Keyword Research
SEMrush-powered keyword discovery. Position tracking. Opportunity identification in the 4-to-20 range. Search intent classification. Seasonal trends. Competitor keyword gaps.
What we track for each keyword
Performance Data
- ✓Current ranking position
- ✓Position history (last 90 days)
- ✓Position volatility score
- ✓Search volume (monthly)
- ✓Month-over-month volume trend
- ✓Estimated monthly traffic
Competitive Data
- ✓Keyword difficulty score (0-100)
- ✓Cost-per-click (CPC) for PPC benchmarking
- ✓Search intent (informational, navigational, transactional, commercial)
- ✓Top-ranking competitor domains
- ✓Featured snippet status & content
- ✓SERP feature opportunities
The "golden zone" for SEO wins
The hardest keywords to rank for are positions 1–3. Easiest are positions 20+. The "golden zone"—positions 4–20—is where effort produces results fastest. A keyword at position 5 is closer to page 1 than position 20, but position 20 gets almost no traffic. Positions 4–20 are the targets.
We surface all keywords currently in the 4–20 range on the Keywords page with a "quick win" badge. These are the ones to focus on first. A small title tag tweak or internal link can push position 6 to position 3 and double your traffic from that keyword.
How it works:
- Keyword identified as seasonal (e.g., wedding photography → peak January)
- Content takes 3–6 months to rank from publication date
- We calculate "publish by" date (peak minus 4 months)
- Content ranks by the time demand peaks
Seasonal trends and content windows
Search volume fluctuates seasonally. "Wedding photography" spikes in January. "Pool maintenance" spikes in May. "Tax deductions" spikes in February. We detect seasonal keywords and calculate optimal publication dates.
On the content calendar, you see red/amber/green deadline indicators. Green: plenty of time. Amber: getting close. Red: missed opportunity this year, schedule for next year.
Identify gaps where competitors aren't present
We identify keywords searched monthly with decent volume that competitors DON'T rank for. These are often untapped opportunities—keywords competitors haven't optimized for, but your content could capture easily.
Example: Plumbing in Austin
Top 3 competitors all rank for "emergency plumber Austin" but none rank for "affordable plumber north Austin." That's a gap. Low competition, local intent, decent volume. Prime content opportunity.
Platform Advantage
These gaps become content recommendations with specific competitor benchmarking data. You know: what to write about, why competitors missed it, how to beat what currently ranks for that keyword.
Four types of search intent
Informational
How-to, education, research. "How to fix a leaky faucet."
Navigational
Looking for a specific brand or site. "Best plumber Austin reviews."
Commercial
Comparing options. "Affordable vs luxury plumbing services."
Transactional
Ready to buy/hire. "Emergency plumber Austin near me."
Discover your keyword opportunities
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