59: How to Get Max Value from a Semrush Free Trial

Summary

In this episode, Meredith's husband provides a step-by-step guide for website owners to maximize the free trial of SEMrush, a powerful SEO tool, and explains how to utilize key features such as the Position Tracker, Site Audit, and Content Analyzer. This approach enables users to gather valuable SEO data and insights within the free trial period, helping them improve their website's performance without committing to a paid plan.

Blog Post: How to Maximize the Free Trial of SEMrush for SEO Success

SEO tools are essential for improving a website's performance, but many of them can be expensive, especially for small business owners. Fortunately, SEMrush, one of the top tools used by SEO professionals, offers a free trial that gives you access to its powerful features without immediate cost. By taking full advantage of this free trial, you can gather the information needed to enhance your SEO efforts and even continue using SEMrush on a free plan after the trial period. Here’s a breakdown of how you can make the most of SEMrush’s free trial for SEO success.

Step 1: Sign Up for the Free Trial

To get started, visit the SEMrush website and sign up for the free trial. Be sure not to skip the trial offer as it provides access to premium features for seven days. You will need to enter your credit card information, but you won’t be charged unless you choose to continue using the premium plan beyond the trial period. After the trial, you can downgrade to a permanent free plan, which still offers valuable features, although with some limitations.

Step 2: Focus on Key SEMrush Tools

Once you've signed up, SEMrush's dashboard might seem overwhelming, with numerous tools displayed. To keep things simple and effective during your trial week, focus on these four key tools:

• Position Tracker: This tool tracks where your website ranks for specific keywords. Start by entering your brand name as your first keyword. You’ll add more keywords later as you conduct further research during the trial.

• Site Audit: This tool runs an analysis of your website and provides insights into technical issues that may be affecting your SEO. It’s a great way to spot and fix any potential problems.

• Content Analyzer: This tool evaluates your website’s content for SEO effectiveness. It can help you improve the quality and relevancy of your content based on SEO best practices.

• Backlink Audit: Backlinks are a critical factor in SEO rankings. This tool allows you to review your site’s existing backlinks and assess their quality.

These four tools will give you a strong foundation of actionable data to improve your website’s SEO. Simply enter your domain and let the tools run their analyses. Depending on the size of your site, this process may take a few minutes to several hours.

Step 3: Conduct Keyword Research with the Keyword Magic Tool

Keyword research is vital for identifying the terms people are using to find businesses like yours. During the free trial, use the Keyword Magic Tool to discover relevant keywords for your website. When you identify keywords you want to track, add them to the Position Tracker. Keep in mind that when you downgrade to the free plan, you will be limited to tracking 10 keywords, so prioritize the most important ones.

Step 4: Export Your Data

Before your trial period ends, make sure to export all the data from the Position Tracker, Site Audit, and Backlink Audit. SEMrush allows you to export this information into a Google Sheet or similar format, which you can reference even after you’ve downgraded to the free plan. Meredith's husband also offers a template on his blog that helps you organize this data effectively.

Step 5: Downgrade to the Free Plan

Once you’ve gathered all the valuable data during the free trial, don’t forget to downgrade to the free plan before the trial ends to avoid being charged. The free plan allows you to continue tracking 10 keywords and access other basic features, making it a useful tool even without the full range of pro options.

Resources

For more detailed instructions and access to helpful templates, check out Meredith's husband's blog, which walks you through the entire process of using the SEMrush free trial.

By following these steps, you can leverage SEMrush’s free trial to gain deep insights into your website’s performance, identify SEO issues, and refine your keyword strategy. Whether you’re just starting with SEO or looking to boost your current efforts, using SEMrush strategically during the free trial will set you up for long-term success without breaking the bank.