Here’s a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to start using SEMrush for performance tracking while implementing an SEO-focused content strategy.
Create an account
Head over to SEMrush and create an account. The Pro plan (cheapest option) should be enough for a start. It allows us to track up to 500 keywords that we’re going to target + we can see all of the competitors’ rankings and take advantage of numerous other features of this tool.
Add “money” keywords to Position Tracking feature
Navigate to “Position Tracking” and set up a new project to track. This is where we are going to add all the keywords we want to start ranking for (or improve the positions of existing rankings). To take full advantage of this feature and in order for this to keep us focused on the right topics, we should only add the “money” keywords here.
With the Pro plan, you can add up to 500 keywords to specifically track and it should be enough. Depending on the industry, you’ll probably end up with 200-350 keywords with high buying intent (“money” keywords).
Check back every week to see how your new content is moving the rankings
SEO takes a while to show results, but thanks to SEMrush’s Position Tracking feature, we can get quick feedback every week about if we’re moving in the right direction with our desired keyword rankings or not. This is also a good way to keep the focus on the right topics and not venture into doing content that doesn’t attract the right type of customers.
It’s also a good idea to set clear KPI goals and track the progress. Some good SEO goal examples:
- 30 “money” keywords ranking in the top 3 search results by the end of the year
- 50 new “money” keywords ranking in Google top 100 (a more realistic goal for new domains without a strong site authority)
- 50 “money” keywords ranking on the first page of Google’s search results
Quick Tips
- The most important part of this whole setup is the list of keywords you’re going to target and upload to the Position Tracking feature in SEMrush. How to come up with this list is not covered in this article, but as a general rule, these should be keywords that your ideal customers type into Google when they are looking for a solution like yours and are very close to the buying decision.
- The key to success is to set good goals for the rankings you want to get and to keep following up on the progress every week.
- How do you improve the rankings of these keywords? – Publish content that matches the search intent of the keyword you’re targeting and offers more value than the competing articles on the first page of Google.
- If you need help setting up a clear strategy and implementation plan for your company’s SEO-focused content strategy, get help from an SEO consultant you can count on.
