How to use the SEO Topic Research Tool in Semrush

Content marketing is one of the most effective methods for attracting, engaging, and retaining an audience. But unfortunately, not all content people create performs well on Google. And the most likely reason is some content pieces have no value to the users. So, in this article, we want to help you explore the power of content marketing through the use of the Semrush SEO topic research tool.

What is SEO Topic Research?

SEO topic research is all about identifying top ranking content ideas relevant to your niche and audience. It’s one of the essential steps in content marketing many people ignore. But little do they know that thorough SEO topic research can give them a competitive advantage.

For instance, it lets you generate thousands of ideas about high-performing topics. And ensures you cover such topics in their entirety, breadth, and angle. As a result, this will not only boost your search engine rankings but also user engagement. If you you want to learn more about how to create content that ranks well in Google, we’ve covered that in our recent topics.

Semrush is one of the best SEO topic research tools we recommend. It is because Semrush is easy to use and offers a Free and Pro package for content marketers. If you are not already using Semrush, you are missing thousands of opportunities to rank in search engines. So, you need to set up your account today.

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How to use the SEO Topic Research Tool in Semrush

Using the Semrush SEO topic research tool is an experience for a life time that needs a clear demonstration. Therefore, we will use the “Delivery Services” example as our research topic throughout this tutorial. That will enable us to dig deeper into this niche using the SEO topic research tool in Semrush for you to understand each step.

Step #1: Signup for Semrush

You must set up your account before using the Semrush SEO topic research tool. But, don’t worry; It’s a fast and easy process since it only requires your email account. Besides, Semrush offers Free and Premium packages. So, you don’t need to worry about paying. You can start with the free account before upgrading to the premium version. 

Step #2: Go to the SEO Topic Research Tool

After creating an account:

1. Navigate to Semrush and head to the left panel.
2. Scroll down to look for Content Marketing.
3. Click on it to reveal the drop-down options.
4. From the list, click on Topic Research. 

You can also head directly to the Semrush SEO Topic Research tool here.

Once you are there, input your desired topic into the Search box and click Get Content Ideas. For our case, we will use “Delivery Services.” We also recommend that you specify the country if you want to target countries other than the USA.

A notice will appear suggesting that Semrush has started collecting data about your topic. Then finally, Semrush will display another page containing the gathered data about the input topic. This data is sorted according to the following tabs, and these are our focus:

• Cards 
• Explorer
• Overview
• Mind Map

1. Semrush Topic Cards

Topic cards represent subtopics and ideas that you may include in your content. They are arranged from top to bottom in order of decreasing efficiency. That means the cards at the top closely relate to your research topic more than the one at the bottom. Hence, we recommend you only concentrate on those cards in the top section.

So, check out the titles on the Cards listed, and click on the one that best relates to your research topic. For our case, “Food Delivery Services” suits our interests. Let’s get an insight into this card basing on the information below:

1. Subtopic volume: The number of topics under the selected card. More subtopics mean more popularity and, thus, more content ideas to cover. 
2. Difficulty: Represents how difficult a given topic is to rank for. You can notice that ours is 100%, which implies it is tough to rank for.
3. Topic Efficiency: Helps assess a topic based on search Volume and Difficulty. So, you can judge how relevant and rewarding going after a particular topic would be. For example, high search volume and low difficulty would create a high Topic Efficiency.
4. Headlines: Includes the top 10 trending topics you may create your content around. Also, they include the titles of the articles that already exist on Google.
5. Questions: The most commonly asked questions about the selected card. Answering these questions in your content will help you get more traffic. You can filter out these questions by Who, What, Why, Which, When, or How.

Go through each piece of information displayed in this section and identify what works best for you. We recommend you scroll through the questions and pick the most interesting ones. Perhaps they are the same question people are asking about your target topic.

2. Semrush Explorer tab

Next, we would also want to get an insight into our topic using the Explorer Report. You can achieve this by switching from the Topic Card to Explorer tab with just a click of the mouse.

The Explorer Report provides a summary of the content people have already created. And it highlights clearly how that content performs in search engines. For instance, it shows how many Facebook engagements each content has. The number of backlinks and the number of shares each content idea got.

All this information gives you an idea of what content resonates with user needs. So, that is what you should focus on.

3. Semrush Overview tab

Moving forward, we would also want to look at the overview tab. So, just click on it to switch.

Under Overview, you will find a quick assessment of your topic. For instance, the top 10 Headlines by backlinks and the 10 Interesting Questions customers are asking on Google.

At the bottom, you will also find the top 10 related searches commonly used with this particular query. Again, these are long-tail keywords or topic ideas you might not have thought of if you weren’t using the Semrush topic research tool.

4. Mind Map

Lastly, we have the Mind Map, which is another essential tab in the Semrush SEO topic research tool. It is not any different from the Overview and Explorer tab. Although, it offers a more precise and visualized display of the information about your topic. So, use the Mind Map view if you are interested in the visual representation of data around your topic.

Document Topic Data

1. In conclusion, use the above information to choose the most relevant content idea to cover. That means you will have to prioritize the content opportunities you have identified above basing on topic efficiency, Volume, and Difficulty. But remember to keep creativity at its best. And don’t fear trying out different things. So, regarding the subtopic “Food delivery services” we found suitable, here are some of the headline we would craft if we were a delivery agency:

• Top 10 qualities that make an excellent food delivery service
• How to find the most reliable food delivery service near you
• 10 benefits of using home food delivery services
• 5 Ultimate reasons you should use food delivery services

2. Document the 10 most relevant questions customers ask about your topic. Then, use them to create an FAQ list for your article. Remember, providing answers to these questions will help you to educate your customers about the things that matter most to them.

Final Remarks

Semrush’s SEO topic research tool will definitely help you run successful marketing campaigns. Therefore, we highly recommend you try it in your business. Besides, Semrush has many more benefits for businesses. For instance, Semrush provides you with an SEO content template, Backlink analysis, and SERP rank tracking, to mention but a few.

Please keep in mind that Semrush is our Agency partner. So, we may receive a commission when you signup through our links. It, however, has no bearing on our reviews and comparisons.

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