Semrush: Understanding and Applying Keyword Rankings for Competitive Insight
For marketers depending on organic search (SEO), rankings can be elusive. Two people searching the same keyword might see completely different results due to factors like location, device type, and browsing history. This personalization makes it difficult for businesses to consistently measure their accurate search visibility.
Semrush Rank
Semrush Rank solves this problem with a proprietary score that estimates the traffic a domain receives from Google’s first 10 organic search results pages. By collecting data from multiple regional databases, factoring in cost-per-click (CPC) values, and standardizing measurement, it gives companies a fair, consistent benchmark for comparing online visibility across competitors, markets, and time.
Semrush tracks millions of keywords within each regional database, records which domains appear in the top 10 results, and estimates monthly traffic based on keyword search volumes and modeled click-through rates. It then factors in country-specific CPC data to estimate the value of that traffic.
Because search results are personalized, no single user’s experience reflects the true market. Semrush Rank eliminates this distortion by collecting data in a controlled, consistent way—standardizing factors like location, device type, and search settings. This creates a fair baseline for comparing domains without the noise of individualized search results.
While your personal Google search results might vary due to personalization, Semrush Rank reflects a standardized snapshot of visibility—removing bias and making domain-to-domain comparisons possible.
Types of Rankings and When They Matter
Semrush Rank is available in different scopes, each serving a specific business use case:
- International Rank: Ideal for global brands, multinational e-commerce platforms, and international publishers. Shows worldwide domain performance to guide global expansion, localization, and content strategies.
- U.S. Rank: Essential for companies that sell primarily to U.S. consumers. Offers U.S.-specific performance data to avoid skew from markets you don’t serve.
- Local Rank: Critical for regional service providers, local retailers, franchises, and multi-location brands. Reflects true competition in your specific geographic target area.
Choosing the right type ensures you measure visibility where it matters most for your audience and revenue goals.
Tasks Businesses Should Use Semrush Rank For
Companies can maximize Semrush Rank’s value by aligning their analysis tasks with the appropriate ranking type. Here are the most impactful activities—organized alphabetically—under each ranking scope.
International Rank
- Analyze Market Share Growth: Compare how your global footprint is shifting relative to competitors across multiple countries.
- Benchmark Global Leaders: Identify top-ranking domains worldwide in your niche to model best practices.
- Discover Expansion Opportunities: Spot countries where competitors dominate but your presence is low, guiding localization efforts.
- Evaluate Global Campaigns: Measure whether worldwide SEO or content initiatives are moving rankings upward.
- Identify Regional Keyword Wins: Find markets where specific keywords perform better internationally than domestically.
U.S. Rank
- Assess Domestic Competitors: Identify who dominates the U.S. market in your space and where their traffic comes from.
- Benchmark U.S. Market Leaders: See how you rank compared to national competitors with similar offerings.
- Gauge Content Effectiveness: Track whether U.S.-targeted blog posts, landing pages, or product pages improve rankings over time.
- Monitor Seasonal Trends: Identify patterns in U.S. search performance tied to holidays, buying seasons, or industry cycles.
- Prioritize Paid Search Alignment: Compare organic rankings with paid performance for a unified U.S. search strategy.
Local Rank
- Analyze Competitor Footprints: See which local businesses dominate in your metro or state and how they achieve it.
- Benchmark Against Local Leaders: Compare your visibility directly against other top local players.
- Drive Local SEO Adjustments: Use ranking data to refine Google Business Profiles, local landing pages, and map listings.
- Identify Local Keyword Gaps: Find search terms that competitors rank for locally but you don’t.
- Measure Event or Promotion Impact: Track how local sponsorships, events, or community campaigns affect rankings.
Historical and Exportable Data
Semrush Rank offers month-by-month data back to 2012. This history allows for trend analysis—spotting seasonal fluctuations, understanding market shifts, and tracking the impact of campaigns over time. All data can be exported to CSV or Excel for deeper analysis, integration into internal dashboards, or sharing with stakeholders.
Getting Started with Semrush Rank
- Choose Your Market Scope: Decide whether international, U.S., or local rank best reflects your audience.
- Enter a Domain: This could be your own site, a competitor, or a prospect.
- Review the Rank and Metrics: Look at estimated traffic, keyword coverage, and traffic cost.
- Analyze Over Time: Use historical data to see whether visibility is improving or declining.
- Export and Share: Integrate rankings into reports, strategy decks, or sales pitches.
In a search environment where personalization makes rankings hard to pin down, Semrush Rank offers a consistent, data-driven measure of online presence. Whether you’re competing globally, nationally, or locally, it helps you understand where you stand, identify where competitors are gaining ground, and find opportunities to grow your market share.
Start Measuring with Semrush Rank
Related Martech Zone Content
