Do your SaaS content teams move on to the next keyword after spotting those with zero volume when doing keyword research?
If yes, this is the same mistake most SaaS teams make. They assume zero search volume means zero opportunity. But that assumption is costing them pipeline.
In this article, you’ll discover:
- What zero-volume keywords are
- Why they convert so well in B2B SaaS
- Exactly how to find them before your competitors do
But first, you need to know that in B2B SaaS, some of the most valuable keywords your buyers type show no measurable search volume at all.
Note these are not dead keywords. They are niche, high-intent terms that the tools have not yet caught up with. And because most of your competitors are making the same mistake you are, no one is ranking for them.
What Zero Search Volume Keywords Actually Are
A zero-search volume keyword is a search term that shows 0 or “–” monthly searches in tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google Keyword Planner.
Based on generic logic beyond keyword research, that number means the keyword is not worth targeting.
But that number is not the full picture. In short, you can say it is a measure of what the tool has detected—but not of what buyers are actually searching for.
The point is that Keyword tools collect data by sampling search traffic over a timeframe and reporting average monthly volume. That sample is large and accurate for broad consumer keywords.
But for narrow B2B queries, the sample size is tiny. For instance, a keyword searched by 40 CFOs per month at mid-market SaaS companies might register as zero because the tool lacks enough data points to measure it.
That keyword is not zero. It is just invisible to the tools. And note that invisibility is very different from absence.
Interestingly, this is one of the core realities of B2B SaaS keyword research. But when you understand how B2B search behavior differs from B2C, zero-volume keywords stop looking like dead ends and start looking like the most efficient traffic opportunity in your entire keyword strategy.
Why Zero Search Volume Keywords Convert Better Than You Expect
The conversion-rate argument for zero-search-volume keywords rests on one thing: specificity.
It’s that simple. For instance, when someone types a very specific search query into Google, that’s a clear indication that he or she is not browsing. Neither is the fellow curious.
Rather, it’s a pointer that the search user or prospect has a real, pressing problem and is looking for a precise answer.
This is why the more specific a query is, the more the searcher already knows what he/she needs. Even more, it shows how close the fellow is to making a buying decision.
Let’s put this in a practical context with this analogy:
A SaaS founder who types “how to reduce churn in B2B SaaS with a customer health score” is not a beginner exploring a topic. No, not at all. He already understands churn, and knows what a health score is.
Essentially, what he’s currently looking for with such a query is a system to implement. And yes, you can tell he is ready to buy a tool that solves that specific problem.
Now compare that to someone typing “reduce SaaS churn,” which has thousands of monthly searches.
First, the truth is that such an audience would include junior marketers researching for a blog post, students writing essays, and consultants building decks. Thus, the conversion rate is the fraction of returns from the specific query.
Now here’s an important reality to note in B2B SaaS: “Specificity signals seniority.” The more specific the search, the more likely the searcher has budget, authority, and urgency. The bottom line is that “zero search volume” keywords are often the language of decision-makers, not researchers.
This is also why these keywords are so powerful at the bottom of the funnel. If you are building conversion-stage content for your SaaS product, zero-volume terms are where the most buyer-ready traffic hides.
Where to Find Zero Search Volume Keywords in SaaS
You will not find these keywords in a keyword tool. You will find them by getting closer to the people who buy your product. Here are the seven most reliable sources to discover zero-search-volume keywords for your SaaS business:
1. Sales Call Transcripts
Your sales calls are the single richest source of zero-volume keyword data available to you. This is because every question a prospect asks before they agree to a demo is a keyword. Likewise, every objection a prospect raises is a keyword.
Also, every phrase they use to describe their problem is a keyword.
All these stress the need to record your sales calls and transcribe them with a tool like Otter.ai or Gong. Then carefully read through them and highlight the exact phrases prospects use when they describe their problem.
Those phrases are typically what they type into Google before they ever find you.
2. Google Search Console Queries Report
Google Search Console is the most underused keyword research tool in most SaaS teams’ tool stacks. Unlike third-party tools, GSC shows you the actual queries that triggered impressions for your site, including queries that your other tools show as zero volume.
Go to the Queries report in GSC. Filter for keywords with impressions but fewer than ten clicks. You will find low-volume queries your site is already being discovered for. These are real searches happening right now that you are not fully capturing because you have no dedicated page for them.
When evaluating which of these queries deserve a dedicated page, the process is the same one covered in SaaS keyword analysis: how to evaluate keywords before you create content. Apply that scoring framework to your GSC data, and you will have a prioritized list of zero-volume targets within an hour.
3. Reddit and Niche Online Communities
B2B buyers talk to each other in Reddit communities, Slack groups, LinkedIn posts, and industry forums. They ask questions using the exact language they would type into Google. These communities are a direct window into your buyers’ vocabularies.
Search Reddit for your product category. Read the posts where people describe problems. Copy the specific phrases they use.
A question like “how do I track feature adoption without engineering help” in a product management subreddit is a keyword. A comment like “which CRM lets you see deal history without leaving the contact view” in a sales community is a keyword.
These phrases will not appear in any keyword tool. But they are real searches happening right now.
4. G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot Reviews
Review platforms give you something most keyword research methods cannot: the exact language buyers use when they are frustrated enough to write it down.
For instance, you can go to your product category on G2. Then read the three-star and four-star reviews carefully.
Usually, these reviews explain what the product does well and where it falls short. Note the language buyers use to describe their problems is keyword gold. Let’s say you read this as part of your product review on Trustpilot: “I needed a tool that could handle multi-currency invoicing without a plugin.”
With an expression like that, the truth is that you already have a zero-volume keyword hiding in a product review.
That said, the idea is to filter by reviewer job title to find role-specific language. This is critical because a VP of Finance and a customer success manager will describe the same product very differently. Yet both are keyword sources for different buyer personas.
5. Customer Onboarding and Support Tickets
Your customer success and support team handles questions from people who already bought your product. Those questions reveal gaps in your content, and they often surface in the exact language a pre-purchase buyer would use when searching.
For instance, if ten customers in the past month asked “how do I set up automated health score alerts,” then you should know that is a keyword.
And yes, it is probably also a support ticket you can convert into a help article that ranks in organic search and simultaneously deflects future support requests.
6. LinkedIn Search and Comments
LinkedIn is full of B2B buyers asking questions publicly. With this in mind, you can search LinkedIn for problems your product solves and read the comments on posts that generate discussion.
Usually, the questions people ask in comments are the same questions they type into Google.
Another thing you can also look at are the headlines and posts people in your ICP write.
The problems they write about are the problems they search for solutions to. But job titles like “Head of Revenue Operations” and “VP of Customer Success” use very different terminology even when they describe the same category of problem.
7. Your Own Internal Search Data
If your website has a search bar, the queries your visitors type into it are zero-volume keyword data. For instance, imagine someone navigated to your site and then searched for “bulk CSV import” or “SSO setup guide.”
Of course, this is telling you exactly what they want.
And yes, those are keyword opportunities you can turn into landing pages, blog posts, or documentation.
This is why it’s critical to check your internal site search data in Google Analytics monthly. Note that queries that repeatedly appear but yield no results are the highest-priority gaps to fill.
How to Decide Which Zero-Volume Keywords Are Worth Targeting
Not every zero-volume keyword deserves a dedicated page. You need a filter. Here are essential factors to consider when trying to understand and decide which one works.
Buyer Fit: Is This Searcher in Your ICP?
This is one question you should ask first: If someone typed this exact phrase into Google, would they be a realistic buyer for your product? If the answer is no, then you should move on. But if the answer is yes, continue.
Specificity of Intent: What Is the Searcher Trying to Do?
The more specific the query, the more useful the keyword. Take the keyword “Project management software,” for example; it is vague. On the other hand, “Project management software for distributed engineering teams under 50 people” is specific. The specific version is worth targeting even at zero volume. The vague version at zero volume is probably just too obscure to measure accurately.
Competitive Absence: Is Anyone Else Targeting This?
Search the keyword in Google. If the results page returns generic articles that do not answer the specific query, that is your opportunity. You can publish a focused, precise answer and rank within weeks, not months.
Content Fit: Can You Answer This Better Than Anyone Else?
Do you have the product knowledge, customer data, or subject matter expertise to write the best answer to this query on the internet? If yes, build the page. If not, do not waste the effort.
Choosing the right keyword research tools for your SaaS team ensures this evaluation process is faster. Some tools surface low-volume keywords better than others, and a few have filters specifically designed to find high-intent low-volume queries that standard tools miss.
How to Build Content Around Zero Search Volume Keywords
Once you have identified a zero-volume keyword worth targeting, the content process is straightforward. Here is how to do it right.
Match the Format to the Intent
This would start with answering these questions: What does the searcher actually need? A step-by-step tutorial? A comparison of approaches? A single direct answer?
The format of your content should match the job the searcher is trying to complete. For instance, a user that searches for a query like this “how to set up churn alerts in a customer health dashboard” wants a tutorial.
But someone who searches for a query like “best CRM for a two-person SaaS sales team” wants a comparison with a clear recommendation.
Write for One Reader
Zero-volume keywords are specific because the searcher is specific. Usually, searchers using these keywords are a particular type of person with a particular type of problem in a particular context.
And the goal is to write directly to that person. Do not try to make the article appeal to a broader audience. Note this specificity is a feature, not a limitation.
Answer the Question in the First 100 Words
Do not make the reader hunt for the answer. State it clearly in the opening section. Then use the rest of the article to support, expand, and prove it. This approach keeps readers on the page and signals to Google that your content is a direct answer to the query.
Connect It to Your Product Without Forcing It
Every zero-volume keyword you target should have a natural connection to your product. Of course, the article does not need to be a product pitch.
But it should demonstrate, through examples or case studies, how your product connects to the problem the reader is solving. That connection is what turns a reader into a lead.
That said, zero-volume keywords work best as part of a broader SaaS keyword strategy built around topical authority. Each article reinforces your site’s expertise on the broader topic. And this helps every page in your cluster rank faster.
How to Measure the Impact of Zero Search Volume Content
Standard traffic reports will not tell you much about zero-volume keyword performance. You need different signals.
This is why it’s important to watch your Google Search Console impressions closely in the weeks after publishing. A new page targeting a zero-volume keyword will often start accumulating impressions quickly because competition is low.
Almost as a rule, impressions without clicks tell you Google is indexing and surfacing the page. But clicks confirm it is delivering.
That said, track conversions from the specific page, not just traffic.
The idea is to set up a goal in Google Analytics that fires when a visitor from that page books a demo, starts a trial, or fills out a contact form. Essentially, one page converting at five percent is worth more than ten pages converting at zero.
Also, you can review the page’s GSC query data after 60 days. You will often find that a page targeting one zero-volume keyword starts ranking for ten or twenty related queries you never explicitly targeted.
That is topical authority compounding.
This measurement approach connects directly to the revenue-focused framework in SaaS Keyword Research: The B2B Guide to Finding Keywords That Drive Revenue. Traffic is the input. Pipeline is the output. Measure correctly, zero-volume keywords often produce the best ratio of the two.
Start With One Keyword Your Tools Cannot See
You do not need to overhaul your entire keyword strategy to benefit from this approach. Start with one source. Pull your Google Search Console query data for the last 90 days. Find three queries with more than ten impressions and fewer than five clicks. Check whether you have a page that directly answers each one.
If you do not, write it. Keep it focused. Answer the question precisely. Connect it to your product without turning it into an ad. Publish it and watch the GSC data over the next 30 days.
That is the entire process. Repeat it monthly, and you will build a library of specific, high-intent content that your competitors cannot find because they are still looking at the same volume numbers and drawing the same wrong conclusions.
The buyers who type the most specific queries are the ones closest to a decision. They are searching in a language that most keyword tools cannot hear. Your job is to learn that language before anyone else does.
