How do you filter keywords in a report?

To filter existing keywords in a report, start with specific words or phrases, then narrow the results using metrics such as search volume and keyword difficulty. To examine branded searches, you can filter a queries report by brand name. The key is to decide which keywords you want to find before choosing text or numerical filters. The instructions below come from articles published in different years and may not apply to all current report interfaces.

Start with a text filter to find keywords containing specific words or phrases

A 2016 Semrush article introduced the “Filter by Keyword” search box: enter a word or phrase, and the report displays keywords containing it. This filters an existing report rather than generating a new set of keywords.

For example, to see keywords containing “coffee,” use “coffee” as the text filter. The criterion is whether the keyword contains the specified word or phrase, not whether it has a related meaning. Do not assume results without that text will appear simply because they concern a similar topic.

Use metric-based filters for more precise results

The same 2016 article also introduced “Advanced filters,” listing the following options:

• Keyword difficulty: Filter by the difficulty metric provided in the report.
• Search volume: Narrow results by search volume.
• Traffic percentage: Filter by the traffic share metric in the report.
• Competition level: Filter by the competition level provided in the report.

Text filters find keywords containing specific words or phrases; metric-based filters find keywords within a particular numerical range. Choose according to your needs. The article provides no universally optimal thresholds, so no single search volume or difficulty value should be treated as the standard for every report. This historical article also cannot confirm whether the current interface still offers these options.

A branded-query example: search for a brand name in a specific report

A 2023 Semrush article explained how to filter a queries report by brand name. According to its instructions at the time, first link the website’s GA4 property to a Google Search Console account, then go to “Reports” → “Search Console” → “Queries.” Next, enter the brand name in the search field above the organic search keyword list and press Enter or Return to display organic search keywords containing that name.

This method finds queries in the report that contain the brand name, but it does not necessarily cover all brand-related searches. It requires the data connection described above, and the navigation path applies only to the report as described at the time. It should not be assumed to work in other keyword reports.