Keyword research is a crucial part of any SEO or PPC strategy. A good keyword list will help you get found for the right terms and drive organic traffic to your site.
But a lot of keyword research advice is geared toward B2C businesses. It’s all about keywords that will drive traffic to your ecommerce site or help you sell more management software.
B2C and B2B keyword research are different, and the advice you need will be different too.
In this article, I’ll cover how to do keyword research for your B2B or SaaS business. I’ll also share some of the best keyword research tools to help you get started.
1. Make a list of important relevant topics
Before you start, make a list of the most important words and phrases related to your business. Think of this as your keyword starter kit. You can always add and remove keywords from this list, but it’s important to have a starting point.
If you’re struggling to come up with keywords, try to think about how your customers would describe your business. That’s a good place to start.
You may have a good idea of the main topics you want to rank for, but what about the subtopics?
For example, if you sell an email marketing platform, you’ll want to rank for “email marketing.” But what about “email list building,” “email copywriting,” or “email design”?
These are all subtopics that are related to email marketing, and they are all things that email marketers need to know. What are the subtopics that are related to your main keyword?
One way to find subtopics is to look at the “related searches” section on the search engine results page (SERP). This will show you what other people are searching for that is related to your main keyword.
2. Fill in each topic with keywords
It’s time to fill in the blanks. Use the same keyword research tool to find the best keywords to use in your content.
This is where you can get really creative with your keywords. A lot of people make the mistake of just using the most obvious keywords in their content. But, if you take the time to do some deep keyword research, you can find some real gems that your competitors might be overlooking.
3. Research related search terms
Once you have a list of keywords, you can use them to generate related search terms. This is a great way to expand your list of potential keywords and find new topics to write about.
You can use a tool like Ubersuggest to find related keywords. Just enter a keyword and the tool will generate a list of related keywords, along with data on search volume, CPC, and competition.
You can also use the “related searches” feature on Google to find related keywords. Just enter a keyword and scroll to the bottom of the page to see a list of related searches.
4. Understand long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are search phrases with three or more words. They’re specific and detailed, and they’re used by people who have a good idea of what they’re looking for.
For example, if someone is looking for a new project management tool, they might start with a broad, one- or two-word search term, like “project management tool.”
But if they’re looking for a project management tool that integrates with Slack, they might use a long-tail keyword, like “project management tool that integrates with Slack.”
Long-tail keywords are important to include in your keyword research because they make up the majority of searches on the internet. They can also help you attract more qualified leads to your website.
5. Analyze the competition
Your competitors are already ranking for certain keywords, and you can use that to your advantage.
By analyzing the keywords your competitors are ranking for, you can identify opportunities to create content that targets those keywords and potentially outrank them.
You can also identify keywords that your competitors may not be targeting and use those to your advantage. This is where SEO keyword mapping comes in, helping you align your target keywords with specific pages on your site to capture the best opportunities.
6. Use keyword research tools
If you want to get a better understanding of what your potential customers are searching for, then you need to use keyword research tools.
There are a number of different tools available, but some of the most popular include:
• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• Ubersuggest
• Moz Keyword Explorer
• The best Wix affiliate apps, which can also assist in optimizing your strategy for affiliate marketing on Wix.
These tools will give you data on things like search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords. This information is invaluable when it comes to creating a keyword strategy for your SaaS.
7. Google-related search terms
Google-related search terms are a fantastic way to find new keywords.
If you type in a keyword that you want to rank for, Google will automatically generate a list of related terms that people are also searching for.
This can help you find new keywords that you might not have thought of and can also give you a better idea of what your audience is looking for.
8. Use Google’s keyword planner
The Google Ads keyword planner is a free tool that allows you to search for keywords and get search volume data and trends.
You can use the keyword planner to find new keywords and get keyword ideas. You can also use it to get historical statistics and traffic forecasts.
One of the best things about the keyword planner is that it allows you to filter your search results by location, language, and search network. This can help you get more accurate keyword data and find the most relevant keywords for your business.
9. Ask your customers
You should be talking to your customers as much as possible. Not only does this help you understand your audience better, but it also helps you identify potential keyword opportunities.
Your customers can tell you a lot about the language they use when talking about your product or service. This can give you a good indication of the keywords you should be targeting.
You can also ask your customers what they would search for if they were looking for a solution like yours. This can help you identify new keywords you may not have thought of.
10. Use social media
If you’re not already, you need to be using social media as part of your keyword research process.
Social media is a great place to find new keywords and to see what your target audience is talking about.
You can use social media to find new keywords by searching for your main keywords and looking at the related keywords that come up. You can also use social media to see what your target audience is talking about and what keywords they are using.
This can help you to come up with new keyword ideas and to see how your target audience is using keywords in their content.
11. Use keyword management and organization tools
The final thing you need to do to make sure your keyword research is effective is to organize and manage your keyword lists.
There are a few ways to do this. You can use a simple spreadsheet, like Excel or Google Sheets, to keep track of your keywords. You can also use more sophisticated keyword research tools that have built-in organization and management features.
Some keyword research tools, like Ahrefs and SEMrush, have keyword lists that allow you to group your keywords into different categories, add notes and tags, and export your lists to a spreadsheet or other file.
Another great tool for managing your keyword lists is Keyword Planner. Keyword Planner is a free tool that allows you to enter your keywords and get data on search volume, competition, and suggested bids. You can also use Keyword Planner to create keyword lists and organize your keywords by relevance, search volume, and other factors.
12. Don’t forget to track your keyword rankings
After you’ve done all this keyword research, it’s important to track your keyword rankings.
This will help you understand how well your content is performing and where you need to make improvements.
There are lots of tools available that can help you track your keyword rankings, including Moz and SEMrush.
You can also use Google Analytics to see which keywords are driving traffic to your site and which ones aren’t.
Conclusion
Keyword research is a critical step in the content creation process. It ensures that you’re writing about topics your audience wants to read, and it helps you rank on search engines, driving traffic and leads to your website.
Susan Chisnall