Intermediate
How to analyze competitor keywords on Semrush
Quick Answer
Analyze competitor keywords on Semrush via Organic Research for top organic terms, Keyword Gap for overlaps and misses, and Advertising Research for paid keywords. Prioritize high-volume, moderate KD terms relevant to your site. Export lists and cross-check for strategy integration, taking 15-45 minutes.
Prerequisites
- Active Semrush account (Pro recommended)
- Competitor's exact domain (root or subdomain)
- Target location and database selected
- Basic Semrush dashboard familiarity
1
Log in and enter competitor domain
Log into your Semrush account and locate the search bar at the top of the dashboard. Enter the full domain name of your competitor's website, such as
www.competitor.com or root domain competitor.com; Semrush accepts both root domains and subdomains like blog.competitor.com. Click Search to generate a comprehensive report including organic traffic, top keywords, and backlinks.Tip
Verify exact domain format to avoid 'No data available' errors.
2
Navigate to Organic Research
In the report, go to the left sidebar and select Organic Research under Domain Overview. This provides insights into the competitor's organic search visibility.
3
Review Overview tab
Select the Overview tab for a snapshot of organic performance, including total visits, traffic trends, and top-ranking pages. Scroll to Top Organic Keywords to see highest-performing keywords driving traffic.
4
Examine top keywords and metrics
Analyze key metrics for each keyword: search volume (monthly searches), positions (SERPs rankings), and traffic share (percentage of total traffic). Focus on keywords ranking in positions 1-10 with high volume.
Tip
Prioritize keywords relevant to your products and underutilized on your site.
5
Check keyword trends and prioritize
Identify keywords with high search volumes but moderate/low competition, especially those consistently in top 5 positions. Create a prioritized list for your strategy.
6
Analyze Keyword Difficulty
Click individual keywords to view the Keyword Difficulty (KD) score (1-100 scale). Target moderate KD scores between 30-60 for balanced traffic potential and achievability. Add to a strategy list for content like blog posts or landing pages.
Tip
Use KD% for site-specific feasibility.
7
Use Keyword Gap tool
Enter your domain and up to five competitors, select Organic keywords, and click
Compare. Review overlaps and Missing opportunities where competitors rank but you don't.Tip
Export to CSV for offline sorting.
8
Explore Advertising Research for paid keywords
For paid search, enter competitor domain in Advertising Research, select location, and view Positions tab. Check ad rank, CPC, and landing URLs for paid keyword insights.
9
Check backlinks and additional tools
Review Backlink Analytics for referring domains and Traffic Analytics for sources. Use Content Gap to find untapped keywords.
Tip
Cross-check with Google searches for real-time validation.
10
Export and integrate into strategy
Export keyword lists via CSV. Incorporate into your SEO by targeting in content, monitoring positions, and building backlinks.
Troubleshooting
Limited keyword visibility
Upgrade to Pro plan or use 14-day trial; shows 'Upgrade to see full list' on free accounts. Export partial lists via CSV.
No data or empty results
'No data available' or '0 keywords found' from wrong domain (e.g., missing www.); enter exact root/subdomain and verify site validity.
Slow loading or large datasets
Filter by position/volume; use exports for offline analysis.
Location/database mismatches
Select correct target location (e.g., US English) before analysis to avoid zero results.
Inaccurate competition data
Switch to paid plan for full metrics; cross-check KD% and use PKD for personalized feasibility.
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