Guide Keyword research · 6 of 7
How to Do Keyword Research for a SaaS Product
Do keyword research for a SaaS product by page type: features, use cases, integrations, templates, pricing, and docs, one keyword per page.
Key takeaways
- Start from the page types a software site needs.
- Use the job users want done, not feature names.
- Publish integration and alternatives pages only with verified facts.
Keyword research for a SaaS product works best when it starts from the pages your site needs. A long list of terms is not the place to start. Each page type answers a different kind of search. Map one keyword to each page, check its intent, and write only claims your product can back up.
This guide is for small SaaS teams, including developers and founders who also do the marketing. It ends with a page-type keyword map you can fill in. For keyword basics, see the guide to keywords in SEO.
Start from the pages a SaaS site needs
| Page type | What it answers | Typical search pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Feature page | Can the product do this specific thing? | [task] software, [task] tool |
| Use case page | Does it fit my kind of business or role? | [task] for [industry or role] |
| Integration page | Does it work with my other tools? | [product] [other tool] integration |
| Alternatives page | What else should I consider? | [competitor] alternative |
| Template page | Can I start from something ready-made? | [task] template |
| Pricing page | What will it cost? | [product or category] pricing |
| Docs and help | How do I do this in the product? | how to [task] in [product] |
Not every SaaS needs every page type on day one. A product with five customers and one core feature needs a strong feature page and good docs far more than a dozen integration pages. Start with the ones that match your current customers and features.
Use jobs-to-be-done language
“Jobs to be done” means naming what the user wants to get done, not what your feature is called. People search for their problem, not your product’s words.
- Feature name: “Smart Slots.” Job: “let clients book their own appointments.”
- Feature name: “Auto-Nudge.” Job: “send appointment reminders automatically.”
- Feature name: “Team Sync.” Job: “share one calendar across a team.”
Write the job first, then look for the searches people use to describe it. Feature names can still appear on the page, but the keyword should match the job.
Find candidate searches for each page type
You already have useful sources:
- Support tickets: how customers describe problems in their own words. The customer questions guide shows how to log them without personal data.
- Docs search: what users type into your help center search box.
- Sales calls and demos: what prospects ask before they buy.
- Autocomplete: start typing the job into Google and note the suggestions.
Group the ideas by page type. A feature page needs task searches. An integration page needs “[product] + [tool]” searches. Pricing and alternatives pages attract people close to buying; the buyer-intent keywords guide explains how to confirm those signals.
Check intent and pick one keyword per page
For each candidate, search it and look at what ranks. If the results are software product pages, a feature page fits. If they are tutorials, a docs page or blog guide may fit better. The search intent guide covers this check step by step.
Then pick one primary keyword per page. Two pages targeting the same search compete with each other. If two candidates look similar, compare their top results before deciding they need separate pages.
Worked example: a scheduling SaaS with 6 page types
Fictional example. An imaginary scheduling app helps small clinics and salons let clients book online. No search volumes are shown; the intent column records what the results page showed.
| Page type | Job | Primary keyword | Intent check | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | Let clients book their own appointments | online booking software | Product pages rank | /features/online-booking/ |
| Feature | Send reminders automatically | automated appointment reminders | Product pages rank | /features/reminders/ |
| Use case | Booking for a salon | salon booking system | Product and use case pages rank | /use-cases/salons/ |
| Integration | Sync with a calendar app the team uses | [app] [calendar tool] integration | Integration pages rank | /integrations/[calendar-tool]/ |
| Template | Send a reminder message | appointment reminder text template | Template guides rank | /templates/reminder-texts/ |
| Docs | Change working hours in the app | how to set working hours in [app] | Help pages rank | /help/working-hours/ |
Each row has one job, one keyword, and one URL. The team skipped an alternatives page for now because it did not yet have verified facts about competitors.
Integrations and alternatives pages: only with facts you can verify
These pages carry the most risk. An integration page must describe one that really works. Test it, list what syncs and what does not, and date the page.
An alternatives page compares your product with others. Write it only when you can check each claim against what the other product says today. Google’s guidance on writing high-quality reviews suggests explaining what sets something apart from its competitors and covering comparable things to consider. That only works when the comparison is fair and up to date. Google’s guidance on helpful, people-first content applies to every page type here.
Common SaaS keyword mistakes
- Targeting feature names. Few people search for your internal labels. Target the job instead.
- One page for every keyword. Two pages for near-identical searches compete with each other. Check overlap first.
- Integration pages for integrations in beta. Publish when it works for customers, and say what is not supported.
- Blog posts where product pages rank. If buyers see product pages, a feature page will usually fit better than an article.
- Forgetting docs. Help pages answer real searches from current users and cut support work.
Hand the map to the editorial calendar
A finished map is a list of pages, not a schedule. Decide which to build first. A common order for a small team:
- Feature pages for your main jobs.
- Use case pages for your best customer types.
- Docs pages for the questions support answers most.
- Integration and template pages.
- Alternatives pages, once facts are verified.
Then plan them by quarter, using the quarterly editorial calendar for a SaaS blog. If some jobs peak at certain times of year, such as booking demand before holidays, the seasonal keywords guide shows how to time those pages.
Where DEX fits
DEX connects keyword research, article production, publishing, and reporting. Its product presentation describes choosing opportunities using search volume, difficulty, and a site’s current position. Your team still has to supply the product facts, such as which integrations work.
SaaS page-type keyword map
| Page type | Job | Keyword | Intent check | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FAQ
Where should SaaS keyword research start?
+
With the page types your site needs, then the searches for each one.
What is jobs-to-be-done language?
+
Describing what the user wants to get done instead of your feature name.
When should I write an alternatives page?
+
Only when you can verify each claim against the other product's current information.
Sources
Dex SEO is an AI SEO agent for small businesses. Every article here is planned from search data, drafted by Dex, fact-checked against the sources it cites, and reviewed by the team before it is published.
How this article was made: planned and drafted by Dex from search data, fact-checked by Dex (2 claims checked), then approved by the Dex SEO team.