# Keyword research for a SaaS: the six families that matter

You win SaaS search by covering six families, not by chasing single phrases. This guide shows you what they are, how to find them, and what to ship first. It is for founders who write their own pages.

Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/guides/keyword-research-for-saas

## The six families that matter

Target these six families. They map to how people buy software and how Google shows results.

- Category and best-of: “project management software”, “best password manager for teams”
- Alternatives and vs: “X alternatives”, “X vs Y”
- Jobs to be done: “how to do Z”, “process for Z”, “template for Z”
- Integrations: “X with Y”, “connect X to Y”, “sync X and Y”
- Rivals’ pricing and comparison pages: “rival pricing”, “rival vs rival”
- Your brand: your product name, with and without qualifiers

Each family needs its own page type. That match is how you get intent right and clicks that convert.

## How to find ideas for each family

Start with what buyers type. Use Google’s own surfaces and what rivals already ship. Do not guess from your product tree.

1. **Category and best-of** Type your category and see autocomplete. Add “best”, “for”, and your niche. Note the exact strings. Then scan the results page: are there listicles and roundups? Save titles and H1s.
2. **Alternatives and vs** Search “<rival> alternatives” and “<rival> vs”. List each pair you see in titles. Check People also ask for more pairs. These are commercial investigation intents.
3. **Jobs to be done** Write down tasks your user does in your app. For each, search “how to <task>”, “<task> template”, “<task> workflow”. Use the Related searches at the foot for variants.
4. **Integrations** List apps in your users’ stack. Combine them with your category verbs: “sync”, “integrate”, “import”, “export”, “connect”. Check if results show docs, marketplace pages, or guides.
5. **Rivals’ pricing and comparisons** Run site:rival.com and add “pricing” or “compare” to see their structure. Open their sitemap.xml to list all comparison and pricing URLs. Their title tags show the queries they target.
6. **Your brand** Search your brand naked and with qualifiers: pricing, reviews, competitors, login, alternatives. Save the set Google suggests in autocomplete. These are navigational and defensive.

Use your own Search Console to seed. The Queries table shows where you already appear. Expand anything with impressions and low clicks for quick wins.

> If you have no paid Google Ads account, use Bing Webmaster Tools’ keyword research to get free volume ranges.

## Sizing demand and choosing intent

Size clusters, not single strings. Then check the results page to read intent before you commit a page type.

- Group close variants into one cluster. The total demand is the sum of the members.
- Search volume is a monthly average over the last twelve months. Treat it as an estimate, not a promise.
- Two tools will disagree. Use them to rank clusters against each other, not to forecast to the last click.
- Open the results page for your head term. If you see guides and videos, it is informational. If you see product pages and shopping blocks, it is transactional. Lists and comparisons mean commercial investigation.
- Note any featured snippet or AI Overview. Expect fewer clicks than volume suggests when those show.

A good cluster sheet has the canonical query, its variants, the page type, the model title, and notes on the results page. Keep it simple enough to ship.

## What to build first on a new SaaS

Ship the pages most likely to win fast and convert. Leave the hardest fights for later, when you have links and trust.

- Your brand home and pricing: people will search your name. Make sure “/pricing” exists and answers “pricing”, “plans”, and “cost”.
- High-fit jobs to be done: templates and how-tos tied to your core workflow. These rank with fewer links and bring qualified readers.
- Integration pages for niche pairs: target where marketplaces are thin. “X with Y” pages can win on long tails and send referral traffic.
- Alternatives to the closest rival you replace: “Rival alternatives” and “Rival vs YourBrand”. Start with one strong page, not ten thin ones.
- One narrow category or best-of angle where you have an edge: “best <category> for <niche>”. Pick a niche you can own.
- Hold broad category head terms until you have evidence. Compete later with a pillar and supporting pages.

A fixed page looks like this: “/integrations/notion-sync”, with a clear H1, a how-it-works section, setup steps, limits, and FAQs. Link to it from your app nav and docs.

## Page patterns that match each family

Match page structure to intent. Your title and H1 should echo the core query without stuffing. Keep one page per cluster.

| Family | Primary intent | Page type | Core blocks to include |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Category and best-of | Commercial investigation | Listicle hub | Use cases and criteria, short list with pros and cons, quick filters, CTAs to relevant product pages, comparison table, schema for Article if a guide |
| Alternatives and vs | Commercial investigation | Comparison page | Scenario-based comparison, feature-by-feature table, migration notes, who each is for, screenshots, honest trade-offs, internal links to “/compare/<rival>” child pages |
| Jobs to be done | Informational | How-to or template | Step-by-step guide, downloadable template, embedded product steps, pitfalls, next steps, light CTA, HowTo or FAQ schema where it makes sense |
| Integrations | Transactional and informational | Integration landing | What syncs, requirements, setup steps, limits, troubleshooting, pricing notes, link to partner docs, screenshots, FAQ |
| Rivals’ pricing and comparisons | Commercial investigation | Pricing explainer or comparison | Plan matrix rephrased in plain language, cost drivers, hidden limits, switch costs, alternatives, link to your “/pricing” |
| Your brand | Navigational | Home, pricing, login, reviews | Fast answers to branded queries, sitelinks eligible structure, reviews page if applicable, trust signals, speed and uptime info if relevant |

Keep titles within about 60 characters. Write meta descriptions that set expectations. Do not use the same angle twice across your site.

## Worked plan: a fictional SaaS

Assume “Flowmerge”, a SaaS that syncs customer notes between Notion and HubSpot for B2B teams. It also deduplicates contacts. New domain, no links.

- Category and best-of: “customer data sync”, “best data sync tools for HubSpot”, “best Notion CRM sync”. Results show listicles and marketplaces.
- Alternatives and vs: “Zapier alternatives for HubSpot sync”, “Zapier vs Make for HubSpot”, “HubSpot Notion sync vs CSV import”.
- Jobs to be done: “how to sync Notion with HubSpot”, “deduplicate HubSpot contacts”, “unify customer notes across tools”, “customer notes template”.
- Integrations: “Notion HubSpot integration”, “connect Notion to HubSpot”, “sync Notion and HubSpot”, “HubSpot dedupe with Notion”.
- Rivals’ pricing and comparisons: “Zapier pricing”, “Unito vs Zapier”, “Make vs Zapier”, “HubSpot Operations Hub pricing”.
- Brand: “Flowmerge”, “Flowmerge pricing”, “Flowmerge Notion HubSpot”.

1. **Find and cluster** Use autocomplete and People also ask to pull variants for each. Group by intent: integration setup, comparison, pricing, how-to. Sum volumes per cluster. Ignore duplicates like pluralisation.
2. **Decide page list for month one** Ship seven pages: “/integrations/notion-hubspot”, “/use-cases/deduplicate-hubspot-contacts”, “/templates/customer-notes-notion”, “/compare/zapier-alternatives”, “/compare/zapier-vs-make”, “/pricing”, and the home page tuned to the brand.
3. **Write model titles** Examples: “Notion HubSpot integration: sync notes both ways”, “Deduplicate HubSpot contacts without spreadsheets”, “Zapier alternatives for HubSpot data sync”. Stay under about 60 characters.
4. **Draft outlines that match SERP** Open each results page. If top results are docs and marketplace listings, lead with setup steps. If they are comparisons, build a scenario table and switching notes.
5. **Publish and link** Link from the home and header to “/integrations”. Cross-link the comparison pages. Link job pages to the integration page. Add a small CTA block on each guide.
6. **Measure and adjust** In Search Console after 28 days, pull queries for “/integrations/notion-hubspot”. Add H2s and FAQs around rising queries. Build a “/integrations/hubspot-notion-dedupe” child if you see that phrasing climb.

What a fixed page looks like here: “/integrations/notion-hubspot” with H1 “Notion HubSpot integration”, a two-minute setup video, exact fields that sync, rate limits, and a link to pricing. Add an FAQ block for “Does it sync both ways?” and “What about attachments?”.

## Quick rival research without a suite

You can map a rival’s search play in an hour. Use their public files and Google itself.

1. **List their content types** Open rival.com/sitemap.xml. Copy all /compare/, /integrations/, /blog/ topics, and /pricing. Note the naming patterns.
2. **Read their titles** Scrape or scan title tags. They show the head queries. Flag anything like “X alternatives”, “best <category> for <niche>”, or “<tool> vs <tool>”.
3. **Spot what Google holds** Search site:rival.com <keyword>. Adjust the keyword. See which pages are indexed and which ranks pages Google prefers.
4. **Check SERP intent fit** Open the top results for the same query. Compare your planned page type to what wins now. Change your angle before you write if needed.
5. **Pick two gaps to attack** Look for a comparison they have not covered, or an integration they ignore. Build depth, not breadth.

Do not mirror their weak pages. If their “alternatives” is a thin list, beat it with real scenarios and migration notes. One better page is enough to take share over time.

## Estimating difficulty and when to ignore it

Treat keyword difficulty as a rough link proxy. It does not judge your intent fit. You can win with the right page on a high “KD” long tail.

- Use difficulty to sort within the same family and intent. Lower first when your domain is new.
- Open the top results and count meaningful links and mentions. Titles stuffed with head terms and poor match are a chance.
- Favour queries with messy results pages. If results mix docs, forums and vendor pages, a clear, matched page can land quickly.
- Ignore head terms that show marketplaces and review sites only. Go after the “for <niche>” and “template” variants first.

A fixed win looks like this: your “/compare/zapier-alternatives” takes traffic for “zapier alternatives for hubspot” because you focused on that scenario, while generic lists missed it.

## Maintain, measure and compound

Publish, then maintain. Your search gains come from iteration. Use your own data, not guesses, to choose the next page.

- Check Search Console monthly. Sort queries by impressions, then clicks. Expand subheads on pages that show rising impressions and few clicks.
- Find striking distance. Anything in positions 4 to 15 with a clean intent match can move with better titles, intros and internal links.
- Prevent cannibalisation. One page per cluster. If two URLs compete, merge and redirect the weaker one.
- Use internal links to move equity. From your top posts, link with natural anchor text to the comparison and integration pages you need to lift.
- Refresh guides that slide. When clicks decay, update steps, screenshots and dates. Keep the URL.
- Track post-click in GA4. Watch which pages send trials or signups. Build more in those families.

> Rule: set one owner per family. Page quality and updates beat publishing volume for a small site.

## Questions

### How is SaaS keyword research different from general SEO?

You work around buying motions. Most of your value sits in commercial investigation and integrations, not vague how-tos. You also need comparison and alternatives pages to intercept switchers. The brand and pricing pages matter more because signups happen online.

### Which keyword tools should I use for a small SaaS?

Start with free sources: Google Search Console for queries you already touch, and Bing Webmaster Tools for volume ranges. Use one suite if you can for competitive research and tracking. Ahrefs is strong on links and Site Explorer. Semrush is broad with competitive modules and Keyword Magic Tool. Moz is steady with education and Link Explorer. Pick one and focus on shipping pages.

### What is the 80/20 for SaaS keyword research?

Pick two families that fit your product and ship five strong pages before you do anything else. Usually that is jobs to be done and integrations, or alternatives and vs. Then improve them from Search Console data. Do not spread across twenty weak posts.

### How do I estimate traffic without paying for Google Ads?

Use Bing Webmaster Tools’ keyword research to get volume ranges. Combine that with autocomplete, People also ask and Related searches to judge breadth. Sum variants into clusters and prioritise by business fit, not just the biggest number.

### Should I target head terms like “project management software” early?

Not on a new site. Those pages need links and trust. Start with “best project management software for <niche>”, integrations and specific jobs. Come back to head terms with a pillar and internal links when you have momentum.

### Do AI Overviews kill clicks for SaaS queries?

They reduce clicks on some informational and broad queries. You can still win on commercial investigation, integrations and brand terms where buyers want vendor pages. Check the results page. If you see an AI Overview, expect fewer clicks than volume suggests.

## Read next

- [SEO for SaaS: a strategy for a team of one](https://porteur.ai/guides/seo-for-saas): What to rank and why for a SaaS site: the page families that work, pricing and comparisons, how to avoid thin content, and how to measure signups.
- [Search intent: what the results page tells you to build](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-intent): Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words.
- [Keyword research from Search Console alone](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-for-keyword-research): Use Search Console alone to find queries you already earn, gaps with impressions and no page, long questions, and pages that compete. Build a plan.
- [Competitor keyword analysis by hand, with free data](https://porteur.ai/guides/competitor-keyword-analysis): Choose the right rivals, read their sitemaps, pull free keyword clues, find the gaps, and turn them into pages you can ship this week.
- [Keyword difficulty: what the number means and when to ignore it](https://porteur.ai/guides/keyword-difficulty): Treat keyword difficulty as a links proxy, not a gatekeeper. Learn when the score helps, when it misleads, and how to read the results page yourself.
- [Striking distance keywords: the searches one page from the light](https://porteur.ai/guides/striking-distance-keywords): Find queries you already rank for at positions 11 to 20, fix the one page that’s close, and add links. Faster wins than writing a new page.
- [Keyword research with Google autocomplete: the method and its limits](https://porteur.ai/guides/google-autocomplete-keyword-research): Use Google autocomplete to find real queries, sort by intent, and turn them into pages. Learn the letter-by-letter method, switches, and the limits.
- [The best SEO tools for a SaaS, by the job](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-seo-tools-for-saas): Pick the right SEO tool for each SaaS job: research, crawl, backlinks, speed, reporting and AI visibility. Suites or a report, with clear criteria.

Want your six families mapped from a URL with three findings in about thirty seconds, free? Run the check and see where to ship first. Free check: https://porteur.ai/