What it is
Semrush is an SEO and marketing platform covering keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks, content optimisation, local SEO and paid search data.
It is the broadest of the major platforms. Where Ahrefs goes deeper on backlinks, Semrush covers more ground: advertising data, local listings, social and content tooling alongside the SEO core.
I have subscribed on and off for years, taking it monthly during client projects and cancelling between them, which is how I would advise most freelancers to use it.
What it does
Keyword research with volume, difficulty, intent and the questions people ask, plus keyword gap analysis showing what competitors rank for and you do not. That last report is where most of my content plans come from.
Site audit crawls your site and produces a prioritised list of technical problems, which is genuinely useful for anyone without a dedicated technical SEO.
Position tracking monitors your rankings daily, including local pack positions, with client-ready reports.
Content tooling, local listing management and advertising research sit alongside, and most subscribers use perhaps a third of what they pay for.
Who it's for
Features
Pros and cons
Pricing
| PLAN | WHAT YOU GET | WORTH IT FOR |
|---|---|---|
| Free account | Limited daily searches. | Occasional spot checks. |
| Pro | One user, core tools, project limits. | Freelancers and single businesses. The tier most people need. |
| Guru | Content tooling, historical data, more projects. | Content-led businesses and small agencies. |
| Business | API, higher limits, more users. | Agencies at volume. |
Priced monthly per user with real limits on the entry tier. Take the free trial, and consider subscribing monthly during projects rather than annually.
Pro, billed monthly and cancelled between projects. Take the free trial first and run one real keyword gap analysis to see whether the output changes what you would do.
Alternatives
My verdict
Semrush is the most complete SEO platform available and the one I would keep if I could only have one, mainly for the keyword gap report and the site audit. Those two features have shaped more client content plans than anything else I use.
The honest caveat is that most subscribers use a fraction of it. If you want backlink depth, Ahrefs is better; if you want rank tracking on a budget, SE Ranking is a third of the price and does that job well.
Use it in bursts. Subscribe monthly, do the research and the audit, build a six-month plan, cancel. That approach costs a fraction of an annual licence and captures most of the value.
Try Semrush →Who should use it
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Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the price you pay. It also does not decide what appears on this page: I recommend tools with no affiliate programme just as readily, and leave off tools with generous ones when they do not deserve the space.