Table of Contents
What Semrush Actually Does
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO platform combining keyword research, competitor intelligence, backlink analysis, technical site audits, rank tracking, and an AI content assistant. Its scale is the main draw — a 25B+ keyword database and the ability to see almost any competitor's traffic sources, top pages, and ad spend.
Competitor intelligence in one click
Enter any competitor's domain and see their top organic keywords, estimated traffic, paid ad copy, and content gaps versus your own site — without needing separate tools for each.
Getting Started: Your First Project
Go to semrush.com and start a 7-day free trial of Pro, or begin on the free plan (10 searches/day).
- Click + Create Project and enter your domain
- Connect Google Search Console and Google Analytics for richer data (optional but recommended)
- Set up your first tracked keyword list under Position Tracking
Keyword Research with Keyword Magic Tool
How to Find Keyword Targets
- Open Keyword Magic Tool and enter a broad seed keyword for your topic
- Filter by search volume and Keyword Difficulty (KD%) — lower KD is easier to rank for with a newer site
- Shortlist 10-20 candidates and add them to a keyword list
- Add the shortlist to Position Tracking to start monitoring rankings before you even publish
Sort by Keyword Difficulty, not just volume
A 10,000-search keyword at 70% difficulty is a worse target for a new site than a 500-search keyword at 20% difficulty. Volume without a realistic shot at ranking is wasted effort.
Competitor Gap Analysis
How to Find Content Gaps
- Open Keyword Gap and enter your domain plus 2-3 competitor domains
- Filter to keywords competitors rank for that your site doesn't (the "Missing" tab)
- Cross-reference against your niche relevance — not every gap is worth filling
This is usually the fastest way to find a realistic content roadmap — you're targeting keywords with proven demand, since a competitor already ranks for them.
Running a Site Audit
How to Run a Technical Audit
- Open Site Audit and enter your domain to run the first crawl
- Review the Issues tab, sorted by severity (Errors, Warnings, Notices)
- Fix high-impact errors first — broken internal links, missing meta descriptions, duplicate content
- Re-run the audit after major site changes to catch new issues early
Content Briefs with ContentShake AI
How to Generate an SEO Content Brief
- Open ContentShake AI and enter your validated target keyword
- Review the auto-generated brief — it pulls structure and topics from what's actually ranking in the SERP, not generic suggestions
- Use the brief as a starting outline, then write or edit the draft yourself for accuracy and voice
ContentShake AI is an add-on available on Pro and up — it's a research accelerator, not a fully autonomous writer. Treat its draft as a first pass that still needs a human editing check.
Full Workflow: Monthly SEO Cycle
Here's a repeatable monthly cycle once your initial setup is done:
Research keywords and shortlist targets
Use Keyword Magic Tool to find candidates by search volume and difficulty, then add your shortlist directly to Position Tracking.
Run a competitor gap analysis
Use Keyword Gap against 2-3 competitors to find keywords they rank for that you don't yet have content targeting.
Generate a content brief with ContentShake AI
Turn a validated target keyword into an SEO-informed content brief built from real SERP data, not generic AI suggestions.
Publish, then monitor with Position Tracking and Site Audit
Track the new page's ranking from day one and re-run Site Audit after major site changes to catch technical issues early.
Semrush Pricing 2026
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 searches/day, 1 project |
| Pro | $139.95/mo | 3,000 keywords, 5 projects, site audit |
| Guru | $249.95/mo | 5,000 keywords, 15 projects, historical data |
Start a 7-day free trial — no coupon code exists, but annual billing saves roughly 17%.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Chasing high-volume keywords regardless of difficulty. A lower-volume, lower-difficulty keyword you can actually rank for beats a high-volume one you can't.
- Never running Keyword Gap. This is the fastest path to a validated content roadmap and many users skip it entirely.
- Treating ContentShake AI output as a finished draft. It's a strong starting brief, not a publish-ready article — always edit for accuracy and voice.
- Skipping Site Audit re-runs after redesigns. Technical issues introduced by a site change can quietly tank rankings if they go unnoticed for weeks.