📑 Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Golden Rule
3. Prerequisites & Tools
4. The Perfect Keyword Formula
5. Phase 1: Homepage Keyword Research
6. Phase 2: Landing Page Research
7. Documentation System
8. Quality Control Checklist
9. Common Mistakes to Avoid
10. Pro Tips & Best Practices
11. Appendix: Google Sheet Template

1. Introduction

Most SaaS companies approach SEO with good intentions but poor execution. They create content, optimize pages, and build links—but their pages end up competing against each other in search results.

This phenomenon, called keyword cannibalization, happens when multiple pages on your website target the same or similar keywords. The result? Google gets confused about which page to rank, and none of them perform well.

This guide is specifically designed for SaaS websites that already have pages built (homepage, feature pages, product pages, etc.). If you're starting from scratch with a bare-bones website, you'll need a different approach.

Who This Guide Is For

• SEO specialists working with SaaS clients
• Marketing managers at SaaS companies
• Content strategists planning SEO-driven content
• Agencies managing multiple SaaS websites

2. The Golden Rule

This principle is the foundation of effective SaaS SEO. Here's what it means in practice:

Why This Matters

When multiple pages target the same keyword:

• Google can't determine which page to rank
• Your pages compete against each other
• Rankings are split or suppressed entirely
• You waste content and SEO resources

By giving each page a unique keyword focus, you create a clear hierarchy where every page has a specific job in your SEO strategy.

3. Prerequisites & Tools

Before beginning your keyword research, ensure you have the following in place:

Required Tools

Required Knowledge

1. Product/Service Understanding

You must clearly understand what the software does and who it serves. Review:

• Homepage messaging
• Product descriptions
• Value propositions
• Main features and benefits

2. Target Audience Profile

Example Target Audience

• Geography: North America, specific U.S. states
• Industry: Construction
• Personas: VPs of Innovation, VPs of Marketing, Industry Leaders
• Company Types: General contractors, subcontractors

4. The Perfect Keyword Formula

Not all keywords are created equal. A perfect primary keyword must meet four specific criteria:

Secondary Keyword Requirements

Your 2-4 secondary keywords must:

• Be close variations of the primary keyword
• Produce the exact same top 10 Google results as the primary
• Have relevant search volume
• Support the primary keyword focus

5. Phase 1: Homepage Keyword Research

Always start with the homepage. This is the foundation of your entire keyword strategy. Get this right, and the rest falls into place.

Step 1: Analyze the Homepage

Review all existing homepage elements to understand the current positioning:

• Title Tag: What's the current SEO title?
• Meta Description: How is the page currently described?
• H1 Header: What's the main headline?
• Other Headers: What are H2, H3 tags saying?
• Body Copy: What's the main messaging on the page?

Step 2: Initial Keyword Discovery

Take the most descriptive phrase from the homepage and enter it into your keyword research tool.

Step 3: Test Multiple Variations

Don't stop at the first keyword. Test multiple variations to find the optimal choice:

• "construction estimating software"
• "estimating software for construction"
• "construction estimate software"
• "contractor estimating software"
• "building estimating software"

For each variation, compare:

• Search volume (higher is better, but not at expense of relevance)
• Keyword difficulty (medium to easy preferred)
• How closely it matches your offering

Step 4: The Critical Search Intent Verification

For each keyword candidate:

1. Open Google (incognito mode for unbiased results)
2. Search for the keyword
3. Carefully examine the top 10 results
4. Ask yourself these questions:

If you answer "no" to any of these questions: Return to Step 3 and test different keyword variations. Do not proceed with a keyword that fails the intent check.

If you answer "yes" to all questions: You've found a strong primary keyword candidate. Move to Step 5.

Step 5: Select Supporting Keywords

Choose 2-4 secondary keywords that support your primary keyword:

Step 6: Document Your Research

Create your Google Sheet and document everything:

6. Phase 2: Landing Page Research

Once your homepage keyword research is complete and documented, move to your landing pages. The process is the same, but you'll repeat it for each important page on your site.

Step 1: Identify All Landing Pages

Review your website to find all pages that need keyword research:

Check Your Navigation Bar

Most important pages appear in the main navigation. Document every link.

Review Your Sitemap

Check the sitemap or folder structure for pages not in the nav. These often include:

• Feature Pages: Individual product features
• Product Pages: Specific product offerings
• Use Case Pages: How the product solves specific problems
• Benefit Pages: Key benefits or outcomes
• Industry Pages: Industry-specific solutions
• Persona Pages: Solutions for specific job roles

Step 2: Repeat the Research Process

For each landing page, follow the same process as the homepage:

1. Understand what the page is about
2. Review existing meta elements and copy
3. Extract potential keywords
4. Input keywords into your research tool
5. Test multiple variations
6. Check search volume and difficulty
7. Verify search intent in Google
8. Select 1 primary + 2-4 secondary keywords
9. Ensure no overlap with other pages
10. Create a new tab in your Google Sheet
11. Document everything

Example unique keywords for different pages:

• Homepage: construction estimating software
• Feature Page (Takeoff): construction takeoff software
• Use Case Page (Residential): residential construction estimating
• Industry Page (Commercial): commercial construction estimating software
• Persona Page (Estimators): estimating tools for contractors

Step 3: Scale According to Site Size

The number of pages you research depends on your website size:

• Small Sites: 1-2 pages (homepage + 1 key landing page)
• Medium Sites: 10-20 pages (homepage + major landing pages)
• Large Sites: 20-50+ pages (comprehensive coverage)

Prioritization Strategy: Start with your most important pages first. These are typically:

1. Homepage
2. Main product/feature pages
3. Most popular use cases
4. Target industries with highest potential
5. Secondary features and use cases

7. Documentation System

Proper documentation is essential. Without it, you'll forget your strategy, create overlap, and waste your research efforts.

Google Sheet Structure

Tab Organization

Create one tab per page using this naming convention:

• Homepage (or the primary keyword)
• Feature: Takeoff Tool
• Use Case: Residential Construction
• Industry: Commercial Construction
• Persona: Construction Estimators

Required Columns

Additional Information to Include

At the top of each tab, add:

• Page URL: The actual URL of the page
• Page Focus: What the page is about
• Target Audience: Who this page is for
• Verification Notes: Search intent confirmation
• Competitor Analysis: Who's currently ranking

8. Quality Control Checklist

Before finalizing your keyword research, run through this comprehensive checklist:

Keyword Uniqueness

• Each page has exactly one unique primary keyword
• No keyword overlap between any pages
• No two pages target the same or similar primary keywords
• All keywords are properly categorized as primary or secondary

Keyword Quality

• All primary keywords have been verified in Google search
• Search intent confirmed for each primary keyword
• Keywords match the client's actual offering
• Keywords align with target audience needs
• Geographic targeting considered in keyword selection
• Keyword difficulty is achievable (mostly medium to easy)

Secondary Keywords

• Each page has 2-4 secondary keywords
• Secondary keywords are close variations of primary
• All secondaries produce same Google results as primary
• Secondary keywords support the primary focus

Documentation

• Google Sheet created and properly organized
• Separate tab for each page
• All tabs properly named
• Page URLs documented
• Page focus descriptions included
• Search volume recorded for all keywords
• Keyword difficulty recorded for all keywords
• Notes added for important decisions

Coverage

• Homepage keyword research complete
• All navigation pages covered
• All important landing pages covered
• Feature pages researched
• Use case pages researched (if applicable)
• Industry pages researched (if applicable)
• Persona pages researched (if applicable)

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using the Same Keyword on Multiple Pages

2. Skipping Google Search Verification

The Problem: Choosing keywords based only on tool data without checking actual search results. You might pick keywords that don't match your offering or audience.

The Fix: Always search your keywords in Google and examine the top 10 results before finalizing your choice.

3. Prioritizing Volume Over Relevance

The Problem: Selecting high-volume keywords that don't accurately represent your offering.

The Fix: Relevance always trumps volume. A lower-volume keyword that perfectly matches your offering will convert better than high-volume traffic that bounces.

4. Targeting Impossible Keyword Difficulty

The Problem: Choosing keywords with "Hard" or "Very Hard" difficulty that you'll never rank for.

The Fix: Focus on medium to easy difficulty keywords, especially for new or smaller sites. Build authority first, then target harder keywords.

5. Not Verifying Secondary Keywords

The Problem: Assuming keywords are related without checking if they produce the same search results.

The Fix: Search each secondary keyword in Google and confirm it shows the same top 10 results as your primary keyword.

6. Incomplete Documentation

The Problem: Incomplete or disorganized keyword research that's forgotten or leads to duplication later.

The Fix: Maintain meticulous documentation in your Google Sheet. If it's not documented, it doesn't exist.

7. Missing Pages in Navigation or Sitemap

The Problem: Only checking the nav bar and missing important pages buried in the site structure.

The Fix: Always check both the navigation AND the full sitemap/site structure. Use tools like Screaming Frog or export the sitemap.xml to find all pages.

8. Not Considering Geographic Targeting

The Problem: Ignoring location-specific search behavior and regional variations.

The Fix: If your client targets specific regions, incorporate geographic modifiers when relevant and check search volumes by location.

10. Pro Tips & Best Practices

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow

Begin with 1-2 word queries to see the landscape, then add specificity if needed. For example, start with "estimating software" before narrowing to "construction estimating software."

2. Check What's Already Ranking

Look at who's in the top 10 for your target keywords. If you see direct competitors, you're on the right track. If you see completely different types of sites, reconsider your keyword choice.

3. Use Industry-Specific Terminology

Match the language your target audience actually uses. Don't optimize for terms only industry insiders use if your customers search differently.

4. Search Volume Isn't Everything

A lower-volume keyword that perfectly matches intent will outperform a high-volume keyword with poor relevance. Prioritize relevance first, volume second.

5. Look at Keyword Trends

Check if keywords are growing, stable, or declining over time. This helps you invest in keywords with long-term potential.

6. Consider Mobile vs Desktop

Some keywords have different search patterns on mobile. Check if your keywords are searched differently on different devices.

7. Question-Based Keywords

Keywords like "how to estimate construction costs" often indicate high intent and can be valuable for content pages.

8. Seasonal Considerations

Some keywords have seasonal patterns. Be aware of this when analyzing search volume and planning content.

9. Use the "People Also Ask" Section

Google's "People Also Ask" boxes show related queries that can inspire secondary keywords or content ideas.

10. Document Your Reasoning

In the Notes column of your Google Sheet, always explain why you chose specific keywords. Future you (or your team) will thank you.

11. Appendix: Google Sheet Template Structure

Here's the recommended structure for your keyword research Google Sheet:

Sheet-Level Organization

Create these tabs as examples (adjust to your specific site):

Column Structure for Each Tab

Summary Tab Structure

Create a summary tab at the beginning with these columns:

• Page Name: Name of the page
• Page URL: Link to the page
• Primary Keyword: The main keyword
• Search Volume: Volume of primary keyword
• Keyword Difficulty: Difficulty of primary keyword
• Status: Current status of optimization
• Link to Tab: Hyperlink to the detailed tab

This summary view lets you see your entire keyword strategy at a glance and quickly identify any overlaps or gaps.

Conclusion

Effective keyword research is the foundation of successful SaaS SEO. By following this systematic approach, you ensure that every page on your website has a clear, unique purpose in your search strategy.

Next Steps

After completing your keyword research:

1. Share with stakeholders - Get buy-in before optimization begins
2. Prioritize pages - Start with highest-value pages
3. Begin on-page optimization - Apply keywords to titles, headers, content
4. Create missing pages - Build pages for important keywords without existing pages
5. Schedule regular reviews - Update quarterly as search volumes and competition change

Additional Resources

For more in-depth guidance on specific aspects of SEO:

• On-page optimization best practices
• Content creation aligned with keyword strategy
• Technical SEO fundamentals
• Link building for SaaS companies
• Tracking and measuring SEO performance