I use Semrush Organic Research when I want to Steal SEO Competitor Keywords With Semrush Organic Research—not by copying blindly but by uncovering real opportunities that competitors already rank for. This is a competitor-based keyword research approach: find the competitor, grab their URL or domain, and pull their ranking keywords into your SEO process.
Table of Contents
- How do I access the Semrush Organic Research tool and why is it competitor based?
- What overview metrics should I review first in Organic Research?
- How do I use SERP feature data to find quick wins?
- How can I filter millions of keywords to find low-competition opportunities?
- What does position change data reveal and how do I act on it?
- How do I analyze top pages, subdomains, and competitors to expand my content plan?
- What step-by-step process do I follow to steal SEO competitor keywords with Semrush Organic Research?
- Frequently asked questions
- Final note
How do I access the Semrush Organic Research tool and why is it competitor based?
I open Semrush and go to Competitive Research then Organic Research. Placing the tool under competitive research tells you everything you need to know: this is built to analyze competitors, not to invent seed keywords from scratch. Instead of recreating the wheel by guessing keywords, I look at what already works for others and adapt it.
What overview metrics should I review first in Organic Research?
After entering a domain, subdomain, or specific URL, I start with a high-level overview. Semrush shows:
- Total keywords the site ranks for (I often see millions for large domains).
- Organic keyword trend over time to spot growth or decline.
- Estimated traffic from organic keywords and whether it is rising.
- Traffic cost which estimates how much the keywords would cost in paid ads.
- Branded vs non-branded traffic to understand how much is direct brand search.
I pay attention to the graph that shows position distribution—how many top 3, top 4–10 and beyond. Semrush even flags unusual Google SERP activity with icons and lets me add my own notes so I can track updates and correlate traffic changes to search quality updates.
How do I use SERP feature data to find quick wins?
One of the most underused parts of Organic Research is the SERP feature analysis. Semrush breaks down which features the competitor ranks in: featured snippets, image packs, people also ask, video carousel, site links and more. I look for two things:
- Which SERP feature the competitor is already occupying in high volume (for example, thousands of featured snippets).
- How many ranking keywords lack a particular SERP feature on that domain—those are opportunities to target the same query with a better format (images for image packs, short paragraphs for featured snippets, or Q&A formatting for people also ask).
How can I filter millions of keywords to find low-competition opportunities?
When a domain returns millions of keywords, I filter aggressively. I usually:
- Target the country database I care about (for example United States).
- Include a seed word or phrase relevant to my niche (weight, keto, workout).
- Set a maximum keyword difficulty (for example under 50).
- Filter by minimum monthly volume so I avoid zero-search queries.
- Set word count greater than four when I want long-tail phrases.
After filters, I typically reduce the set from millions to a few thousand or a few hundred manageable keywords. Then I sort by lowest keyword difficulty first to find the easiest, actionable targets. For example, terms like “cycling one hour a day weight loss” with low competition and reasonable volume often appear from this process.
What does position change data reveal and how do I act on it?
Position change shows new, lost, improved and declined keywords for a competitor. I treat it as a map of opportunities:
- New keywords tell me what content types are trending for the competitor; I may create better content to outrank them.
- Lost keywords look like low-hanging fruit. If a competitor lost visibility for a valuable query, I can try to capture that traffic.
- Improved keywords signal where competitors are actively optimizing—watch these closely and consider defensive optimization for your own pages.
- Declined keywords can be chances to recover or improve my content around the same queries.
How do I analyze top pages, subdomains, and competitors to expand my content plan?
I use the Top Pages and Subdomain reports to see which pages drive most of the competitor’s keyword footprint. This shows me:
- Which articles or sections rank for thousands of keywords.
- Content formats that work (listicles, long-form guides, Q&A pages).
- Subdomains that might be hosting valuable content or special verticals.
Filtering those pages by my seed term or intent helps me extract specific asset ideas. I also check the Main Organic Competitors list to find other domains with overlapping keywords. That lets me cross-check ideas and steal proven topics across multiple sites.
What step-by-step process do I follow to steal SEO competitor keywords with Semrush Organic Research?
- Identify the competitor domain or a specific URL that closely matches my niche.
- Open Organic Research > enter domain or URL and select the country database.
- Scan the Overview for keyword trend, traffic, and SERP feature distribution.
- Click Positions and apply filters: seed term, difficulty, volume, word count, and SERP features.
- Sort by lowest keyword difficulty and review long-tail phrases with decent volume.
- Check Position Changes for new and lost keywords to prioritize quick wins.
- Analyze Top Pages and Subdomains for content structure and format ideas.
- Create better, more focused content and optimize for target SERP features.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose between entering a domain, subdomain, or a specific URL?
Enter a specific URL when you want page-level keyword insights. Use a domain or subdomain when you want the full scope of a site’s keyword footprint. Domains reveal millions of keywords; URLs give a tighter, actionable set.
Can I target featured snippets and image packs using Organic Research?
Yes. Semrush shows how many keywords a competitor ranks for in each SERP feature and how many ranking keywords lack that feature on the competitor domain. Those gaps are direct opportunities to format content for featured snippets or image packs.
What filters should I apply first to narrow down results?
Start with country, seed keyword, keyword difficulty cap, minimum volume, and minimum word count. Then sort by lowest difficulty to find low-competition, high-opportunity keywords.
How do position changes help my content prioritization?
New keywords show where a competitor is gaining traction and may indicate trending topics. Lost keywords are quick targets you can try to capture. Improved and declined keywords help you decide where to defend or attack.
Final note
I rely on Semrush Organic Research to find keyword opportunities that are already proven for competitors. With focused filters, SERP feature analysis, and position change monitoring, you can build a data-driven keyword plan. Use the process above to Steal SEO Competitor Keywords With Semrush Organic Research responsibly and create content that genuinely serves search intent.
