A Founder's Perspective by Chetan Temkar

My Live Case Study: Using Semrush to Find the First Visitors for My New App

A real-time, data-driven review of the SEO tool that powers my new project.

The Backstory

Hi, I'm Chetan Temkar. After years in the tech world, I decided to engineer a new lifestyle for myself, stepping away from the traditional career path to focus on my own projects in a 'semi-retired' mode here in Bangkok.

My first move was a 6-month deep-dive in Puerto Rico, analyzing it as a place to live and invest. While I learned a ton, I concluded the real estate market was unnecessarily complex. So I pivoted, moved my search to Thailand, and found a much clearer opportunity—a condo in Pattaya that now yields an 8% rental return.

I apply that same analytical, 'find the 8%' mindset to everything I do, including the tools I use for my online businesses. My latest project is a new guide to Bangkok's nightlife, starting with lovehappyhours.com. The challenge? Starting from zero visitors.

This is my real-time case study of using Semrush from day one to build a data-driven SEO strategy.

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Mission 1: Keyword Discovery

First, I needed to move beyond the obvious "Bangkok happy hour" keyword. I used Semrush's "Keyword Magic Tool" to find what people are *actually* searching for. In less than 10 minutes, I found a goldmine of specific, actionable keywords. This tells me exactly what kind of content will attract visitors.

📸 SCREENSHOT #1 GOES HERE

(Capture the Semrush "Keyword Magic Tool" showing your keyword list)

Screenshot of Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Mission 2: Competitor Analysis

Next, instead of guessing, I decided to see what's already working for a competitor. I took a well-known Bangkok nightlife blog and put its address into Semrush's "Organic Research" tool. Instantly, I could see their top-performing pages and keywords. It's like having a proven roadmap handed to you.

📸 SCREENSHOT #2 GOES HERE

(Capture Semrush showing a competitor's top keywords)

Screenshot of Semrush Organic Research tool

Mission 3: Answering User Questions

Finally, I wanted to find content ideas that would be genuinely helpful. Using the "Questions" filter in Semrush, I found the exact questions people are typing into Google about nightlife in Bangkok. Now I have a ready-made list of articles I can write that will attract visitors by directly answering their questions.

📸 SCREENSHOT #3 GOES HERE

(Capture Semrush showing the "Questions" filter results)

Screenshot of Semrush Questions filter

The Verdict? A Game-Changer.

After just one session with Semrush, I have a clear, data-driven SEO strategy for my new project. I know which keywords to target, what content is already working for others, and what questions my future users are asking. For any founder launching a project, this level of insight removes the guesswork and provides a clear path forward. I highly recommend it.

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