You’ve got content to create, traffic goals to hit, and about a dozen tabs open promising “10x content in 5 minutes.” Here’s the truth: most content marketing plans are either overcomplicated or too vague to be useful. If you want a step-by-step plan that’s practical, not pie-in-the-sky, and you’re willing to use a tool or two, you’re in the right place.
This guide is for marketers, small business owners, or anyone who needs a real content plan—without wasting days on spreadsheets or buzzwords. We’ll walk through how to actually use the SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit to build a plan you’ll stick with.
Step 1: Define What “Success” Looks Like (Before You Touch Any Tools)
Before you sign up for another free trial, nail down your goals. Not “increase brand awareness”—real goals you can track.
Ask yourself: - Do you want more organic traffic to your blog? - Are you trying to rank for specific keywords? - Is building an email list the main focus? - Do you need more leads, or just more eyeballs?
Pro tip: If you can’t measure it, you won’t know if your plan worked.
What to skip: Don’t waste time planning “content pillars” or mapping out a 2-year strategy if you’ve never published consistently for a month. Get clear on what matters now, not what might matter someday.
Write your main goal down somewhere visible. You’ll need it for the next steps.
Step 2: Audit What You’ve Got (or Don’t)
You can’t plan if you don’t know your starting point. The SEMrush Content Audit tool makes this less painful than it sounds.
How to use it: 1. In SEMrush, go to Content Marketing Toolkit > Content Audit. 2. Connect your site’s Google Analytics and Search Console if you can—this gives you actual performance data, not just guesses. 3. Let the tool scan your domain (or pick a subfolder if you only care about your blog).
What you’ll get:
A table of your existing content, with data on traffic, shares, backlinks, and a bunch of other stuff. Don’t get lost in the weeds.
What’s worth focusing on: - Posts with steady but low traffic (potential quick wins) - Old posts with zero traffic (maybe time to update or delete) - Pages that bring in the most conversions (protect these)
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over “bounce rate” or “word count.” They’re usually distractions.
Step 3: Spy on the Competition (Without Getting Creepy)
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. SEMrush’s Topic Research and Competitive Analysis tools let you see what’s working for others—so you can do it better.
How to use Topic Research: 1. Go to Content Marketing Toolkit > Topic Research. 2. Enter a topic related to your business (“best running shoes,” “SaaS onboarding,” whatever fits). 3. The tool spits out cards with headlines, questions, and related topics.
What to look for: - Headlines with lots of engagement (these are proven to get clicks) - Subtopics you haven’t covered yet - Questions people actually ask (use these for blog posts or FAQs)
Check your competitors: - Use the SEO Content Template or Organic Research tool in SEMrush. - Plug in a competitor’s domain or a target keyword. - See which pages rank, which keywords they’re targeting, and how their content is structured.
Don’t get stuck:
It’s tempting to copy the biggest sites, but don’t bother chasing topics you’ll never outrank without a six-figure budget. Focus on gaps and angles your competitors missed.
Step 4: Build a Content Calendar You’ll Actually Use
Here’s where most plans fall apart: too many ideas, not enough action. SEMrush’s Marketing Calendar is basic but gets the job done.
How to use it: 1. Go to Content Marketing Toolkit > Marketing Calendar. 2. Add your main campaigns or content themes for the next 1–3 months. 3. Break these down into actual pieces: blog posts, emails, videos, etc. 4. Assign deadlines and owners (even if it’s just you).
Keep it simple: - Aim for 2–4 pieces a month if you’re a solo operator or small team. - Don’t fill the calendar with fluff—focus on topics you found in Step 3 that fit your goals from Step 1.
Pro tip:
Leave room for last-minute ideas or updates. Rigid calendars never survive contact with real life.
What to ignore:
You don’t need a color-coded, hour-by-hour plan. Some people spend more time planning than creating. Don’t be that person.
Step 5: Create Content Briefs That Don’t Suck
A good content brief saves time and confusion. SEMrush’s SEO Content Template and SEO Writing Assistant are helpful, but only if you don’t treat them like gospel.
How to use the SEO Content Template: 1. Enter your main keyword. 2. SEMrush shows semantically related keywords, average text length, backlink suggestions, and readability scores from the top 10 competitors.
What’s useful: - Related keywords: Sprinkle these naturally into your content. - Readability score: Aim for clear, simple writing (think 8th grade level). - Competitor headings: Don’t copy, but notice what structure works.
What to ignore:
Don’t blindly hit every keyword or obsess over recommended word counts. Long content isn’t always better. Focus on answering the question well.
How to use the SEO Writing Assistant: - Write directly in Google Docs or WordPress with the SEMrush plugin. - Get real-time tips on SEO, readability, and originality. - Tweak but don’t over-edit based on the tool. Robots don’t know your audience as well as you do.
Pro tip:
If you’re briefing writers, give them context: target reader, key points, must-use sources. SEMrush can help, but don’t let it write the brief for you.
Step 6: Publish, Promote, and Track (Don’t Skip This)
Even the best content flops if nobody sees it. SEMrush can help with promotion and tracking—but this is where old-fashioned outreach still matters.
Promote your content: - Share on your social channels (duh). - Email it to your list. - Pitch it to relevant partners or communities. - Answer questions on forums or Reddit and link back when relevant (don’t spam).
Track results with SEMrush: 1. Use the Brand Monitoring tool to see where your content gets mentioned. 2. Use the Post Tracking tool to monitor traffic, shares, and backlinks for specific URLs. 3. Go back to Google Analytics/Search Console for deeper data.
What to ignore:
Don’t panic if a post doesn’t go viral in week one. Focus on steady, compounding gains.
Step 7: Review, Prune, and Iterate
This is the step most folks skip—and it’s why their content plans fizzle out. Every month or two, look at what’s working and what’s not.
How to review: - Check which posts are getting traffic, links, and conversions. - Identify content that’s underperforming. Update, merge, or delete as needed. - Look for new opportunities from your analytics or SEMrush Topic Research.
Keep it honest:
Not every piece will be a winner. Double down on what works, and don’t be afraid to cut your losses on what doesn’t.
If you remember one thing: keep it simple, focus on what moves the needle, and don’t let tools or trends distract you from creating stuff people actually want to read. Start with one or two posts a month, track your results, and iterate. You don’t need a perfect plan to get started—just one you’ll actually use.