Struggling to figure out which keywords will actually bring people to your website? Here’s how to use Semrush for keyword research, a tool that’s been a must for so many of us, to uncover those golden opportunities and truly understand what your audience is searching for. We’ll walk through everything from finding your first keywords to outsmarting your competitors, so you can build a content strategy that truly gets results. By the end of this, you’ll be set up to create content that not only ranks but genuinely connects with your ideal readers and customers, moving beyond just guessing and into data-driven success.

Table of Contents

What is Semrush and Why It Matters for Keywords

Think of Semrush as your ultimate digital marketing sidekick, an all-in-one platform packed with tools for everything from SEO to content marketing, and even competitor analysis. But for us, its real superpower lies in keyword research. It’s like having a giant magnifying glass for the internet, showing you exactly what words and phrases people are typing into search engines.

Why is this a big deal? Well, whether you’re running a blog, managing an e-commerce store, or just trying to get your message out there, you need to know what your audience is actually looking for. You could write the most brilliant article ever, but if nobody’s searching for that topic, it’s not going to do much for your organic traffic. Semrush helps you identify those key topics and terms, making sure your content aligns perfectly with what your ideal reader or customer needs.

With a database that boasts over 27.3 billion keywords and insights from 142 countries, Semrush is genuinely one of the most comprehensive keyword tools out there. It gives you the raw data—like how many people search for a term each month search volume, how hard it’ll be to rank for it keyword difficulty, and even the intent behind the search are they looking to buy, learn, or navigate?. This kind of detailed information is crucial for crafting a solid SEO strategy and making sure your marketing efforts hit the mark.

Getting Started with Semrush for Keyword Research Even for Beginners

If you’re new to Semrush, don’t sweat it. Getting started with keyword research is actually pretty straightforward. First things first, you’ll want to either log into your Semrush account or, if you’re just dipping your toes in, explore their free options. Unlocking Semrush Guru: Your Ultimate Guide to a Free Trial (and Beyond!)

The Free Way: How to Use Semrush for Keyword Research Free

Yes, you can absolutely get a taste of Semrush’s power without opening your wallet! They offer a free tier that lets you perform a limited number of searches daily. Typically, you can do around 10 keyword searches per day using the Keyword Magic Tool or Keyword Overview, and each report might be limited to about 10 results. You can also analyze up to 10 websites daily using the Domain Overview.

This free access is a fantastic way to:

Get a feel for the interface: See how the tools work and what kind of data they provide.
Do quick spot checks: If you have a few specific keywords in mind, you can quickly check their search volume and difficulty.
Kickstart your competitive analysis: Get a snapshot of a competitor’s top keywords to get some initial ideas.

While the paid plans obviously unlock the full power and remove these limits, the free version is a great starting point, especially if you’re a beginner trying to understand how to do keyword research Semrush style.

Setting Up Your First Project Quick Start Guide

Once you’ve signed up or logged in, the first thing I usually do is set up a project for my website. This isn’t strictly necessary for every keyword search, but it helps Semrush give you more personalized insights, like your “Personal Keyword Difficulty” more on that later!.

Here’s a quick run-through: Unlock Your Website’s Full Potential: Connecting Google Analytics to Semrush for Smarter SEO

Go to “Projects”: You’ll find this on the left-hand sidebar or in the top-left corner of your Semrush dashboard.
Click “Create new project”: Enter your website’s domain name e.g., yourwebsite.com and give your project a name.
Semrush will prompt you: It might ask to run a Site Audit, Position Tracking, or other tools. You can set these up later, but for now, just having your site connected is a good start.

Now, with your project set up, Semrush can start tailoring some of its data to your specific domain, which is super helpful as you get deeper into keyword analysis.

Mastering the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Alright, let’s talk about one of my favorite Semrush features: the Keyword Magic Tool. This thing is an absolute powerhouse for finding keywords! It’s basically a massive database of over 27.3 billion keywords, and it can generate huge lists of related terms, group them by topic, and show you all the important metrics.

Step-by-Step: Finding Your First Keywords

Here’s how you can use the Keyword Magic Tool to find some awesome keywords:

Navigate to the tool: From your Semrush dashboard, look for “Keyword Research” on the left sidebar and click on “Keyword Magic Tool”.
Enter your “seed” keyword: This is your starting point, a broad term related to your business or content. For example, if you sell handmade jewelry, you might start with “handmade jewelry” or “unique necklaces”. Type it into the search bar and select your target country database.
Hit “Search”: Semrush will instantly generate a huge list of related keywords. Depending on how popular your seed keyword is, you could see millions of suggestions.
Explore the groups: On the left side, you’ll see “groups” of keywords. These are subtopics related to your main keyword, which is amazing for brainstorming content ideas and understanding different angles people are searching for. You can sort these groups by the number of keywords they contain or by their combined search volume.

This initial step gives you a broad overview and helps you uncover niches you might not have thought of. Cracking the Code: How Google Analytics Fuels Your SEM Strategy

Filtering for Gold: Volume, Difficulty, and Intent

Now that you have a massive list, it’s time to refine it and find the best keywords for your strategy. This is where Semrush’s filtering capabilities really shine.

Look for these key metrics and filters:

Search Volume: This tells you the average number of monthly searches for a specific term. You’ll want keywords with enough volume to be worth targeting, but sometimes lower volume, highly specific keywords long-tail keywords can be gold!
Keyword Difficulty KD: This score usually from 0-100% indicates how hard it will be to rank in Google’s top 10 results for that keyword. Lower scores mean easier competition. Semrush even offers “Personal Keyword Difficulty” if you’ve connected your domain, which gives you a customized score based on your site’s authority.
Search Intent: This is super important! It tells you why someone is searching for that term. Semrush uses a color-coded system:
- Informational I: People want to learn something e.g., “how to make bread”.
- Navigational N: People are looking for a specific website or page e.g., “Facebook login”.
- Commercial C: People are researching products or services e.g., “best ergonomic chairs”.
- Transactional T: People are ready to buy e.g., “buy noise-cancelling headphones”.
  Filtering by intent helps you align keywords with your content goals. For instance, if you’re writing a blog post, you’ll probably focus on informational keywords. If you’re building a product page, transactional is key.

You can also filter by:

Word Count: Great for finding longer, more specific phrases long-tail keywords.
SERP Features: See if a keyword triggers a Featured Snippet, People Also Ask box, or video carousel. These can be big opportunities.
Questions: This filter automatically shows you keywords phrased as questions, which are perfect for FAQ sections, blog posts, and even voice search optimization.

My advice? Don’t just chase the highest volume. A keyword with lower volume but lower difficulty and clear transactional intent can be much more valuable than a super high-volume, highly competitive informational term, especially when you’re starting out.

Uncovering Long-Tail Gems

Long-tail keywords are those longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but often come with higher conversion rates because the user’s intent is very clear. For example, instead of just “coffee,” a long-tail keyword might be “best espresso machine for beginners under $300.” How to Use Semrush for Content Marketing: Your Ultimate Blueprint for Online Success

To find these in the Keyword Magic Tool:

Start with your seed keyword.
Use the “Word count” filter under “Advanced filters” and set a minimum of 4 or 5 words.
Combine this with a lower “Keyword Difficulty” filter to find less competitive long-tail terms.

These gems are fantastic for targeting niche audiences and can really increase your sales if you have an e-commerce site.

Supercharging Your Strategy with the Keyword Gap Tool

Once you’ve got a handle on your own keywords, it’s time to peek over the fence and see what your neighbors competitors, that is are doing. The Semrush Keyword Gap tool is absolutely brilliant for this. It lets you compare your website’s keyword profile against up to five competitors, showing you where you stack up and, more importantly, where the untapped opportunities lie.

Identifying Competitor Keyword Opportunities

Before you can use the Keyword Gap tool, you need to know who your competitors are. If you’re not sure, you can use Semrush’s Organic Research tool: Google Trends: Your Finger on the Pulse

Enter your own domain into the Organic Research tool.
Go to the “Competitors” tab to see a list of websites that rank for similar keywords.

Once you have your competitor list up to four, plus your own domain makes five, head over to the Keyword Gap tool:

On the left sidebar, under “Competitive Research,” select “Keyword Gap”.
Enter your domain in the first field, then add your competitors’ domains in the subsequent fields.
Choose the type of keywords you want to analyze Organic, Paid, or PLA—Product Listing Ads. For SEO, we’re usually interested in “Organic keywords”.
Select your target country and click “Compare”.

Semrush will then generate a report showing you the keyword overlap between your sites. You’ll see categories like:

Shared keywords: Keywords both you and your competitors rank for.
Missing keywords: Keywords all your competitors rank for, but you don’t. This is gold for new content ideas!
Weak keywords: Keywords where you rank lower than your competitors. These are great for optimization efforts.
Untapped keywords: At least one competitor ranks for these, but you don’t.
Unique keywords: Keywords only your site ranks for.

I always focus heavily on the “Missing” and “Weak” tabs. The “Missing” keywords are like hidden treasures, showing you exactly where you can create new content to capture traffic your competitors are already getting. The “Weak” keywords tell you which of your existing pages need a boost to improve rankings.

How to Use the Keyword Gap Tool to Steal Traffic

Using the insights from the Keyword Gap tool isn’t about copying. it’s about understanding what’s working and finding your own angles to capture that audience.

Identify “Missing” Opportunities: Look for high-volume, low-difficulty keywords that all your competitors rank for but you don’t. These are prime candidates for new blog posts, service pages, or product descriptions.
Strengthen “Weak” Areas: For keywords where you’re ranking lower, analyze your competitors’ content for those terms. What are they doing better? Is their content more comprehensive, more engaging, or do they have more backlinks? Use this to optimize your existing pages.
Filter and Export: Just like in the Keyword Magic Tool, you can apply filters to narrow down the results by search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent. Once you have a solid list, export it to a spreadsheet to start planning your content calendar.
Local SEO Power: For local businesses, this tool is even more critical. You can compare your site against local competitors to discover location-based keywords they’re ranking for, like “best coffee shop ” or ” near me”. This helps you optimize your Google My Business listing and local content to attract nearby customers. Semrush also has a Map Rank Tracker to see how you rank in specific areas.

By systematically using the Keyword Gap tool, you can uncover keyword opportunities that you may have completely missed, giving you a serious edge in competitive markets. Semrush on Glassdoor and Reddit: What Users and Employees Really Say

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Keyword Research Tactics

Once you’re comfortable with the Keyword Magic Tool and Keyword Gap, Semrush offers even more ways to refine your strategy.

Topic Clusters and Content Pillars

The old way of SEO was often to create a single page for a single keyword. The modern approach, which Google loves, involves topic clusters. This is where you have a central, comprehensive “pillar page” covering a broad topic, supported by multiple “cluster pages” that delve into specific subtopics related to that pillar. These cluster pages link back to the pillar, showing search engines your authority on the main subject.

Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder sometimes called the Keyword Strategy Tool can help you create these. You enter a few seed keywords, and the tool suggests pillar pages and cluster pages, even giving you ideas for sources. This helps you:

Cover topics comprehensively: Ensure you’re addressing all angles your audience might be searching for.
Improve site structure: Strong internal linking within a cluster helps both users and search engines navigate your site.
Target long-tail keywords: Cluster pages are perfect for these specific terms, expanding your overall search coverage.

By thinking in terms of topic clusters, you’re not just chasing individual keywords. you’re building a complete, authoritative resource that search engines will love to show to users. Supercharge Your Google Ads: How to Master Campaigns with Semrush

Local SEO Keyword Research

For any business that serves a specific geographic area, local SEO is non-negotiable. Semrush provides excellent tools to make sure you’re found by customers in your neighborhood.

Here’s how to use Semrush for local keyword research:

Keyword Overview Tool: When you enter a keyword, make sure to select your target country, state, or even city in the location filter. This will give you local search volume, keyword difficulty, and CPC data specific to that area.
Keyword Magic Tool: Again, select your specific location. Then, try adding location-based modifiers to your seed keywords. For example, “plumber” becomes “plumber ” or “emergency plumber near me”. The “Questions” filter is especially useful here, as local searches often involve questions like “best pizza in ?”.
Competitor Analysis: Use the Keyword Gap tool as discussed above but focus it on your local competitors. See what local terms they’re ranking for that you’re missing.
Google My Business Optimization: While not a direct Semrush tool, the keyword research you do should directly inform your Google My Business listing, ensuring it includes relevant, localized keywords.

Focusing on local keywords can significantly increase your visibility in local search results, driving more foot traffic and inquiries from ready-to-buy customers.

Voice Search Optimization

With the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants, voice search is becoming more and more common, with predictions that over half of all online searches could be voice-activated. Voice searches are usually longer, more conversational, and question-based.

Here’s how Semrush helps you optimize for voice search: Your Free Ticket to SEO Mastery: Semrush Free SEO Courses!

Keyword Magic Tool – “Questions” Filter: This is your best friend here. By filtering for questions, you’ll find phrases like “how to fix a leaky faucet” instead of just “leaky faucet repair”. These conversational queries are exactly what people ask voice assistants.
Long-Tail Keywords: Voice searches naturally lean towards longer, more detailed phrases. Use Semrush to identify these long-tail keywords that mimic natural speech.
Featured Snippets: Google often uses Featured Snippets to answer voice search queries. Use the Keyword Magic Tool’s SERP Features filter to find keywords that trigger featured snippets. Then, optimize your content to try and win those snippets by providing clear, concise answers to common questions.
Conversational Tone: While Semrush helps you find the keywords, remember to write your content in a natural, conversational tone. This makes it more likely to be picked up for voice results.

Integrating Semrush Keyword Research into Your Content Marketing

Finding keywords is just the first step. The real magic happens when you weave those insights into your content marketing strategy. Semrush makes it easy to go from raw data to actionable content plans.

From Keywords to Content Ideas

With your carefully curated lists of keywords from the Keyword Magic Tool and Keyword Gap analysis, you’re sitting on a goldmine of content ideas.

Prioritize Your Keywords: Look at your lists and consider search volume, keyword difficulty, and most importantly, intent. Which keywords align best with your business goals? If you’re looking for quick wins, target high-volume, low-difficulty transactional keywords. If you’re building long-term authority, focus on informational pillar topics.
Generate Content Topics:
- “Questions” filter results: These are ready-made blog post titles or FAQ sections. For example, “How much does cost?”
- Keyword groups: The Keyword Magic Tool groups show you related subtopics. Each group can inspire a new article or a section within a larger piece of content.
- Competitor gaps: If competitors rank for keywords you don’t, create content to fill those gaps!.
Use the Semrush Content Marketing Toolkit: This suite includes tools like the Topic Research tool, which helps you find popular questions and subtopics based on a keyword. The SEO Content Template and SEO Writing Assistant are also incredibly helpful for optimizing your content as you write, giving you real-time recommendations for keyword usage, readability, and content length based on top-ranking pages.

By integrating this research, you’re creating content that people are actually searching for, increasing your chances of ranking higher and attracting more organic traffic.

Tracking Your Keyword Performance

Your work doesn’t stop once the content is published! It’s crucial to track how your keywords are performing over time. Semrush’s Position Tracking tool is perfect for this. How Semrush Supercharges Your Google Digital Marketing Efforts

Set up Position Tracking: Add the keywords you want to monitor to a tracking campaign. You can specify location global, national, local, device type desktop or mobile, and even track specific SERP features.
Monitor Your Rankings: The tool shows you where your target keywords rank in search results, how your positions change, and how you compare to your competitors.
Identify Opportunities for Improvement: If a keyword is stuck on page two or three, that’s a “weak” keyword opportunity you can work on. If a page starts slipping in rankings, it might need an update or more backlinks.
Track Featured Snippets: You can see which keywords are triggering Featured Snippets and work to optimize your content to capture those highly visible spots.

Regularly checking your position tracking helps you make data-driven decisions, adjusting your strategy to maintain and improve your search engine visibility.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a powerful tool like Semrush, it’s easy to fall into common traps. Here are a few things to watch out for:

Only targeting high-volume keywords: While tempting, high-volume keywords often mean high competition. Especially when you’re starting, sometimes it’s smarter to go after lower-volume, lower-difficulty keywords where you have a better chance of ranking quickly.
Ignoring search intent: Don’t just pick a keyword because of its numbers. If someone is searching for “buy shoes” transactional intent and you give them an article about “the history of shoes” informational intent, they’ll bounce. Match your content to the user’s intent.
Forgetting about your competitors: Your competitors are already ranking for keywords. Use the Keyword Gap tool to learn from them, identify their weaknesses, and find opportunities you’ve missed.
Not using filters: The sheer volume of keywords in Semrush can be overwhelming. Don’t be afraid to use all those powerful filters difficulty, volume, intent, word count, questions, SERP features to narrow down your results to the most relevant and actionable terms.
“Set it and forget it” keyword research: Keyword trends change, new competitors emerge, and your rankings fluctuate. Keyword research isn’t a one-time thing. it’s an ongoing process. Regularly revisit your keywords, track your performance, and update your content.

By being mindful of these pitfalls, you can get the most out of Semrush and truly supercharge your SEO efforts.

Discovering Free Keyword Research Tools Like Semrush: Your Ultimate Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main Semrush tools for keyword research?

The main tools you’ll use in Semrush for keyword research are the Keyword Magic Tool, the Keyword Gap Tool, and the Keyword Overview Tool. The Keyword Magic Tool helps you discover a massive number of related keywords, filter them, and organize them into groups. The Keyword Gap Tool lets you compare your website’s keyword profile against your competitors to find new opportunities. The Keyword Overview Tool provides a quick snapshot of key metrics for any single keyword. You can also use the Organic Research tool to identify competitor keywords.

Can I use Semrush for keyword research for free?

Yes, Semrush offers a limited free version that allows you to perform some keyword research. Typically, you can do around 10 keyword searches per day using tools like the Keyword Magic Tool or Keyword Overview, with each report showing a limited number of results e.g., 10. While it’s not full access, it’s a great way to get started and understand the basics of how the platform works for finding keywords.

How do I find long-tail keywords using Semrush?

To find long-tail keywords in Semrush, start by using the Keyword Magic Tool. Enter your broad “seed” keyword, then apply filters. The most effective filter for long-tail keywords is the “Word count” filter, where you can set a minimum number of words e.g., 4 or 5. You can combine this with a lower “Keyword Difficulty” filter to pinpoint less competitive, highly specific phrases that often have clear user intent.

What is the Keyword Gap Tool and how does it help me?

The Semrush Keyword Gap Tool is a competitive analysis feature that allows you to compare the keyword portfolios of your website and up to four competitors side-by-side. It helps you discover: Cracking the Code: What Employees Really Say About Semrush on Glassdoor

Missing keywords: Terms your competitors rank for, but you don’t great for new content ideas.
Weak keywords: Terms where your site ranks lower than your competitors opportunities for optimization.
Untapped opportunities: Keywords at least one competitor ranks for, but you haven’t targeted yet.
By using this tool, you can uncover hidden content opportunities and refine your SEO strategy to gain a competitive edge.

How can Semrush help with keyword research for local businesses?

Semrush is excellent for local keyword research. You can use the Keyword Overview Tool and Keyword Magic Tool by setting a specific location country, state, or city to get localized search volume and difficulty data. This helps you find terms like “dentist in ” or “best restaurants near me.” Additionally, the Keyword Gap Tool can be used to analyze your local competitors and discover local keywords they rank for that you might be missing. Semrush’s Position Tracking tool can also monitor your rankings for local keywords.

Does Semrush help with YouTube keyword research?

Yes, Semrush does offer tools to assist with YouTube keyword research. While its primary database is for Google, the Keyword Analytics for YouTube app within Semrush can show you popular search terms on YouTube, their search volume, and competitive rates. You can also adapt traditional keyword research by looking for question-based keywords in the Keyword Magic Tool, as these often translate well into video content ideas that address common viewer queries.

How important is search intent in Semrush keyword research?

Search intent is incredibly important in Semrush keyword research, as it tells you the purpose behind a user’s search query. Semrush categorizes intent as Informational, Navigational, Commercial, or Transactional. Understanding intent helps you create content that truly matches what users are looking for. For example, if a user has transactional intent ready to buy, you’d want to target them with product pages or sales content, not just an informational blog post. Aligning your content with search intent is crucial for high rankings and conversions.

Demystifying Semrush Pricing: Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Plan

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Unlocking the Power of Semrush: Your Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research