Market analysis: Google Ads for SaaS and software

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In Google Ads for SaaS, the biggest keyword is not automatically the most valuable. Our search term analysis shows 18,100 monthly searches for "LMS", but only 70 for "LMS für Unternehmen" (LMS for companies). Nevertheless, the bid range for the specific B2B term goes up to 59.92 euros, for the general abbreviation only up to 11.73 euros. It is even clearer for password management: "Passwort Manager Android" reaches 2,900 searches at 0.43 to 1.38 euros, "Enterprise Passwort Manager" only 50 searches, but bids of 34.28 to 121.66 euros.

This is the market logic: the Google Ads market for software is large, but highly fragmented. Reach comes from general categories, product terms and information searches, while economic value usually lies in small, very specific B2B segments. We show which segments these are and how to build your campaigns accordingly.

The basis is more than 1,500 search terms from the Google Ads Keyword Planner, July 2025 to June 2026.

Do not be dazzled by huge click numbers. People searching for general terms usually just want to inform themselves, learn or make comparisons for school or university. People searching for very specific solutions, on the other hand, have real pain and budget.

Rule: better to bid on 100 people who want to buy today than on 10,000 who are just looking.

Alex Sperber, Partner at UnitedAds

The largest software search markets range from learning platforms to helpdesk

After cleaning up the content, a broad spectrum of general business solutions, marketing software, content systems and technical applications emerges.

Sorting by search volume is not enough for SaaS providers. "LMS" offers enormous reach, but leaves open whether companies, schools, universities, learners or technically interested people are searching. Helpdesk software reaches less than a tenth of this volume, but has a lower bid range more than six times as high.

The competition index reported by Google cannot be equated with the actual cost per click either. "E Mail Marketing Software" has a very low index of 3, yet the upper bid range goes up to 34.10 euros. Apparently not many advertisers compete here, but individual providers pay high bids for relevant users.

Search volume and purchase intent are two different things

The structure of the software market becomes clearest when comparing general terms directly with specific B2B searches.

A software market can therefore rarely be tapped through a single main keyword. Successful providers combine many smaller search clusters, each representing a use case, a target group, a company size or a phase of software selection.

For niche B2B topics, Google and other platforms often show "low competition" because only 3 or 4 companies bid on them.

But exactly these 3 companies pay 50 euros per click, because every new customer is worth 10,000 euros to them.

Alex Sperber, Partner at UnitedAds

Every software segment follows its own market logic

Accounting software: high demand and strong competition

"Buchhaltungssoftware" (accounting software) reaches an average of 4,400 searches per month with a competition index of 99 out of 100 and bids between 6.11 and 30.45 euros. This makes it one of the largest and at the same time most competitive SaaS categories in the analysis. The market becomes interesting when broken down by target group:

The potential is spread across company sizes, legal forms, professional groups, industries and technical requirements. A freelancer needs a different solution than a GmbH with several employees, and a trade business different processes than an accounting firm. Even with the same umbrella term, product requirements and customer value differ considerably.

A new provider can therefore hardly scale economically through "Buchhaltungssoftware" alone. More precise segments such as small businesses, freelancers, GmbHs or trade businesses bring less reach, but allow a clear assessment of product fit and profit contribution.

Added to this are numerous direct provider comparisons. These searches usually have little volume, but arise late in the purchase decision. Individual variants reach exceptionally high upper bids. That is not a realistic average CPC, but it shows how highly providers value users in a comparison or switching decision. Even a few qualified prospects considering a switch can be worthwhile if contract value and customer retention are high enough.

CRM, lead management and ERP: large reach with mixed intent

The largest CRM term is "CRM Software Customer Relationship Management" with 6,600 searches, a low competition index of 21 and bids between 1.99 and 10.03 euros. The volume mixes different needs: some are researching what CRM means, others are looking for feature overviews, specific systems or solutions for sales and marketing.

"Lead Management Software" is much smaller with 210 searches, but has a bid range of 7.84 to 18.43 euros, a lower range almost four times as high as the large CRM umbrella term. The specific use case is worth significantly more to the advertising market than the category.

The ERP market shows the same pattern:

• "ERP Software Enterprise Resource Planning" reaches 2,900 searches with bids of 4.43 to 16.11 euros.
• "ERP Management" reaches 140 searches and 2.30 to 8.80 euros.
• "ERP System Definition" reaches 1,300 searches, but only 0.87 to 3.01 euros.

The large volume around definitions and basics does not represent a correspondingly large number of specific software projects. For ERP providers, the more attractive demand lies in industry requirements, replacement of existing systems, specific modules, company sizes and integrations. A manufacturing company, a wholesaler and a service provider may all search for ERP software, but expect completely different solutions.

Project management software: a large market with many spellings

Project management is one of the software segments with the greatest reach:

Even small differences in spelling lead to very different values. "Projekt Management Software" has a competition index of only 9, "Projektmanagement Software" one of 62. These are not separate markets. The values show that German, English and mixed terms shape demand: Projektmanagementsoftware, Project Management Tool, Projektplanung Software, Projektverwaltung, Ressourcenplanung or Multiprojektmanagement. We group such terms into topic clusters without simply adding up similar volumes.

It is also important to separate methodological knowledge from software selection. "Agil Projektmanagement" (agile project management) also reaches 3,600 searches, but only bids between 1.15 and 3.30 euros. With identical reach, the term is economically much weaker than "Projektmanagement Tools".

CMS, ECM and document management: one umbrella term, many buyers

"Content Management Systeme" reaches 2,900 searches per month with bids of 3.88 to 49.39 euros. The exceptionally wide range shows very different user groups and project sizes: it can mean simple website management, an open-source system, a headless CMS, a large enterprise platform or a comprehensive digital experience solution. "CMS System" reaches 880 searches and an upper bid of 58.34 euros, "Enterprise Content Management Systeme" 590 searches and bids of up to 29.99 euros.

There is also a substantial search market in document management:

DMS providers are best off evaluating the market beyond the product label. Economically relevant demand also arises around archiving, digital files, approval processes, compliance, document workflows and interfaces to existing systems. The individual terms are small, but together form a broad long tail of specific problems and requirements.

Helpdesk and ticket systems: one of the economically most attractive markets

Helpdesk software shows particularly clearly that a medium competition index says nothing about bids. "Helpdesk Software" reaches 1,600 monthly searches with an index of only 35, but bids of 12.99 to 57.17 euros.

These bids point to a B2B segment with high contract value per customer won. At the same time, the general volume is large enough to continually reach new demand. However, the market ranges from simple internal ticket systems to extensive IT service management and customer service platforms. Many clicks therefore say little about the quality of the companies reached.

Searches for free versions form a submarket of their own. "Kostenloses Ticketsystem" (free ticket system) reaches 140 searches with bids between 4.68 and 17.41 euros. For a provider without a permanent free version, this demand can be uneconomical despite high bids.

Marketing software: email marketing is worth significantly more than social media

"E Mail Marketing Software" reaches 3,600 searches with bids between 9.48 and 34.10 euros, "E Mail Marketing Tools" 590 searches at 8.43 to 30.60 euros. The segment combines large reach with clearly recognizable commercial demand. The market for social media management is smaller and priced lower:

Email marketing is close to leads, online retail revenue and customer communication, which probably explains the higher bids. Social media management is more fragmented and more often competes with free features, simple scheduling tools or features of the platforms themselves.

For providers of marketing software, what counts is therefore whether the function sought is directly linked to a measurable process such as lead generation, newsletter delivery, automation or revenue growth.

Vertical SaaS solutions: small volume, high customer value

Industry and process software usually has much less search volume than general productivity software, but can be economically very attractive.

Travel expense management: "Reisekostenabrechnungssoftware" (travel expense software) reaches only 260 searches per month, but bids of 18.43 to 91.68 euros. This makes it one of the most expensive relevant B2B terms in the analysis. Companies here are not looking for a small single feature, but for a process for many employees with approvals, receipts, credit cards and connection to accounting. The low volume is offset by high contract values.

Fleet management: "Flottenmanagement Software" (fleet management software) reaches 390 searches with bids between 8.37 and 22.30 euros. The reversed variant "Software Flottenmanagement" has only 90 searches, but already a lower bid range of 13.46 euros. What matters here are number of vehicles, fleet processes, telematics, cost control and compliance.

Construction site management: "Baustellenmanagement Software" (construction site management software) reaches 50 monthly searches, a high competition index of 76 and bids between 5.67 and 14.22 euros. A single term does not support scaling. Together with construction scheduling, construction documentation, site diaries, defect management, staff planning and mobile applications, however, a relevant search market emerges.

Pharmacy software: "Apotheken Software" (pharmacy software) reaches 170 searches with bids between 1.93 and 6.64 euros. The low values point to a small, highly specialized market shaped by established solutions.

Vertical SaaS campaigns therefore do not need a large general keyword set. It is more important to fully cover the industry-specific processes, features and reasons for switching.

CAD, CAM and PLM: high product demand, lower general bids

In the technical software market, product names, technical categories and searches for free versions dominate. "CAD CAM" reaches 1,300 searches with bids between 1.36 and 6.35 euros, significantly less than helpdesk, accounting or travel expense software.

• "Fusion 360 Freeware": 2,900 searches, 0.44–1.98 euros.
• "Siemens PLM NX": 4,400 searches, 0.91–3.78 euros.
• "Tebis CAD CAM": 1,000 searches, 3.25–5.12 euros.
• "Hypermill": 880 searches, 1.45–1.90 euros.
• "ZW3D": 260 searches, 1.96–48.75 euros.

The large volumes here are often technical and informational, product-related or geared toward free use. That is why even well-known product terms do not reach high bids. The economically more relevant demand arises from manufacturing processes, industries, machine environments, file formats, integrations and specific switching requirements. At the same time, "ZW3D" shows that individual product segments reach high upper bids: the price depends heavily on the solution and competitive situation.

Password management: the private and business markets are two different worlds

The general password manager market is aimed mainly at private users:

The business market has only a fraction of this reach, but completely different prices:

A joint assessment of both markets would be misleading. Price, administration, access rights, compliance, role models and purchasing process differ fundamentally. For providers in the business market, the value lies in a few dozen highly relevant searches and adjacent topics such as central administration, team security and access management.

The segment can be attractive despite very small reach if a single deal brings high annual revenue. For low-priced self-service products, on the other hand, bids of 50 or 100 euros per click would hardly be justifiable.

Learning management systems: a huge abbreviation, a small B2B core

With 18,100 monthly searches, "LMS" is the largest category term in the analysis. But these are not 18,100 potential business customers. More specific terms are much smaller:

"LMS für Unternehmen" (LMS for companies) reaches less than 0.4 percent of the volume of "LMS", but has a lower bid range around six times higher. The abbreviation is mainly a reach term; economic B2B demand lies in small, specific segments. Further submarkets arise around employee development, compliance training, partner training, onboarding, training administration and industry learning content. For a B2B LMS provider, a term with 50 or 70 searches can be worth more than one with five-figure reach.

The addressable search market consists of five types of demand

The relevant Google Ads market for SaaS can be divided into economically different areas:

• Product and category searches: Terms such as "Buchhaltungssoftware" (accounting software), "Helpdesk Software", "Projektmanagement Tools" or "Dokumentenmanagementsystem" (document management system) bring the greatest reach, but often leave open which company size or industry is behind them.
• Target group and use case searches: Searches such as "LMS für Unternehmen" (LMS for companies), "Buchhaltungssoftware für Freiberufler" (accounting software for freelancers) or "Ticketsystem IT Dienstleister" (ticket system for IT service providers) are smaller, but much more precise.
• Comparison and alternative searches: Terms with "Vergleich" (comparison), "Alternative" or "beste Software" (best software) typically arise during a specific selection process.
• Integration and interface searches: Users need a solution that fits existing systems, such as the online shop or the inventory management system.
• Free and information demand: Terms with "kostenlos" (free), "Freeware", "Definition" or "Vorlage" (template) sometimes generate large reach whose value depends heavily on the business model.

We build your campaigns along these types of demand

The data argues against a structure based only on a few large software terms. We align campaigns with the economically different types of demand:

• General categories bring reach: They are suitable for scaling, but need a precise economic assessment.
• Use cases and target groups bring precision: Here, scaling comes from combining many small search clusters.
• Demand from large companies and self-service demand stay separate: The password manager example shows how fundamentally contract value and purchasing process differ.
• Comparison searches form a submarket of their own: They do not belong together with early information searches.
• Free demand needs its own evaluation: What matters is whether these users later become paying customers.

We describe in detail how we set up such campaigns in Google Ads for SaaS and software companies.

Your affordable cost per click comes from your customer economics

Allowable costs per click cannot be derived from the Keyword Planner's bid ranges. They follow from your own customer economics. A simplified formula:

Tragbarer Klickpreis = zulässige Kundenakquisitionskosten × Klick-zu-Kunde-Rate

For example, a provider accepts customer acquisition costs of 2,500 euros. If 100 ad clicks result in an average of 0.6 paying customers, the affordable cost per click is:

2.500 Euro × 0,6 % = 15 Euro

A market with real costs per click of 10 to 15 euros would therefore be within reach. A helpdesk term with an upper bid range of 57 euros, on the other hand, only pays off if the allowable acquisition costs are significantly higher or the click-to-customer rate is significantly better.

Reach and commercial signal together make up market attractiveness

Good combination of reach and economic value: accounting software, project management, helpdesk and ticket systems, CMS or ECM, and email marketing software.

Small but high-value niches: travel expense management, password management for companies, enterprise LMS, fleet management and specialized ticket systems. They have limited reach, but can be very attractive due to high contract values.

High reach, but hard to evaluate: general abbreviations, methodology searches, software for private users, free solutions and technical information terms. Here we check particularly carefully whether the clicks lead to paying customers.

In AI Overviews, Google often cites the software providers themselves

We searched Google for 15 typical questions, for example "crm software vergleich" (CRM software comparison), "helpdesk software vergleich" (helpdesk software comparison) or "lms für unternehmen" (LMS for companies) (queried on October 22, 2026). For 13 questions, an AI Overview appears above the search results; for "buchhaltungssoftware für kleinunternehmer" (accounting software for small businesses) and "passwort manager für unternehmen" (password manager for companies) it does not.

The AI Overviews cite 32 different websites. They include providers such as Zendesk, factro, Asana, 360Learning and SAP, alongside advice sites such as fuer-gruender.de and OMR with three mentions each. Half of the 40 mentions come from websites that also appear among the top five search results.

How we build content for AI Overviews is described on our page about GEO.

Conclusion: Google Ads for SaaS is a precision market

The Google Ads market for SaaS and software is large, but too fragmented for a strategy that relies only on a few general main keywords. The largest search volumes are in broad categories, abbreviations and information terms. The most valuable demand lies in smaller segments: specific use cases, business target groups, industries, comparisons, alternatives and integrations.

For a provider with large business customers, a term with 50 searches can be worth more than a general term with 18,000 searches. High bids are therefore not a problem in themselves. It gets expensive with clicks without matching purchase intent or without sufficient customer value. The profit comes from the searches behind which there is a specific problem, a suitable company and a realistic purchase decision. We precisely identify these small, economically relevant parts of the market and evaluate them separately.