How Accurate is SEMrush? – Case Study in 2023.

If you are a webmaster and live from website content creation, you can not succeed in SEO without keyword analytics tools. The best two keyword analytics tools are SEMrush and Ahref.

What is SEMrush?

SEMrush is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that provides keyword research, online ranking data, search traffic, current organic, paid traffic, and backlinks analysis. Additionally, the platform offers Local SEO, advertising data, content marketing, and trends analysis.

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The Google and Bing browsers are also used to obtain keyword data for the platform. Oleg Shchegolev and Dmitri Melnikov formed Boston-based SEMrush Inc., which published it. From Russia to Boston to Philadelphia, the organization employs 980 people.

SEMrush Price

Small to midsized businesses (SMBs) may get most of what they need from an SEO tool in SEMrush for $99.95 per month (annual subscription), while if you pay a monthly price is $119.95.  In addition to keyword research, SEMrush provides a wide range of crawling and monitoring features. SEMrush had a slight advantage over SEMrush based on feature richness. SpyFu was the most user-friendly of the two Editors’ Choices, but SEMrush remains a good option for any SMB needing SEO assistance.

SEMrush Traffic Analytics reports use artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze anonymous data from third-party sources. This information has been compiled and estimated based on anonymous internet user activity data. SEMrush uses the most up-to-date sources of data for each marketing discipline it analyses (SEO, PPC, content, SMM). Regarding SEMrush, several tools disclose more than just search rankings, what rivals are doing in content marketing and social media, and comprehensive statistics on website traffic over the past ten years. To make an accurate prediction, one must first understand how difficult it is to do so correctly. Forecasts can be based on a wide range of assumptions, cautions, and uncontrolled circumstances, making them nothing more than informed estimates.

I opted to focus on concerns 4 and 5 of the topics above because writing about them and explaining organic forecasting would keep me up at night. To put yourself in the shoes of a customer, imagine that you want to know how often their competition gets traffic, how large and lucrative their sector is, and how to maximize that opportunity by gaining greater exposure and attracting more visitors. To answer the last difficult question, it’s essential to understand who you’re up against in the market. An understanding of their organic success would be helpful, and at the very least, you should be sure that the data you’re examining is the least solid. In this post, we will acknowledge everything regarding how accurate SEMrush is.

With SEMrush, you get a ton of information. Some of it is useful, while others aren’t. You may not find what I find pretty valuable and helpful (and vice versa). Because it provides so much valuable information, you may use it to expand your internet business more quickly than if you were to tackle it alone.

How Accurate is SEMrush?

SEMrush is the most accurate keyword analytics platform. Based on Nimblefreelancer case study, positing ranking accuracy is around 99%, while volume accuracy is moderate from 15% up to 56% predicted error by average. 

SEMrush Position Accuracy case study estimation methodology

Using our and partners’ websites, we analyzed 38 domain names using SEMrush. We tested ten different website categories. We compared the real keyword ranking position in Google Search Console with a measured keyword phrase in SEMrush.

Below is the presented Table where we compared the real Position and SEMrush position:

Position Error = ABS (SEMrush rank – google search console rank).

In this case study, SEMrush is almost 99% accurate in determining position rank for each keyword phrase. However, in the Google Search Console, we have decimal places when describing position rank. For example, if my keyword has ranked one at SEMrush in Google Search Console, it can have 1.3. It is still a number 1, but with higher accuracy, Google console can measure very fine.

SEMrush Volume Accuracy case study estimation methodology

Our case study premise was that the number one ranked keyword can get website clicks around 60% of the whole traffic volume.

We analyzed 38 domains in 10 categories using our and partners’ websites. For volume analysis, we choose only keywords in Google Search Console that are number 1. Then, for them, we calculated the projected Volume as 60% of the SEMrush Volume value. Finally,  we calculated the percentual difference between the projected 60% SEMrush volume and the real number of clicks in Google Search Console.

We can see a vast difference in projected volume and actual google Search Console volume. Volume is tough to predict because of competition and fluctuating trends during the year.

SEMrush is the indicator that evaluates how much traffic a given term receives monthly. A keyword’s total volume is the first piece of data that SEMrush displays when a user searches for it.

According to my own experience, it’s on the low end. However, this does not imply that every single term volume displayed is low. I’m finding their volume predictions lower than the Google Search consoles. The volume estimates for some keywords are inflated. Some of them are ranked low. Estimates tend to be 5% to 80% lower than you’ll see in reality. However, some keywords can be overestimated, and their actual volume can be much lower.

Other parameters we analyzed based on personal experience:

Keyword Difficulty

Many factors go into my decision-making process, but this is one of the most critical. It doesn’t matter if a keyword has search traffic of 20,000 a month; if it’s highly competitive, I know I won’t be able to rank for it. Compared to Ahrefs, I found SEMrush’s keyword difficulty score too high. From the easiest to the most difficult, a keyword’s difficulty is scaled from 1 to 100. But in my experience, almost all of the keywords I’ve selected to pursue have difficulty scores of between 70 and 90. My websites with minimal domain authority were able to rank for challenging keywords with just a difficulty score of 60.

Keyword difficulty measurement is challenging, and no analytical tool is suitable, even SEMrush.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

Some measures aren’t as significant to me as I had previously said. CPC is among them, to be sure. Even if I don’t give it much weight when considering whether or not to pursue a keyword, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any value. For example, if the CPC of a specific keyword is high, it indicates that advertisers are spending a lot of money to market their content that includes that term, which suggests that it is worthwhile to pursue. As a result, it’s a highly sought-after commodity. While playing around with SEMrush keywords last week, I decided to see if I could buy Google AdWords advertisements for a few of them. According to my experience, SEMrush’s CPC calculations were on the mark. However, I’m not entirely clear how they can develop this level of accuracy.

Competitive Analysis

Admit that you made a mistake. It’s enjoyable to keep tabs on the activities of others, and SEMrush makes it exceedingly simple to do so. Using SEMrush, you can uncover who your competitors are in various ways. My personal preference is to let it perform the research for you. You can get a good idea of who the competitors are, thanks to SEMush. Using the competitive analysis tool, you can find out which keywords they rank under and how much traffic they receive, but you can also see where their backlinks originate from.

According to SEMrush, ranking websites that compete with mine is relatively accurate. Their competition intelligence is beneficial and valuable, even if they occasionally tell me that my primary rival is indeed the New York Times (which it isn’t). I’ve come upon a slew of rival websites that I didn’t even know existed! Using SEM Rush for this purpose is still another benefit. It will help you locate and analyze your competitors before you even begin!

Backlink Profiles

SEMrush’s Backlink Audit tool is excellent, although it’s simple to give away a list of backlinks. SEMrush and Ahrefs both show me various numbers of backlinks pointing to the same website. I utilize the Google Search Console to cross-check much of that data since I have a higher confidence level in Google. So, to sum up, SEMrush’s backlinks count is often in line with Google Search Console’s. Of course, SEMrush’s backlink analysis accuracy depends on the link database’s quantity and quality.

When it comes to the number of URLs SEMrush claims to have, it’s in the ballpark of its main rivals, which include Ahrefs (29 trillion), Majestic (10 trillion), and Moz (10 trillion) (43.1 trillion). Considering there’s no way to prove which tool is correct, this is all we must go on. Regarding backlinks, one thing that SEMrush offers that Ahrefs does not provide is a quality score for each term. So, you’ll know how likely it is that a link pointing to your website contains spam. If you choose to disclaim it, you’ll be given the option to leave it alone. Wow, that’s a great idea.

Keyword Ranking

You don’t need a Ph.D. in computer science to track how the website ranks for specific keywords. However, this is one of the most frequently asked questions about SEMrush’s accuracy. SEMrush and Ahrefs both display the same information when compared. There is, however, one little distinction: On the basic service, Ahrefs only refreshes its database once each week, but SEMrush is updated every day. If you’re as busy as I am creating contacts, once per week is a long wait.

Keyword Discovery

SEMrush’s keyword research is my favorite feature. I immediately signed up for their service to get a list of keyword suggestions I’d never considered. What’s more, I’d want to tell you something. Using their Keyword Magic tool, they’ve done an outstanding job. SEMrush will return many similar keywords if you enter a keyword into the search bar. You may sort the list by factors, including search volume, difficulty score, queries, comparable subjects, etc. Makes the membership worth every penny. It’s a fantastic tool.

How to get the most accurate data possible from SEMrush?

To get the most accurate data from SEMrush, the best strategy is to compare the data against Google Search Console and rely only on keyword position rank. Do not rely a lot on Volume and keyword difficulty indexes.

You may test SEMrush’s accuracy by comparing it to the data from Ahrefs, which I use as a reference. Ahrefs is an option to SEMrush if you want something a bit different, and I use it from time to time. SEMrush and Ahrefs both provide a lot of the same information. Even if there isn’t much difference, knowing that the data it provides is mainly correct is comforting. Choosing between the two is a personal preference concerning how each delivers information. What works well for one person may not work at all for another.

Search engine results from Google may also be used to cross-reference the information from SEMrush. Search Google for the same term you identified in SEMrush to verify the competitiveness of that phrase. There is a wealth of information on the first page of search results. You have little hope of ranking highly if you only see links from high-authority domains. Low competition for a term means you have a better chance of placing well if all you see are connections to forums and obscure websites.

We all have the same goal: to have our websites ranked higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Many SEO specialists cannot make sense of the data offered by these tools. However, there are methods to leverage them to boost your website’s search engine rankings. You’ll want to keep an eye on your competitors’ keywords, and you’ll also want to keep an eye on new search subjects. Using the keywords you’ve chosen to target will help drive more visitors to your website. Related but low-volume keywords are known as “LSI keywords.” You may better organize your material by using these keywords. Google and Bing’s ranking analysis covers more than 120 nations. Long-tail keyword optimization is made easier using this tool.

SEMrush’s reports are helpful in their own right. Search engine results pages (SERPs) show you where your rivals are concerning your own. Your rivals’ features are also available. You may use the Keyword Gap tool to determine which keywords attract the most organic visitors. Your chosen keywords’ traffic and bounce rate are also displayed. These insights are critical to understanding how to increase your search engine results and remain ahead of the pack. Cost is still another important consideration. SEMrush costs a lot of money. SEMrush should be your first choice for those on a tight budget before shelling out for a more pricey solution. You should also be aware that there are several free alternatives available. If you have the time, you should compare these. You have the option to utilize whichever tool you find most beneficial.

Besides the low cost, SEMrush offers a vibrant user community to take advantage of. It provides a wide range of essential materials, a vast user base, and a substantial academy. It’s a little pricey at times, but it’s worth it for what you receive in return. It’s good to use SEMrush if you’re serious about making money online. How accurate is SEMrush? Although SEMrush’s statistics are vital to a business’s performance, numerous other aspects influence whether the tool is the most efficient. You may find the best search terms using an effective keyword research tool. The pricing of a good website should also be reasonable.

Conclusion

SEMrush’s key selling point is its ability to assess a website’s competitiveness. It also provides an advertising instrument. Using this tool, you can see who else is advertising against you and how they’re doing it. Knowing your competition and how they stack up against your offerings is critical. For example, if you live in Australia, you may discover that a specific term does not appear in the top 3 results. It will then update your meta title to reflect this. SEMrush provides a wide range of measurements. As a starting point, you should focus on the difficulty of your target keyword.

The better your page’s chances of getting seen on Google are, the easier it is to rank for relevant keywords. LSI keywords give your content a sense of place. Increase your website’s exposure and conversions by using the proper LSI keywords. There’s a beginner’s guide if you don’t know which metrics to focus on first. SEMrush is an excellent place to start if you’re new to search engine optimization. It examines the volume of visits to your site and the changing nature of search terms. Although it’s far from ideal, it’s an excellent place to start your investigation. It also tells you which keyword trends are impacting your traffic and those that aren’t in a similar way. SEMrush could be the best option for you when choosing a search engine marketing tool. We hope you have understood everything about how accurate it is SEMrush.

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Igor Milosevic

Writers at Poduno LLC

Our Freelancer team Igor M, Robert A., and Daniel S. wrote the presented article.

Learn more about authors in Nimblefreelancer's team biography page.

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