Agent skill

Semrush Research

by OpenClaudia in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills

SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

MITAuto-check: notesMarketing & SEO

Install Semrush Research

skills CLI
$ npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill semrush-research -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills semrush-research --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/semrush-research .claude/skills/semrush-research && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
semrush-research
GitHub stars
713
Token cost
~2.1k tokens
SKILL.md length
576 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
74
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

  • Works in 8 steps: Domain Overview → Keyword Overview → Related Keywords → …
  • Asked to research competitors
  • SKILL.md covers Prerequisites, API Base, 1. Domain Overview and 2. Keyword Overview, plus 6 more sections
  • Calls curl; reaches api.semrush.com; needs SEMRUSH_API_KEY

What it does

Semrush Research is an agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API. Use when asked to research competitors, analyze domains, find keyword opportunities, check backlinks, or estimate traffic. Trigger phrases: "competitor analysis", "domain overview", "keyword research", "backlink check", "traffic estimate", "SEO intelligence", "semrush", "competitive research".

Its SKILL.md is about 2.1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Marketing & SEO, covering Link building, Competitor analysis and Keyword research. The repository describes itself as: 77 open-source marketing skills for Claude Code, Codex, and other AI coding agents. SEO, content, email, ads, analytics, and growth. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Asked to research competitors
  • Analyze domains
  • Find keyword opportunities
  • Check backlinks

Example prompts

  • “competitor analysis”
  • “domain overview”
  • “keyword research”
  • “/semrush-research”

Requirements

  • A credential in SEMRUSH_API_KEY

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Domain Overview
  2. Keyword Overview
  3. Related Keywords
  4. Keyword Difficulty
  5. Domain Organic Keywords
  6. Backlink Overview
  7. Competitor Discovery
  8. Traffic Analytics (Estimates)

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 28bf209. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • curl

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • api.semrush.com

    Also links to:

    • semrush.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:

    • SEMRUSH_API_KEY

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Semrush Research loads about 2.1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 91 tokens; SKILL.md has 576 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~91
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:17
    Requires `SEMRUSH_API_KEY` set in `.env`, `.env.local`, or `~/.claude/.env.global`.
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:26
    add `SEMRUSH_API_KEY=your_key` to your `.env` file.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills at commit 28bf209, republished under its MIT licence (© OpenClaudia). 576 words, ~2,145 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/semrush-research/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
semrush-research
description
SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API. Use when asked to research competitors, analyze domains, find keyword opportunities, check backlinks, or estimate traffic. Trigger phrases: "competitor analysis", "domain overview", "keyword research", "backlink check", "traffic estimate", "SEO intelligence", "semrush", "competitive research".

SemRush Research

Pull live SEO and competitive intelligence data from the SemRush API.

Prerequisites

Requires SEMRUSH_API_KEY set in .env, .env.local, or ~/.claude/.env.global.

bash
# Verify the key is available
echo "SEMRUSH_API_KEY is ${SEMRUSH_API_KEY:+set}"

If the key is not set, instruct the user:

You need a SemRush API key. Get one at https://www.semrush.com/api/ Then add SEMRUSH_API_KEY=your_key to your .env file.

API Base

All requests go to https://api.semrush.com/ with the API key passed as &key={SEMRUSH_API_KEY}.

Responses are semicolon-delimited CSV. The first line is the header row. Parse accordingly.


1. Domain Overview

Get a high-level snapshot of any domain's organic and paid search performance.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_ranks&key={KEY}&export_columns=Dn,Rk,Or,Ot,Oc,Ad,At,Ac&domain={domain}
Export Columns
ColumnMeaning
DnDomain
RkSemRush Rank
OrOrganic keywords count
OtOrganic traffic estimate
OcOrganic traffic cost ($)
AdPaid keywords count
AtPaid traffic estimate
AcPaid traffic cost ($)
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_ranks&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&export_columns=Dn,Rk,Or,Ot,Oc,Ad,At,Ac&domain=example.com"
Parsing the Response
bash
# Response format (semicolon-delimited):
# Dn;Rk;Or;Ot;Oc;Ad;At;Ac
# example.com;12345;8234;145000;234500;120;3400;5600

# Parse with awk
curl -s "..." | awk -F';' 'NR==2 {
  printf "Domain: %s\nSemRush Rank: %s\nOrganic Keywords: %s\nOrganic Traffic: %s\nOrganic Traffic Cost: $%s\nPaid Keywords: %s\nPaid Traffic: %s\nPaid Traffic Cost: $%s\n",
  $1,$2,$3,$4,$5,$6,$7,$8
}'

2. Keyword Overview

Get search volume, CPC, competition, and SERP features for a keyword.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_all&key={KEY}&phrase={keyword}&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Nq,Cp,Co,Nr,Td
Export Columns
ColumnMeaning
PhKeyword phrase
NqSearch volume (monthly)
CpCPC (USD)
CoCompetition (0-1)
NrNumber of results
TdTrend (12 months, comma-separated)
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_all&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&phrase=content+marketing&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Nq,Cp,Co,Nr,Td"
Supported Databases

Use &database=XX where XX is: us, uk, ca, au, de, fr, es, it, br, in, jp.


Find semantically related keywords for content planning and gap analysis.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_related&key={KEY}&phrase={keyword}&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Nq,Cp,Co,Nr,Td&display_limit=20
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_related&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&phrase=project+management&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Nq,Cp,Co,Nr,Td&display_limit=20"
Parsing Multiple Rows
bash
curl -s "..." | awk -F';' 'NR>1 { printf "%-40s Vol: %-8s CPC: $%-6s Comp: %s\n", $1, $2, $3, $4 }'

4. Keyword Difficulty

Estimate how hard it is to rank for a keyword.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_kdi&key={KEY}&phrase={keyword}&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Kd
ColumnMeaning
PhKeyword
KdKeyword difficulty (0-100)

Interpretation:

  • 0-29: Easy - achievable with quality content
  • 30-49: Moderate - needs solid content + some backlinks
  • 50-69: Hard - needs strong domain authority + backlinks
  • 70-84: Very hard - requires established authority
  • 85-100: Extremely hard - dominated by top-tier domains

5. Domain Organic Keywords

See which keywords a domain ranks for organically.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_organic&key={KEY}&domain={domain}&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Po,Nq,Cp,Url,Tr,Tc&display_limit=50&display_sort=tr_desc
ColumnMeaning
PhKeyword
PoPosition
NqSearch volume
CpCPC
UrlRanking URL
TrTraffic (%)
TcTraffic cost
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_organic&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&domain=hubspot.com&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Po,Nq,Cp,Url,Tr,Tc&display_limit=20&display_sort=tr_desc"

Get a summary of a domain's backlink profile.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/analytics/v1/?key={KEY}&type=backlinks_overview&target={domain}&target_type=root_domain&export_columns=total,domains_num,urls_num,ips_num,follows_num,nofollows_num,texts_num,images_num
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/analytics/v1/?key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&type=backlinks_overview&target=example.com&target_type=root_domain&export_columns=total,domains_num,urls_num,ips_num,follows_num,nofollows_num,texts_num,images_num"

7. Competitor Discovery

Find domains competing for the same organic keywords.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_organic_organic&key={KEY}&domain={domain}&database=us&export_columns=Dn,Cr,Np,Or,Ot,Oc,Ad&display_limit=10
ColumnMeaning
DnCompetitor domain
CrCompetition level
NpCommon keywords
OrOrganic keywords
OtOrganic traffic
OcOrganic traffic cost
AdPaid keywords
Show full SKILL.md (227 more words)Show less
Example curl
bash
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=domain_organic_organic&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&domain=notion.so&database=us&export_columns=Dn,Cr,Np,Or,Ot,Oc,Ad&display_limit=10"

8. Traffic Analytics (Estimates)

Estimate a domain's overall traffic sources and engagement.

Endpoint
https://api.semrush.com/analytics/ta/api/v3/summary?key={KEY}&targets={domain}&display_date=2024-01-01&country=us&export_columns=target,visits,users,bounce_rate,pages_per_visit,avg_visit_duration

Workflow: Full Competitive Analysis

When the user asks for a full competitive analysis, run these steps in order:

  1. Domain Overview - Get the target domain's metrics
  2. Competitor Discovery - Find top 5-10 competitors
  3. Domain Overview for each competitor - Compare metrics
  4. Top Keywords for each domain - Find keyword gaps
  5. Backlink Overview for each domain - Compare link profiles
Output Format

Present results as a comparison table:

| Metric              | target.com | competitor1.com | competitor2.com |
|---------------------|-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| SemRush Rank        | ...       | ...             | ...             |
| Organic Keywords    | ...       | ...             | ...             |
| Organic Traffic     | ...       | ...             | ...             |
| Traffic Cost        | ...       | ...             | ...             |
| Backlinks           | ...       | ...             | ...             |
| Referring Domains   | ...       | ...             | ...             |

Then highlight:

  • Keyword gaps: Keywords competitors rank for but target does not
  • Quick wins: Keywords where target ranks positions 5-20 (improvement opportunities)
  • Content gaps: Topics competitors cover but target does not
  • Backlink opportunities: Sites linking to competitors but not target

Rate Limits and Costs

  • Each API call costs API units (check your plan)
  • Use &display_limit= to control result count (default varies by endpoint)
  • Cache results locally when doing multi-step analysis to avoid redundant calls
  • Domain overview calls are cheapest; backlink and traffic analytics cost more

Error Handling

ErrorMeaning
ERROR 50 :: NOTHING FOUNDNo data for this query
ERROR 120 :: WRONG KEYInvalid API key
ERROR 130 :: LIMIT EXCEEDEDAPI unit limit reached
Empty responseUsually means no data available for the query parameters

When you get "NOTHING FOUND", try:

  • Different database (e.g., uk instead of us)
  • Root domain instead of subdomain
  • Broader keyword phrase

© OpenClaudia, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/semrush-research of OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 28bf209

Compare with similar skills

Semrush Research next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Semrush Research compared with similar skills
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Semrush Research this skillOpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills713—~2.1kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
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DataForSEO SEO Toolkitzubair-trabzada/dataforseo-claude164—~3.2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
DataForSEO Live SEO DataAgriciDaniel/claude-seo19k—~4.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
SEO APIseranking/seo-skills160—~4.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
SEO Dataforseosickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k2 repos~4.4kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Categories

Questions about Semrush Research

What does Semrush Research do?

SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. Semrush Research is an agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. SEO and competitive intelligence via the SemRush API.

When should I use Semrush Research?

Semrush Research fits situations like: asked to research competitors; analyze domains; find keyword opportunities; check backlinks.

How do I install Semrush Research in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill semrush-research -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/semrush-research in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills) into .claude/skills/semrush-research in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Semrush Research in Codex?

Run `npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill semrush-research -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/semrush-research in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills) into .agents/skills/semrush-research in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Semrush Research in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill semrush-research -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/semrush-research, .gemini/skills/semrush-research, .github/skills/semrush-research and .opencode/skills/semrush-research in your project.

What does Semrush Research need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Semrush Research needs the command-line tools its instructions call (curl) and credentials named SEMRUSH_API_KEY. Our summary lists: A credential in SEMRUSH_API_KEY.

Does Semrush Research access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: api.semrush.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. As links in the text: semrush.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Semrush Research safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Semrush Research use?

Semrush Research is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Semrush Research use?

About 2.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Semrush Research?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Semrush Research: SEO Dataforseo (AgriciDaniel/codex-seo, 797 stars), DataForSEO SEO Toolkit (zubair-trabzada/dataforseo-claude, 164 stars), DataForSEO Live SEO Data (AgriciDaniel/claude-seo, 19k stars) and SEO API (seranking/seo-skills, 160 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Semrush Research?

OpenClaudia (a GitHub organization) maintains it in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills, which has 713 GitHub stars. The repository holds 74 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 18, 2026.

Source: OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.