If you sell B2B SaaS, you know SEO’s a knife fight. You’re not just competing with other vendors—there’s Gartner, review sites, and everyone who’s ever written “what is [xyz software]?” You need your content to show up for the right searches, not just any search. That’s where building smart keyword clusters comes in. This guide is for B2B SaaS marketers and content folks who want step-by-step, no-BS instructions for using MarketMuse to build clusters that actually move the needle.
Why Keyword Clusters Matter (and Why Most Advice Misses the Point)
Keyword clusters are just groups of closely related search terms. The idea is: don’t write a one-keyword, one-post blog. Instead, cover a topic in depth, using a cluster of terms that searchers actually use. For B2B SaaS, this is even more important—your buyers search like humans, not robots, and Google’s gotten wise to that.
Most guides will tell you to just export keywords from Ahrefs or SEMrush, sort by volume, and call it a day. That’s lazy and misses the context. If you want to rank for “cloud access control,” just stuffing that term everywhere won’t cut it. You need to know…
- What topics and subtopics Google expects in a real answer
- How your competitors cover the topic
- What your site can actually rank for
That’s where MarketMuse claims to help. Let’s get into how to actually use it—and what to ignore.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Topic and Intent
Before you even log in, get specific about what you’re trying to rank for. “CRM software” is too broad. “Best CRM software for SaaS startups” is better. Write down:
- The main topic (e.g., “identity and access management for SaaS”)
- The target audience (e.g., IT admins at midmarket SaaS companies)
- The intent you want to satisfy (e.g., comparing solutions, how-tos, buying guides)
Pro tip: Don’t skip this. MarketMuse can’t read your mind. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 2: Seed Your Research in MarketMuse
Once you’re clear on your topic, jump into MarketMuse.
- Go to the Research or Topic Model tool.
- Enter your main topic or seed keyword.
- Let MarketMuse crunch through its data. This usually takes a minute.
What you’ll get back is a “topic model”—basically, a list of related keywords and subtopics Google expects to see if you want to rank for your main keyword.
What’s good: MarketMuse usually finds a lot of “semantic” terms—things real experts would mention. You’ll see things like “user provisioning,” “single sign-on,” or “SAML integration” for an IAM topic. This is more useful than endless lists of “CRM software” variants.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over every term it spits out, especially brand names or ultra-niche jargon. Focus on the subtopics that are relevant to your product and audience.
Step 3: Analyze Your Competitors (and Yourself)
MarketMuse will show you the top-ranking pages for your topic, and how well they cover the cluster. Here’s how to use that:
- Look at the Content Score for the top pages. This tells you how thoroughly they cover the topic.
- See which subtopics they mention and which they skip.
- Check your own site’s performance: does your current page on this topic cover the bases, or is it thin?
What’s good: You get a sense of what’s missing from your own content, and what competitors actually say (not just what you think they say).
What to ignore: Don’t just try to out-keyword your competitors. You’re writing for people, not the tool. If a subtopic isn’t relevant to your audience, skip it—even if MarketMuse says it’s “important.”
Step 4: Build the Actual Keyword Cluster
Now, start grouping keywords and subtopics into logical clusters. Here’s how:
- Primary Topic: This is your main keyword or topic.
- Supporting Subtopics: Grab the most relevant related terms from the MarketMuse model. For B2B SaaS, these often include:
- Common integrations (e.g., “Slack integration,” “Salesforce sync”)
- Pain points (e.g., “onboarding automation,” “data security”)
- Use cases (“remote team access,” “compliance reporting”)
- Key features (“role-based access,” “API flexibility”)
- Variants and Questions: Add common questions (“how to set up SAML in [Your Product]”) and long-tail phrases (“best IAM software for SaaS startups”).
Organize these into a doc or spreadsheet. You want clear clusters—think in terms of pillar pages and supporting blog posts, or even just sections within a big guide.
Example Cluster for “Identity and Access Management for SaaS”
- Primary: identity and access management for SaaS
- Subtopics: user provisioning, single sign-on, SAML integration, multi-factor authentication, compliance requirements
- Variants: best IAM software for SaaS, IAM for startups, how to set up SSO in SaaS
What’s good: This gives you a roadmap. You can cover the topic in depth without “keyword stuffing.” You’re writing like an expert, not a robot.
Step 5: Map Content to the Cluster
Now, decide how you’ll actually use these clusters. There are two main approaches:
- One Big Guide: If you’re targeting a complex, high-intent topic, build a comprehensive pillar page that covers all the subtopics in-depth.
- Clustered Posts: For broader topics, write a central pillar page and several supporting blogs, each going deep on a subtopic. Interlink them.
How to decide? - If your domain’s new or weak, start more focused and build depth over time. - If your competitors have massive guides, you’ll need to match—or outdo—them on quality, not just length.
Pro tip: Don’t create 10 near-duplicate posts just to cover every keyword. Google’s not dumb. Quality beats quantity.
Step 6: Prioritize and Plan
You’ll probably end up with more keywords than you can handle at once. Prioritize by:
- Search intent: Focus on terms that match where your buyers are in their journey (e.g., “how to choose IAM software” > “what is IAM”).
- Business value: Pick clusters that align with your product’s strengths.
- Difficulty: MarketMuse estimates your chances, but take it with a grain of salt. If the SERP is all mega-brands, be realistic.
Build a content calendar. Don’t try to publish everything in a week—SEO is a slog.
Step 7: Write (or Rewrite) Content…with a Human Touch
MarketMuse will score your drafts and suggest subtopics to add. Here’s how to use it without going full robot:
- Use its suggestions as a checklist, not a script.
- Work in subtopics naturally, where they make sense.
- Avoid keyword stuffing or awkward phrasing just to hit a “score.”
- Add your own expertise, data, or case studies. That’s what makes you stand out.
What’s good: The topic model helps you avoid thin content or missing key points. What to ignore: Don’t chase a perfect Content Score. If your piece is useful and covers what buyers care about, that’s enough.
Step 8: Measure, Iterate, and Improve
No keyword cluster is perfect out of the gate. After publishing:
- Track how your content ranks for the main and supporting terms.
- See if you’re getting the right kind of traffic (buyers, not just students or job seekers).
- Update and improve your clusters as you learn more.
If a piece flops, check: Did you miss the search intent? Is the SERP full of product pages and you published a blog? Adjust and try again.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What Works
- Using MarketMuse for topic modeling and finding gaps.
- Building clusters around real buyer questions, not just high-volume terms.
- Focusing on depth and relevance, not just hitting word counts.
What Doesn’t
- Blindly following every keyword suggestion.
- Publishing a dozen thin pages for every keyword variation.
- Relying solely on MarketMuse’s “difficulty” or “score” numbers—use your judgment.
What to Ignore
- Over-optimizing for Content Scores.
- Chasing every new keyword trend without considering your product or audience.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t let tools or “best practices” overcomplicate things. Start small, pick topics that matter to your buyers, use MarketMuse to make sure you’re not missing anything obvious, and get your content out there. Iterate as you learn. The best keyword clusters aren’t built in a day, but you don’t need a PhD—or a massive budget—to see results. Just keep it honest, useful, and relevant. That’s what actually works.