Stop spending hours on manual keyword research. This workflow automatically pulls keyword data from Semrush, uses AI to analyze search intent and competition, identifies content gaps, and delivers a prioritized list of keyword opportunities to Google Sheets every week.
Pull keyword data from Semrush
The workflow starts by querying Semrush for your seed keywords and domains. It pulls related keywords, question keywords, and competitor keywords along with metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC, and trend data. This gives you a comprehensive dataset to analyze.
Analyze search intent with OpenAI
Using OpenAI, the workflow analyzes each keyword to determine search intent: informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. The AI examines the keyword structure, SERP features, and typical content that ranks to accurately classify intent. This helps prioritize keywords that match your content goals.
Identify content gaps and opportunities with AI
The AI compares the keyword data against your existing content to identify gaps. It finds high-value keywords your competitors rank for that you don't, questions your audience is asking that you haven't answered, and emerging topics with growing search volume. Each opportunity is scored by potential impact.
Prioritize keywords by ROI potential
The AI calculates a priority score for each keyword based on search volume, competition level, search intent alignment, and your likelihood of ranking. Keywords are grouped into tiers: quick wins (low difficulty, decent volume), strategic targets (high volume, medium difficulty), and long-term plays (high competition, high reward).
Export keyword opportunities to Google Sheets
The final prioritized keyword list is exported to Google Sheets with all metrics and AI analysis. Each keyword includes search volume, difficulty, intent classification, priority score, content gap analysis, and suggested content type. Your team has everything needed to build a data-driven content calendar.
Why automate keyword research with AI?
Manual keyword research is tedious and inconsistent. SEO teams spend hours in spreadsheets, often missing opportunities because they can't process enough data. AI automation analyzes thousands of keywords and surfaces the best opportunities automatically.
Discover opportunities you would miss manually
Humans can realistically evaluate a few hundred keywords per session. AI analyzes thousands, finding long-tail gems, emerging trends, and competitor gaps that manual research would never uncover.
Get consistent research every week without the work
Keyword landscapes change constantly. New opportunities emerge while others become more competitive. Automated weekly research ensures you always know where the best opportunities are without dedicating hours to manual analysis.
Make data-driven content decisions
Stop guessing which topics to write about. With prioritized keywords scored by potential ROI, your content calendar is based on data, not hunches. Focus your limited resources on keywords that will actually drive results.
How to set up automated keyword research
Setting up this Semrush keyword research workflow takes about 15 minutes. You'll configure your seed keywords, competitors to track, and analysis preferences.
What you need to get started
- Semrush account with API access
- OpenAI API key for keyword analysis
- Google Sheets for output and collaboration
- List of seed keywords and competitor domains
Configuring your keyword research parameters
- Define your seed keywords (core topics for your business)
- Add competitor domains to monitor for keyword gaps
- Set minimum search volume thresholds
- Specify keyword difficulty limits based on your domain authority
- Configure intent filters if you want to focus on specific types
Customizing the priority scoring
- Weight factors based on your goals (volume vs. difficulty vs. intent)
- Define what makes a "quick win" for your domain authority
- Set thresholds for each priority tier
- Add custom scoring factors like brand relevance or seasonality
Frequently asked questions about AI keyword research
How accurate is the AI search intent classification?
AI intent classification is highly accurate for clear-cut keywords. For ambiguous keywords with mixed intent, the AI provides confidence scores and often identifies the dominant intent. You can configure rules for how to handle mixed-intent keywords.
Can I use Ahrefs instead of Semrush?
Yes, you can swap Semrush for Ahrefs or any SEO tool with API access. The AI analysis and Google Sheets export steps work the same regardless of data source. Just change the data pulling step to your preferred tool.
How often should I run keyword research?
Weekly works well for most teams to catch emerging trends and shifting competition. For fast-moving industries, you might run daily. For stable niches, bi-weekly or monthly may be sufficient. Adjust based on how quickly your keyword landscape changes.
What if I already have content for a suggested keyword?
The content gap analysis checks against your existing URLs. If you have content, the AI notes whether it's ranking well or might need optimization. You can configure whether to include update opportunities alongside new content suggestions.
Can this integrate with my content calendar?
Yes, you can extend the workflow to push prioritized keywords directly to Notion, Asana, or other project management tools. The Google Sheets output is designed to be easy to import into any content planning system.