Keyword research is a crucial foundation of any successful SEO strategy. Finding the right keywords to target allows you to rank for searches that attract qualified traffic to your site.
But with over hundreds of millions of keyword searches happening every day, identifying the best terms to focus on can be overwhelming.
This is where using a robust keyword research tool like SEMrush comes in handy. SEMrush provides in-depth data on keyword difficulty, search volume, trends, and more to inform your keyword targeting.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk through how to utilize the powerful keyword research capabilities of SEMrush to find your best SEO keywords.
Getting Started with SEMrush
The first step is signing up for a SEMrush account. They offer a free membership tier with limited capabilities. For full access, you’ll need a paid Pro, Guru or Business plan.
Once your account is created, you can begin keyword research by heading to the Keyword Magic Tool under the Keywords section.
Enter in a primary keyword that encompasses your overall topic. For example, for a blog about cooking you may enter “Business Idea”. Hit enter or click the magnifying glass to begin pulling keyword data.
Reviewing Keyword Overview Data
The overview section will now populate with useful data to understand how your primary keyword stacks up.
You’ll see the monthly search volume, both globally and for your target country. This indicates how many searches the term gets. Higher is better for consideration.
SEMrush will also provide the keyword difficulty percentage. Higher percentages mean more competition, while lower ones indicate easier opportunities to potentially rank.
Additionally, the SERP overview analyzes the types of results displayed for the keyword, such as ads, knowledge panels, local packs, etc. Reviewing the SERP allows you to understand the full landscape of ranking potential.
Evaluating Keyword Ideas
The real magic happens in the keyword ideas section. SEMrush will automatically generate numerous keyword variations and phrases related to your primary term.
You can view keyword ideas based on different match types:
- Broad match – Wide range of loose variations
- Phrase match – Multiple word phrases containing the term
- Exact match – Specific keywords matching term exactly
Take time to comb through all the keyword ideas. Look for terms that have solid search volume but lower difficulty percentages. These present opportunities to rank since they are less competitive.
You can also filter keywords by metrics like volume, difficulty, CPC bid estimates, and more to zone in on terms matching your targets.
Selecting Keywords to Target
Once you’ve identified a list of potential keywords to target, you’ll want to refine and prioritize.
Start by eliminating any keywords not a good match for your content or offerings. Just because a term has good volume doesn’t mean it will convert well.
Next, organize keywords into groups or tiers based on priorities:
- Tier 1 – Primary target keywords, anchor for optimization
- Tier 2 – Secondary keywords to also focus on
- Tier 3 – Tertiary long tail keywords to pepper in
You’ll want to give extra optimization effort to Tier 1 and 2 keywords. Make sure they appear naturally in titles, meta descriptions, content, etc.
Tier 3 long tails can be used for things like H2/H3s, image alt text, internal linking and sprinkled through copy.
Ongoing Keyword Tracking
Keyword research is not a one-and-done process. Search trends and competition levels shift over time.
Use SEMrush to check back on your core keywords monthly. Monitor changes in volume and ranking difficulty.
Look for new keyword opportunities as well. You may find additional relevant keywords to target as you expand content and offerings.
SEMrush lets you track rankings for your target keyword list across desktop and mobile. This allows you to evaluate your progress in gaining visibility and traffic.
Advanced Keyword Research Tips
Now that you’re familiar with the basics, here are some pro tips for squeezing even more out of SEMrush for keyword research:
- Export keyword lists – Easily download keywords into a spreadsheet for analysis.
- Leverage filters – Refine keyword lists by length, CPC, search volume and more.
- Analyze the SERP – Study what ranks for your keywords and identify content gaps.
- Use filters – Isolate keyword lists by match type, language, location and other filters.
- Compare metrics over time – Track keyword metric changes month to month to ID trends.
- Research competitor keywords – Discover what keywords competitors rank for.
- Perform site audits – See how target pages are optimized for your keywords.
- Track ranking changes – Monitor your keyword rankings in SEMrush to gauge performance.
- Schedule reports – Have keyword ranking reports automatically emailed to review progress.
The Right Keywords Are Key
In closing, comprehensive keyword research is vital to the success of your SEO efforts. Using a robust tool like SEMrush gives you the keyword data needed to identify your best opportunities.
Follow this guide to perform thorough analysis using the Keyword Magic tool. Look for keywords aligned with your offerings that have solid volume and reasonable difficulty.
Stick to monitoring progress and tracking new keyword options as you expand your content. With the right keywords driving traffic to your site, you’ll be well on your way to SEO success!