Pricing keywords are searches about what something costs. They include branded searches like “[your product] pricing”, competitor searches like “[competitor] pricing”, and category searches like “how much does payroll software cost”. Buyers make these searches when building a budget or a shortlist, so they sit very close to a purchase. They also attract review sites that summarize vendor pricing, sometimes inaccurately.
Three kinds of pricing search
Your own branded pricing searches should land on your pricing page. Competitor pricing searches are an opportunity for comparison content, provided the figures are accurate and dated. Category cost searches are often informational: the searcher wants typical price ranges and the factors that drive cost, which a guide can explain while showing where your plans fit.
- [your product] pricing, plans, cost
- [competitor] pricing, [competitor] price increase
- how much does [category] cost
- [category] pricing models, per seat vs usage
When pricing is not public
Many B2B vendors use “contact sales” pricing. Pricing searches still happen, and third-party sites will fill the gap with estimates. A pricing page that explains how pricing works, what drives cost and what is included gives searchers something real even without exact numbers. Whether to publish prices is a business decision; the SEO consideration is that the search will be answered by someone.
Technical checks for pricing pages
Pricing pages often load plan tables through scripts or toggles. Make sure the main content is present in the rendered HTML Google sees, using the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. Give the page a specific title and keep it linked from the main navigation.
Example
A category cost guide
Imagine Driftmaple, a fictional applicant tracking system, writes a guide answering “how much does an applicant tracking system cost”. It explains common pricing models, typical cost drivers like seats and job slots, and hidden costs such as implementation.
The guide links to Driftmaple's pricing page as one worked example and to competitors' public pricing pages as sources.
Common mistakes
Letting a review site own your pricing search
If your pricing page is thin or hard for Google to read, someone else's summary may rank for your own name.
Publishing outdated competitor prices
Prices change often. Stale figures mislead buyers and erode trust in the rest of the page.
Questions
Publishing prices helps answer the search directly, but it is a business decision. Without prices, explain your pricing model clearly so the page still satisfies the searcher.
