Find out why Semrush is one of the best SEO tools on the market today.
Great for keyword research
Some tools can be used for free
Backlink analytics and link-building tools
Competitor analysis
Useful website audit tool
Price is too high for some
No SEO tool is 100% accurate
Limited to 5 projects with Pro plan
Semrush is one of the best SEO tools you can get for your website. The combination of user-friendly design and capable features makes it a must-have for anyone managing their website’s SEO.
In this review, I will cover:
Semrush has three available plans for users to purchase, along with the option to get a custom plan for companies with specific needs. Each plan can be purchased at a discount if you opt to pay annually.
Keep in mind that some of Semrush’s features can be used for free; however, you will have limited uses that are reset each day. In order to try out the paid tools for free, you can use the 7-day free trial.
The Pro plan is designed for people new to SEO and small teams. It can’t support a large business that manages a portfolio of websites, however, it works great for anyone's personal project. The pro plan costs 129.95/month.
Semrush targets the Guru plan at mid-sized businesses and agencies as it allows for more projects and features than the Pro plan. The Guru plan comes in at nearly 2X the price of the Pro plan, for $249.95/month.
The Business plan is best for large businesses and agencies. Some features that the Business plan has are API access, the ability to track 5,000 keywords, and support for 40 different projects. The business plan will cost you 499.95/month.
Semrush has plenty of tools and features built into the platform that give you everything you need to manage SEO for your websites. I will go over the ones I find most useful in my experience using Semrush.
Keyword research is where SEO starts for websites. Planning out your topics and keyword clusters will determine the direction that your website will go.
Semrush’s keyword tools allow you to find keyword search volume and difficulty estimates, allowing you to find keywords in your niche that you can rank for.
The keyword overview tool gives you a variety of data that can help you determine if the keyword is right for your site. Semrush will show you stats such as where the keyword is most popular, search intent, trends, and how many ads target the keyword.
The Keyword Magic Tool helps you find keyword variants that are related to your seed keyword. This tool is useful for finding article ideas in the same cluster. You can also sort for low-difficulty keywords based on the seed keyword.
The Keyword Manager tool is the best way to find keyword clusters. Just by entering a seed keyword, Semrush will put together clusters with related keywords.
The Site Audit is an essential tool for any website. When building a website, it is easy to overlook any technical errors, especially if you are coding the site. The Site Audit tool will bring these to your attention and tell you how to fix them.
A notable feature of the Site Audit tool is that you can see the depth of your website (how many clicks it takes to get to a page) and your internal link distribution.
By clicking on this feature, you can then see which pages have the highest Internal LinkRank. A page's Internal LinkRank is determined by how many internal pages link to it. This feature is useful because it allows you to make sure that pillar pages are receiving the internal links that they should have.
Semrush allows you to track the position of keywords that your website ranks for every 24 to 48 hours. The position tracking tool will show you a trend of how all of your keywords are ranking as a whole and how each one ranks individually.
This tool will also estimate the traffic that your website receives from each keyword over time. This makes it easy to see if any adjustments you make to a page affect how it ranks on Google.
Backlinks are an important ranking factor for Google. Semrush helps you optimize and monitor your link-building efforts with several tools.
Semrush offers many metrics to help you track your backlinks and authority score. The backlink analytics capture everything from referring domains, backlinks (obviously), the location of links, and the quality of the links.
As mentioned, Semrush offers tools for building links. They will find relevant sites in your niche to target for backlinks. Semrush will then streamline the process of emailing these sites for whatever your strategy is, such as a guest post or link insertion.
Researching your competition allows you to skip the learning curve for whatever website you are making and see what is working best for them. Semrush’s competitor research tools allow you to do exactly that.
The Domain Overview tool lets you spy on your competition by seeing all kinds of stats for their website. My favorite is the top keyword list and keywords by search intent.
The top keyword list allows you to see which keywords your competitors are ranking well for. I also like to get an idea of what intent most of their traffic is coming for, as it gives me an idea of how I should organize my own site's content.
I find Semrush to be extremely easy to use. All of the features and tools are divided into sections that are easy to find.
From the moment you log in, you're greeted with a well-organized dashboard that smartly categorizes tools and features, making it easy for users of all levels to navigate. The color scheme and visual elements are pleasing to the eye, promoting a more enjoyable work environment.
Semrush's customer service is a standout aspect of its offering, demonstrating a commitment to support and user satisfaction that goes above and beyond.
Their responsive and knowledgeable support team is readily accessible, providing prompt assistance through various channels, including live chat, email, and phone support.
Reaching out to a support team member is just as easy as sending a message with the support popup.
Semrush is not the only tool you can use for SEO. Here is a quick comparison of Semrush’s main competitors.
Ahrefs is one of Semrush’s biggest competitors, as it also offers many similar features when it comes to SEO. Ahrefs also has several free features that you can try out to get a feel for which platform you prefer. On the surface, Ahrefs may look like a better deal as the monthly plans are cheaper. However, Ahrefs makes users pay for additional use with a credit system. So you may end up needing to pay more than your plan if you want additional credits.
Check out Backlinko’s in-depth comparison post of Semrush and Ahrefs for more detail.
Moz is renowned for its user-friendly SEO software that excels in covering the fundamentals of SEO, such as site audits, keyword research, and link building.
Moz's tools are designed with simplicity and effectiveness in mind, making it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals who are new to SEO or prefer a more straightforward approach.
Ubersuggest is a budget-friendly SEO tool that's become popular among bloggers, small business owners, and niche site creators looking for a straightforward approach to SEO. Developed by Neil Patel, a well-known figure in digital marketing, Ubersuggest offers key features such as keyword research, content ideas, site audits, and backlink analysis, similar to Semrush.
In the end, it's an excellent tool for users looking to enhance their SEO strategy without a significant investment.
Semrush is great for individual projects to large SEO agencies or businesses. Wherever you are with your website, Semrush can help you along your journey.
Let’s say you are starting a new niche website for affiliate marketing. Semrush can help you decide what content you should create for your niche and seed keyword.
Or perhaps you're trying to improve the technical SEO of your client’s website. Running a site audit can help you find any errors with pages.
As you have hopefully noticed by now, Semrush is an extremely versatile tool that can help websites at any stage.
This one I can’t answer for you. Semrush is only a tool that will help you reach your website goals quicker. However, it isn’t necessary by any means.
To decide if a Semrush plan is worth it for you, consider how the tools could affect your website's earnings. For example, if Semrush’s tools allow you to make a more profitable website, it will be worth it.
Also, consider how Semrush can save you time by streamlining SEO work and combining it all on one platform. As they say, “time is money”.
Yes. Semrush is a reputable and widely used digital marketing platform, recognized for its comprehensive data accuracy, robust security measures, and dedication to user privacy.
Semrush has proven itself to be arguably the best SEO tool on the market and for good reasons. We've looked at how much it costs, what it does, and how easy it is to use. Whether you're new to SEO or a pro, Semrush has something for everyone. It's great for keeping your website on track.
If you are still wondering if it is worth it for your website, Semrush is currently offering a 7-day free trial. By starting the trial, you can: