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Content Marketing Essentials for SEO and AI Search with Semrush

Master content marketing for both traditional search and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. Learn to build topic clusters, create E-E-A-T-driven content, optimize for AI citations, and develop authority beyond your website using Semrush's Content Toolkit.

Who is this сourse for?

This course is perfect for content creators, marketers, and strategists ready to create content that performs in both traditional search engines and AI-powered platforms—from SEO rankings to AI citations.

What you’ll learn

This course covers content strategy evolution in the AI era, building topic clusters for authority, creating optimized content that ranks and gets cited, and expanding your presence across platforms where AI sources information.

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Rita Cidre

Rita Cidre is a marketing leader, instructor, and storyteller with 15 years of experience working at the intersection of marketing and content. Rita has held growth marketing leadership roles at Zillow Group, Time Inc., and National Public Radio (NPR). Currently, as the Head of Academy at Semrush, she builds innovative educational programs and courses designed to empower digital marketers around the globe.

Course Structure

Strategy: Course Intro

Meet your instructor Rita and discover how to create winning content for both traditional search engines AND AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. Discover what you'll learn, download your essential worksheet, and understand how this course will transform your content strategy for both traditional and AI-powered platforms.

1 video

2 minutes

Strategy: The Evolution of Content Marketing

The content marketing playbook has been rewritten. Discover what's changed, what hasn't, and the critical new metrics you need to track. Find out why your old SEO strategies might be leaving opportunities on the table.

1 video

4 minutes

Strategy: Introducing Topics and Clusters

Learn the content framework that builds real authority and attracts both search engines and AI platforms. See how brands like Patagonia and Shopify use this strategy to dominate their industries—and how you can too.

1 video

6 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Select Seed Keywords for Your Blog

Learn how to identify the perfect seed keyword to launch your blog content strategy using Keyword Magic Tool. Follow along as Rita compares potential topics, evaluates search volume and keyword difficulty, and chooses the strongest foundation for building topical authority across both traditional search and modern platforms.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Create a List of Target Keywords for Your Blog

Build a robust keyword list for your blog using Keyword Magic Tool and Keyword Gap. Discover how to filter for informational keywords, assess competition through SERP analysis, and efficiently organize hundreds of keyword opportunities into actionable lists you can actually use.

1 video

9 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Create Topic Clusters Using Semrush

Transform your keyword list into organized topic clusters that build real authority using Keyword Strategy Builder. See how Semrush automatically groups related keywords into pillar pages and subtopics—or take the DIY approach and create your own strategic content structure from scratch.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Create a Blog Content Calendar Using Semrush

Learn how to prioritize your content topics with Keyword Strategy Builder. Evaluate search volume and keyword difficulty data to identify quick wins, organize pillar pages with supporting subtopics, and build a strategic content calendar that guides your publishing schedule for maximum impact.

1 video

4 minutes

Strategy: What Makes Great Content?

Not all content is created equal. Discover the framework that satisfies human readers, search engines, and AI systems simultaneously. Learn what separates content that gets cited from content that gets ignored.

1 video

5 minutes

Walkthrough: SERP Analysis with Semrush

Discover what's actually ranking for your target keywords before you create content using Keyword Overview Tool. Learn how to identify whether your chosen keywords match your content format, spot critical SERP features like video or featured snippets, and adjust your strategy based on what's really working in search results.

1 video

7 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Create AI-Generated Content Using Semrush

Watch the Content Toolkit transform your keyword research into a complete draft article. Set your word count, define your brand voice, create custom personas, and generate SEO-optimized content complete with title tags and meta descriptions—giving you a strong starting point instead of a blank page.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Create a Content Brief Using Semrush

Build comprehensive content briefs in minutes instead of hours using Keyword Strategy Builder. See how Semrush analyzes top-ranking content, suggests article structure, recommends secondary keywords, and creates detailed specifications that ensure you or your writers deliver exactly what you need.

1 video

1 minute

Strategy: If You Write It, Will They Come?

Your website is just the beginning. Discover why nearly half of AI citations come from specific platforms—and how to leverage this for maximum brand visibility. Learn the strategy that extends your reach across the entire web.

1 video

5 minutes

Strategy: Content Beyond Your Website

Your website is just the beginning. Discover the platforms where your brand needs to show up to maximize visibility—and the surprising places that drive the most impact. Learn why extending your content strategy beyond your own site is now essential for success.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: Optimizing Your Content with the Content Toolkit

Turn existing content into high-performing assets with the SEO Writing Assistant. Learn how to analyze published or draft content for readability, SEO strength, and originality—then get specific recommendations for improvements, from keyword additions to content restructuring, all with a clear optimization score.

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: Congratulations!

You've gained a competitive edge in the new era of search. Discover how to implement what you've learned, where to go next, and how to showcase your new expertise. Your content marketing will never be the same.

1 video

2 minutes

Would You Recommend this Course?

One last thing! If you enjoyed this course (or even if you didn't, we won't take it personally), please give us some feedback so we can keep making even better free content in the future!

1 video

1 minute

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