Item: Semrush
Rating: 10
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use SEMRush in a variety of our SEO research. It's one of the first programs new team members learn and is used organization-wide. One of its best uses at our organization is in the field of keyword research; it's great for seeing what terms a website we don't own is ranking for and for checking out what keywords are related to other keywords. When we're starting a new project and want to get familiar with a client's site competitors or the words related to their company, SEMRush is one of the first tools we pull out.

Pros and Cons

Excellent for in-depth keyword research.
Great for checking out stats and query rankings related to sites you don't own.
Great for seeing how a site has ranked over time (for problem-solving purposes).

The seating system is inconvenient; I wish multiple users could be logged in to one account at one time.
Overwhelming for new users.
Lack of data for smaller and newer sites or more niche keywords.

Return on Investment

SEMRush allows us to understand a potential client's competitors and site problems without ever potentially having a conversation with them, allowing us to impress new clients.
Allows us to analyze potential backlink sources' value, saving us money when we discover that a source is not worth pursuing.

Alternatives Considered

Google Search Console

SEMRush is a great program for when you want data similar to that of Google Search Console, but when you don't have access to the website's Google account. It allows you to see some of the same or similar data like traffic over time and what queries they've been ranking for. We use both interchangeably and I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but that SEMRush is better for sites you don't own.

Support Rating

I have never personally been in touch with any of the support folks at SEMRush. This is something our organization lead would handle. However, I haven't personally needed any support for SEMRush; it works great and I haven't seen any glitches or issues. I love that it's web-based, too, because this decreases the likelihood of me having problems related to updates or corrupted files.

Key Insights

Do you think Semrush delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Semrush's feature set?

Yes

Did Semrush live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Semrush go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Semrush again?

Yes

Other Software Used

LastPass for Business, Honey, Zerys

Likelihood to Recommend

SEMRush is an asset in our team and I can't imagine us ever switching because it has such a multitude of uses.
One of its best uses is for feeling out the current health of a website, as well as its competitors and query ranking statistics. It gives us a great "overall view" of a client's site health at a glance. It doesn't hold your hand, though, so perhaps not the best solution for someone brand new at SEO.

One of the first tools we use when working with a new client

Overall Satisfaction with SEMRush