Keyword research is fundamental to any digital marketing strategy. Whether you’re writing a blog post or running a paid search campaign, you need to know what your target audience is searching for.
Content marketers use keywords to guide their strategies and optimize their messaging. Keyword research can help you generate new ideas for content or improve your existing web pages to drive more organic traffic. If you’re using a platform like Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords), your keyword strategy will impact everything from the potential reach of your campaign to its overall cost.
With over 1.7 billion people using Google to conduct searches every day, you need powerful keyword research tools to better understand the language your customers use to search for information and find products and services. That’s where the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool comes in.
What is the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool?
You don’t need to possess a magic wand to see what your customers are searching for online, but the technology that makes it possible to do so may look enchanted at first glance.
SEMrush leverages machine learning algorithms, trusted data providers and a host of other technologies to provide up-to-date information to its over 4 million users. By analyzing search engine data, website traffic, advertising databases and social media activity, SEMrush provides marketers with highly valuable insights.
Among the many useful tools SEMrush offers is the Keyword Magic Tool, which enables you to analyze groups of keywords relevant to your market. Its robust filtering and grouping options make it easy to segment keywords for each of your campaigns.
Who should use the Keyword Magic Tool?
If you want to rank on the first page of Google (you do) and your competitors also want to rank highly (they do), then you need some way to gain a competitive advantage. The Keyword Magic Tool allows you to spot opportunities for bringing more traffic to your web pages and paid ads.
If you do any sort of digital marketing, you need a keyword research tool, plain and simple. Without one, you’ll be left in the dark, making educated guesses about what search terms are most popular with your target audience.
No matter how well you know your customers, you should shy away from making assumptions about their search habits. You will be surprised at how differently people search for the same topics. In addition, the chances of you stumbling upon a lucrative niche keyword on your own are slim to none.
Pros and cons at a glance
The SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool may seem simple at first glance, but it’s hiding a powerful engine beneath the surface.
Pros:
- Instant results. Just type in a seed keyword and you’ll get thousands of related queries.
- Configurability. Make your search as narrow or wide as you want.
- Content ideation. Filter your results by questions for an instant selection of potential content topics.
- Easy reporting. Select your favorite keywords and move them directly to the Keyword Manager tool, or export them to .XLSX or .CSV.
Cons:
- Overwhelming results. If this is your first keyword research tool, you might find the breadth of results difficult to take in all at once.
- Knowledge requirements. SEMrush expects you to know your SEO best practices.
- Few niche results. If you’re starting with a niche seed keyword, your results will be limited.
How to use the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool to outrank your competitors
Once you’ve decided on the subject of your campaign, it’s time to identify some keywords that will help your customers find your content. Here’s how to do that with the Keyword Magic Tool:
1. Pick a seed keyword
The first step is to choose a keyword that will act as a seed to generate a list of related keywords. For best results, start with a keyword that is broadly related to the subject of your campaign.
When you click the search button, you’ll see a results page. The main table contains a list of all the related terms found by the tool. Along the left side, you’ll see groups of keywords.
2. Adjust match modifiers
By default, the tool shows you all of the keywords possibly related to your search. Depending on the results you see, you may want to narrow these down. Above your results, you can choose from the following:
Broad match: The default setting returns all related keywords in all their forms, without any order.
Phrase match: Returns in the same form as your seed, excluding verb variations, without any order.
Exact match: Returns keywords in the same form and in the same order as your seed.
Related: Returns keywords that have been determined by search engines to have a related meaning to your seed.
3. Use filters to narrow your search
To get more granular results, you can use the advanced filters drop-down menu. This feature allows you to get very specific. For example, you can specify which keywords must be included in your results while excluding others.
You can also filter for word count, search volume, keyword density, cost-per-click, competitive density, SERP features and results in SERP.
Alternatively, you can filter for keywords phrased as questions. This is a great feature if you’re trying to generate new blog topic ideas.
4. Check out keyword groups
Use keyword groups to explore subtopics related to your seed. Each group uses an additional keyword to add another dimension to your search. Exploring these groups can help you target your content and ads toward specific customer needs. Each group contains subgroups, including new related keywords with each layer.
5. Look for SERP features to target
The Keyword Magic Tools allows you to see which keywords generate SERP features like Instant Answers, Product Carousels, Reviews and more. Content deemed authoritative by Google earns these features, which can make them more attractive to users. These keywords are likely to be more competitive, but the rewards are greater.
7. Export your chosen keywords
Once you’ve identified a few keywords to target, you can select them by checking the boxes next to each keyword. You can move these over to the Keyword Manager within SEMrush as a list.
Alternatively, you can export them to a spreadsheet file.
From there, you’re ready to start creating content. Use your selected keywords to shape your content and make sure it provides value to your audience.
Now go make some marketing magic
Whether you’re a B2B or B2C marketer, you need a keyword research tool. While there are many great options to choose from, SEMrush offers a suite of tools that is easy to integrate into your workflow.
We recommend the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool because it’s user friendly, offers accurate results and makes it easy to kickstart your next search campaign. Whether you’re a veteran content marketer or you’re just beginning to dive into the world of search marketing, this tool will help your customers find you when they’re searching online.
Have you tried the Keyword Magic Tool? Let us know about your experiences in the comments.
