I know first-hand how challenging it can be to drive real growth and sales in this competitive space. But over the years, I’ve learned that having the right keyword strategy is one of the most powerful ways to connect with more qualified leads.

In this post, I want to share the proven keyword research process that has worked wonders for my clients’ SaaS business. My goal is to help you learn some new tips and tricks that can take your SaaS keyword research to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing strategy, I think you’ll find this guide super useful. I’m going to break it down step-by-step and share plenty of examples from my own experience.

In the end, you’ll walk away with a plan of action and all the resources you need to nail your SaaS keyword research. So grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and let’s nerd out on some search marketing together!

#1 Know about Your Audience and Competitors 

Before going for keyword research, it’s important to have a clear picture of who you’re creating content for and what other options they’re considering. Developing detailed audience and competitor insights informs which keywords and topics you should focus on in your strategy.

Target Audience & Customer Journey 

Defining your ideal customer profile (ICP) allows you to understand your perfect customer’s pain points and information needs during their journey from awareness to purchase. Key elements of your target audience to consider include:

• Demographic details like job title, industry, company size
• Psychographics including personality traits, values, and interests
• Their goals and challenges your SaaS solves
• Where they are in the customer journey and what motivates them at each stage

You should also be aware of any anti-ICP personas that are unlikely to convert to customers, so you don’t target the wrong searches.

Developing detailed user personas and mapping their customer journey will reveal the informational keywords and topics they search for at each stage, from early problem awareness to evaluating solutions and making a purchase decision. Track their digital body language across search, social media, and your own website to identify pain points and knowledge gaps you can fill with content.

Competitor Analysis 

Conducting in-depth SaaS competitor research provides insight into the keywords and topics your competition is already optimizing and targeting.

Here are the list of the areas that you need to analyze:

• The keywords they rank for organically and target with paid ads
• The types of content they produce such as blogs, ebooks, and case studies
• Their website and landing page optimization
• The topics and messaging in their ad copy and creatives
• Any gaps where they may be missing opportunities to rank

This enables you to find untapped keyword opportunities within your space and create differentiated content that stands out from your competitors.

#2 Do Brainstorming and Categorize the Keywords 

With your audience and competitors in mind, you can now start building a master keyword list. The goal is to brainstorm a large volume of relevant keywords and then group them meaningfully.

Seed Keywords & Keyword Expansion Techniques

Start with a list of 2-3 “seed keywords” that summarize your main products or services. For example, a project management software may use “project management software” as a seed term. Use keyword research tools like Ahrefs, UberSuggest, SEMrush, and Google Keyword Planner to expand your seeds into long-tail variations. Generate semantic keyword variants using synonyms, questions, comparisons, etc. Include common misspellings or closely related phrases that a user may try. Cast a wide initial net. Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find keyword ideas based on common question formats like “how to”, “what is”, etc.

Keyword Categorization by Intent 

With a robust list, you can start categorizing keywords to determine focus areas. 

Informational vs. Transactional vs. Navigational

• Informational keywords indicate early research like “SaaS industry report”.
• Transactional searches signal intent to buy like “CRM software free trial”.
• Navigational terms are brand/product names like your company or product.

Prioritize transactional and navigational conversions over informational reach.

#3 Do Advanced Keyword Research & Analysis

Expanding beyond standard tools and tactics, advanced SaaS keyword research provides further insights to refine your targeting.

Intent Mapping

Intent mapping involves aligning keywords to searcher intent at different stages of the customer journey. Categorize keywords by early-stage awareness building versus late-stage decision-making intent. This allows you to customize content to match each keyword to relevant intent. For example, let’s consider CRM software as our seed keyword. The CRM software can be used for Contact Management and Marketing Automation. Now, let’s find out how the mapping should be done. Here’s a graphical example provided –

Topic Clustering

Topic clustering uses tools like Topic Clusters to analyze keywords and group them into content themes and topics. Build clusters around your products, features, benefits, thought leadership, use cases, etc. These clusters inform content development and SEO optimization.

Competitor Ad Analysis

Analyze competitors’ paid search and display ad campaigns using tools like SpyFu. Uncover the specific keywords they target, typical ad spend, landing pages, and more. Apply these insights to shape your organic and paid marketing strategies accordingly.

Google Suggest & Related Searches

Mine Google Suggest and the related searches at the bottom of results pages to uncover fresh, highly relevant keyword variations and emerging topics tailored to searcher intent. This provides an endless source of ideas.

Together, these advanced tactics provide more dimensions to your keyword research and opportunities to refine your strategy.

#4 Implement and Track Your Strategy

With rigorous keyword research completed, the final step is activating those insights across your SaaS presence and continuously optimizing over time.

Content Creation & Optimization with Focused Keywords 

Create informative, keyword-optimized guides to attract early-stage awareness keywords. Develop case studies and reviews targeting mid-funnel consideration keywords. Optimize product comparison and pricing pages with late-stage conversion keywords. Include relevant keywords in page copy, titles, headers, image names, URLs, and metadata.

Website & Landing Page Optimization 

From an on-site technical SEO perspective, follow best practices to maximize crawlability and indexing. Tailor pages to keyword intent through content and clear calls to action.

Ensure researched keywords are reflected on-page with:

• Keyword-focused page titles and H1 headers
• Targeted content and meta descriptions
• Keyword integration in page copy
• Schema markup for rich results

Streamline site navigation and architecture based on core topics.

Paid Advertising Campaigns based on Keyword Insights 

For paid ads, build Google and social campaigns optimized for commercial transactional and branded keywords. Use long-tail informational keywords to discover new relevant phrases.

Build PPC, paid social, and retargeting campaigns around researched buyer keywords. Create tightly themed ad groups. Bid higher on commercial intent keywords.

Regular Performance Tracking & Keyword Strategy Reevaluation 

Continuously track keyword rankings, traffic, and conversions over time. Identify areas of improvement. Revisit search trends and refresh your strategy on a quarterly or biannual basis.

By combining vigorous keyword research upfront with ongoing optimization and iteration, your SaaS business can drive consistent growth through search. Comprehensive keyword analysis provides the insights needed to connect your product to those searching for solutions. With a thoughtful and informed strategy, you can build awareness, capture qualified leads, and ultimately convert customers from organic and paid search.

Conclusion

And that wraps up my guide on maximizing SaaS growth through keyword research! I tried to pack a ton of practical tips and strategies into this post so you can find keyword success. Remember, this is an ongoing process. Commit to revisiting your research and content regularly to stay ahead in search. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out in the comments below. I’m always happy to chat more about SaaS keywords and search marketing. Thanks so much for reading, and I wish you the best of luck connecting with more qualified leads and customers!