Google Ads for SaaS Guide: Based on 10+ Years of Experience

I’ve sat in your chair. The pressure to fill the pipeline is real, and Google Ads often feels like the fastest lever to pull.

SaaS Google Ads offers a massive inventory with Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and more. While these have their place, today I’m focusing exclusively on Search Ads. Why? Because in my experience in the B2B SaaS world, Search Ads is where 90% of the budget is spent and where the strongest revenue is generated.

Unlike other formats, Search captures high intent exactly when your prospect feels the pain and is actively looking for a solution. I’m going to pull back the curtain and walk you through the exact, step-by-step process I use to build campaigns that actually close deals.

TL;DR

• I never start with keywords. I start by grilling the product and sales teams. If you don’t know the specific pain points and the exact vernacular your customers use, you are just guessing.
• I chase intent, not volume. I focus 100% of my energy on “Bottom of Funnel” terms first. I ignore the “Top of Funnel” awareness plays until we have completely maxed out the high-intent traffic that actually drives revenue.
• Broad Match is off-limits. When I launch a SaaS Google Ads account, I treat Broad Match like the enemy. I stick strictly to Phrase and Exact match (and use a heavy negative keyword list) to ensure I’m not paying for junk clicks.
• I don’t guess budgets; I calculate them. Before a single ad goes live, I run the math on search volume vs. conversion rates. I need to know exactly what I can afford to pay for a lead (CPA) based on what that customer is worth (LTV).

What are the Questions You Need to Ask Before Touching Google Ads Manager?

I see this mistake constantly. A SaaS founder or marketing manager decides to start running ads, logs into Google, and immediately starts typing in keywords.

Stop. Put the mouse down.

If you start with keywords, you have already lost. The first step in a successful campaign has nothing to do with the Google Ads interface.

Before we spend a single dollar of a client’s budget, we start by asking questions. We need to understand the product better than the people who built it. Why? Because if I don’t understand who I am talking to, I cannot write ad copies that compel them to click.

Here are the specific questions I ask during our discovery sessions, and why you need to ask them too:

1. What problem does it actually solve?

I don’t mean “it automates payroll.” That’s a feature. I mean, what is the underlying pain that automated payroll solves? The pain is that the HR director is staying up until midnight on the 30th of every month fearing a compliance lawsuit. That is the problem. Ads that speak to pain convert; ads that speak to features just inform.

2. What are the specific features?

Once we know the pain, we do need the technical specs. Here is where “it automates payroll” comes in. You can usually find the features through the product page, but it’s always better to have all the list of features directly given to you by the product team.

3. What does the market call this product?

This is the most critical question for Search. You might have branded your tool as a “Revenue Intelligence Architecture.” That sounds fancy. But if your prospects are sitting at their computers searching for “Sales Dashboard,” and you aren’t bidding on “Sales Dashboard,” you are invisible. You need to listen to sales calls and discovery calls to hear the exact vernacular your prospects use.

4. Who is the decision-maker?

Are you targeting the CTO or the CEO?

• The CTO cares about implementation time, security, and tech stack compatibility.
• The CEO cares about ROI, bottom line, and efficiency.

Knowing who clicks the ad determines what the headline says.

5. What are the “Triggers”?

What happens in a prospect’s life that makes them search for you today? Did they realize they have a problem with their current workflow? Are they evaluating options? Understanding triggers helps you understand intent.

When you nail the answers to these questions, everything downstream becomes easier. Your ad copy writes itself. Your landing page strategy becomes obvious. Your conversion rates go up because you are entering the conversation already taking place in the prospect’s mind.

How to Categorize Keywords for SaaS Google Ads?

Once I have the answers from the discovery phase, I look at the market maturity.

If you are in a mature category (like CRM or Project Management), there is a lot of search volume, but it is highly competitive and expensive.

If you are creating a new category, the volume might be low, and we have to get creative to find traffic.

We usually sit down with the sales team to finalize which product category is the easiest for them to close. We want the path of least resistance. Once that is decided, we move to Keyword Research.

I don’t just dump a list of 1,000 keywords into a campaign. I segregate them strictly into “buckets” based on user psychology. Here is how I categorize them:

1. Category Keywords

These are the broad descriptions of what you do.

• Example: “HR Software,” “Marketing Automation Tool,” “Inventory Management System.”
• The Vibe: High volume, usually expensive, but necessary for growth.

2. Feature Keywords

This is where B2B SaaS shines. People often search for the specific thing they need to fix.

• Example: “Automated leave tracking,” “Gantt chart software,” “Multi-currency accounting.”
• The Vibe: Lower volume than category keywords, but generally higher conversion rates because the intent is specific.

3. Competitor Keywords

I love this category. This is where we bid on your rivals’ brand names.

• Example: If you are Monday.com, you bid on “Asana pricing” or “Trello alternatives.”
• The Vibe: High intent. The user is already educated on the solution; you just need to convince them you are better. It’s aggressive, but it works.

4. Integration Keywords

This is an often-overlooked goldmine. SaaS buyers live and die by their tech stack.

• Example: “CRM that integrates with Slack,” “Shopify accounting plugin.”
• The Vibe: Extremely high intent. If someone needs a tool that talks to their specific stack, and you have it, you have the deal.

5. Solution Keywords

These target the problem, not the software.

• Example: “How to reduce employee churn,” “Fixing supply chain bottlenecks.”

6. Brand Keywords

Bidding on your own name.

• The Vibe: Protects your real estate from competitors who are trying to bid on your name.

How we Helped a 10M+ Revenue Generating SaaS Company Spend Less and Earn More

We recently audited a PPC account of a SaaS client and found a major flaw in their Google Ads campaign. Here’s what happened.

The Problem: Spending Without Focus

The company had a powerful platform with multiple use-cases for different industries, but their Google Ads account treated everything the same.

For example, someone searching for “best messaging app for teams” and another person searching for “Whatsapp alternative” would be seeing the same “Use Slack for Teams” ad.

This “one size fits all” approach meant they were paying for irrelevant traffic that had no intent to buy – with about 60% junk traffic.

The Fix: Intent-Led Restructuring

We rebuilt their Google Ads account based on intent:

• Understanding the different use-cases: We started by understanding the different ICPs and their pain points.
• Segmented by Use-case: We built dedicated campaigns for each use-case so the messaging matched the specific user pain point.
• Funnel Segmentation: We strictly grouped keywords by intent (ToFu vs MoFu vs BoFu) to ensure we weren’t paying premium prices for low-intent browsers.
• Message Alignment: We rewrote ad copy to align with specific search queries and optimized landing pages based on user behavior analysis.

The Results: Efficiency at Scale

The impact was immediate and compounding. Over three quarters, we reduced ad spend by roughly 27% while increasing revenue by nearly 59%.

• Total Spend: ~$250k
• Total Revenue: ~$1.3M

How to Decide Which Keyword Intents to Target for SaaS Google Ads?

You will hear marketers talk about the funnel all day long. But when it comes to spending money on Google Ads, I am ruthless about prioritization. I segregate keywords based on Intent:

• BOFU (Bottom of Funnel): High Intent. They are ready to buy.
• MOFU (Middle of Funnel): Consideration. They are comparing options.
• TOFU (Top of Funnel): Awareness. They are just learning.

Here is my rule: I generally do not suggest starting with TOFU for SaaS PPC.

Why? Because TOFU keywords (like “What is employee engagement?”) bring in students, researchers, and people who are either irrelevant or months away from buying. It burns the budget fast.

I start all my clients on BOFU and MOFU. I want the people searching for “Best employee engagement software” or “X vs. Y”.

Only when we have completely saturated the spending on those high-intent keywords, and we simply cannot spend any more money profitably, do I look at TOFU for scaling.

What are the Different Match Types and How to Avoid Irrelevant Matches?

Now we get technical. How you input these keywords into Google defines whether you make money or burn it.

The Different Match Types in Google Ads

Google gives us three match types: Broad, Phrase, and Exact.

Let’s understand these three types with an example for a project management tool:

Broad Match: This shows ads for searches loosely related to your keyword, even if the wording is different.

Example: It might target keywords like “workflow management tool” or “project tracking tool”.

Phrase Match: This shows ads when the search includes your keyword phrase in the same order, with extra words before or after.

Example: Keywords like “best project management tool” or “project management tool for enterprises”.

Exact Match: This shows ads only when the search has the same meaning or very close intent as your keyword.

Example: Keywords like “project management software” or “project management app”.

Let me give you a piece of advice that will save you thousands of dollars: Do not use Broad Match when you are launching a new account.

Broad Match is currently the default setting Google pushes, but it is the “loose cannon” of match types. If you bid on the keyword CRM Software in Broad Match, Google might show your ad to someone searching for:

• “CRM jobs in Chicago”
• “What does CRM stand for?”
• “Customer relationship management classes”

These are irrelevant clicks that you pay for.

I stick to Phrase Match (using “quotes”, “project management tool”) and Exact Match (using [brackets], [project management tool]). This forces Google to respect the context of the keyword. It limits your reach slightly, but the quality of traffic is infinitely better.

Why Should Include Negative Keywords in Google Ads for SaaS

This is the shield that protects your budget. While we plan which keywords we want, we also plan the keywords we don’t want.

Before launch, I upload a standard SaaS Negative Keyword list. This ensures we don’t pay for junk traffic. Common negatives I always include:

• Open Source (if you are not open-source)
• Jobs / Career / Internship
• Company size like “startups” or “enterprises” if you don’t cater to them
• Similarly for industries like “education” or “healthcare”
• “Login” / “Support”

Think about that last one. If you don’t negative out “Login”, you shell out money every time your existing customers search for your login page and click your ad.

How to Forecast the ROI from Google Ads for SaaS?

Unlike SaaS LinkedIn Ads, it’s much easier to track ROI from Google Ads. Clients often ask me, “How much budget do I need?” and “How many leads will I get?”

Here is where forecasting comes into picture. Once I understand the keyword volume, I can build a mathematical model to predict the outcome.

The process goes like this:

• Find out the total number of search volume collectively for all the keywords you want to target
• Then estimate the impressions you’ll get based on the total search volume.
• Then estimate the clicks you’ll get based on the impressions.
• Then estimate the number of conversions (leads) you’ll get based on the clicks.
• Then find out the average total cost you’ll be spending by multiplying the total clicks with the average CPC of the keywords.
• Now, divide the total cost with the number of conversions – this is the amount of money you’re spending to get one lead.
• This number should be less than your sale value.

Let me walk you through an example calculation so you can see how I derive these numbers.

The Scenario: Let’s say we are targeting the keyword category “Inventory Management SaaS.”

1. Search Volume: Through tools like Google Keyword Planner, I see there is a total volume of 4,560 searches per month for 4 keywords I want to target.

(I suggest using Google Keyword Planner over other tools as the data directly comes from Google)

1. Impression Share: We can’t capture 100% of the market (competitors exist). A healthy industry standard to aim for is 60%.
   • Math: 4,560 × 60% = 2,736 Impressions.
2. Clicks: How many of those people will click? I’ll assume a 5% Click-Through-Rate (CTR).
   • Math: 2,736 × 5% = 136 Clicks.
3. Conversions: How many of those clicks become a lead? I aim for a 3% conversion rate on the landing page.
   • Math: 136 × 3% = ~4 Conversions.
4. Cost: The average CPC of the 4 keywords I target comes around “$77”
   • Math: 136 Clicks × $77 = $10,472 Total Cost.
5. CPA: What is the Cost Per Acquisition?
   • Math: $10,472 / 4 = $2,618 per Lead.

Now, you might look at that and say, “$2,600 for a lead?! That’s insane!”

But if your product costs $30,000 a year and the client stays for 3 years (LTV = $90,000), paying $2,600 to acquire them is a no-brainer.

I do this math before we launch so there are no surprises.

What to do After Launching a SaaS Google Ads Campaign?

Congratulations, you’ve finally launched your first campaign. Your ads are alive and well, here’s what you need to do next.

SaaS PPC is not “set it and forget it.” Auditing your SaaS PPC account regularly helps you spend every dollar more efficiently. I am always monitoring account for two things specifically to ensure we aren’t wasting the budget and I’d advise you to do the same.

1. The Search Terms Report

This is the most honest report in marketing. It shows you the actual words people typed before clicking your ad (not just the keywords you bid on). I review this weekly. If I see a term that is irrelevant—say, someone searched for “Inventory management software for home use“—I immediately add “home use” to the Negative Keyword list.

This is how you refine your traffic. Over time, your wasted spend drops to near zero because you have blocked all the bad terms or maybe even found more relevant keywords.

2. CPC Monitoring

If I see a keyword that is costing an astronomical amount (high CPC) but isn’t bringing in conversions, I have to make a call. I will often put a CPC Bid Cap on that specific keyword.

I tell Google, “I am willing to bid on this, but I will not pay more than $50 for a click.” This keeps the algorithm from spending your whole budget on one expensive keyword.

Conclusion

Running Google Ads for SaaS is a specific skill. It requires a mix of deep product and ICP understanding, proper keyword planning, forecasting, and monitoring.

When you follow this process, you stop gambling with your marketing budget and start building a predictable revenue engine. You stop worrying about “clicks” and start focusing on what matters: pipeline and revenue.

I hope this “over-the-shoulder” look at our process helps you structure your own campaigns. It’s the exact playbook we use, and now it’s yours.

This looks like too much for me to handle: Does this process make sense, but you realize you don’t have the hours in the day to execute it? That’s where PipeRocket Digital comes in. If you want to skip the learning curve and have a team of experts run this strategy for you, reach out to us at PipeRocket. Let’s build your pipeline together.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I run ads for my SaaS tool?

Honestly, forget the fancy settings for a minute. At its core, Running Google Ads for SaaS is just a simple matching game. To run your first ad, you just need to connect three dots:

The Ask (Keyword): Pick one specific phrase someone would type, like “automated payroll software.”

The Promise (The Ad): Write an ad that repeats that phrase back to them. Headline: “Best Automated Payroll Software.”

The Delivery (The Website): Send them to a page that actually talks about—you guessed it—automated payroll software. Don’t try to build a massive machine on day one. Just try to get those three things to match perfectly. If you do that, you’re already winning.

2. How do I know if I have enough budget to compete?

You need enough budget to get statistically significant data. A good rule of thumb while running Google Ads for SaaS is to budget for at least 10 clicks per day. If your keyword costs $50 per click (CPC), you need $500/day to see if it works. If you only spend $100/day, you get 2 clicks, which isn’t enough to learn anything. Use the forecasting formula I shared in the blog to find your CPC, multiply it by 10, and that is your minimum daily viable budget.

3. Why are you so against Broad Match keywords? Google recommends them.

Google recommends Broad Match because it helps them spend your budget faster. But in Google Ads for SaaS, Broad Match is often a trap for new accounts. It casts a net that is too wide, pulling in job seekers (“CRM jobs”), students (“What is CRM?”), and researchers who have no intent to buy. I always advise starting with Phrase and Exact match to ensure you are only paying for people who are actively looking for your solution. Earn the right to use Broad Match later, once you have plenty of conversion data to guide the algorithm.

4. Is running Google Ads for SaaS costly?

It depends on three things: The keywords you’re focusing, and your SaaS tool’s selling price. If your target keyword has a high CPC but the forecasting tells you that bringing in a single lead costs way less than your selling price, then you’re in the clear. But, if the cost of a lead is higher than your selling price, it’s not worth it.

It also depends on who your ads are reaching. If they are reaching people who are either not in your ICP or searching for a different intent, then it can also increase your cost per lead. While running Google Ads for SaaS, always monitor the quality of leads to make changes to the campaigns.