Semrush One Tutorial for Beginners (2026)

Name: Semrush One Tutorial for Beginners (2026)
Uploaded: 2025-12-11T17:19:45.000Z
Duration: 2 h 2 min 10 s

How to Win Every Search with Semrush

Introduction to AI Optimization

The tutorial focuses on leveraging Semrush 1 for effective search optimization, emphasizing the importance of AI in search strategies.

Key topics include identifying competitive keywords, optimizing content for search engines and AI, and preparing for future AI-driven search patterns.

Importance of AI in Search

Brands may rank well on Google but can be overlooked by AI-generated answers, leading to missed opportunities with potential customers.

A Wall Street Journal article highlights that chatbots are increasingly becoming primary sources for online information, diminishing traditional web searches.

The rise of AI searches necessitates brands to adapt their content strategies now to avoid long-term disadvantages.

Making Content More AI-Friendly

To enhance visibility in AI searches, focus on being a top-ranking source with clearly structured data and trusted backlinks.

Semrush 1 combines traditional SEO tools with new AI visibility features, allowing users to track performance across both platforms.

Semrush Onboarding Plans and Pricing

Users can sign up for a 14-day free trial of Semrush 1 through an exclusive affiliate link; credit card details are required for activation.

Starter Plan: Ideal for individuals/small teams; monitors up to five websites and costs $199/month.

Pro Plus Plan: Designed for growing brands; allows monitoring of up to 15 websites at $299/month.

Advanced Plan: Suitable for larger teams/agencies; tracks up to 40 websites at $549/month.

Dashboard Overview

Upon logging into Semrush 1, users see a dashboard organized by folders representing their website or competitors being tracked.

Each folder card displays key SEO metrics such as site health, visibility in organic results, and projected organic traffic.

Metrics include:

AI Visibility: Measures brand mentions in AI-generated answers (scale from 0–100).

Site Health: Indicates website condition based on various factors (scale from 0–100).

Visibility & Organic Traffic: Reflect how often the brand appears in search results and expected visitor numbers respectively.

AI Insights and Toolkits Overview

Navigating the Dashboard

The dashboard provides access to various toolkits, including SEO for competitor and keyword research.

Focus areas include on-page SEO (title tags, content) and technical SEO to enhance website visibility for search engines.

AI Toolkit Features

The traffic and market section shows visitor sources (organic search, email marketing, ads).

Local tools assist small businesses in managing reviews and improving local search rankings.

Content Creation and Management

Users can generate new articles using AI or optimize existing content through the content toolkit.

Advertising features allow users to research, launch, and manage campaigns effectively.

Setting Up Your First Project

Creating a New Project

To start a project, click "plus create folder" in the main dashboard; enter your root domain for comprehensive analysis.

Example used: Entering "nytimes.com" instead of "www.nytimes.com" for accurate tracking.

Configuring the Project

After creating a folder, configure it into an SEO project by clicking on its name.

The initial setup includes configuring six different tools related to position tracking.

Position Tracking Setup

Selecting Tracking Parameters

Choose search engine (e.g., Google), device type (mobile), and location (United States).

Input keywords for tracking; each keyword must be on its own line in lowercase for proper functionality.

Monitoring Keyword Performance

Option available to toggle weekly ranking updates; once set up, Semrush gathers data on keyword performance.

Initial results show rankings of specific keywords like "momciences" within top Google searches.

Integrating Additional Tools

Enhancing Insights with Analytics

Position tracking metrics are displayed on the SEO dashboard for quick reference.

Integrate Google Analytics and Search Console by following setup instructions in Semrush for deeper insights.

Preparing for Site Audit

Importance of Site Audits

Before diving into keyword research or content creation, ensure a solid foundation through site audits.

Site Audit Process and SEO Insights

Setting Up the Site Audit

The site audit tool crawls your entire domain, starting from the homepage and following links to examine content and code.

Ensure the root domain URL is correct; free accounts can crawl up to 100 pages, while higher plans allow for more extensive audits.

Customize crawling parameters by focusing on internally linked pages; consider scheduling audits weekly or monthly for ongoing monitoring.

Running the Audit

Choose crawler user agents wisely; opting for a Google bot mimics real user traffic, especially from mobile devices.

After setting parameters, initiate the audit with Semrush, which may take several minutes to complete.

Understanding Audit Results

The results include a site health score and categorized issues: errors (red), warnings (yellow), and notices (blue).

Errors are critical issues impacting SEO directly, such as duplicate title tags. Warnings are serious but less impactful than errors.

Prioritizing Issues

Focus first on fixing crawl errors like broken links and server errors; these prevent visibility in search engines.

Improve site structure by ensuring each page has essential elements like title tags and H1 headings to enhance SEO performance.

Performance Metrics

Page speed is crucial; slow-loading pages can deter users. Address flagged slow pages promptly based on performance reports.

Core Web Vitals Evaluation

Core web vitals assess page quality using metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Total Blocking Time (TBT), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

Each metric is categorized as good, needs improvement, or poor. Red flags indicate areas needing urgent attention.

AI Search Considerations

The audit includes an AI search health section that evaluates how well your site performs in AI-driven searches.

It's important not to block AI access to your content since it differs significantly from traditional search engine results.

Understanding AI Visibility and SEO Strategies

Importance of AI Visibility

A web page's visibility to AI is crucial; if it's not visible, it won't appear in search results. This contrasts with Google, where poorly coded pages can still be found.

Prioritizing updates for a site's AI visibility is essential for effective search engine optimization (SEO).

Foundation of SEO and Server Health

Fixing the foundational aspects of a website sets the stage for successful SEO and AI search efforts.

While server-side health is critical for user experience and SEO, it represents just one part of a larger whole.

Keyword Research Tools in SEMrush

Overview of Keyword Research

Keyword research serves as the discovery phase for identifying content opportunities using tools like SEMrush.

Using Keyword Overview Tool

The keyword overview tool provides metrics such as volume, difficulty, and geographical breakdown when searching keywords like "global warming."

Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD) indicates how well a website is optimized for specific keywords, helping assess ranking challenges.

Analyzing Search Intent and Trends

Understanding why users search certain keywords includes analyzing cost per click (CPC), market competitiveness, and broader search trends over time.

Deep Dive into Advanced Keyword Analysis

Exploring Related Keywords

SEMrush offers related keyword suggestions along with their monthly volume and PKD to help identify potential ranking opportunities.

Utilizing the Keyword Magic Tool

The Keyword Magic Tool allows users to enter seed keywords to discover related terms; this feature helps refine content strategies effectively.

Refining Your Keyword Strategy

Navigating the Main Table Metrics

The main table displays various metrics similar to those in the keyword overview but adds SER indicators that show keyword appearances across different features like maps or videos.

Sorting Data Effectively

Users can sort columns by clicking on them to find easier or harder keywords based on difficulty percentages.

Filtering Keywords for Targeted Results

Grouping Keywords by Subtopics

The tool automatically groups keywords by broad subtopics, aiding in niche topic identification which enhances targeted content creation.

Applying Filters for Specific Needs

Setting filters such as volume range or keyword difficulty narrows down extensive lists into manageable options tailored to specific marketing goals.

Keyword Research and AI Optimization

Utilizing Keyword Tools for Effective SEO

The all versus questions toggle is useful for focusing on question format keyword queries, which can serve as engaging blog post titles, such as "How useful is election polling data?"

Emphasizing quality over quantity in keyword targeting is crucial; it's better to focus on a few specific terms that satisfy search intent rather than spreading efforts too thin.

Long-tail keywords, especially those framed as questions or natural language phrases, are essential for bridging Google SEO with AI optimization, enhancing the chances of ranking well and being cited by AI assistants.

Incorporating long-tail keywords into content can address specific queries that align with how users interact with AI searches, despite their typically lower search volumes.

Keyword Strategy Builder Insights

The keyword strategy builder tool groups related keywords into clusters corresponding to specific pages or topics, aiding in targeted content improvement.

After running the tool on a root domain, it identifies numerous pages needing enhancement based on various metrics like total search volume and average keyword difficulty.

The tool provides valuable keyword suggestions along with audience intent and difficulty ratings, helping prioritize which keywords to target for improved SEO performance.

Competitor Research: Enhancing Your Strategy

Understanding Competitor Performance

Analyzing competitors' strategies through tools like Semrush allows you to identify effective practices without legal concerns; understanding what works helps refine your own approach.

The domain overview feature provides insights into a competitor's online visibility across different metrics including authority score and organic traffic estimates.

Organic Research Metrics

Organic research highlights key data about unpaid visitor acquisition methods; focusing on organic competition is recommended over paid advertising for sustainable growth.

The positions report reveals all the keywords a competitor ranks for along with their respective positions and estimated traffic contributions. This information is vital for identifying gaps in your own strategy.

AI and SEO Optimization Strategies

Enhancing Website Visibility and Profitability

Improving website functionality and content is crucial for long-term visibility and profitability, benefiting both search engines and AI models.

The keyword gap tool allows users to identify high-performing keywords used by competitors that are not currently utilized on their own site.

Utilizing the Keyword Gap Tool

Users can enter their domain alongside up to four competitor domains to discover top opportunities—keywords missing from their site but successful for competitors.

Although small businesses may not have thousands of keywords, the data provided by tools like Semrush can still be invaluable for optimizing SEO strategies.

Analyzing Competitor Keywords

Filters in the keyword gap tool help identify shared keywords, missed opportunities, weak keywords where a business outperforms competitors, and untapped keywords that at least one competitor is using.

This analysis aids in creating a targeted list of content or keywords to enhance visibility without directly copying competitors' work.

Exploring AI Competitor Research

The AI dashboard allows users to analyze competitor domains for AI visibility scores, audience reach in AI answers, and total mentions.

Identifying topics where competitors are mentioned but you are not provides insights into potential content gaps similar to keyword gaps.

Leveraging Insights for Growth

Small businesses can capitalize on common questions within their niche to increase organic traffic by addressing missed prompts identified through competitor research.

Understanding the share of voice in AI helps assess which competitors excel in this area, guiding strategic adjustments.

Content Creation and Optimization Tools

Transforming Keywords into High-quality Content

The chapter introduces four main tools: Topic Research, SEO Content Template, SEO Writing Assistant, and On-page SEO Checker aimed at enhancing content quality.

Using Topic Research Effectively

By entering broad topics into the Topic Research tool, users receive subtopic suggestions along with relevant metrics such as search volume and difficulty percentage.

Evaluating Subtopics for Content Development

Each subtopic card displays key information including top headlines related to the topic. Users can save interesting findings for future reference.

Content Creation and SEO Optimization Process

Analyzing Competitors and Generating Outlines

The tool analyzes the top 10 Google results for a specified keyword, generating an outline with recommendations to outperform competitors. Keywords used include housing affordability, housing market, New York City housing, and Mamani housing policy.

Setting Up the Content Template

Users must enter keywords and select location/device preferences (e.g., US and mobile). After setup, clicking "create content template" initiates the process which takes a few minutes.

Key Recommendations from Generated Outline

The generated outline includes semantically related keywords essential for article inclusion. Examples of these keywords are rent guidelines, board, mayor elect, and interest rates.

Backlinks are provided in the outline; users should verify each domain's reliability as sources.

Readability and Document Exporting

A recommended readability score is calculated using the Flesch readability tests; scores around 50 indicate high school-level understanding while marketing pieces aim for scores of 70 or 80.

Users can export the content template as a Word document (83 pages), which serves as a starting point for writing articles but requires editing to remove irrelevant entries.

Enhancing Article Quality with AI Tools

It’s suggested to input the downloaded document into ChatGPT or another LLM to transform it into an article based on provided guidelines.

Using SEO Writing Assistant (SWA)

After drafting an article, users should utilize the SEO writing assistant by pasting their text into it for analysis. The SWA provides metrics such as overall score out of 10 based on SEO friendliness, readability, originality, and tone.

Evaluating Article Metrics

An initial score of 7.1 indicates good quality; however, perfection isn't necessary—contextual coverage is more important than achieving a perfect score.

Readability scores may need improvement; aiming for at least a score of 50 is ideal before publication.

Addressing Title and Content Issues

The tool checks title length; overly long titles should be revised (e.g., renaming to "The Housing Market in New York City").

Content issues identified include suggestions like splitting long paragraphs or simplifying complex sentences.

Implementing AI Suggestions

Users are encouraged to implement most AI suggestions while double-checking edits for accuracy.

Ensuring Originality and Tone Consistency

A plagiarism check confirms originality; maintaining consistent tone throughout is crucial given topic complexity—aiming for a somewhat formal tone works best.

Finalizing SEO Elements

The SWA checks if all target keywords were utilized effectively. It also highlights alt attribute issues suggesting visuals/infographics addition.

Post-Publication Checks with On-page SEO Checker

After publishing content online, use an on-page SEO checker that analyzes existing pages against top-ranking competitors based on selected keywords.

Link Building and SEO Optimization Strategies

Setting Up Your Pages for Optimization

Begin by switching your device to phone mode and clicking continue. Add pages manually, focusing on key ones like the homepage and important product pages.

After adding pages, switch the crawler user agent to Google bot before collecting ideas. Semrush will provide categorized recommendations.

Types of Recommendations from Semrush

Recommendations include:

Strategy Ideas: Suggestions for title tags or combining similar pages.

Backlink Ideas: Identifying authoritative sites linking to competitors but not to you.

User Experience Ideas: Requires a Google Analytics account paired with Semrush for analysis.

Additional suggestions cover technical SEO issues, featured snippet optimization, semantic keyword usage, and content-related recommendations.

Generating Backlinks with Link Building Tools

Link building is essential as backlinks are hard to acquire organically. The link building tool helps find opportunities and manage outreach effectively.

Start by entering your domain in the link building tool and identifying competitors whose domains you want to outperform.

Navigating Prospects for Outreach

The tool identifies websites that link to competitors but not yours, generating a list of potential backlink sources based on their relevance.

Review prospects using metrics such as authority score and priority rating. Filter or sort these metrics for better targeting.

Effective Outreach Strategies

Use the email outreach module within Semrush after integrating your email account. Personalize emails using placeholder fields for better engagement.

Track each prospect's status through the platform; focus on quality over quantity when securing backlinks from high-authority sites.

Conclusion on Link Building Efficiency

While time-consuming, the link building tool simplifies lead identification and outreach tracking. As backlinks accumulate, expect improvements in position tracking and authority scores over time.

AI Visibility Toolkit Overview

Introduction to the AI Visibility Toolkit

The AI visibility toolkit by SamRush is designed to help brands manage and enhance their presence in AI-driven search results.

It includes several reports: visibility overview, competitor research, prompt tracking, and brand performance, each aimed at improving success in the AI search landscape.

Visibility Overview Report

Users can check their AI visibility score (0-100), which indicates how visible their brand is to AIs.

The report also shows monthly audience metrics and mentions/cited pages specific to AI responses; for example, the New York Times had 133,800 mentions out of a 1.3 billion monthly audience.

A key insight is that while AI searches currently represent a small portion of overall search volume, they are growing rapidly—20% increase in one month.

Data Sorting and Analysis

Users can sort data by different AI models using a dropdown menu; an exclusive 14-day free trial is available through a link provided in the video description.

The topics and sources table lists performing topics (content already answered), topic opportunities (gaps where competitors appear but you do not), cited sources (external sites frequently mentioned), and source opportunities.

AI Competitor Research Tool

Understanding Competitor Analysis

This tool allows users to compare their domain with up to four competitors regarding AI visibility scores and performance on various topics.

It provides insights into who excels in AI search results and why, helping brands identify competitive advantages.

Prompt Research Tool

Exploring User Queries

Similar to keyword research but focused on what users ask AIs; it helps identify relevant prompts related to specific topics like "hurricane" or "weather tracking."

Key metrics include total search volume for the topic, related topics/prompts, user intent behind queries, brands mentioned, and source domains cited.

Brand Performance Insights

Evaluating Brand Context

This section emphasizes quality over quantity by analyzing how often your brand appears in contextually relevant discussions within AI-generated content.

The brand performance report includes insights on share of voice versus sentiments—tracking mentions against market share—and overall sentiment analysis regarding how positively or negatively your brand is perceived.

AI Visibility Toolkit: Enhancing Reputation Management

Understanding AI Visibility and Reputation Management

The AI visibility toolkit focuses on improving business reputation not just in the eyes of large language models but also through customer feedback, as AIs gather information from web interactions.

Share of voice versus sentiment metrics allow businesses to compare their performance against competitors, providing insights into how they are perceived overall.

Competitive perception by platform reveals how different AIs discuss your brand compared to rivals, highlighting leaders like the New York Times and BBC in sentiment scores.

Key Metrics for Brand Perception

Favorable sentiment over time tracks changes in overall sentiment for both your brand and competitors, updated weekly for ongoing insights.

Key sentiment drivers identify factors contributing to your overall score, indicating strengths and areas needing improvement.

AI strategic opportunities provide actionable recommendations based on key sentiment drivers, complete with timelines for prioritization.

Analyzing Narrative Drivers

Narrative drivers detail what AIs associate with your business—both positive and negative—by analyzing commonly searched questions related to your brand.

Questions about your brand or industry are categorized into non-branded (e.g., general inquiries about news outlets) and branded (specific comparisons like climate coverage).

Exploring Prompt Tracking

Prompt tracking functions similarly to position tracking but focuses on monitoring AI prompts instead of Google keywords; setup is straightforward via an SEO project interface.

Users can track multiple prompts simultaneously; examples include weather-related queries that help gauge visibility in AI responses.

Competitor Analysis Through Tracking

The report provides a competitor discovery tab showing top competitors' visibility scores alongside tracked prompt rankings within AI responses.

Insights include missed opportunities per prompt with estimated search volumes, allowing brands to assess their performance over time effectively.