We've Tried Great Free Semrush Alternatives for Every Use

Helpful summary

Overview: We review the top free alternatives to Semrush for digital marketing, highlighting their benefits and how they can effectively support your SEO strategies.

Why you can trust us: At Embarque, we've helped startups like SignHouse and MentorCruise boost their traffic and revenue respectively. As an experienced SEO agency, our case studies set us apart.

Why this is important: Small businesses often find Semrush's cost prohibitive. We suggest free alternatives to help these businesses.

Looking for a free Semrush alternative?

A full-featured digital marketing tool like Semrush can ensure your business stays relevant. But here’s the catch: it can be pricey. 

Embarque has helped fast-growing SaaS companies earn more revenue through organic search. So, we understand what features are necessary for a tool to propel your domain to the first page on Google.

In this article, we’ll expose some free Semrush alternatives.

What is Semrush?

Semrush is a digital marketing tool suite that aims to improve online visibility and give you a detailed overview of marketing insights. It was created for marketers who work in the following services:

• SEO 
• Content Marketing 
• Social Media Marketing (SMM)
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
• Competitor analysis
• Public Relations (PR)
• Campaign Management

Semrush features

With Semrush, you’ll get the following:

• Powerful keyword research tool
• Keyword suggestion tool
• On-page SEO
• In-depth domain analytics with real-time reporting
• Backlinks and analytics feature
• SEO auditing
• Competitor analysis
• Content creation and distribution tools
• Website monetization tools
• Social media marketing tools

Why look for Semrush Alternatives?

To fully grasp the significance of Semrush alternatives, it's important we acknowledge the platform's limitations and recognize where you might need different features or pricing options. 

Let's dive into some key points about the inconsistencies, drawbacks, and limitations of Semrush, including a Semrush review that highlights these aspects:

• Mobile accessibility: One thing to note is that Semrush's mobile functionality is limited. If you want the full range of features, you'll have to rely on a desktop. 
• Pricing and value for money: Semrush is relatively pricey compared to other SEO tools out there, which can be a big concern for smaller businesses or individuals.
• Complexity and overwhelming features: Semrush packs a lot of features, which can be overwhelming for some users.
• Limited support for small projects: Another consideration is that Semrush's pricing structure might not align well with smaller projects or websites. 

Now, there are other tools available that may offer more affordable pricing, simpler interfaces, better mobile accessibility, or a feature set that's more tailored to your specific needs.

While this list highlights free alternatives, if you're open to paying for a premium tool that delivers serious value, Keyword Metrics (KM) is worth considering. Keyword Metrics is an all-in-one platform that provides robust SEO analysis, keyword tracking, site audits, and content optimization features.

With Keyword Metrics, you get a powerful tool that rivals the functionality of Semrush but with a streamlined user experience and pricing that can cater to businesses of all sizes. It's ideal if you're looking to invest in a tool that will help you grow your online presence without overwhelming you with unnecessary complexity.

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Best Free Semrush Alternatives 

The Semrush alternatives we’re sharing aren’t complete all-in-one tools like Semrush itself. But there are amazing free alternatives right now that can help with different digital marketing features.

1. Google Search Console
2. Google Keyword Planner 
3. Siteliner
4. Google Trends
5. UberSuggest
6. Serpstat
7. BuzzSumo
8. Free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

Google Search Console

The best for website performance analysis. 

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Google Search Console is a free tool that allows users to analyze various aspects of website performance in search results on Google. 

Top Features

• Google Search Console will show you its average position and the number of clicks and impressions you’re getting for various keywords. 
• The tool helps you identify any technical issues with your website and gives suggestions on how to fix them. 
• It provides data on the number of people looking at your website and the anchor text used to link back to it. 
• It provides video training tutorials on interpreting results and how to use the tool efficiently.

Pros

• Google Search Console provides detailed insights into which keywords are driving impressions and clicks.
• Showcases how your site appears in search results, including rich snippets.
• Offers visual representations of search queries.
• Offers critical insights into user behavior and site efficiency.

Cons

• Sometimes the data presented can be inconsistent or delayed
• Offers restricted support for .html sitemaps..
• Users may find it challenging to interpret how to make meaningful improvements.
• The platform can be intimidating for non-technical users.‍

Google Keyword Planner

The best option for keyword research. 

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As most businesses aim their SEO efforts to rank on Google, it only makes sense that Google would provide a top-notch Keyword Planner to help make that happen.

Top Features

• To use the tool, you must enter your seed keywords or your website URL.
• You get useful metrics, such as search volume and cost-per-click (CPC).
• Using the tool, you’ll have access to historical data like average monthly searches.
• It shows forecasts on a keyword’s performance based on calculations of predicted clicks and likely conversions.

Pros

• Provides detailed geographic targeting.
• Accessible at no cost.
• User-friendly interface.
• You can quickly export data to Excel.

Cons

• GKP only provides an average of the last 12 months of search data.
• You can't filter search volume by device in GKP.
• GKP now provides a broad range instead of exact search volume numbers.
• The competition score in GKP indicates the advertiser bidding level.

Google Trends

Great for learning keyword trends. 

Google Trends is a tool that helps you identify the trend and search volume of any keywords on Google. 

Top Features

• The tool shows how the keywords you enter perform online and their annual interest level among searchers. 
• Google Trends differs from Semrush because it can highlight specific geographic locations that are best to target certain keywords. 
• Best when researching topic ideas for your blog posts. 
• The tool is easy to set up, use, and administer. 

Pros

• It provides data on popular keywords and topics.
• It offers insights into trends across different regions.
• It is useful for understanding product and category seasonality.
• It is visually appealing and simple to use.

Cons

• To be featured or ranked in Google Trends, there's a requirement for minimum traffic.
• Sometimes, the data provided may be estimated or inaccurate.
• The tool may not always accurately interpret user queries.
• Lack of detailed analytics may hinder in-depth analysis.

Siteliner

Best for identifying duplicate content. 

Siteliner is a freemium tool that helps with auditing your website.

Top Features

• The tool identifies any duplicate content issues on your website.
• Any unnecessary duplicate words or text phrases are highlighted so you can see them and remove them quickly 
• You can check for any broken links or redirects on your website.
• Make comparisons of average page loading speed and the total number of words between your website and others on the internet. 

Pros

• Siteliner is known for its speed in delivering results.
• It offers a free version that allows scanning up to 250 pages.
• Siteliner consolidates multiple functionalities like checking for broken links.
• Reports can be downloaded in various formats like PDFs, CSV files, etc.

Cons

• Siteliner only scans the user’s website, not allowing for direct competitor comparison.
• Doesn’t provide detailed insights or improvement suggestions.
• The broken link feature sometimes highlights functioning links as broken.
• The free version offers limited advanced features, must upgrade for full functionality.

UberSuggest

Great for collecting competitor data.

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Ubersuggest is a freemium SEO tool owned by digital marketer Neil Patel and is a great alternative to Semrush.  

Top Features

• It can perform an SEO audit of your website. 
• You can research keywords to discover their search volume, cost-per-click, and difficulty levels.
• It allows you to discover your competitors' backlinks and top-performing site pages. 
• For this free version, you get three keyword searches daily.

Pros

• Excellent onboarding process for beginners.
• Flexible data management and analysis through file, report, and keyword export.
• Access to free training materials for effective SEO strategy development.
• Convenient access to UberSuggest's features via the Chrome extension.

Cons

• Limited capacity for competitor analysis on the basic plan.
• Potential slowdown when running multiple reports simultaneously.
• Connection between keywords, keyword lists, and tracking can be confusing.
• Less effective backlink tracking and competition analysis for high-traffic websites.

Serpstat

Great for performing an SEO audit. 

Serpstat is an SEO software suite that evolved from a simple keyword research tool into a growth hacking tool. 

Top Features

• You can perform a website analysis of your competitor’s sites.. 
• You can view data on your competitor’s best SEO keywords that bring them the most traffic. 
• Serpstat has a comprehensive keyword tool to help you find relevant keywords. 
• You can perform an SEO audit of your site, and will generate results in 5 to 8 minutes. The report you get is quite detailed

Pros

• Serpstat offers thorough site audits and backlink analysis for effective SEO assessment.
• Serpstat excels in robust keyword research, providing insights into competitors' keyword usage.
• Serpstat enhances content creation by offering valuable insights to improve quality and relevance.
• Serpstat is praised for its clean UI, and easy navigation.

Cons

• Some users prefer a more transparent warning system about credit usage.
• Discrepancies in keyword difficulty metrics and overall data accuracy have been noted in the SEO research report.
• Certain explanations within Serpstat are unclear, making some features difficult to use effectively.
• Serpstat lacks distinctive features that would differentiate it from competitors.

BuzzSumo 

Great for optimizing your content for social media. 

As Semrush is an all-in-one tool for digital marketing, it also helps users find good content ideas to schedule and publish on social media.

Top Features

• BuzzSumo gives you many relevant content ideas relevant to your target keyword. 
• You can also find relevant social media influencers to promote your business. 
• You can track your website’s backlinks performance against others. 
• With this free version, you’ll get a limit of 10 keyword searches monthly.

Pros

• Provides reliable metrics on how content is shared across social platforms.
• Useful for analyzing what competitors are doing.
• Strong in content research, helping to identify what types of content are successful.
• Offers effective trend analysis, helping users stay current 

Cons

• The free trial has limited search options.
• Currently does not include insights for Instagram.
• Some users have reported bugs when integrating BuzzSumo with other platforms.
• There is a lack of detailed data about audiences.

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

Great for optimizing your website. 

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is a recent Ahrefs update made for website owners and bloggers to use free of charge. 

Top features

• The tool notifies you of any website's technical issues. 
• You can view all the keywords your blog posts rank for, their difficulty levels and search volume. 
• It gives you a backlink profile that consists of a list of all the referring domains with corresponding backlinks to your site. This helps you find any toxic backlinks. 
• Ahrefs also offers other tools that you can use as free Semrush alternatives;some text
  • Ahrefs Keyword Generator 
  • Ahrefs Keyword Rank Checker
  • Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty Checker
  • Ahrefs Backlinks Checker
  • Ahrefs Broken Link Checker 

Pros

• You can download SEO reports for site audits.
• Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is accessible for free to everyone​​.
• The platform is known for its intuitive user interface​​.
• Provides Domain Rating (DR) metrics​​.

Cons

• Ahrefs does not offer a free trial for its premium subscription plans​​.
• Some users find Ahrefs' premium plans expensive​​.
• Ahrefs does not include features like AI Content Writing Assistants and Local SEO tools​​.
• The Keyword Explorer tool sometimes produces irrelevant results​​.

Wrapping Up

If you can’t afford Semrush, there’s no need to despair! There are plenty of free alternatives that keep you informed of your digital marketing strategies, especially if you combine them.  Your marketing strategy doesn’t have to rely on one tool. As long as you keep track of them, you’ll be able to manage multiple tools free of charge. 

If you want some additional help on your SEO content strategy, Embarque can help you search for high-volume keywords with low difficulty and use them in quality content that ensures you rank highly. Feel free to explore our packages to get started! 

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