Semrush overview: what the platform does and how to get started

Executive overview

Most businesses struggle to gain online visibility because they lack a clear starting point for SEO and digital marketing. Semrush provides 50+ tools covering technical SEO, competitor research, content optimisation, link building, and rank tracking in one platform.

Start with a site audit, then analyse competitors, then optimise content and backlinks, then track results.

Fix technical issues first — everything else builds on a healthy site.

Getting started: the core workflow

• Audit your site to identify technical SEO issues before anything else
• Use domain overview to get an instant view of any competitor's organic and paid strategy
• Compare your site against competitors side by side to find keyword gaps
• Build a target keyword list from gaps where competitors rank but you don't
• Improve existing content for specific keywords using Semrush recommendations
• Create new SEO-optimised content based on platform guidance
• Build backlinks using Semrush's link-building prospects tool
• Track rankings over time with position tracking; add competitors for daily comparison