Reviewed by the NexaToolkit team · Last reviewed June 2026. A practical walkthrough from real competitor audits. NexaToolkit may earn a commission from links on this page — it never changes what we recommend.
Semrush is the most complete tool for spying on competitors — their keywords, their backlinks, their ad spend, their best content. But it’s easy to drown in its 50+ reports. This is the focused, step-by-step competitor analysis we actually run, using only the reports that matter, with real pricing.
First, the cost of entry
Semrush Pro ($117–$119.95/month) covers competitor analysis for a small business; Guru ($219.95) adds historical data and content tools. A 7-day free trial lets you run a full competitor audit before paying.
Step 1: Domain Overview — size up the competitor
Enter a competitor’s domain in Domain Overview for an instant read: their estimated traffic, top keywords, and authority score. This tells you whether they’re a realistic target or a giant to learn from.
Step 2: Organic Research — steal their keywords
Organic Research shows every keyword a competitor ranks for. Sort by volume and position to find terms they rank for and you don’t — your immediate content opportunities.
Step 3: Keyword Gap — the fastest wins
The Keyword Gap tool compares up to five domains at once, surfacing keywords your competitors rank for that you’re missing entirely — the single most actionable competitor report Semrush offers.
Step 4: Backlink Gap and Advertising Research
Backlink Gap reveals sites linking to competitors but not you (your outreach list); Advertising Research exposes their paid keywords and ad copy if you also run PPC.
The competitor-analysis workflow
| Step | Semrush report | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domain Overview | Traffic, authority, top terms |
| 2 | Organic Research | All their ranking keywords |
| 3 | Keyword Gap | Keywords you’re missing |
| 4 | Backlink Gap | Link outreach targets |
| 5 | Advertising Research | Their paid keywords/ads |
A real scenario
A SaaS marketer sizing up two rivals: run both through Domain Overview to gauge difficulty, then Keyword Gap with all three domains to get a ranked list of keywords both competitors rank for but you don’t — that list is the next quarter’s content calendar. Done inside Semrush Pro’s 7-day free trial, you can complete the whole audit before the $117 bills. The mistake is wandering all 50 reports; these five answer “who’s winning and what do I write next.”
Frequently asked questions
How do I use Semrush for competitor analysis?
Five reports: Domain Overview (size them up), Organic Research (their keywords), Keyword Gap (what you’re missing), Backlink Gap (outreach targets), and Advertising Research (their PPC). Start with Keyword Gap for the fastest wins.
What does Semrush cost for competitor analysis?
Pro at $117–$119.95/month covers it; a 7-day free trial lets you run a complete audit first. Guru ($219.95) adds historical data.
What’s the single most useful Semrush report?
Keyword Gap — it compares up to five domains and surfaces the keywords competitors rank for that you don’t, turning competitor data directly into a content plan.
More: see our AI market research tools and Moz Pro vs Ahrefs.
