SEMrush Keyword Research - Volume, Difficulty & Related Keywords

"Get Keyword Data Without SEMrush Account Limits" by John Rippy | johnrippy.link

🏆 2025 Zapier Automation Hero of the Year — Project Phoenix: A 95-step AI sales pipeline cutting development time by 50%. Read more →

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Research any keyword with SEMrush data using your own API key (BYOK). Get search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC, SERP features, and discover related keywords - all in structured format for automation.

What You Get

Core Keyword Metrics

• Search Volume: Average monthly searches
• Keyword Difficulty: How hard to rank (0-100)
• CPC: Average cost per click in USD
• Competition: Ad competition level (0-1)
• Results: Number of search results
• Trend: Rising, stable, or declining (12-month)
• SERP Features: Featured snippets, PAA, images, etc.

Keyword Expansion

• Related Keywords: Semantically related terms
• Phrase Match: Keywords containing your phrase
• Filtering: By volume and difficulty

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
semrushApiKey	string	-	Your SEMrush API key (required for real data)
keywords	array	-	Keywords to research
database	string	us	Country database (45+ options)
includeRelatedKeywords	boolean	true	Get related keywords
includePhraseMatch	boolean	true	Get phrase match keywords
relatedLimit	integer	20	Max related keywords per seed
phraseMatchLimit	integer	20	Max phrase match per seed
minVolume	integer	0	Filter by minimum volume
maxDifficulty	integer	100	Filter by max difficulty
webhookUrl	string	-	Webhook endpoint
webhookPlatform	string	custom	zapier, make, n8n, custom
demoMode	boolean	true	Return sample data

Example Usage

Basic Keyword Research

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your-api-key",
  "keywords": ["seo tools"],
  "database": "us",
  "demoMode": false
}

Multiple Keywords

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your-api-key",
  "keywords": [
    "email marketing",
    "marketing automation",
    "crm software"
  ],
  "database": "us",
  "demoMode": false
}

Low Competition Keywords

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your-api-key",
  "keywords": ["project management"],
  "minVolume": 1000,
  "maxDifficulty": 40,
  "demoMode": false
}

High Volume Research

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your-api-key",
  "keywords": ["artificial intelligence"],
  "relatedLimit": 50,
  "phraseMatchLimit": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

With Zapier Webhook

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your-api-key",
  "keywords": ["content marketing"],
  "webhookUrl": "https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/123/abc",
  "webhookPlatform": "zapier",
  "demoMode": false
}

Output Example

{
  "keyword": "seo tools",
  "database": "us",
  "searchVolume": 14800,
  "keywordDifficulty": 72,
  "cpc": 8.50,
  "competition": 0.85,
  "results": 1250000000,
  "trend": "rising",
  "serpFeatures": [
    "Featured Snippet",
    "People Also Ask",
    "Reviews",
    "Sitelinks"
  ],
  "relatedKeywords": [
    {
      "keyword": "best seo tools",
      "searchVolume": 6600,
      "keywordDifficulty": 68,
      "cpc": 12.30,
      "competition": 0.92
    },
    {
      "keyword": "free seo tools",
      "searchVolume": 8100,
      "keywordDifficulty": 58,
      "cpc": 5.20,
      "competition": 0.78
    }
  ],
  "phraseMatchKeywords": [
    {
      "keyword": "seo tools for beginners",
      "searchVolume": 1300,
      "keywordDifficulty": 45,
      "cpc": 4.80,
      "competition": 0.65
    }
  ],
  "isSeedKeyword": true,
  "analysisDate": "2025-01-01T12:00:00.000Z"
}

SERP Features Detected

Feature	Description
Featured Snippet	Answer box at top
People Also Ask	PAA expandable questions
Local Pack	Map and local results
Images	Image carousel
Video	Video results
Shopping	Product ads
Reviews	Star ratings
Sitelinks	Sub-page links
Knowledge Panel	Info panel on right
News	Top stories

SEMrush API Units

API Call	Units
Phrase This (overview)	10 per keyword
Phrase KDI (difficulty)	10 per keyword
Phrase Related	10 per request
Phrase Fullsearch	10 per request

Typical research: 20-40 units per seed keyword

Pricing

Event	Description	Price
Actor start	Base cost per run	$0.05
Keyword analyzed	Per seed keyword	$0.02
Related keywords fetched	Per batch	$0.01
Phrase match fetched	Per batch	$0.01
Webhook sent	Per notification	$0.01

Use Cases

Content Planning

Find high-volume, low-competition topics.

PPC Research

Get CPC and competition data for ad planning.

Competitor Keyword Gap

Research what keywords competitors rank for.

SEO Strategy

Build keyword clusters around main topics.

Client Reporting

Export structured keyword data for reports.

Getting Your SEMrush API Key

1. Log in to SEMrush
2. Go to My Profile → API → Subscription Info
3. Copy your API key
4. Paste into the semrushApiKey input field

Limitations

• API rate limits depend on your SEMrush subscription
• Some databases may have less data for niche keywords
• Keyword difficulty calculation requires additional API call

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Built by John Rippy | johnrippy.link

🏆 2025 Zapier Automation Hero of the Year — Project Phoenix: A 95-step AI sales pipeline cutting development time by 50%. Read more →

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Keywords

semrush keyword research, keyword volume, keyword difficulty, related keywords, phrase match, serp features, seo keyword tool, semrush api, byok semrush, keyword analysis, zapier integration, make integration, n8n integration