Semrush Review

SEO analysis has become an essential function for all small and medium-sized enterprises. But what is the best tool you can use to optimize the SEO of your website? Headquartered in Boston (MA), Semrush is the leading online marketing campaign management platform that is presented as the best option for optimizing your business's online presence.

Is Semrush the SEO platform you need?

Let's start with what interests us the most: the score. According to our analysis, Semrush has a final rating of 8.8 points out of 10. After conducting a detailed study of all its aspects, from its keyword function to its content optimization, we concluded that it is one of the most powerful alternatives on the market for optimizing the website of small and medium businesses.

Semrush is a comprehensive platform, with more than 50 integrated tools that range from SEO analysis to content marketing and social media. Therefore, it is an all-in-one solution for many companies, which will no longer have to worry about having various distinct tools to carry out their content. However, there are some sectors that will take much better advantage of its functionalities, maximizing the presence and performance of their websites.

Who is Semrush for?

Although Semrush is a global platform designed for companies of all sizes that want to improve the visibility of their website, it is especially attractive to certain specific profiles. 

• First of all, it is a perfect tool for digital marketing agencies. After analysis, we realized that Semrush is an SEO platform expressly designed for agencies that need a fully integrated service to improve their website's online visibility.
• Additionally, SEO professionals will also find in Semrush an unbeatable ally for all their projects. It features exhaustive studies that delve into aspects of SEO that many other tools overlook, and can thus elevate your strategies to a much higher level. Its excellent keyword search tool is especially noteworthy.
• Finally, content creators can rely on Semrush to improve their strategies, creative projects, their copy, and ultimately, their personal brand. Although it may be somewhat expensive or broad for these profiles, many creators can find in Semrush a great companion to optimize their website.

What is the best thing about Semrush?

If there is one area where Semrush stands out above the rest, it is in keyword research. This powerful tool simplifies the process of finding the keywords your company's website needs to achieve good positioning.

In addition to keywords, the tool includes a thorough analysis of industry data so you can stand out among your competitors. This is vital in e-commerce campaigns. All this translates to a notable increase in traffic and improvement in website ranking... and all in just a few clicks.

What is the worst thing about Semrush?

Unfortunately, Semrush is not a cheap tool. It has a relatively high price that makes it less accessible for freelancers and small businesses where every penny counts. Another major issue is that its learning curve can be steep, requiring several hours initially to familiarize oneself with its interface, functionalities, information, and databases.

The best alternative to Semrush

The SEO sector is filled with alternatives depending on the type of tool you need to utilize the most. However, we believe that Semrush has a primary competitor that may be the best alternative for many users: Ahrefs.

Ahrefs has a simpler interface, making it much more accessible for beginners in the SEO world. Furthermore, it offers a more in-depth analysis of backlinks, so if this aspect is your main concern, you should advocate for this alternative.

Still, Ahrefs' prices are quite similar to those of Semrush, with a monthly plan costing €124 that practically matches this tool. Thus, if you are looking for more economical or even free alternatives, some interesting options could be Ubersuggest or Moz.

The perfect SEO platform for SMEs

After our review, we can confidently state that yes: Semrush is a recommended tool. It is an ideal product for small and medium businesses that take their online presence seriously. Although its price may seem a bit high and there are competitive alternatives in some aspects, its reach and depth make it undoubtedly an unbeatable option.

Key features: What is Semrush for?

Semrush is a SEO specialist tool that offers more than fifty tools in one platform and has reached more than 140 countries. Its main use is the creation and launch of digital marketing SEO campaigns to improve a website's online visibility. Let's look at its functions in detail:

Find the best keywords to optimize your SEO

The crown jewel of Semrush is its keyword finder. With the help of its Keyword Explorer, you can find in seconds the most important keywords you should use, taking into account detailed data like search volume on engines like Google or Bing, its competitors, and its cost per click. Moreover, it suggests terms based on search intent and keeps market trends updated.

Analyze the competition live

To know how to improve your brand's positioning, Semrush conducts a rigorous analysis of your competitors, tracking keywords, backlink profiles, and their organic traffic in real-time. This way, you can always know how to narrow your distance with them and improve your SEO strategy.

Use AI to optimize your website

One of the most highlighted features of Semrush is its integration of Artificial Intelligence in content creation. In few tools in the sector have we seen AI utilized so effectively and precisely to generate high-quality SEO content.

Monitor your web positioning

Semrush helps you know what is happening with your positioning at all times. Thanks to its Rank Tracker, you can see the evolution of the keywords you have used at all times and across different search engines.

Audit your website to optimize its SEO

If you are looking to substantially improve the SEO of your website, the first thing you should turn to is the Semrush audit. Thanks to it, you will instantly identify technical SEO problems and be able to analyze and optimize the internal links of your website. The auditing platform will also suggest improvements you can add to make it easier for search engines to position you.

Analyze your backlinks and find new opportunities

Although it is not its most prominent function—Ahrefs leads this battle—Semrush conducts a thorough analysis of the quality of your links and suggests new backlinks to improve your positioning.

Dive deep into your results with all kinds of statistics

After our analysis, we realized that the most striking aspect of Semrush is the depth it has in its statistics. Above the rest of the platforms, it conducts exhaustive studies on almost all aspects that can be taken into account in SEO, generating reports with customizable dashboards that guide you in improving your website's positioning.

Pros and cons of Semrush

Considering our opinions on Semrush, we leave you with the biggest pros and cons we have found in the SEO tool:

Pros of Semrush

• It is the leading tool in keyword search and ranking
• Their competitor analyses are deep and comprehensive
• It has powerful backlink monitoring and link-building features
• It integrates easily with Google Analytics and other similar platforms
• It perfectly integrates Artificial Intelligence in content generation
• Includes 29 databases from different countries available in 17 languages

Cons of Semrush

• Its price for premium functions is very high
• It can be overwhelming for beginners
• Some tools require additional payments

Factors to adopt Semrush or look for another alternative

After analyzing the user opinions on Semrush, we concluded that those who choose this tool over others do so for the following reasons:

• It has more SEO data than its alternatives
• Its keyword search tools are unbeatable
• It conducts comprehensive competitor studies
• It integrates perfectly with other systems 

However, those who decide to leave Semrush do so for the following reasons:

• Its cost can be very high
• It analyzes so much data that sometimes its reports can be overwhelming.
• Its usability is not as intuitive as alternatives like Moz or Ahrefs

Plans and pricing of Semrush

We have already highlighted that Semrush's prices may repel many potential customers, but what are its specific payment plans? Let's see what they consist of.

Pro Plan: €124.50/month. Sufficient for small and new teams. Contains 5 available projects and 500 keywords to track.

Guru Plan: €239.64/month. Perfect for agencies and medium-sized businesses. Contains 15 available projects and 1,500 keywords to track.

Business Plan: €479.32/month. Designed for large corporations. Contains 40 available projects and 5,000 keywords to track. Some users have reported that discounts can be negotiated upon renewal of this plan, but it depends solely on each case.

There is also an annual payment option for all plans, allowing you to save 17% off the total price.

How can you start using Semrush?

As we mentioned, one of Semrush's weak points is the difficulty of the learning curve. Without a doubt, for someone not familiar with SEO, it is not a recommended tool, as you will need hours to fully understand how it works. However, the Semrush Academy offers free online courses and official certifications for those looking to delve into digital marketing campaigns, master its data classification, and get the most out of the platform.

The team needed to manage Semrush

To make the most of Semrush's capabilities, it is advisable for marketing and SEO teams to be the main responsible for its management. We suggest that a 1 or 2-person team be dedicated exclusively to using the platform to ensure effective analysis and monitoring. These workers should be trained in using the various tools that Semrush offers to maximize its potential and not waste anything.

How long do companies take to choose Semrush?

The evaluation and selection of Semrush by a company typically involves a review period ranging from 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, marketing teams, SEO professionals, and C-level executives usually examine the platform's functionalities to determine if they align with the organization's goals and needs. Finally, most tend to give the platform a try.

Semrush: Is it a tool suitable for all users?

Although Semrush features a user-friendly design, offering detailed reports that facilitate understanding the presented data, many of its advanced functionalities present a steep learning curve, especially for new clients. However, to mitigate this challenge, the platform provides educational resources and an interesting customer support system that helps users master their tools.

Security and customer support

Semrush complies with international security standards SOC2, GDPR, and ISO 27001, ensuring user data protection. Additionally, it offers two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to accounts. On the other hand, it has multiple support channels, including live chat, email, and phone support.

From what we have analyzed, the average response time is approximately 24 hours. Customer opinions regarding customer service are generally positive, although some suggest that response times could be more immediate.

Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which is the best option?

Now is the time to decide which is the best option for your company: Semrush or Ahrefs, its main competitor. Both are among the top tools in the field of SEO and digital marketing, but each has functionalities that make them unique. Therefore, it is best to decide which tool to use based on what you want to achieve.

Semrush is the best option for:

• General marketing and SEO tools. It offers a broader set of functions that span from SEO (basic and advanced) to content creation and campaign creation. This provides a comprehensive solution for marketing professionals.
• Keyword research. It provides detailed data on keywords, including search volume, competition, and cost per click (CPC), along with trends and competitor auditing. In this sense, Semrush is the best option on the market.
• Freedom of use: Unlike Ahrefs, Semrush does not operate with a credit system for performing any of its functions. Instead, each of the plans includes a maximum number of projects and searches.

Ahrefs is the best option for:

• Backlink analysis. Recognized for its exhaustive auditing of incoming links (backlinks), Ahrefs offers a detailed list of backlinks from any domain, providing clients with the best opportunities to improve their websites in this regard.
• Interface and usability. Ahrefs stands out for its simple and intuitive design, which is much better for beginners.

Our conclusions: Do we recommend Semrush?

In conclusion of our review, we highlight that Semrush is one of the most comprehensive tools for SEO and digital marketing enthusiasts, ideal for companies and professionals looking to improve the online presence of their website. It offers a comprehensive set of features that encompass keyword research, competitor audits, backlink data, content management, PPC, and social media, making it an all-in-one solution for advanced digital strategies. 

Even though its price may be high, in our experience, its lack of a credit system makes it much more cost-effective and an excellent alternative to Ahrefs. It is also worth noting that while the learning curve may pose a challenge for small or inexperienced teams in web positioning, Semrush is one of the best tools on the market for achieving top-level SEO performance.