SaaS Keyword Research Template: Find the Keywords That Book Demos
Most keyword research templates sort by search volume. This one sorts by how close the searcher is to booking a demo. Built on our Four-Tier Method, it generates keyword ideas from your competitors and use cases, scores every term for buyer intent, and forecasts the demos and revenue each tier can bring in.
| Keyword | Tier | Score | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| [competitor] alternatives | T1 | 95 | P1 Build now |
| [category] for restaurants | T1 | 93 | P1 Build now |
| [integration] scheduling app | T2 | 81 | P1 Build now |
| how to reduce no-shows | T3 | 63 | P2 Next sprint |
| what is shift bidding | T4 | 43 | P3 Backlog |
Rows from the worked example inside the template (a fictional SaaS with illustrative numbers).
What is a SaaS keyword research template?
A SaaS keyword research template is a spreadsheet for collecting, scoring and prioritising the search terms your buyers use. This version groups keywords into four tiers by buying intent, scores each one on intent, ICP fit, difficulty and volume, and estimates the demos and revenue each keyword can produce, so you build the pages that fill your pipeline first.
The Four-Tier Method, built into the sheet
Every keyword lands in one of four tiers. The tier decides the page you build, the call to action on it, and how much weight the keyword gets in the priority score.
Demo-Ready
Buyers comparing vendors or checking prices.
- [competitor] alternatives
- [brand] vs [competitor]
- [category] pricing
- [category] for [industry]
- Page
- Alternatives, comparison, pricing, industry page
- CTA
- Book a demo
Solution-Aware
Teams that know the tool type and are checking features.
- [category] for [role]
- [integration] integration
- [category] tools
- [category] template
- Page
- Feature, integration, use-case page, free template
- CTA
- Free trial or demo
Problem-Aware
People who feel the pain but have not picked a solution.
- how to [pain]
- how to [pain] in [industry]
- [process] checklist
- [pain] tips
- Page
- How-to guide, checklist, calculator
- CTA
- Template or free tool
Category Education
Learners and researchers new to the topic.
- what is [term]
- [term] examples
- [category] statistics
- [category] glossary
- Page
- Glossary, definition guide, statistics page
- CTA
- Newsletter and links to Tier 1 and 2
The visit-to-demo rates are editable planning defaults on the Scoring Model tab. Replace them with your own GA4 and CRM numbers.
What is inside the template
Eight tabs that take you from a blank list of competitors to a ranked build plan.
Start Here
A 9-step walkthrough, a tab guide and the colour key for inputs and formulas.
Four-Tier Framework
Tier definitions, search patterns, page types, CTAs, what to check in the SERP, and the scoring rubrics.
Inputs
Your brand, category, competitors, industries, integrations, pain points, buyer roles and core terms.
Seed Generator
Turns your inputs into keyword ideas for all four tiers automatically. Nothing to type.
Keyword Tracker
100 rows with dropdowns for tier, page type and status, plus priority score, P1 to P3 label, estimated demos and revenue.
Worked Example
A filled tracker for a fictional shift-scheduling SaaS so you can see what a finished sheet looks like.
Dashboard
Keywords, volume, average score, P1 count, demos and revenue by tier, with a chart.
Scoring Model
Every assumption in one place: tier weights, conversion rates, contract value and score weights.
How to use it in seven steps
- Make your copy. Click Get the free template and Google Sheets saves a private copy to your Drive.
- Fill the Inputs tab. Add your competitors, the industries and roles you sell to, your integrations, the pains you solve and the terms your category uses.
- Pick ideas from the Seed Generator. Keep the phrases that sound like something a buyer would type and paste them into the Keyword Tracker.
- Add demand data. Pull monthly volume, keyword difficulty and CPC from Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Keyword Planner. A high CPC tells you advertisers make money on the term.
- Check the SERP. Search each keyword and record the page type that dominates page one. If it is all listicles, a product page will not rank there.
- Score fit. Rate Business Potential (0 to 3) and ICP Fit (1 to 5). The priority score, label, demos and revenue calculate on their own.
- Build P1 pages first. Sort by priority score. In most SaaS accounts that means comparison, alternatives and pricing pages before top-of-funnel posts.
How the priority score works
No black box. Every weight sits in a cell you can change.
The formulas
0.35 × tier weight
+ 0.25 × business potential / 3
+ 0.15 × ICP fit / 5
+ 0.15 × (1 − KD / 100)
+ 0.10 × volume score )
Est. demos / month = volume × CTR × tier visit-to-demo rate
Est. annual revenue = demos × 12 × demo-to-opportunity × win rate × ACV
Default weights and thresholds
| Tier weight (T1 / T2 / T3 / T4) | 1.0 / 0.7 / 0.4 / 0.15 |
| Expected CTR at a top-3 ranking | 8% |
| Volume score cap | 2,000 searches |
| P1 "Build now" threshold | 75+ |
| P2 "Next sprint" threshold | 50 to 74 |
Volume is scored on a log scale, so a 300-search comparison keyword can outrank a 3,000-search definition. That is intentional: for most B2B SaaS products the low-volume, high-intent terms book the demos.
How it differs from a typical keyword research template
| Typical keyword template | This SaaS template | |
|---|---|---|
| Sort order | Search volume and difficulty | Distance to a demo, then volume and difficulty |
| Keyword ideas | You bring your own list | Seed Generator builds them from competitors, integrations and pains |
| Output | A list of keywords | A ranked build plan with page type, CTA, demos and revenue per keyword |
| SERP check | Rarely included | Dominant page type recorded for every keyword |
| Fit to your buyer | Not scored | Business Potential and ICP Fit scored for every keyword |
Questions about the template
Is the SaaS keyword research template free?
Yes. It is a free Google Sheet with no email gate. Click Get the free template and Google saves a copy to your own Drive that you can edit and share.
Can I use it in Excel?
Yes. In your copy, choose File, Download, Microsoft Excel. The tracker, generator and scoring formulas carry over. The Dashboard tab uses open-ended Google Sheets ranges, so keep it in Google Sheets for live totals.
Which SEO tool do I need?
Any tool that reports monthly search volume and keyword difficulty works: Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz or Google Keyword Planner. Paste the numbers into the volume, KD and CPC columns and the scoring updates.
Why are Tier 1 keywords prioritised when their volume is low?
Someone searching for alternatives to a competitor or comparing pricing is already shopping. Those visits convert to demos at several times the rate of educational searches, so a page that ranks for a 200-search Tier 1 term can book more demos than one ranking for a 5,000-search definition.
How accurate are the demo and revenue estimates?
They are planning estimates that are only as good as the assumptions on the Scoring Model tab. The defaults are starting points. Replace CTR, visit-to-demo rates, win rate and contract value with your own analytics and CRM data before you use the numbers in a forecast.
Does it work for AI search and GEO?
Yes. Tier 1 and Tier 2 queries are the comparisons buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The same pages that rank for them are the pages AI engines cite, so the tracker doubles as a prompt shortlist for generative engine optimisation.
Want us to build the Tier 1 pages for you?
Paradigm Media Networks runs B2B SaaS SEO and GEO programmes measured on demos booked, not rankings. We will review your keyword list, your competitors and your current pages, then tell you which ten pages to build first.
✓ Free 30-minute call · No pitch decks · Walk away with a real plan
- A ranked list of your Tier 1 and Tier 2 opportunities
- The page type and angle for each one
- A demo and pipeline forecast built on your own numbers
- More free tools: SEO ROI Calculator and AI Visibility Checker