SEMrush Automation

SEMrush Automation

Run SEMrush SEO analytics directly from Claude Code. Analyze domain keywords, audit backlink profiles, research keyword difficulty, discover related terms, and track organic page performance without leaving your terminal.

Toolkit docs: claude-skills.ai/toolkits/semrush

Setup

1. Add the Claude Skill MCP server to your configuration:

   https://rube.app/mcp
   

2. Connect your SEMrush account when prompted. The agent will provide an authentication link.
3. All SEMrush tools require a database parameter specifying the regional database (e.g., us, uk, de). Choose the correct region for your target audience.

Core Workflows

1. Domain Organic Keywords Analysis

Retrieve all organic search keywords for a domain, including positions, traffic estimates, CPC, and keyword difficulty.

Tool: SEMRUSH_DOMAIN_ORGANIC_SEARCH_KEYWORDS

Key parameters:

• domain (required) -- e.g., example.com
• database (required) -- regional database code (e.g., us, uk, de)
• display_limit (default 10000) and display_offset (default 0) -- pagination
• display_sort -- sort by position, traffic, volume, etc. (e.g., tr_desc for traffic descending)
• display_date -- historical data in YYYYMM15 format (monthly) or YYYYMMDD (daily)
• export_columns -- specify columns like Ph (phrase), Po (position), Nq (volume), Tr (traffic), Kd (difficulty)
• display_filter -- filter by specific columns

Example prompt: "Get the top 100 organic keywords for example.com in the US database, sorted by traffic"

2. Keyword Overview and Batch Analysis

Get detailed metrics for individual keywords or analyze up to 100 keywords at once.

Tools: SEMRUSH_KEYWORD_OVERVIEW_ONE_DATABASE, SEMRUSH_BATCH_KEYWORD_OVERVIEW

For single keyword:

• phrase (required) -- keyword to investigate
• database (required) -- regional database

For batch (up to 100 keywords):

• phrase (required) -- semicolon-separated keywords (max 255 chars total)
• database (required) -- regional database
• export_columns -- Ph (phrase), Nq (volume), Cp (CPC), Co (competition), Kd (difficulty), In (intent)

Example prompt: "Get keyword metrics for 'seo services;content marketing;link building' in the US database"

3. Domain Organic Pages Report

Discover which URLs on a domain drive the most organic traffic and visibility.

Tool: SEMRUSH_DOMAIN_ORGANIC_PAGES

Key parameters:

• domain (required) -- target domain
• database (required) -- regional database
• display_sort -- e.g., pc_desc for traffic share descending
• display_limit and display_offset -- pagination
• export_columns -- Ur (URL), Pc (traffic %), Tg (traffic), Tr (traffic cost)

Example prompt: "Show the top 50 organic pages for example.com ranked by traffic share"

4. Backlink Profile Overview

Get a summary of backlinks for a domain including Authority Score, link types, and referring domain counts.

Tool: SEMRUSH_BACKLINKS_OVERVIEW

Key parameters:

• target (required) -- domain, subdomain, or full URL
• target_type (required) -- root_domain, domain, or url
• export_columns -- ascore (Authority Score), total (total backlinks), domains_num (referring domains), follows_num, nofollows_num, etc.

Example prompt: "Get the backlink overview for example.com including Authority Score and referring domain count"

5. Keyword Difficulty Assessment

Score how hard it is to rank in the top 10 for specific keywords (0-100 scale).

Tool: SEMRUSH_KEYWORD_DIFFICULTY

Key parameters:

• phrase (required) -- keyword to analyze
• database (required) -- regional database
• export_columns -- Ph (phrase), Kd (difficulty score)

Example prompt: "What is the keyword difficulty for 'best project management software' in the US?"

6. Discover Related Keywords

Find synonyms, variations, and related terms for a seed keyword to expand your content strategy.

Tool: SEMRUSH_RELATED_KEYWORDS

Key parameters:

• phrase (required) -- seed keyword
• database (required) -- regional database
• display_limit (default 10000) -- max results
• display_sort -- e.g., nq_desc for volume descending, kd_asc for easiest first
• export_columns -- Ph, Nq, Kd, Cp, Co, Rr (relatedness score)

Example prompt: "Find related keywords for 'project management' in the US, sorted by search volume"

Known Pitfalls

• Pagination is essential: SEMRUSH_DOMAIN_ORGANIC_SEARCH_KEYWORDS and SEMRUSH_DOMAIN_ORGANIC_PAGES can return very large datasets. Always use display_limit and display_offset instead of assuming a single page is complete.
• CSV-style responses: Many SEMrush tools return data as CSV-style text in a single field (e.g., data/keyword_data). You must parse rows and columns before analysis or joining reports.
• "ERROR 50 :: NOTHING FOUND": This literal string means the domain or keyword has no data in that database. Treat it as a valid zero-result response, not a transport error.
• Batch keyword limits: SEMRUSH_BATCH_KEYWORD_OVERVIEW may return HTTP 400 for problematic or oversized batches (max 255 chars total for the phrase field). Shrink batches or fall back to SEMRUSH_KEYWORD_OVERVIEW_ONE_DATABASE for individual lookups.
• Date format: Historical dates must use YYYYMM15 format for monthly data (e.g., 20231015). Using an incorrect format will return unexpected results.
• Regional database matters: Always use the correct regional database for your target audience. Results for us vs uk can differ dramatically in volume, CPC, and rankings.
• Column codes: Export columns use short codes (Ph, Nq, Kd, etc.). Avoid over-narrowing export_columns so key metrics like traffic, CPC, position, and difficulty are retained.

Quick Reference

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