Common Mistakes New Semrush Users Make (and How to Fix Them)

Introduction

When you first log into Semrush, the dashboard feels like a treasure chest of data—keyword rankings, site audits, backlink profiles, and more. The excitement can quickly turn into frustration if you miss a few essential steps. In this guide we highlight the most common mistakes new Semrush users make and give you clear, actionable fixes so you can start extracting real value from day one.

1. Ignoring the Setup Wizard

The setup wizard is your first line of defense against bad data. Skipping it means you’ll miss crucial settings such as:

• Project creation for each domain.
• Verification of Google Search Console and Analytics integration.
• Selection of target country and device.

How to Fix It

1. Navigate to Projects → Create New Project.
2. Enter your domain, then follow the prompts to connect GSC and GA.
3. Choose the primary market (country) and device type you want to track.

Saving these settings ensures every report reflects the right audience.

2. Using Default Keyword Lists Without Customization

Semrush’s “Top 100” or “Broad Match” lists look comprehensive, but they often include irrelevant terms that waste budget.

How to Fix It

• Start with Keyword Overview for seed keywords.
• Apply filters: search volume > 500, keyword difficulty < 40, and intent (commercial, informational).
• Save the refined list to a Keyword Magic Tool project.

3. Forgetting to Set Up Site Audit Frequency

A one‑time audit gives you a snapshot, not a health monitor. Without regular crawls you’ll miss new errors, broken links, or emerging security issues.

How to Fix It

1. Open Site Audit → Settings.
2. Select Weekly or Monthly schedule based on site size.
3. Enable Google Analytics integration to see traffic impact of SEO issues.

4. Overlooking the Position Tracking Settings

Many beginners add keywords but never define the correct device, location, or SERP features (e.g., local packs). This leads to misleading rankings.

How to Fix It

• When creating a Position Tracking campaign, set the exact country, city, and device you’re targeting.
• Turn on Featured Snippet and Local Pack tracking if relevant.
• Regularly review “Ranking Distribution” to spot drops early.

5. Relying Only on Organic Data – Ignoring Paid Insights

Semrush provides a full view of both organic and paid SERPs. New users often ignore the Advertising Research tab, missing competitor ad copy and budget clues.

How to Fix It

1. Go to Advertising Research → Domain Overview for your top competitors.
2. Export the top‑performing ad copies and keywords.
3. Incorporate high‑performing terms into your own PPC or SEO strategy.

6. Not Using the Content Gap Tool Properly

The Content Gap analysis can reveal missed keyword opportunities, but many beginners feed it with the wrong competitor list.

How to Fix It

• Identify 3–5 direct competitors that truly rank for the same intent.
• Enter them into the Keyword Gap tool, select Missing For You.
• Prioritize keywords with moderate difficulty and decent volume, then create targeted content.

7. Skipping the Export & Reporting Automation

Manually downloading CSVs after every audit wastes time and increases error risk.

How to Fix It

1. Set up My Reports templates for Site Audit, Position Tracking, and Backlink Audit.
2. Schedule automatic email deliveries (weekly or monthly) to your inbox or Slack.
3. Use the “PDF Export” button for client‑ready presentations.

FAQ

Q: Do I need a paid Semrush plan to run Site Audits?

A: The free tier allows a limited number of pages per audit. For comprehensive crawling, a Pro or Guru plan is recommended.

Q: How often should I refresh my keyword list?

A: Review and adjust quarterly, or whenever you add new products/services.

Q: Can I track rankings for multiple countries in one project?

A: Yes, create separate Position Tracking campaigns per country to avoid data overlap.

Q: What’s the best way to spot a sudden drop in traffic?

A: Combine the Site Audit “Critical Errors” view with the Position Tracking “SERP Features” report to pinpoint technical or ranking issues.

Q: Is there a shortcut to find broken backlinks?

A: Use the Backlink Audit → Lost Backlinks filter; it highlights lost and broken links automatically.

Conclusion

Semrush is incredibly powerful, but only if you set it up correctly from the start. By avoiding the seven mistakes above—ignoring the wizard, using generic keyword lists, neglecting audit frequency, misconfiguring position tracking, overlooking paid data, misusing the Content Gap tool, and skipping automation—you’ll transform raw data into clear, actionable SEO wins.

Call to Action

Ready to master Semrush? Download our free checklist that walks you through each setup step, and schedule a 15‑minute audit call with our SEO team today.