How to analyze competitor keywords on Semrush

intermediate 12 min read Updated 2026-03-13

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

Step-by-Step Instructions

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.

Verify exact domain format to avoid 'No data available' errors.

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.

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.

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.

Prioritize keywords relevant to your products and underutilized on your site.

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.

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.

Use KD% for site-specific feasibility.

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.

Export to CSV for offline sorting.

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.

Check backlinks and additional tools

Review Backlink Analytics for referring domains and Traffic Analytics for sources. Use Content Gap to find untapped keywords.

Cross-check with Google searches for real-time validation.

Export and integrate into strategy

Export keyword lists via CSV. Incorporate into your SEO by targeting in content, monitoring positions, and building backlinks.

Common Issues & 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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