TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Semrush

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/ASemrush is a relatively popular search engine optimization tool set from the company of the same name based in Pennsylvania and founded in 2008. Largely the platforms relies on competitive intelligence, and features SEO staples like backlink checking, keyword analysis to refine SEO and PPC campaigning and locate low-cost / high-yield keywords, analysis of competitors who co-occupy desired ad and listing spaces, domain vs. domain analysis, as well as site audit and domain tracking. Semrush can…

    $139.95

    per month

    Shorthand

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AShorthand enables the user to create interactive multimedia stories for any online audience — all with no code. The vendor boasts that Shorthand is used by hundreds of publishers, brands, non-profits, and more — including the BBC, Honda, Business Insider, and Doctors Without Borders.N/A
    Pricing
    SemrushShorthand
    Editions & Modules
    Pro
    $139.95
    per month
    Guru
    $249.95
    per month
    Business
    $499.95
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    SemrushShorthand
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details17% discount for annual pricing.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    SemrushShorthand
    Considered Both Products
    Semrush
    No answer on this topic
    Shorthand
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    107 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    95 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    106 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    95 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    SemrushShorthand
    SEO
    Comparison of SEO features of Semrush and Shorthand
    Feature
    Semrush
    8.0
    154 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Shorthand
    -
    Ratings
    Keyword analysis8.6154 Ratings00 Ratings
    Backlink management8.4147 Ratings00 Ratings
    SERP ranking tracking8.4150 Ratings00 Ratings
    Page grader7.9129 Ratings00 Ratings
    Competitive analysis8.5149 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site audit / diagnostics8.0150 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site recommendations7.7139 Ratings00 Ratings
    Task management6.491 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Channels
    Comparison of SEO Channels features of Semrush and Shorthand
    Feature
    Semrush
    8.2
    140 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Shorthand
    -
    Ratings
    Local SEO8.1128 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social SEO8.0106 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile SEO8.5113 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global SEO8.1114 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Platform & Account Management
    Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Semrush and Shorthand
    Feature
    Semrush
    8.4
    125 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Shorthand
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-domain support8.1115 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with web analytics tools8.7119 Ratings00 Ratings
    Content Creation
    Comparison of Content Creation features of Semrush and Shorthand
    Feature
    Semrush
    -
    Ratings
    Shorthand
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Content collaboration00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Content Publishing
    Comparison of Content Publishing features of Semrush and Shorthand
    Feature
    Semrush
    -
    Ratings
    Shorthand
    6.8
    1 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Content hub00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Embedded CTAs00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Content distribution00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Content promotion00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    SemrushShorthand
    Small Businesses
    Serpstat
    Score10 out of 10
    Contently
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    CoSchedule Marketing Suite
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    PathFactory
    Score8.3 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    SemrushShorthand
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.2
    (154 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.2
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.9
    (17 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    SemrushShorthand
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Semrush
    This is suited to plan for keywords in a single market, but it struggles when you need to consolidate several markets. It is well-suited to discover new keywords directly related to the ones being used currently to expand the content the company is creating to get better results.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    Shorthand is ideally suited to visual stories where you have a good number of images and/or embeds or video to include. It is well-suited to long-form stories, where you wish to keep the readers' attention longer than usual. It can help to differentiate particularly important or intriguing stories from others on your website - and for this reason, it could be used as a premium content tool, perhaps for subscribers. It can also be used to showcase stories about awards you've organised, giving them special treatment. It is less suited to breaking news, or very time-sensitive news stories, as it can take some time to prepare, post or update shorthand stories. And it doesn't work well for stories with strong accompanying imagery
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Semrush
    • Great visuals for keyword position tracking, love that you can see the page that is ranking
    • Enjoyed the auto-generated reporting feature (specifically in the context of keyword position tracking)
    • Shows many different and useful views for competitive research
    • Great templated keyword research tools for those who are not as hands-on with SEO
    • I LOVE the Keyword Magic Tool for honing in on longtail, high-opportunity keywords
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    • Enabling visual storytelling with multiple pictures
    • Embedding rich media within a story, including video
    • Engaging readers for longer than average dwell times
    • Making it easy to create striking article design without coding experience
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Semrush
    • Extra seats can be expensive, as [an] agency with multiple team members this can be frustrating
    • Backlink data is not great, misses out a lot of backlinks (better off using a specialist backlink tool like Link research tools LRT)
    • Tracking multiple keywords, across multiple clients can be costly
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    • Additional flexibility in how text is overlaid on pictures would be welcome so that there are more choices on what images to use with particular layouts
    • Enabling users to control the path of text - for example, enabling runaround - could enable some excellent designs
    • Adding additional section templates could speed up design
    • More flexibility in caption placement would be helpful
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Semrush
    I [previously] used Semrush for many years and I cannot find any other tool being so complete and easy to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Semrush
    The interface is a little less intuitive than it could be. The data is often available but filtering and manipulating the data can be a little difficult at times. Expanded comparisons would be helpful since most of the time seeing more than a few competitors at a time allows for a better sense of how to forecast.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    Semrush
    Semrush available when you need it!
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    I have never known it to be down during my use of it. All you require is an internet connection to log in and you can use it on multiple devices. Adding ease of accessibility, there are simple ways to log in. I've also never known a Shorthand story to go down once live on our site.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Semrush
    SemRush performs well with few errors!
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    Due to the integration with our content management software, there is a short delay on our site while it loads, which may cause some readers to drift away. However, I've seen other sites where it instantly loads articles, so I believe this to be down to the content management software behind our site more than Shorthand itself. Once that brief initial period is over, it doesn't require additional loading time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Semrush
    I'm in a FB group for Semrush paid users and it amazing! They are fast to respond, take suggestions and help with questions. I have not felt alone in using this product at all. Highly recommend their support team. When I had an issue I can jump into the group and they will help get me the right person to help or even tag their programmers to look at something that is going on. Love the group!
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Semrush
    I did it by myself and do not have a comment!
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Semrush
    We have used both Ahrefs and Semrush extensively at our agency and Semrush remains the tool of choice. We find that Semrush has the largest selection of tools & features to use, with the highest accuracy, and provides top-tier analysis recommendations. It's really is the ultimate all-in-one tool when comparing other performance measurement tools in the digital marketing space.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Semrush
    Semrush is flexible and scalable software which can be deployed across multiple departments and sites as needed.
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    As a web-based service, it is easy for users to log into from anywhere. Content can easily be shared, as you can set up teams that enable access to each other's work as required. And content can be reviewed by others before publication using the sharing function. You can also view how an article will look on different devices.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Semrush
    • Using Semrush on behalf of our clients, we have seen some impressive growth in organic visibility, traffic, conversion and revenue, across multiple industries.
    • The site checks available with Semrush have helped us to pitch and sell our services, securing new clients.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shorthand
    • Helped us create one of our top 10 most-read and most-shared stories in the last year
    • Enabled us to elevate key pieces of content, boosting dwell time on our site
    • But can also be time-consuming to adopt for some stories, meaning you need to choose well what stories really deserve the investment in time
    • Boosted collaboration between teams via its ability to share, including offering the chance for others to preview content prior to publication
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Shorthand Screenshots

    Screenshot of Easily add sections and adjust styling.