Google Search Console (GSC) provides some basic insights out of the box when you’re doing organic performance analysis. But, when using the power of REGEX within the limited tools offered, it can be extremely useful to find out how your users are reaching and searching for your business, especially when you’re in a business covered by semantic niches, such as SaaS and B2B.
Here’s a collection of terms to use with a powerful REGEX I’ve found on LinkedIn and a quick guide on how to use it.
Step 1: Accessing Google Search Console
- Log In: Navigate to Google Search Console and log in with your credentials.
- Select Property: Choose the property (website) associated with your SaaS product.
Step 2: Filtering Keywords Using Regex
- Navigate to Performance Report: Click on the “Performance” option in the left-hand menu to access the Performance report.
- Apply Query Filters:
- Click on the “Queries” tab to view the search queries.
- Locate the “Filter” button above the query data.
- Configure Custom Regex:
- In the filter options, select “Custom” under the Query filter.
- Enter the following Regular Expression (Regex):
\b(?:tool|software|app|system|platform|application|program|solution|portal|suite|service)s?\bExplanation:
It accommodates: both singular and plural forms of these words (hence s? after the closing parenthesis of the non-capturing group).
It will match: any occurrence of “tool”, “software”, “app”, “system”, “platform”, “application”, “program”, “solution”, “portal”, “suite”, or “service”.
- Apply and Review:
- After entering the Regex pattern, apply the filter.
- Review the filtered list of queries to see keywords that describe your SaaS using various synonyms.
Step 3: Analyzing Keyword Insights
- Explore Keyword Variations:
- The filtered list will reveal a diverse set of keywords that users employ to search for your SaaS.
- Examples include variations such as “software platform”, “application tools”, “service solutions”, etc.
- Extracting Insights:
- Identify trends in how users perceive and search for your product based on the keyword variations.
- Prioritize keywords that align closely with your product offerings and target audience.
Bonus: the REGEX, explained
Components:
\b: Word Boundary
\b is a special character in Regex that matches a boundary between a word character (like letters or digits) and a non-word character (like spaces or punctuation). It helps ensure that the regex matches whole words and not parts of words.
(?: … ): Non-Capturing Group
(?: … ) is used to group multiple alternatives without capturing the matched text. It’s efficient when you want to group elements for alternation but don’t need to reference the matched substring later.
tool|software|app|system|platform|application|program|solution|portal|suite|service: Alternatives
These are the individual words (synonyms for “software”) that we want to capture in the search queries. The | character between them denotes alternation, meaning the regex will match any one of these words.
s?: Optional Plural Form
s? indicates that the previous character s is optional. This allows the regex to match both singular and plural forms of the words listed above. For example, it matches both “tool” and “tools”.
\b: Word Boundary (again)
This ensures that the regex pattern ends with a word boundary, effectively matching whole words and preventing partial matches.
Conclusion
I found that while I still prefer to rely on powerful tools like aHrefs and SemRush for my work, utilizing Google Search Console and applying Regex filters can uncover valuable keyword data that may not be immediately apparent through traditional keyword research methods.
This approach allows us in Fuel LAB to optimize SEO strategies and scale to new horizons by targeting relevant and diverse search terms, especially in those markets where search semantics are often unexpected.
For further assistance or questions regarding Google Search Console and SEO strategy, feel free to consult additional resources on my blog or schedule a meeting.
Pietro Mingotti is an Italian entrepreneur and digital marketing specialist, best known as the founder and owner of Fuel LAB, a leading digital marketing and technical marketing agency based in Italy, operating worldwide. With a passion for creativity, innovation, and technology, Pietro has established himself as a thought leader in the field of digital marketing and has helped numerous companies achieve their marketing goals.