How To Use Semrush: A Practical Workflow For Keyword Research, SEO Audits, And Content Planning

How to use Semrush is the question we hear right after a site launch, right after a traffic dip, or right after someone says, “We posted 40 blogs and… nothing.” We have been there too, staring at a dashboard at 11:47 p.m., trying to figure out if the problem is content, tech SEO, or just the wrong keywords.

Quick answer: Semrush works best when you treat it like a workflow, not a bag of tools. You set up clean data first, then pick winnable keywords, then copy what already works in your market, then fix site issues that block rankings, then plan content you can actually publish in WordPress, then report results in plain English.

Set Up Semrush For Clean, Reliable Data

Bad inputs create bad decisions. Semrush can give you sharp insights, but only if your project settings and connected accounts match how your site really operates.

Create A Project And Connect Google Search Console And Google Analytics

Start with a paid Semrush plan (Pro, Guru, or Business). Then:

1. Create a Project for your domain.
2. Confirm you have Google Analytics 4 running. Universal Analytics is gone, so do not waste time looking for it.
3. Connect Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA4) inside Semrush.

Here is why: GSC shows pre-click data. It tells you queries, impressions, and average position. GA4 shows what happens after the click, but it often hides organic keywords behind “(not provided).” When Semrush blends GA4 + GSC in Organic Traffic Insights, it ties pages to queries in a way that makes content decisions feel less like guessing.

Practical note: you need at least Viewer access to the GA4 property to connect it, and higher permissions reduce friction during setup.

Configure Location, Device, And Competitor Defaults Before You Start

Before you run reports, set your defaults:

• Location database: pick the country that matches your buying audience.
• Device: mobile-only views can change what “ranking well” means.
• Competitors: add 3–5 real rivals, not aspirational giants.

This matters because database choice -> affects -> keyword volume estimates. Device choice -> affects -> SERP layout and rank tracking. Competitor choice -> affects -> every “gap” report you run later.

If you are a local or regional business, treat location settings as non-negotiable. A national database can make you chase keywords that do not convert in your service area.

Find Keywords You Can Actually Rank For

Most keyword lists fail for one simple reason: the words look exciting, but the site has no realistic path to page one.

Use Keyword Overview And Keyword Magic Tool To Build A Shortlist

We usually start wide, then tighten fast.

• Keyword Overview: use it to sanity-check a term. Look at volume, trend, difficulty, and SERP features.
• Keyword Magic Tool: use it to expand the topic into a list you can sort and prune.

A simple shortlist rule we use for newer or mid-authority sites:

• Keep keywords where the intent matches the page type you can publish.
• Prefer terms with clear “how to,” “best,” “comparison,” “pricing,” or “near me” signals.
• Avoid vague one-word head terms unless you already own the category.

Apply Intent, Difficulty, SERP Features, And Topic Filters

Filters keep you from falling in love with the wrong work.

• Intent filter: informational keywords -> affect -> blog and guides: commercial keywords -> affect -> category pages and comparison posts.
• Keyword Difficulty (KD%): treat it as a risk score, not a law of physics.
• SERP features: if Google shows a map pack, shopping grid, or “Top stories,” you may need a different play.
• Topic filters: group by modifiers like “for small business,” “for Shopify,” “for WooCommerce,” “HIPAA,” “ISO,” or “template.”

If you operate in regulated fields like healthcare, legal, or finance, add one more filter in your head: “Can we publish this with human review and proper disclaimers?” Content risk -> affects -> brand trust.

Validate With Real Pages Using Organic Research

This step saves hours.

Open Organic Research for a competitor and look at:

• Which pages rank for your shortlist terms.
• What those pages look like (guide, product page, glossary, tool page).
• How deep the content goes.

If the top 10 results all look like product pages and you planned a blog post, you will fight uphill. Page type mismatch -> affects -> rankings.

We also scan for “weak” page-one results: thin posts, outdated dates, slow sites, or pages that do not answer the query cleanly. Those become your winnable bets.

Turn Competitors Into A Content And SEO Roadmap

Competitor research feels sneaky until you remember this: your buyers already search, compare, and read. You might as well learn from the sites already meeting them in Google.

Run Keyword Gap And Backlink Gap To Spot Fast Wins

Start with Keyword Gap.

• Put your domain in the first slot.
• Add 3–5 competitors.
• Filter for keywords where competitors rank and you do not.

Then sort by intent and difficulty. Missing keywords -> affect -> missed pages, missed products, and missed revenue.

Next, run Backlink Gap.

• Look for domains that link to multiple competitors.
• Check the linking page type (resource list, partner page, news mention).

Shared referrers -> affect -> your ability to catch up faster, since those sites already link in your niche.

Use Top Pages And Subfolders To Reverse-Engineer What Works

Semrush lets you view competitors by Top Pages and sometimes by subfolders.

We ask three questions:

1. Which subfolder drives most organic traffic? (Often /blog/, /resources/, /guides/, or /collections/.)
2. Which pages bring traffic that looks commercial, not just curious?
3. Which topics repeat across multiple competitors?

Repetition is a signal. Topic coverage -> affects -> topical authority. Internal linking -> affects -> how fast Google understands your site structure.

When we build WordPress sites for clients, we often mirror the best-performing architecture pattern, then adjust it to the client’s offerings. The goal is not copying words. The goal is copying information design.

Audit Your Site And Prioritize Fixes That Move Rankings

A content plan cannot outrun a site that Google struggles to crawl, render, or trust.

Run Site Audit And Triage By Crawlability, Indexing, And Core Web Vitals Signals

Run Site Audit inside your Semrush project. Then triage issues in this order:

1. Crawlability: broken internal links, redirect chains, blocked resources.
2. Indexing signals: wrong canonicals, noindex tags on key pages, duplicate title tags.
3. Performance signals: pages that load slowly or shift layout on mobile.

Crawl errors -> affect -> index coverage. Index coverage -> affects -> rankings potential. Slow pages -> affect -> conversions.

If you keep hitting broken links during audits, treat that as a process issue, not a one-time bug. We keep a simple rule: every publish cycle includes a broken-link sweep and a redirect check. If you want a step-by-step version, we laid out our process in this guide on finding and fixing dead links with Semrush.

Use On Page SEO Checker To Create A Repeatable Optimization Checklist

Semrush On Page SEO Checker is useful when you treat its suggestions as a draft checklist.

We usually turn it into a repeatable page routine:

• Match intent: does the page answer what the query asks?
• Fix titles and headings: clear primary topic, clear subtopics.
• Add internal links: link from related posts and key hub pages.
• Add missing entities: products, locations, standards, tools, and brand names that belong on the page.
• Review SERP rivals: what sections do all top pages include?

A checklist -> affects -> consistency. Consistency -> affects -> publishing speed and quality.

And yes, keep a human editor in the loop. If Semrush suggests keyword insertions that read like spam, skip them.

Build A Content Plan That Ships In WordPress Without Chaos

We love strategy. We love shipping more.

Create Topic Clusters, Briefs, And Internal Linking Rules

Use your keyword shortlist to build topic clusters:

• One hub page targets the broader topic.
• Supporting pages target narrower questions.
• Each supporting page links back to the hub.

Cluster structure -> affects -> internal linking clarity. Internal linking clarity -> affects -> crawl paths and ranking distribution.

Then create a simple brief template:

• Primary keyword and 3–5 close variants
• Search intent and page type
• Outline with required sections
• Internal links to add (and which pages should link back)
• “Do not claim” notes for regulated topics

This keeps writers from improvising the structure every time.

Operationalize In WordPress: Templates, Custom Fields, And Editorial QA

Here is what that means in WordPress:

• Templates: create a page template for guides, comparisons, and service pages.
• Custom fields: store your brief elements in ACF or native fields so they do not live in a random doc.
• Editorial QA: run a pre-publish check for titles, meta descriptions, schema where relevant, link checks, and image alt text.

We often wire this into a workflow that feels boring in a good way. A boring workflow -> affects -> fewer mistakes.

If you are building or refreshing a WordPress site and want the SEO mechanics baked into the build, our team at Zuleika LLC focuses on WordPress development and SEO as one system. That mindset prevents the classic “pretty site, invisible site” outcome.

Track Rankings And Prove ROI With Simple Reporting

Rank tracking becomes useful when it helps you learn, not when it feeds anxiety.

Set Up Position Tracking And Annotate Changes So You Can Learn

Set up Position Tracking in Semrush:

• Pick the same location and device settings you used earlier.
• Add your target keywords in groups that match clusters or product lines.
• Tag keywords by intent (info vs commercial).

Then annotate changes. Every time you publish a new hub, refresh a page, change titles, or fix a technical issue, log it.

Change log -> affects -> learning speed. Learning speed -> affects -> better decisions next month.

We also like “shadow mode” for big updates. Make changes on a small batch of pages first, measure the impact, then roll out.

Use My Reports To Share Progress With Stakeholders

Use My Reports to build a simple monthly report:

• Visibility trend and top movers
• Pages that gained impressions in GSC
• Conversions or leads from GA4
• Technical fixes completed and what they unlocked

Stakeholders do not need 40 charts. They need a clear story: “We fixed crawl blockers, we published these pages, rankings rose for these terms, leads followed.”

If your audience includes compliance teams, keep reports clean. Avoid dumping sensitive query data into slides. Data handling -> affects -> risk.

Conclusion

Semrush pays off when you run it like an operating system: clean inputs, clear choices, tight feedback loops, and human review where it matters. Start with one project, one keyword cluster, and one month of disciplined tracking. Then expand.

If you want, we can help you set this up so your Semrush data, your WordPress publishing flow, and your reporting all match. That is when “how to use Semrush” stops being a question and starts being part of how you ship growth.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Use Semrush

How to use Semrush after a site launch or a sudden traffic dip?

Treat Semrush like a workflow: set up a Project with clean data (connect GA4 + Google Search Console), pick winnable keywords, validate intent with real ranking pages, run competitor gap reports, fix technical blockers via Site Audit, then track results with Position Tracking and simple monthly reporting.

How do I set up Semrush with Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console correctly?

Create a Semrush Project for your domain, confirm GA4 is running (Universal Analytics is retired), then connect GA4 and GSC inside Semrush. GSC provides queries, impressions, and positions, while GA4 shows post-click behavior. Combined in Organic Traffic Insights, they map pages to queries more reliably.

How to use Semrush to find keywords you can actually rank for?

Start with Keyword Overview to sanity-check volume, trend, difficulty, and SERP features, then expand in Keyword Magic Tool and prune fast. Filter by intent, KD% as a risk score, and topic modifiers. Validate your shortlist in Organic Research by checking which page types already rank.

What Semrush competitor reports should I run first for fast SEO wins?

Begin with Keyword Gap to find keywords competitors rank for that you don’t, then sort by intent and difficulty to prioritize. Next, run Backlink Gap to identify domains linking to multiple competitors. Those shared referrers are often the easiest outreach targets because they already cite similar sites.

How do I use Semrush Site Audit to prioritize fixes that improve rankings?

Run Site Audit in your Project and triage issues in a practical order: crawlability (broken links, redirect chains, blocked resources), indexing signals (canonicals, noindex mistakes, duplicates), then performance signals that resemble Core Web Vitals issues (slow loads, mobile layout shifts). Fixing blockers improves index coverage and conversions.

How often should I run Semrush position tracking and reports to prove ROI?

A common cadence is always-on Position Tracking with a monthly report for stakeholders. Keep settings consistent (location/device), group keywords by clusters, and annotate every major change (new hub pages, title updates, technical fixes). That change log makes performance shifts explainable and improves decisions next cycle.