Semrush knows which keywords your competitors rank for. Getting that list into a decision takes exports, a spreadsheet and a few hours.
Connect Semrush to Claude through CorpusIQ and the same work becomes a question. Name a competitor, ask what they rank for that you do not, and the gap comes back with volume and position attached.
The problem with the current workflow
Keyword gap work is a chain. Pull your organic keywords. Pull theirs. Compare the two lists. Sort by volume. Then repeat for the next competitor, and again next quarter when someone asks whether the SEO push worked.
Most teams run the chain once, build a content plan from it, and never look again. Rankings keep moving. The plan does not.
How CorpusIQ solves it
CorpusIQ exposes Semrush to Claude through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets an AI assistant call external tools. Claude can read domain overviews, organic and paid keywords, backlink profiles, organic competitors and keyword research data for any domain you name.
Read-only. Claude cannot create or edit projects, position tracking or campaigns.
Cited. Answers come back with the Semrush figures behind them.
Revocable. Disconnect in CorpusIQ at any time.
What to ask
Paste these into Claude once Semrush is connected.
- "What keywords does a competitor rank for that I don't?"
- "What keywords does my domain rank for in the top 10?"
- "How has my organic traffic trended over the last 12 months?"
- "Who are my top organic search competitors?"
- "How many referring domains point to my site?"
- "What paid keywords is a competitor bidding on?"
- "What is the search volume and CPC for a keyword I care about?"
- "Which landing pages hold my best organic keyword positions?"
Follow-ups work. Ask for the gap list, pick the top keyword, then ask what position the competitor holds for it and which URL ranks.
Example report: keyword gap against a competitor
This is the shape of answer you get for the first question. The numbers are illustrative.
What keywords does a competitor rank for that I don't?
- 5gap keywords shownranked by search volume
- 14,300monthly searches combinedacross the five
- 3keywords above 2,000 searches
What to act on: The top three keywords hold most of the volume. Check whether you have a page that could rank for them before you write a new one.
Source: Semrush, read-only. Numbers are illustrative.
Pair it with a CorpusIQ skill
The connector answers questions. Skills turn answers into a routine. The Keyword Opportunity Finder looks for striking-distance keywords and competitor keywords you are missing, working from Search Console plus web research. The Competitive Intelligence Brief adds what rivals changed on their own sites, like positioning and pricing.
Setup in 3 minutes
- Sign up at corpusiq.io. Solo $29.95/month, 30-day free trial.
- In the CorpusIQ dashboard, click Connect next to Semrush and follow the prompts to grant read-only access.
- Add CorpusIQ to Claude from the dashboard setup page.
Where this earns its keep
Content teams planning a quarter get the clearest win. A gap list with volume turns "what should we write next" into a ranked backlog. Paid teams get a second use, since asking what a competitor bids on shows which terms they think are worth paying for.
The 12 month traffic trend settles a common argument too. Did the SEO push move anything, or did it only feel busy?
What to watch out for
Semrush traffic figures are estimates. Use them to compare keywords and domains against each other, not as a count of real visits. Search volume is a monthly average, so seasonal terms can mislead. And a gap keyword is a prompt to look, not proof you should chase it. Check intent before you build a page around it.
See also
FAQ
Does CorpusIQ store my Semrush data?
Direct MCP does not retain raw customer files or full connector response payloads. Operational logs may persist for up to 30 days. CorpusIQ does not train models on customer data; the selected AI client's plan and settings govern conversation handling.
Can Claude change anything in my Semrush account?
No. The connection is read-only. Claude can read research data. It cannot create or edit projects, position tracking or campaigns, or change any setting in your Semrush account.
Can I research a competitor's domain, not just my own?
Yes. Semrush research works on any domain, so you can ask for a competitor's organic keywords, paid keywords, backlink profile or traffic trend the same way you ask about your own site.
What plan do I need?
Solo at $29.95/mo includes Semrush and all 40+ connectors, with a 30-day free trial.