SEMrush Keyword Research: How to Find Winning Keywords in 2025 (Without Guesswork)

So here’s the thing…

You can write the most beautiful, insightful blog post on the internet, but if no one is searching for it — it’s basically digital tumbleweed.

That’s where keyword research comes in. And if you’re even semi-serious about growing a blog, you need to know how to use tools like SEMrush properly. Not just clicking buttons — but actually getting inside the data and pulling out keywords that rank and convert.

In this guide, I’m breaking it down like we’re sitting in a coffee shop, figuring it out together. No jargon. No “guru fluff.” Just how to actually do keyword research with SEMrush in 2025 and not waste hours.

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🧠 First off… Why SEMrush?

You’ve got options — Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner — sure. But SEMrush?

It’s like the Swiss Army Knife of SEO. It does more than keyword research. It spies on your competitors, tracks your ranking, audits your site, and probably makes coffee (okay, maybe not that last one). But we’re focusing only on keyword research here.

And it’s fast, accurate, and deadly when used right.

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Step 1: Start With a Seed Keyword (But Don’t Overthink It)

You don’t need to be a genius here.

Think about what your blog is actually about. Let’s say you’re in the finance niche. A few seed keywords might be:

• “budgeting tips”

• “how to save money”

• “make money online”

Pop one into SEMrush. I’ll use “make money online” just to show how deep this rabbit hole goes.

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Step 2: Hit Up the Keyword Overview

Once you enter your seed keyword in the main dashboard, SEMrush gives you a full breakdown:

• Search Volume: How many people search for it monthly

• Keyword Difficulty (KD%): How hard it is to rank

• CPC: Cost per click (this shows how valuable it is to advertisers)

• SERP Features: What kind of results show up (video, featured snippets, etc.)

Here’s the thing though…

If the KD is high (like 80%+), don’t bother unless you’ve got serious domain authority.

Instead, look for that sweet spot: volume over 500, KD under 50%. That’s your goldmine.

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Step 3: Use the “Keyword Magic Tool” (This Is Where the Magic Happens)

You have to use this tool. SEMrush didn’t call it “magic” for no reason.

Go to Keyword Magic Tool, plug in your keyword (“make money online”), and you’ll see a monster list of related phrases.

This is where most people mess up. They either:

1. Pick the highest-volume term with no chance of ranking.

2. Go for stuff so obscure no one searches for it.

You want something in between. For example:

Not bad, right?

Now you’ve got long-tail keywords with volume and a fighting chance to rank.

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Step 4: Filter by Intent

One cool trick in SEMrush is filtering by search intent:

• Informational: “How to start a blog”

• Navigational: “SEMrush login”

• Transactional: “Buy domain name”

• Commercial: “Best web hosting 2025”

If your blog is about teaching people, start with informational.

But if you’re doing affiliate marketing? Look for commercial or transactional. Those are money-makers.

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Step 5: Check Out Competitors (aka… Spy Time 🕵️‍♀️)

Type their domain into SEMrush (e.g., makingsenseofcents.com, if you’re in the finance blog game).

Head to Organic Research > Positions.

Boom — you’ve got a list of all the keywords they rank for. SEMrush even shows:

• Their traffic per keyword

• Keyword difficulty

• Position in Google

This is chef’s kiss stuff.

Sort by position 6–20 (keywords they almost rank top for) — those are your entry points.

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Step 6: Look for Questions You Can Answer

People search the way they talk. SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool has a “Questions” tab.

Use that.

Here’s what shows up for “make money online”:

• how to make money online fast?

• can you really make money online?

• what is the best way to make money online in 2025?

Now take those questions, write content that’s better (longer, clearer, more helpful), and win.

Pro tip: Use H2s and H3s with these exact questions. Google eats that up.

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Step 7: Organize Your Keywords Like a Human, Not a Spreadsheet

You’ll end up with dozens of keywords. Don’t go keyword-crazy and stuff them everywhere.

Do this instead:

• Pick a primary keyword (1 per blog post)

• Choose 2–3 secondary keywords (related, long-tail)

• Toss in some LSI keywords (variations & synonyms)

💡 Example:
Primary: “make money online 2025”
Secondary: “legit ways to make money online,” “easy ways to earn online”
LSI: “remote side hustles,” “digital income”

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Step 8: Group Keywords by Topic = Content Clusters

Google loves topical authority now.

Instead of writing 20 disconnected posts, create clusters. One big “pillar” post, then smaller “supporting” posts around it.

Example cluster:

• Main: “How to Make Money Online in 2025”

  • Sub: “Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners”

  • Sub: “How to Make $1000/month from Blogging”

  • Sub: “Online Side Hustles That Actually Work”

Link them all together. Boom. Google thinks you’re an expert.

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Step 9: Save Keywords in Lists (Don’t Rely on Memory)

SEMrush lets you create keyword lists. Use it.

Make lists like:

• “Low KD Blog Topics”

• “Affiliate Intent Keywords”

• “Question Keywords for Quora-style posts”

That way, you never sit there going, “what should I write today?”

You’ll always have a ranked-worthy topic waiting.

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Step 10: Track What You Rank For (So You Know What’s Working)

After you publish a post, head to the Position Tracking Tool in SEMrush.

Add your domain, target country, and track your keywords. You’ll see:

• If your ranking improves

• Which pages move up/down

• What featured snippets you’ve won

📈 Warning: Rankings jump, fall, bounce — don’t panic. SEO is a long game.

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Don’t Just Research… EXECUTE 🛠️

Here’s where most folks fall short — they do allll this keyword research, save fancy lists, color-code everything… and never write a word.

Seriously — just start writing.

You don’t need to have every keyword perfectly optimized. Start messy. Then optimize with SEMrush after you publish (audit + revise = SEO magic).

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Recap (Because You Scrolled Fast, Didn’t You?)

• ✅ Use SEMrush’s Keyword Overview to get the big picture

• ✅ Go wild in the Keyword Magic Tool

• ✅ Filter by search intent (based on how you monetize)

• ✅ Steal inspiration from your competitors

• ✅ Organize keywords like a smart content creator (not a bot)

• ✅ Track your rankings — then pivot or double down

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Final Thoughts: SEMrush Isn’t Magic — But It’s Powerful AF If You Use It

At the end of the day, SEMrush won’t write your blog post.

But it can hand you the map to the goldmine — if you know how to read it.

So stop guessing.

Start researching. Start writing. And start showing up on Google for real.

No more throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Let’s rank. 💪