This guide outlines the progression of keyword research from basic to expert, factoring in keyword difficulty, search intent, and SEMrush Difficulty Score to help you make informed SEO decisions.
✅ 1. Basic Level – Foundational Research
Keyword Difficulty: Low
SEMrush Difficulty Score: 0–29%
Focus: Identify beginner-friendly keywords that are easy to rank for.
Activities:
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Brainstorm seed keywords
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Use Google autocomplete and related searches
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Explore beginner tools (Ubersuggest, Keyword Planner)
Examples:
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“what is digital marketing”
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“SEO for beginners”
Goal: Build your first keyword list and generate organic traffic with minimal competition.
✅ 2. Intermediate Level – Competitor & Intent-Based Research
Keyword Difficulty: Low to Medium
SEMrush Difficulty Score: 30–49%
Focus: Expand your keyword list with intent-focused, competitor-backed terms.
Activities:
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Analyze competitors using SEMrush or Ahrefs
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Categorize keywords by user intent (informational, commercial, transactional)
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Identify long-tail keywords with decent traffic and lower competition
Examples:
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“affordable SEO services for startups”
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“how to increase domain authority”
Goal: Attract targeted traffic by focusing on intent and moderate-difficulty terms.
✅ 3. Advanced Level – Keyword Mapping & Content Strategy
Keyword Difficulty: Medium to High
SEMrush Difficulty Score: 50–69%
Focus: Strategically assign keywords to content and optimize site architecture.
Activities:
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Perform keyword mapping (assign keywords to specific pages)
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Build content clusters around pillar topics
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Optimize on-page SEO (titles, H1s, meta descriptions, internal linking)
Examples:
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“best content marketing tools for agencies”
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“technical SEO checklist for large websites”
Goal: Improve topical authority and start ranking for more competitive, high-value terms.
✅ 4. Expert Level – Predictive & Conversion-Focused Research
Keyword Difficulty: Varies (Low to Very High)
SEMrush Difficulty Score: 70–84% (for most high-competition commercial terms)
Focus: Target high-converting keywords and emerging trends with ROI potential.
Activities:
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Use tools like Google Trends, SEMrush Traffic Insights
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Focus on conversion-oriented keywords (bottom of funnel)
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Target featured snippets, zero-click queries, and “People Also Ask”
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Analyze keyword difficulty vs. ranking opportunity
Examples:
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“best AI writing tools 2025 comparison”
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“top-rated project management software for enterprises”
Goal: Secure rankings for profitable, trend-driven keywords before your competitors.
✅ 5. Ongoing Optimization – Performance Scaling & Refinement
Keyword Difficulty: Adaptive (depends on market changes)
SEMrush Difficulty Score: Any range depending on growth stage
Focus: Continuously refine and scale keyword performance.
Activities:
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Track rankings with SEMrush Position Tracking
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Refresh old content with updated keywords
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Expand into new content verticals
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Analyze Search Console for performance drops
Examples:
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Updating a blog post from 2023 with 2025 keyword trends
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Expanding content into international or localized keywords
Goal: Sustain and grow organic visibility by evolving with search intent and market shifts.
In SEMrush, search intent is categorized to help marketers and SEOs understand why users search for a particular keyword. Identifying the intent behind keywords allows you to tailor your content and marketing strategies effectively.
Here are the four main types of search intent in SEMrush:
🔍 Types of Search Intent in SEMrush
1. 🧠 Informational Intent
Definition:
The user is looking for information, answers, or how-to guides. They are not ready to make a purchase but are seeking knowledge.
Common keywords:
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“What is…”
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“How to…”
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“Guide to…”
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“Tips for…”
Examples:
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How to increase website traffic
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What is technical SEO
Ideal content formats:
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Blog posts
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Tutorials
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FAQs
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Educational videos
2. 🧭 Navigational Intent
Definition:
The user is searching for a specific website, brand, or page. They already know where they want to go.
Common keywords:
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Brand or product names
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“[brand] login”
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“[company] reviews”
Examples:
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SEMrush pricing
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LinkedIn login
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Nike shoes official site
Ideal content formats:
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Branded landing pages
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Homepages
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Product pages
3. 🛍️ Transactional Intent
Definition:
The user is ready to take action — usually to buy or sign up. These keywords indicate high commercial value.
Common keywords:
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“Buy”
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“Discount”
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“Subscribe”
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“Get started”
Examples:
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Buy SEO tools online
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Subscribe to keyword tracking tool
Ideal content formats:
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Product/service landing pages
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Checkout pages
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Sales pages
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Limited-time offer pages
4. 📊 Commercial (Investigational) Intent
Definition:
The user is comparing products or services with the intent to make a decision soon. They’re in the consideration phase.
Common keywords:
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“Best”
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“Top
” -
“[Product] vs [Product]”
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“Reviews of…”
Examples:
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Best keyword research tools for beginners
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Ahrefs vs SEMrush comparison
Ideal content formats:
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Comparison articles
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Product roundups
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Testimonials and case studies
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Review videos
🔄 SEMrush in Action
In SEMrush, keyword intent is automatically detected and labeled in the Keyword Overview, Keyword Magic Tool, and Position Tracking Tool, helping you:
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Create intent-aligned content
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Improve targeting in SEO/PPC campaigns
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Maximize conversions by matching content to searcher behavior
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