlink strategy:

While acquiring backlinks can feel daunting, there are proactive strategies to consider:

• Create high-quality, link-worthy content: The best way to attract backlinks is to consistently produce valuable, informative, and shareable content that others will find worth linking to.
• Guest blogging & outreach: Contribute guest posts to relevant blogs in your industry. This allows you to showcase your expertise and earn backlinks to your website.
• Broken link building: Identify broken links on relevant websites and suggest your content as a replacement, offering a more valuable resource for their audience.

3. Conversion-focused content:

Within the buyer's journey, there are crucial decision points where users might stray from your content funnel and consider alternative solutions or even your competitors. These are your Key Switch Points. Identifying and addressing them strategically is vital to convert users into loyal customers.

There are several ways to pinpoint these critical decision points:

• Customer research & sales calls: Analyze data from customer interviews, surveys, and sales calls. Look for moments where users express hesitation or mention considering alternative solutions.
• User testing & recordings: Conduct user testing sessions and analyze screen recordings. Observe where users pause, click away, or show signs of confusion. These points might indicate a need for additional information or clarification.
• Google search console insights: Look at keywords with high bounce rates in Google Search Console. This might indicate users found your content but didn't find the answer they were looking for, potentially a key switch point where they might have considered alternatives.

Once you've identified your key switch points, it's time to address them proactively within your content strategy:

• Acknowledge the alternatives: Don't shy away from mentioning alternative solutions or competitor offerings. Acknowledge their existence and explain how your SaaS product offers a better solution.
• Highlight your unique value proposition (UVP): Clearly communicate what sets your product apart. Focus on the unique features, benefits, and integrations that make your SaaS product the superior choice.
• Address user concerns: Anticipate common user concerns that might arise at these switch points. Directly address these concerns within your content, providing reassurance and demonstrating the value your product brings.

Content Formats to address key switch points:

Various content formats excel at capturing users at these critical decision points:

• Comparison charts & tables: Create clear and concise comparison charts that highlight your product's strengths against competitors, making it easier for users to see the value proposition.
• Case studies & customer success stories: Showcase real-world examples of how your SaaS product has helped similar businesses achieve success. This builds trust and demonstrates the effectiveness of your solution.
• In-depth content & whitepapers: Offer in-depth content that dives deeper into the challenges users face and how your product provides a comprehensive solution. This positions your brand as a thought leader and builds confidence in your expertise.
• Landing pages: Landing pages provide focused value propositions, capture leads for nurturing, and offer valuable data for optimizing conversions at crucial stages in your funnel.

Here's how a similar strategy implemented by TripleDart helped Spenflo double their lead conversion from their blog.

TripleDart crafted a comprehensive strategy to boost impressions and clicks and achieve this result:

BOFU content creation: Next, we created high-converting BOFU content like landing pages and listicles that answer the target audience’s most pressing questions and provide valuable insights.

Site audit: We performed a technical site audit to uncover technical issues, if any, and implemented SEO best practices to optimize the website.

Lead magnets: The published articles were drawing in a good volume of traffic. Therefore, we set up lead magnets such as banner implementations and CTA placements within these articles to capture potential leads.

On-page optimization: Further, we optimized website pages with on-page elements like meta title, meta description, headers, image alt text, and so on.

Analytics and monitoring: Finally, we used Google Analytics to track various aspects of website performance and analyze how effective the SEO strategies that have been implemented have been.

How We Do SaaS Keyword Research Here at TripleDart

At TripleDart, our approach to SaaS keyword research and content calendar creation is both systematic and collaborative.

We start by identifying the critical and relevant themes for the business, utilizing tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush for comprehensive keyword research. By engaging with team members such as product marketers, CEOs, etc.we gain a deep understanding of the product, which helps us create a framework that addresses the difficulties and pain points of our ideal customers. This ensures that the content we develop resonates with our target audience, offering solutions to their specific challenges.

Once we have a list of keywords, we sort them into relevant themes, following a topic and cluster approach. Our content calendar template is detailed and structured, including columns for themes, keywords, search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent. This helps us decide on the type of content needed, such as blogs, listicles, template articles, landing pages, calculators, tools, or content-heavy landing pages. We classify keywords by their intent (bottom, middle, or top of the funnel) and schedule content creation accordingly.

The content calendar provides comprehensive visibility, detailing the theme, timeline, page type, cluster, keywords, search volume, content type, intent, delivery date, document link, status, published date, and live link for each piece of content. This structured approach ensures everyone involved understands the focus, topics, and funnel stages for the upcoming months, helping us maintain consistency and transparency in our content creation process. This method allows us to build a clear direction for our content strategy, gain confidence from our stakeholders, and effectively address the needs of our clients.

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To summarize

By implementing the tactics explored in this blog, you can create a keyword strategy that attracts, educates, and converts high-value customers.

However, building and maintaining a successful SaaS SEO strategy requires ongoing effort and expertise. This is where TripleDart comes in.

TripleDart is a leading SaaS SEO agency with a proven track record of helping businesses like yours achieve remarkable results. We take the guesswork out of SEO strategy, leveraging our in-depth knowledge and experience to craft data-driven strategies that propel your SaaS product to the top of search results.

Our client Rentmojo can attest to this, as they've experienced a boost in monthly traffic from 110k to 240k in just 8 months. Or take it from our other client Phyllo, where the Tripledart team implemented a topic cluster model to increase leads from 2 to 39 a months.

Looking for a similar success story? Book your intro call today!