Tag: keyword research

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SEO

Keyword Difficulty Explained: What the Score Means and What to Target (2026)

Keyword difficulty is the number most people use to decide what to write, and most people read it wrong. Here’s what the score measures, what it misses, and the ranges I’d target for a new, growing or established site.

Last updated: 2 November 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

Keyword difficulty, or KD, is a 0 to 100 estimate of how hard it is to reach Google’s top 10 for a search. It’s mostly based on the links and authority of the pages ranking now. It’s a useful filter, not a verdict.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and self-employed for 20 years, building content plans for my own sites and for clients. I’ve also spent years explaining YouTube’s version of the same idea, so I know how easily one score gets over-trusted.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: What is keyword difficulty?

Keyword difficulty is a 0 to 100 score from SEO tools estimating how hard it is to rank in Google’s top 10 for a keyword. Higher means harder. Semrush bases it on the backlinks and authority of the pages already ranking. New sites should start with keywords scoring under 30.

What does keyword difficulty mean?

Keyword difficulty means how hard an SEO tool predicts it will be for your page to reach the first page of Google for a specific search. Tools score it from 0 to 100: 0 is very easy, 100 is very hard. Semrush calls its version KD% and describes it as “the SEO effort it would take for your content to rank organically in the top 10”.

The score is a prediction based on the pages that rank today. It doesn’t know how good your content will be, how strong your site is, or how well the current results answer the search. That’s why two sites can look at the same KD 40 keyword and get very different results.

How is keyword difficulty calculated?

Each tool calculates keyword difficulty its own way, but most lean heavily on backlinks. Semrush says its score is based on the median number of referring domains pointing at the ranking pages, the median ratio of followed to nofollowed links, the median Authority Score of the ranking domains, and features of the search results page itself.

Ahrefs and Moz use their own formulas, also driven mainly by links. So the same keyword can score 20 in one tool and 35 in another. Compare keywords inside one tool; don’t compare a Semrush score with an Ahrefs score.

Factor Semrush uses What it measures
Referring domains to ranking pages How many different sites link to the top 10 results
Followed vs nofollowed links How much of that link profile passes ranking value
Authority Score of ranking domains How strong the ranking websites are overall
SERP features Whether ads, AI answers or other features crowd the page

Source: Semrush Knowledge Base, “What is KD%?”

What keyword difficulty score should you target?

Target the range your site can compete in today. Semrush publishes six bands, and they’re a good guide when paired with your own site’s strength.

Semrush KD% Label What Semrush says you need Who should target it
0–14 Very easy Good content on the topic Brand-new sites
15–29 Easy Quality content matched to intent New and small sites
30–49 Possible Well-structured, well-optimised content Sites with some authority and links
50–69 Difficult Quality backlinks plus strong content Established sites
70–84 Hard Lots of quality backlinks Strong, well-linked sites
85–100 Very hard Major link building and promotion Big brands

Source: Semrush Knowledge Base, “What is KD%?”, with my own recommendations in the last column.

My rule for a new site: the first 20 pages target KD under 30. Once a few of those rank on page one and you’ve earned some links, move into the 30 to 49 band. Chasing KD 70 keywords in year one is the most common reason I see small sites give up on SEO.

0–100

difficulty scale

under 30

target for new sites

6

difficulty bands in Semrush

1.74%

of new pages reach the top 10 within a year

What does keyword difficulty not tell you?

Keyword difficulty doesn’t measure content quality, search intent match or how out of date the ranking pages are. Those are often what decide whether you can rank.

  • **Weak content:** a KD 45 keyword where the top results are thin or outdated can be easier than a KD 25 keyword with excellent, fresh answers.
  • **Forums ranking:** Reddit or Quora threads in the top 10 suggest Google can’t find a proper answer, even if the score looks high.
  • **Intent mismatch:** if the results are all product pages and you want to write a guide, the score is irrelevant; that guide won’t rank.
  • **Your own strength:** a site with years of topic focus can rank for keywords that would be “difficult” for a new site.
  • **Local results:** for local searches, distance and your Google Business Profile matter as much as links.

That’s why the final check is always the search results page itself. My guide to finding low-competition keywords covers the signs to look for.

Want a second opinion on your keyword list?

Send me your list on a free call and I’ll tell you which keywords are worth it, which are a trap, and what to write first.

  • You’ve written posts that never ranked
  • You don’t trust the difficulty scores
  • You want your content plan in order of easiest wins

Book your free discovery call →

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How do you check keyword difficulty yourself?

Google the keyword in a private window and judge the top 10 results on four questions. It takes two minutes per keyword and catches what the score misses.

  1. Check who ranks. Note the sites in the top 10. Are they big brands, specialist sites, or small sites like yours?
  2. Check how well they answer. Open the top three results. If they’re thin, outdated or only partly answer the search, you can beat them with a better page.
  3. Check the format. Note whether the top results are guides, lists, product pages or tools. Your page needs to match the format Google is rewarding.
  4. Check site strength. Look up the Authority Score or equivalent of the ranking sites. If several are close to yours, you can compete.

If you want the scores and the check in one place, Semrush’s Keyword Overview shows KD%, intent, the top 10 results and each result’s Authority Score on one screen. You can test it on the free account (10 reports a day) or the 7-day trial.

Check keyword difficulty in Semrush (7-day free trial)

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

Does keyword difficulty affect how long ranking takes?

Yes. Harder keywords take longer to rank for, and most new pages never reach the top 10 at all. Ahrefs tracked a million random new URLs and found only 1.74% reached Google’s top 10 within a year, and that it takes longer to rank for high-volume keywords than low-volume ones.

That’s the case for starting low. Easy keywords rank sooner, bring early traffic and help you earn links, which raises your site’s strength so harder keywords become possible later. My keyword research guide shows how to build a list in that order.

Which tool has the best keyword difficulty score?

No tool’s score is “correct”, because each one is a model. Semrush’s KD% is my preference because it sits alongside intent labels and the actual top 10 with Authority Scores, so you can sanity-check the number on the same screen. Ahrefs’ KD is also widely used and clearly explained. My Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison covers the wider differences.

Whichever you use, stick with one tool so your scores stay comparable, and keep a note of which difficulty band your site wins in. Over time that tells you more than any formula.

People also ask

What is a good keyword difficulty for a new website?

Under 30 in Semrush, and ideally under 15 for your first handful of posts. Confirm by checking that the current top 10 includes weak pages or smaller sites.

Is high keyword difficulty bad?

Not for established sites with strong links. For a new site, high difficulty means you’ll struggle to reach page one until you’ve built authority with easier wins.

Is keyword difficulty the same as competition in Keyword Planner?

No. Google Keyword Planner’s “competition” measures how many advertisers bid on a keyword for ads. It says nothing about how hard it is to rank organically.

Frequently asked questions

What does KD% mean in Semrush?

KD% is Semrush’s keyword difficulty score. It estimates the effort needed to rank in Google’s top 10 for a keyword on a scale of 0 to 100, based mostly on the backlinks and authority of the pages already ranking.

Why do Semrush and Ahrefs show different difficulty scores?

Each tool uses its own formula and its own link data, so scores differ. Compare keywords within one tool rather than across tools.

Can I rank for a high-difficulty keyword with a new site?

It’s unlikely in the short term. Start with easy keywords, build links and topic authority, and come back to harder keywords once your site is ranking for related searches.

Does keyword difficulty include content quality?

No. Keyword difficulty is based mostly on links and domain strength. It doesn’t judge how well the ranking pages answer the search, which is why a manual check matters.

Should I ignore keywords with high volume and high difficulty?

Not forever. Note them as long-term targets and build supporting content around them now. Once your easier pages rank, the harder page has more internal links and authority behind it.

How often does keyword difficulty change?

Difficulty changes as the ranking pages gain or lose links and as new pages enter the top 10. Recheck important keywords every few months.

Is keyword difficulty useful for local SEO?

Partly. For local searches, your Google Business Profile, reviews and distance from the searcher carry a lot of weight, so a local business can outrank high-authority national sites.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Not sure which keywords your site can win?

Bring your site to a free call and I’ll show you the difficulty range you can realistically compete in today, and how to move up. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEMRUSH

Semrush vs Ahrefs 2026: Which SEO Tool Should You Pay For?

Semrush and Ahrefs are the two SEO tools everyone ends up choosing between, and both are good. The right one depends on what you’ll use it for and how you like to work. Here’s an honest, side-by-side look with the 2026 prices.

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Semrush series.

Short version: pick Semrush if you want one tool for keyword research, audits, rank tracking and AI search visibility, with a free trial to test it. Pick Ahrefs if backlinks are the centre of your SEO or you want the cheap $29 Starter plan. The detail is below.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017, I spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team, and I’ve been self-employed for 20 years paying for my own tools. I’m a Semrush affiliate and not an Ahrefs one, so I’ve made a point of listing where Ahrefs wins.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: Is Semrush or Ahrefs better?

Semrush is better for most small businesses and marketers because it’s easier to learn, covers more jobs in one plan, includes AI visibility tracking on Semrush One, and has a 7-day free trial. Ahrefs is better for link-focused SEO and has a cheaper $29 Starter plan. Both have strong data.

Quick verdict Semrush Ahrefs
Best for All-in-one SEO plus AI search Backlink-led SEO
Entry plan $139/mo SEO $29/mo Starter, $129/mo Lite
Free trial 7 days on paid plans No; Ahrefs Free for your own site
Ease of learning Easier Steeper for beginners
AI search tracking Built into Semrush One from $199 Prompt tracking included, Brand Radar AI from $199
My pick for most small businesses Yes If links are your focus

Prices and features from each tool’s official pricing page, checked 20 October 2026.

How do Semrush and Ahrefs prices compare?

Ahrefs is cheaper to get into and Semrush is cheaper at the top end. Ahrefs’ $29 Starter plan has no Semrush equivalent, while Semrush’s SEO plan at $139 sits close to Ahrefs Lite at $129.

Semrush plan Price Ahrefs plan Price
Free account (10 reports a day) $0 Ahrefs Free (your own sites) $0
Not available Not available Starter $29/mo
SEO $139/mo ($117.33 yearly) Lite $129/mo
Semrush One Starter $199/mo ($165.17 yearly) Not available Not available
Pro+ $299/mo ($248.17 yearly) Standard $249/mo
Advanced Custom Advanced $449/mo

Sources: Semrush and Ahrefs pricing pages, checked 20 October 2026. Both save up to 17% on yearly billing. US dollars; VAT may apply.

Watch the limits as well as the prices. Semrush’s SEO plan tracks 500 keywords across 5 websites. Ahrefs Lite tracks 750 keywords with 5 non-verified projects, 6 months of history and 1,000 credits per user, and the credit cap is the limit Lite users tend to notice. Ahrefs Standard removes the credit cap and adds two years of history.

Extra users cost money on both. Semrush charges from $45 a month per extra user on its SEO and Semrush One plans; Ahrefs charges $40, $60 or $80 depending on the plan.

$139

Semrush SEO plan

$129

Ahrefs Lite

7 days

Semrush free trial

0

Ahrefs free trial days

Do Semrush and Ahrefs have free trials?

Semrush has a 7-day free trial on its SEO plan, Semrush One and most toolkits, plus a free account with 10 reports a day. Ahrefs doesn’t run free trials; its FAQ says it never runs discounts. Instead, Ahrefs Free gives website owners limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for their own sites.

That difference matters if you want to test before you buy. With Semrush you can run a full audit, a keyword gap and a week of rank tracking on your own site before paying anything. My guide to the Semrush free trial shows how to use those 7 days.

Which is better for keyword research?

Semrush is my pick for keyword research, mainly because of its database size and the way it labels search intent. Semrush says it holds 28 billion keywords across 142 country databases, and the Keyword Magic Tool groups thousands of results into topic folders you can filter by difficulty, volume and intent.

Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer is also excellent, with clear difficulty scores and click data that shows how many searches lead to a click. If you already know how to read keyword data, you’ll be well served by either. If you’re newer, Semrush’s intent labels and grouping make the list easier to act on. My keyword research guide covers the method that works in both.

Ahrefs has the stronger reputation for backlink research, and if link building is the centre of your SEO work, that’s a fair reason to choose it. Its interface for exploring referring domains, new and lost links and anchor text is very good.

Semrush is no slouch here: it reports 43 trillion backlinks in its database, and Backlink Analytics, Backlink Gap and Backlink Audit cover research, prospecting and spotting toxic links. For a small business that needs to see who links to competitors and find a few good link opportunities, Semrush is plenty.

Want help reading your backlink data?

Whichever tool you use, the hard part is deciding which links are worth chasing. On a free call I’ll help you pick five realistic targets.

  • Competitors outrank you with weaker content
  • You don’t know which links matter
  • You want a link plan that won’t break Google’s rules

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Which is better for site audits and rank tracking?

Both run solid site audits and daily rank tracking; Semrush explains fixes more clearly for non-technical owners. Semrush’s Site Audit sorts issues by severity with a plain-English “how to fix” note on each, and on Semrush One it also checks AI readiness, including whether AI crawlers can reach your pages.

For rank tracking, Ahrefs Lite tracks more keywords for the money (750 against 500). Semrush’s Position Tracking is strong for local tracking down to city level and, on Pro+, across multiple locations and devices.

Semrush is further ahead on AI visibility for small and mid-sized businesses. Semrush One Starter, at $199 a month, tracks 50 prompts daily across ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity, alongside the full SEO toolkit. The separate AI Visibility toolkit starts at $99 a month per domain.

Ahrefs includes a number of AI prompt checks in each plan (150 on Lite) and sells Brand Radar AI from $199 a month, with a large database of prompts for brand research. It’s a capable offering. If you want SEO and AI tracking under one login and one bill, Semrush One is the simpler choice.

Try Semrush One free for 7 days

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

Which is easier to learn?

Semrush is easier for beginners. Every report follows the same layout, the main tools are clearly signposted, and Semrush Academy has free lessons for each one. My honest experience is that it’s very easy to understand once you’ve used the five core reports.

Ahrefs has a clean design that experienced SEOs love, but newcomers often find it harder to know where to start, and the credit limits on Lite make people nervous about clicking around. For a business owner doing their own SEO a few hours a week, I’d start with Semrush.

Semrush or Ahrefs: which should you choose?

Choose Semrush if you want the most complete single tool for website SEO and AI search, an easier learning curve, and a free trial to test it first. Choose Ahrefs if you’re link-focused, you want the $29 Starter plan for occasional research, or your team already knows it well.

Where Semrush wins

  • 7-day free trial on paid plans
  • Larger keyword database (28 billion)
  • Search intent labels and topic grouping
  • AI visibility built into Semrush One
  • Easier for beginners to learn

Where Ahrefs wins

  • Ahrefs has a cheaper $29 Starter plan
  • Ahrefs is widely preferred for backlink research
  • Ahrefs Lite tracks more keywords (750 vs 500)
  • Ahrefs Standard is $50 a month cheaper than Pro+

For most of the small businesses, bloggers and creators I work with, Semrush is the better fit. My full Semrush review gives it 4.5 out of 5. If you’d like to see both side by side with a few more options, my Semrush alternatives guide has the full list.

People also ask

Is Ahrefs more accurate than Semrush?

Neither is accurate in an absolute sense for traffic estimates; both estimate from rankings and search volumes. Rankings are accurate in both. Compare against Google Search Console for your own site.

Can I use Semrush and Ahrefs together?

Yes, some agencies do, using Ahrefs for links and Semrush for keyword research and AI tracking. For a small business, one paid tool plus Search Console is enough.

Does Ahrefs have a free trial?

No. Ahrefs doesn’t offer free trials. Ahrefs Free gives limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites you own.

Frequently asked questions

Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?

At the entry level, no: Ahrefs has a $29 Starter plan and Lite at $129, against Semrush’s SEO plan at $139. At the middle tier, Ahrefs Standard at $249 is cheaper than Semrush Pro+ at $299.

Which has more keywords, Semrush or Ahrefs?

Semrush reports 28 billion keywords across 142 country databases. Ahrefs also has a very large database. For most niches both return far more keywords than you can use.

Which is better for agencies?

Both work for agencies. Semrush Pro+ covers 15 websites and 1,500 tracked keywords with AI visibility; Ahrefs Standard covers 20 non-verified projects and 2,000 tracked keywords. Factor in extra user costs on both.

Which is better for local SEO?

Semrush, because it sells a Local toolkit for Google Business Profile management and tracks rankings by city. Ahrefs is focused on organic and link research.

Can I cancel Semrush or Ahrefs any time?

Yes. Semrush says you can cancel, upgrade or downgrade at any time. Ahrefs lets you cancel from account settings and keeps access until the paid period ends.

Do I need either if I have Google Search Console?

Search Console covers your own site’s real data. You need Semrush or Ahrefs for competitor research, keyword ideas you don’t rank for yet, backlink research and daily rank tracking.

Which is better for YouTube?

Neither is built for YouTube. Both focus on Google web search. For YouTube keyword research, use YouTube-specific tools such as vidIQ or TubeBuddy.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Still torn between Semrush and Ahrefs?

Tell me what you’re trying to grow and I’ll tell you which one I’d pick for your situation, on a free 30-minute call. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEO

How to Find Low-Competition Keywords With Real Traffic (2026 Method)

Low-competition keywords are how small sites beat big ones. You won’t outrank a national brand for “accountant”, but you can own “accountant for YouTubers UK” within months. Here’s how to find those keywords on purpose instead of by luck.

Last updated: 31 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

A low-competition keyword is a search with steady demand where the pages ranking now are weak: thin, old, off-topic, or from sites no stronger than yours. Tools give you a shortlist. Your own eyes on the search results decide.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017, self-employed for 20 years, and I build content plans for my own sites and for clients. I wrote the YouTube version of this method using vidIQ, and the website version below follows the same logic.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How do you find low-competition keywords?

Start with long-tail versions of your topic, filter a keyword tool for difficulty under 30, then Google each keyword and check what ranks. If the top results include forums, thin pages, old posts or small sites like yours, it’s low competition. Confirm demand with search volume or Search Console impressions.

What is a low-competition keyword?

A low-competition keyword is a search term that enough people type to be worth targeting, where the pages currently ranking are weak enough for your site to beat. Competition is about the pages and sites in the top 10, not just a score in a tool.

Keyword difficulty scores are a useful filter. Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz all grade keywords from 0 to 100 based mostly on the links pointing at the pages that rank. But each tool calculates it differently, and none of them knows how good the ranking content is. That’s why the final check is always the search results page itself.

Most low-competition keywords are long-tail: specific searches of three words or more. Ahrefs found that almost 93% of keywords in its US database get fewer than 10 searches a month. Individually they’re small. A site with 50 pages each winning a cluster of them is not.

What’s the fastest way to find low-competition keywords?

The fastest way is to combine a keyword tool’s filters with a manual check of the search results. Here’s the six-step method I use.

  1. Pick narrow seed topics. Start from specific angles of your topic, such as your audience, location, problem or product type, rather than the broad head term everyone targets.
  2. Pull long-tail variations. Put each seed into a keyword tool and pull question keywords and longer phrases. In Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, use the Questions filter and broad match.
  3. Filter by difficulty and volume. Filter keyword difficulty to under 30 and volume to at least 20 searches a month. For local or B2B niches, lower volume is fine if the searcher could become a customer.
  4. Check the search results by hand. Google each keyword and look at the top 10. You’re looking for weak spots: forums, social posts, thin pages, outdated articles, or pages that don’t answer the query.
  5. Compare site strength. Check the Authority Score or equivalent of the sites ranking. If several are similar to yours or weaker, you can compete.
  6. Confirm with your own data. Once live, watch Search Console. If the page climbs to positions 5 to 20 within a few weeks, improve it to push into the top three.

under 30

keyword difficulty to start with

20+

monthly searches as a floor

top 10

results to check by hand

~93%

of keywords are long-tail

How do you tell if a keyword is easy to rank for?

A keyword is easy to rank for when the current top results are weak. These signs on the search results page are worth more than any score.

Sign in the top 10 What it means Opportunity
Reddit, Quora or forum threads No good dedicated article exists High
Pages that don’t match the exact question Google is filling gaps with near-misses High
Articles more than three years old with outdated facts Content nobody is maintaining High
Thin pages of a few hundred words Low effort to beat on quality Medium to high
Sites with a similar or lower Authority Score than yours You’re in the same weight class Medium to high
Big brands with dedicated, up-to-date guides Strong competition Low

Forums ranking for a keyword are my favourite signal. They mean people are asking and Google can’t find a proper answer. Write the proper answer and you’re often on page one within weeks.

Where do you find low-competition keyword ideas?

The best low-competition ideas come from places your competitors don’t look. Tools find the obvious ones; these sources find the rest.

  • **Google’s People Also Ask and autocomplete:** real questions, often with no dedicated page answering them.
  • **Your own Search Console:** searches where you already appear on page two or three. Google has decided you’re relevant, so you’re halfway there.
  • **Customer questions:** emails, sales calls and reviews. If customers ask it, others are searching it.
  • **Competitor gaps:** Semrush’s Keyword Gap shows keywords smaller competitors rank for that you don’t.
  • **Forums and Reddit threads:** questions with long reply chains and no clear answer.
  • **YouTube search suggestions:** if a question has demand on YouTube, it usually has demand on Google too.

If you’re doing the same exercise for a YouTube channel, my guide to finding low-competition YouTube keywords with vidIQ uses the same thinking with YouTube’s own data.

Want me to find your easy wins?

I’ll look at your site and two competitors on a free call and point out keywords you can rank for in the next 90 days.

  • Your posts get no traffic
  • You’re competing with bigger brands
  • You’re launching a new site or section

Book your free discovery call →

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How do you find low-competition keywords in Semrush?

In Semrush, open the Keyword Magic Tool, enter a seed keyword, then set the KD% filter to a maximum of 29 and the volume filter to a minimum that suits your niche. Add the Questions filter to see question-style long-tail keywords, and use the Intent filter to keep the ones that match what you sell.

Semrush groups results into topic folders on the left, which makes it easy to spot a cluster of related easy keywords you can cover with one strong page. Then run Keyword Gap against two or three smaller competitors, filter for keywords where they rank in the top 10 with KD under 30, and you’ve got proven, winnable targets.

The SEO plan includes all of this, and you can test it on the 7-day trial. My free trial guide has a day-by-day plan, and the free account gives you 10 lookups a day if you just want to try the filters.

Find low-competition keywords with a 7-day Semrush trial

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How long does it take to rank for a low-competition keyword?

Low-competition keywords can rank within weeks; harder ones take months or years. Ahrefs found that of the pages that reached Google’s top 10 within a year, 40.82% got there in the first month. That fast group is mostly low-competition, well-matched content.

New sites still face a trust gap. A brand-new domain may take a few months to rank for anything, even easy keywords. Publish consistently, link related posts together, and focus on a single topic so Google learns what your site is about. My guide on keyword research for SEO covers how to turn your list into a publishing plan.

What mistakes should you avoid?

The biggest mistake is trusting a difficulty score without looking at the results. A KD of 15 means little if the top three results are perfect, fresh guides from household names.

  • Chasing zero-volume keywords with no business value just because they’re easy.
  • Writing one page per tiny variation instead of one page that covers the cluster.
  • Ignoring intent: an easy keyword where people want a free tool won’t convert into enquiries for a service.
  • Picking keywords outside your topic just because they’re easy. Topical focus helps you rank.

People also ask

What is a good keyword difficulty for beginners?

Under 30 in Semrush is a good starting range for a new or small site. Treat it as a filter and check the actual search results before committing.

Are low-competition keywords worth it?

Yes. They rank faster, often convert better because they’re specific, and early wins build the authority you need for harder keywords later.

Can I find low-competition keywords for free?

Yes. Use Google’s autocomplete and People Also Ask, Search Console data, forums and Semrush’s free account with 10 lookups a day, then check each search results page by hand.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a keyword low competition?

A keyword is low competition when the pages ranking now are weak: thin, outdated, off-topic, forums, or from sites no stronger than yours. A low difficulty score is a starting point, not proof.

How much search volume is enough?

It depends on what a visitor is worth. Twenty searches a month from people ready to hire you can be worth more than thousands from casual browsers. Judge volume against intent.

Do low-competition keywords bring real traffic?

Each one brings modest traffic, but one good page often ranks for dozens of related long-tail searches. Fifty such pages add up to steady, compounding traffic.

Should I target zero-volume keywords?

Sometimes. Tools often show zero for niche or brand-new searches that do get traffic. If customers ask the question and it fits your business, it can be worth a page.

Is keyword difficulty the same in every tool?

No. Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz each calculate difficulty their own way, so a keyword might score 20 in one and 35 in another. Compare keywords within a single tool.

How many low-competition keywords should I target per page?

Target one main keyword and include the close variations and related questions on the same page. If two keywords need different answers, they need different pages.

What if a low-competition keyword has no ranking results that match it?

That’s often the best opportunity. If Google shows near-miss pages, a page that answers the exact question can rank quickly.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want a list of keywords you can win?

Bring your website to a free call. I’ll find the low-competition keywords your competitors have missed and show you which to write first. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEMRUSH

7 Best Semrush Alternatives in 2026 (and When Each Beats Semrush)

Semrush is my first pick for most websites, but it isn’t the right tool for everyone. If $139 a month is too much, or you only need one part of what it does, one of these alternatives may suit you better.

Last updated: 30 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Semrush series.

I’ve ranked seven alternatives by who they suit, not by who pays the most commission. For each one you’ll see the price, what it does better than Semrush, and where it falls short. At the end there’s a quick table to help you choose.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team, so I’ve seen tool comparisons from the inside. I’ve been self-employed for 20 years and pay for my own tools, which keeps me honest about value.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: What is the best alternative to Semrush?

Ahrefs is the closest alternative to Semrush, with excellent backlink data and a $29 Starter plan. SE Ranking is the best-value all-rounder at $129 a month with a no-card trial. For free options, combine Google Search Console with Ubersuggest or the free tiers of Semrush and Ahrefs.

Semrush alternatives at a glance

Here are the seven alternatives side by side, with Semrush for reference. Prices are the cheapest full plan on each provider’s own pricing page, checked on 20 October 2026.

Tool Starting price Free option Better than Semrush at Weaker than Semrush at
Semrush (reference) $139/mo Free account, 7-day trial All-in-one SEO plus AI visibility Price
Ahrefs $29/mo Starter, $129/mo Lite Ahrefs Webmaster Tools Backlink data, cheap entry plan Ease of use, AI tracking on lower plans
SE Ranking $129/mo Core 14-day trial, no card Value, rank tracking Database size
Moz Pro $49/mo Starter, $99/mo Standard Free trial on Medium Simplicity for beginners Data depth
Ubersuggest About $12/mo or $120 lifetime Limited free searches Price Data accuracy and depth
Similarweb From $125/mo Free trial Website traffic and market data Keyword and SEO tools
Google Search Console Free Free Real data for your own site Competitor and keyword research
Google Keyword Planner Free Free Ad keyword planning Organic difficulty, exact volumes

Sources: official pricing pages for each tool, checked 20 October 2026; Ubersuggest pricing as reported by Wise, September 2025. US dollars; VAT may apply.

1. Ahrefs: best for backlink research

Ahrefs is the closest rival to Semrush and the one most people compare it with. Its plans run from a $29 Starter plan for basic research, through Lite at $129 and Standard at $249, to Advanced at $449 a month. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for your own verified sites.

Ahrefs is loved for its backlink index and clean interface for link research. If building links is the centre of your SEO, it’s a strong choice. Where it trails Semrush is breadth: Semrush bundles AI visibility tracking into Semrush One from $199, content tools and local SEO, and I find Semrush easier for beginners to learn. Both tools charge extra for more users.

Choose Ahrefs if: link building is your main job or you want a cheap Starter plan for occasional research.

2. SE Ranking: best value all-rounder

SE Ranking covers keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and AI search tracking for $129 a month on its Core plan, or $103.20 billed yearly. The 14-day trial doesn’t need a card, which makes it easy to test.

It’s a sensible pick for freelancers and small agencies who want most of Semrush’s features at a lower price. Its keyword and backlink databases are smaller than Semrush’s, so research on niche or non-English markets can come back thinner.

Choose SE Ranking if: you want an all-in-one tool on a tighter budget, especially for rank tracking across many keywords.

3. Moz Pro: easiest for complete beginners

Moz Pro starts at $49 a month for a single-site Starter plan, with Standard at $99 ($79 billed yearly), Medium at $179 and Large at $299. Moz created Domain Authority, the site-strength score many people still quote.

Moz is gentle to learn and has a long history of beginner-friendly SEO education. It tracks fewer keywords for the money than Semrush and has less depth in competitor research. For a small business that wants the basics without a busy dashboard, it’s a reasonable choice.

Choose Moz Pro if: you’re new to SEO, run one site and want the simplest interface.

4. Ubersuggest: cheapest paid option

Ubersuggest is the budget pick, with plans reported at about $12 a month or a one-off $120 lifetime licence for individuals, and a limited free tier. It covers keyword ideas, basic site audits and competitor overviews.

The trade-off is depth and accuracy. Its data is fine for a hobby blog or a first look at a niche, but I wouldn’t run a business’s SEO strategy on it alone. Check current prices on Ubersuggest’s own site, because they change.

Choose Ubersuggest if: your budget is tiny and you need keyword ideas more than precise data.

Picking a tool before you have a plan?

The tool matters less than what you do with it. On a free call I’ll give you the plan first, then tell you the cheapest tool that can deliver it.

  • You’ve got a small budget for SEO
  • You’re switching from one tool to another
  • You want SEO and YouTube growth working together

Book your free discovery call →

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5. Similarweb: best for traffic and market research

Similarweb specialises in estimating website traffic, audience and market share, with Web Intelligence plans from $125 a month and a free trial. It’s popular with researchers, investors and marketing teams sizing up a market.

For SEO work, it’s not a Semrush replacement: keyword research, site audits and rank tracking are much stronger in Semrush. Semrush also sells its own Traffic & Market toolkit for similar jobs. Pick Similarweb when the question is “how big is this site and where does its traffic come from”, not “how do I rank”.

Choose Similarweb if: you need traffic and market data more than SEO tools.

6 and 7. Google Search Console and Keyword Planner: best free options

Google Search Console is free and shows real clicks, impressions and rankings for your own site, plus indexing problems. Google Keyword Planner is free inside a Google Ads account and gives search volume ranges for keyword ideas.

Together they cover a surprising amount. What they can’t do is show you competitors, track rankings daily, or tell you how hard a keyword is to rank for organically. My Search Console guide shows how to get the most from it, and my keyword research guide explains a free method that uses both.

Choose the free Google tools if: you’re just starting and want to learn before paying for anything.

When is Semrush still the better choice?

Semrush is still the better choice when you want one tool for everything: keyword research, competitor analysis, audits, rank tracking and AI visibility. It has the largest keyword database I’ve seen at 28 billion keywords, it’s easy to learn, and its AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity is ahead of most alternatives at the same price.

The honest drawback is price. If $139 a month is hard to justify, start on the free account or Search Console, and come back when your site is earning. If you can justify it, the 7-day trial is the quickest way to find out whether it beats the alternatives on your own site. My full Semrush review gives it 4.5 out of 5.

Test Semrush against the alternatives (7-day free trial)

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

Which Semrush alternative should you choose?

Choose by your main job and your budget. The table below is the shortcut I’d give a client.

Your situation Best pick
I mainly build links Ahrefs
I want all-in-one SEO for less SE Ranking
I’m a complete beginner with one site Moz Pro
My budget is under $20 a month Ubersuggest plus Search Console
I research markets and competitors’ traffic Similarweb
I have no budget yet Search Console, Keyword Planner and Semrush’s free account
I want SEO and AI search tracking in one tool Semrush One

If you’re a YouTuber rather than a website owner, none of these is your main tool. YouTube needs YouTube-specific data, which I cover in my vidIQ alternatives guide.

People also ask

Is there a free alternative to Semrush?

Yes. Google Search Console and Google Keyword Planner are free, and Semrush, Ahrefs and Ubersuggest all have limited free tiers. Together they cover the basics, though without competitor depth or daily rank tracking.

Is Ahrefs better than Semrush?

Neither is better for everyone. Ahrefs is stronger for backlink research and has a cheaper Starter plan; Semrush is easier to learn and includes AI visibility tracking on its Semrush One plans.

What is cheaper than Semrush?

Ubersuggest, Moz Pro’s Starter plan, SE Ranking’s Core plan and Ahrefs’ Starter plan all cost less than Semrush’s $139 SEO plan, with less data or fewer features.

Frequently asked questions

Why look for a Semrush alternative?

Most people look because of price, because they only need one feature such as rank tracking or backlinks, or because they want a simpler interface. All three are fair reasons.

Is SE Ranking as good as Semrush?

SE Ranking covers most of the same jobs at a lower price, but its databases are smaller. For a single country and a modest keyword list, many users find it good enough.

Is Moz still worth using?

Moz Pro is worth it for beginners who want a simple tool and value Moz’s Domain Authority score. Power users usually find Semrush or Ahrefs more complete.

Is Ubersuggest accurate enough?

Ubersuggest is accurate enough for keyword ideas and a first look at a niche. For business-critical decisions, check its numbers against Search Console or a larger tool.

Can I use two SEO tools together?

Yes, and many people do. Google Search Console plus one paid tool is the most common setup, because Search Console gives real data for your site and the paid tool covers research.

Does any Semrush alternative track AI search?

Several do now. Ahrefs sells AI prompt tracking and Brand Radar AI, and SE Ranking offers an AI search add-on. Semrush includes AI visibility in its Semrush One plans from $199 a month.

Which Semrush alternative is best for YouTube?

None of these. They’re built for Google web search. For YouTube keyword and channel research, use YouTube-specific tools like vidIQ or TubeBuddy.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Still not sure which SEO tool to pick?

On a free call I’ll match the tool to your budget and your goals, so you don’t pay for features you’ll never open. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

  • Semrush plans and pricing, checked 20 October 2026
  • Ahrefs pricing page (ahrefs.com/pricing), checked 20 October 2026
  • SE Ranking pricing page (seranking.com), checked 20 October 2026
  • Moz Pro pricing page (moz.com), checked 20 October 2026
  • Similarweb pricing page (similarweb.com), checked 20 October 2026
  • Ubersuggest pricing as reported by Wise, September 2025
  • Search Console Help: About Search Console

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEO

How to Do Keyword Research for SEO (Free and Paid Methods, 2026)

Keyword research decides whether your content gets found or sits on page six forever. The good news: the method is simple, and you can do most of it for free. Here’s the process I use on every new site.

Last updated: 29 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

Keyword research means finding the exact searches your customers make, then choosing the ones you can realistically rank for. You need three things for each keyword: how many people search it, how hard it is to rank, and what the searcher wants. Everything below is about getting those three answers.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and self-employed for 20 years, building content plans for my own sites and for clients. I wrote the YouTube version of this guide too, so I’ve seen how website and video keyword research differ.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How do you do keyword research for SEO?

List the topics your customers care about, expand them into real searches using Google’s suggestions and a keyword tool, then check each keyword’s search volume, difficulty and intent. Pick low-difficulty keywords that match what you sell, group them by topic, and write one page per main keyword.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases people type into search engines, then choosing which ones your pages should target. Done well, it tells you what to write, what to call it, and which pages are worth your time.

It matters because most content never gets found. Ahrefs looked at around 14 billion pages and found that 96.55% get no traffic from Google at all. One of the biggest reasons is that the page targets a search nobody makes, or one the site has no chance of ranking for. Keyword research fixes both.

If you’re working on a YouTube channel rather than a website, the process is similar but the tools differ. My YouTube keyword research guide covers that side.

96.55%

of pages get no Google traffic

~93%

of keywords get under 10 searches a month

15%

of daily Google searches are new

3

numbers to check per keyword

What should you check for each keyword?

For every keyword, check three things: search volume, keyword difficulty and search intent. Volume tells you the size of the prize, difficulty tells you the size of the fight, and intent tells you what kind of page can win.

Check What it tells you Where to find it
Search volume Roughly how many people search it each month Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner (ranges)
Keyword difficulty How hard it is to reach page one, on a 0 to 100 scale Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz
Search intent Whether people want an answer, a comparison, a brand or to buy Semrush labels it; or look at what ranks now
Who ranks now Whether sites like yours can compete Google the keyword and look

Intent is the one people skip. If the top results for a keyword are all how-to guides, a sales page won’t rank there, however well you write it. Search the keyword yourself and copy the format of what’s winning, then make yours better.

How do you do keyword research for free?

You can do solid keyword research for free with Google itself, Google Search Console and a free keyword tool. It’s slower than paying, but it works.

  1. List your seed topics. Write down 5 to 10 broad topics your customers care about, using their words rather than your industry’s jargon.
  2. Expand with Google suggestions. Type each topic into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions, the People Also Ask questions and the related searches at the bottom of the page.
  3. Check search volume. Put your list into a keyword tool. Google Keyword Planner is free inside a Google Ads account and gives volume ranges; Semrush’s free account gives 10 lookups a day with exact estimates.
  4. Check difficulty and intent. Look up keyword difficulty in a tool, then Google each keyword and note what type of page ranks: guides, product pages, comparisons or local listings.
  5. Pick your targets. Keep keywords with low difficulty, intent that matches what you can offer, and enough volume to matter to your business. Long-tail keywords are usually the best place to start.
  6. Group keywords into pages. Put keywords that mean the same thing together so one page targets the whole group. Different intent means a different page.
  7. Mine Search Console. Once your site has data, check the Performance report for searches where you rank between positions 5 and 20 and improve those pages first.

Search Console becomes your best free keyword tool once your site is a few months old, because it shows the searches Google already associates with you. My Search Console guide explains how to find them.

Why start with long-tail keywords?

Start with long-tail keywords because they’re easier to rank for, closer to a buying decision, and there are far more of them. A long-tail keyword is a specific, lower-volume search such as “keyword research for physiotherapy clinics” rather than “keyword research”.

Ahrefs’ data shows how much of search lives in the long tail: almost 93% of the keywords in its US database get fewer than 10 searches a month, and Google says about 15% of daily searches have never been searched before. Each one is small, but a page that answers a specific question well often ranks for dozens of related long-tail searches at once.

**My rule for new sites:** target keywords with a difficulty under 30 for the first 20 posts. Wins build links and trust, and that trust helps you rank for harder keywords later. Going after the hardest keyword in your niche on day one is how sites end up in the 96.55% that get nothing.

Not sure which keywords to go after?

I’ll go through your niche with you on a free call and pick the first ten keywords you can realistically rank for.

  • You’ve written posts that never got traffic
  • You don’t know how hard a keyword is to rank for
  • You want your blog and YouTube channel targeting the same topics

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Use Google Keyword Planner and Search Console if your budget is zero, and a paid tool like Semrush or Ahrefs once SEO is bringing in money. Paid tools save hours because they show volume, difficulty, intent and competitors in one table.

Tool Price Volume data Difficulty score Best for
Google Keyword Planner Free with a Google Ads account Ranges unless you run ads No (ad competition only) Volume checks
Google Search Console Free Your own impressions No Keywords you already appear for
Semrush From $139/mo, free account with 10 reports a day Yes Yes, plus intent labels All-in-one keyword and competitor research
Ahrefs From $29/mo Starter, $129/mo Lite Yes Yes Keyword and backlink research

Sources: each provider’s official pages, checked 20 October 2026.

I like Semrush for keyword research because the Keyword Magic Tool groups thousands of related searches by topic and labels each one with intent, so you can filter to informational keywords with difficulty under 30 in two clicks. My Semrush review covers the rest of the tool, and the pricing guide explains the plans.

Try Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool free for 7 days

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How do you find your competitors’ keywords?

Type a competitor’s website into a tool like Semrush’s Organic Research report and it lists the keywords that site ranks for, with positions and estimated traffic. Keyword Gap then compares several sites and shows the keywords they rank for that you don’t.

This is the fastest way to build a content plan for a new site. Pick two or three competitors that are a similar size to you, not the biggest brand in your industry, and look for keywords where they rank in the top 10 with a modest difficulty score. If they can rank there, so can you with a better page.

How do you turn keywords into a content plan?

Turn your keyword list into a plan by grouping keywords into topics, choosing one main keyword per page, and ordering pages by how easy and valuable they are. A simple spreadsheet works: keyword, volume, difficulty, intent, the page that will target it, and the date you’ll publish.

Group related pages into a cluster around one bigger guide and link them together. That structure helps search engines understand you cover the topic in depth, and helps readers find the next useful page. Check where each new page ranks after a month and improve the ones stuck between positions 5 and 20 before writing more.

People also ask

How many keywords should I target per page?

Target one main keyword per page, plus the close variations and questions that share the same intent. One page can rank for hundreds of related searches if it answers the topic well.

Is keyword research still important with AI search?

Yes. AI tools still draw on pages that rank and answer specific questions clearly. Keyword research tells you which questions people ask, which is exactly what AI answers are built from.

Can I do keyword research without paying?

Yes. Google’s autocomplete, People Also Ask, Keyword Planner, Search Console and Semrush’s free account with 10 reports a day will get you a good starter list.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good search volume for a keyword?

There’s no single number. For a small business, a keyword with 50 searches a month from people ready to buy can be worth more than one with 5,000 searches from people just browsing. Judge volume against intent and value.

What keyword difficulty should a new site target?

In Semrush, aim for keyword difficulty under 30 for a new or small site. Check the sites ranking now as well: if smaller sites like yours appear in the top 10, you have a chance.

How long does keyword research take?

A starter list for a small business takes two to four hours. Revisit it every few months, adding the searches Search Console shows you appearing for.

What’s the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?

Short-tail keywords are broad, high-volume searches like “running shoes”. Long-tail keywords are specific, lower-volume searches like “best running shoes for flat feet women”, which are easier to rank for and usually convert better.

Should I use keywords people misspell?

No. Google understands common misspellings and shows the same results, so write naturally and target the correctly spelled version.

Does Google Keyword Planner show exact search volumes?

Not usually. Without active ad spend, Keyword Planner shows broad ranges such as 100 to 1,000. Paid SEO tools give closer estimates.

How do I know what a keyword’s search intent is?

Google the keyword and look at what ranks. Guides mean informational intent, product and pricing pages mean transactional intent, and comparison posts mean commercial intent. Semrush also labels intent for each keyword.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want a keyword plan built for your business?

On a free call I’ll show you the keywords your competitors win, the ones you can realistically take, and the order to write them in. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEO

SEO Terms Explained: The Plain-English SEO Glossary (2026)

SEO is full of jargon, and most glossaries explain one confusing term with three more. This one doesn’t. Each term gets a one-line definition in plain English, then a sentence on why it matters to you.

Last updated: 27 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

I’ve grouped the terms by job: how Google finds your site, how keywords work, how links work, how pages get measured, and the newer AI search terms. Bookmark it and come back when a report throws a word at you that you don’t recognise.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017, self-employed for 20 years, and I run my own content sites alongside SEO content builds for clients. I also wrote the YouTube version of this glossary, so I’ve had a lot of practice translating jargon.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: What are the basic SEO terms?

The basics are keywords (what people search), search intent (why they search), indexing (Google storing your page), ranking (where your page appears), backlinks (links from other sites), and click-through rate (the share of people who click). Learn those six and most SEO advice starts to make sense.

What does SEO mean?

SEO stands for search engine optimisation: the work of making your website show up higher in the free, unpaid results on Google and other search engines. It covers what you write, how your site is built, and how other websites link to you.

Organic results are the free listings on a search results page, as opposed to paid ads. SERP means search engine results page, the page you see after you search. Ranking or position is where your page appears on that page, with position one at the top. Search engine means any service that finds pages for a query; in the UK that’s mostly Google, with Bing behind it, and AI tools such as ChatGPT search increasingly in the mix.

On-page SEO is everything you control on the page itself: titles, headings, content and images. Off-page SEO is everything that happens elsewhere, mostly links and mentions. Technical SEO is how the site is built: speed, mobile layout, crawlability and structure.

Crawling and indexing terms

Google has to find, read and store your page before it can rank it. These terms describe that process.

Term Plain-English meaning Why it matters
Crawling Google’s bot visiting your pages to read them Pages Google can’t crawl can’t rank
Googlebot Google’s crawler Shows up in your server logs and Search Console
Indexing Google storing a copy of your page to show in results Not indexed means invisible
XML sitemap A file listing every page you want found Speeds up discovery of new pages
robots.txt A file telling bots which areas to skip One wrong line can hide your whole site
noindex A tag telling Google not to list a page Useful for thank-you pages, fatal on service pages
Canonical tag A tag naming the main version of duplicate pages Stops duplicates competing with each other
301 redirect A permanent forward from an old URL to a new one Keeps the old page’s value when you move content
404 The “page not found” error Redirect 404s that used to get traffic
Crawl budget How many pages Google will crawl on your site in a period Only an issue for very large sites

If you’re launching a new site, my guide to getting your website on Google puts these into a step-by-step order.

Keyword terms

A keyword is the word or phrase someone types into a search engine. Every page should be built around one main keyword and the questions around it.

Search volume is the estimated number of times a keyword is searched each month. Keyword difficulty, often shortened to KD, is a 0 to 100 score estimating how hard it is to reach page one; each tool calculates it differently. Long-tail keywords are specific, lower-volume searches such as “seo for physiotherapists in leeds” rather than “seo”. They’re easier to rank for and usually closer to a purchase. Ahrefs found that almost 93% of the keywords in its US database get fewer than 10 searches a month, which is why long-tail content adds up.

Search intent is the reason behind a search. SEO tools label it four ways: informational (wants an answer), navigational (wants a specific site), commercial (comparing options) and transactional (ready to buy). Match the page to the intent or it won’t rank, however good it is.

Keyword cannibalisation happens when two of your pages target the same keyword and compete with each other. Seed keyword is the broad starting word you feed into a keyword tool. Keyword gap is the list of keywords your competitors rank for and you don’t.

~93%

of US keywords get under 10 searches a month

0–100

keyword difficulty scale

4

types of search intent

15%

of daily Google searches are brand new

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines treat good backlinks as votes of confidence, so they’re one of the strongest ranking signals, especially for competitive keywords.

Referring domains count the unique websites linking to you; 50 links from one site count as one referring domain. Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. Internal links point from one page on your site to another and help Google understand how your content fits together. Dofollow links pass ranking value; nofollow, sponsored and ugc links are tagged so they pass little or none. Affiliate links should carry the sponsored tag.

Domain authority is a generic name for third-party scores that grade a whole website’s strength. Moz calls its version Domain Authority; Semrush calls its version Authority Score, a 0 to 100 grade built from link power, organic traffic and spam signals. Google doesn’t use any of these scores; they’re shortcuts for comparing sites. Link spam means buying links or using schemes to manipulate rankings, which breaks Google’s spam policies.

Reading reports but not sure what to act on?

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Measurement terms

Impressions count how often one of your pages appeared in search results. Clicks count how often someone clicked through. CTR, click-through rate, is clicks divided by impressions. Average position is your mean ranking across all the searches a page appeared for. You’ll find all four in Google Search Console’s Performance report, which my Search Console guide explains.

Organic traffic is the visitors who arrive from unpaid search results. Bounce rate and engagement rate describe whether visitors interact with your page or leave. Conversion is any action you want a visitor to take, such as an enquiry, a sale or a sign-up. Core Web Vitals are Google’s measures of loading speed, responsiveness and visual stability.

Rank tracking means checking where your pages rank for chosen keywords over time, usually with a tool such as Semrush’s Position Tracking. Traffic estimates are a tool’s guess at another website’s visitors, worked out from rankings and search volumes. Treat them as rough comparisons.

Content and SERP feature terms

Featured snippet is the answer box Google sometimes shows above the normal results, quoting a short passage from one page. People Also Ask is the box of related questions that expand into short answers. Rich results are listings with extras such as stars, prices or FAQs, usually triggered by structured data, also called schema markup: code that describes your page’s content to search engines.

Pillar page is a long, broad guide on a core topic. Topic cluster is a group of shorter posts on subtopics that all link back to the pillar. Together they show search engines you cover a subject in depth. Evergreen content stays useful for years; thin content offers little value and often doesn’t get indexed. E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust, the qualities Google’s quality guidelines look for in content.

AI search terms

AI Overviews are the AI-written summaries Google shows at the top of some searches, with links to the pages used. AI Mode is Google’s conversational search mode built on the same idea. Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in either: normal SEO best practice applies.

GEO, generative engine optimisation, is the newer name for making your brand show up in AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI features. AEO, answer engine optimisation, means much the same. AI visibility is how often AI tools mention or cite your brand for relevant prompts. A prompt is the question someone types into an AI tool, the AI equivalent of a keyword. LLM, large language model, is the type of AI behind these tools.

Tools now track this. Semrush’s AI Visibility toolkit and its Semrush One plans track brand mentions across ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity. My plain-English guide to Semrush explains how it fits alongside normal SEO data.

See these terms in action on a free Semrush trial

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

People also ask

What are the three types of SEO?

The three types are on-page SEO (content, titles and headings), off-page SEO (backlinks and mentions) and technical SEO (speed, crawlability and site structure). Most sites need all three, in that order of effort.

What is a keyword in SEO?

A keyword is the word or phrase people type into a search engine. In SEO, it’s the search you build a page around so that page can rank when people search it.

What is a good keyword difficulty score?

For a new or small site, aim for keyword difficulty under 30 in Semrush. Each tool scores difficulty differently, so compare scores within one tool rather than across tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SEO and SEM?

SEO is earning free rankings in organic results. SEM, search engine marketing, traditionally means paid search ads, though some people use it to cover both paid and organic search.

What is a SERP?

SERP stands for search engine results page: the page you see after typing a search, including organic results, ads, AI Overviews, maps and other features.

What does indexed mean in SEO?

Indexed means Google has stored a copy of your page in its index and can show it in search results. A page that isn’t indexed can’t rank for anything.

What is a backlink in simple words?

A backlink is a link from someone else’s website to yours. Search engines treat links from relevant, trusted sites as a sign your page is worth ranking.

What is search intent?

Search intent is the reason behind a search: wanting an answer, a specific website, a comparison or a purchase. Pages rank best when they match the intent of the keyword they target.

What is GEO in marketing?

GEO, generative engine optimisation, is the work of getting your brand mentioned and cited in answers from AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI features.

What is Authority Score in Semrush?

Authority Score is Semrush’s 0 to 100 grade of a website’s overall quality, based on its backlinks, organic traffic and signs of link spam. Google doesn’t use it, but it’s handy for comparing sites.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Jargon sorted, plan still missing?

Knowing the words is step one. On a free call I’ll turn them into a short, practical SEO plan for your site. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEMRUSH

What Is Semrush and What Is It Used For? (Plain-English Guide 2026)

If someone at work told you to “check it in Semrush” and you nodded along, this is for you. Here’s what Semrush is, what people use it for, and how it gets its numbers, in plain English.

Last updated: 26 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Semrush series.

Semrush is a website you log in to that tells you what people search for on Google, which websites win those searches, and how to win more of them yourself. Everything else it does grows out of that idea.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017, spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team, and have been self-employed for 20 years running my own content sites. I explain marketing tools to business owners for a living, without the jargon.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: What is Semrush?

Semrush is an online SEO and marketing platform. It shows what people search for on Google, which websites rank for those searches, how much traffic competitors get, and what’s holding your own site back. Marketers use it for keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, rank tracking and AI search visibility.

What is Semrush in simple terms?

Semrush is a subscription website that collects search data from Google and AI tools and turns it into reports you can act on. You type in a keyword and it tells you how many people search for it and how hard it is to rank. You type in a website and it tells you which searches that site ranks for and roughly how much traffic it gets.

SEO, short for search engine optimisation, is the work of making your website show up higher in Google’s free results. Semrush is an SEO tool first, but it also covers content writing, local listings, social media, paid ads, digital PR and, since 2025, how often AI assistants such as ChatGPT mention your brand.

Semrush was founded in 2008 and became a public company before Adobe bought it. Adobe completed the deal on 28 April 2026, so Semrush now calls itself “an Adobe company”. You still use it at semrush.com with a Semrush login.

What is Semrush used for?

Semrush is used for six main jobs, and most small businesses only need the first four.

Job What Semrush shows you Main tool
Keyword research What people search, how often, and how hard it is to rank Keyword Magic Tool
Competitor analysis Which keywords and pages bring competitors their traffic Organic Research, Keyword Gap
Site audits Technical problems stopping your pages from ranking Site Audit
Rank tracking Where your pages rank each day Position Tracking
Backlink research Which websites link to you and to competitors Backlink Analytics
AI visibility How ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI features mention your brand AI Visibility toolkit, Semrush One

In digital marketing teams, Semrush often sits next to Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Search Console and Analytics show what’s happening on your own site. Semrush shows the wider market: what people search that you don’t rank for yet, and what your competitors are doing.

28B

keywords

43T

backlinks

808M

domain profiles

142

country databases

How does Semrush work and where does its data come from?

Semrush works by collecting search results at huge scale and estimating everything else from them. It checks which pages rank for billions of keywords across 142 country databases, crawls the web for links, and combines that with clickstream and third-party data to estimate search volumes and traffic.

Rankings are the most reliable part, because Semrush sees the actual search results. Traffic numbers for other websites are estimates: Semrush multiplies each keyword’s search volume by the click rate for that position and adds it up. Use them to compare sites and spot trends, not as exact visitor counts. For your own site, connect Google Search Console and compare.

Semrush also builds its own scores. The best known is Authority Score, a 0 to 100 grade of a website’s overall quality based on its backlinks, organic traffic and spam signals. It’s a Semrush metric, not something Google uses, but it’s a quick way to size up a site.

Who uses Semrush?

Semrush is used by in-house marketers, SEO agencies, freelancers, bloggers, affiliate site owners, ecommerce stores and local businesses. Big brands use it at enterprise level, while solo business owners usually stick to the SEO plan.

I’d recommend it to anyone whose income depends on website traffic. If your business lives on YouTube with no website, Semrush is less useful, because its data is built around Google web search. For YouTube-specific keyword research, my guide to the best YouTube SEO tools is the better starting point.

Got the data but no plan?

Semrush will hand you hundreds of keywords. I’ll help you pick the handful that can bring in customers this quarter.

  • You don’t know which keywords to target first
  • Competitors outrank you and you don’t know why
  • You want your website and YouTube channel working together

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Is Semrush free?

Semrush has a free account and a 7-day free trial of its paid plans. The free account has no time limit but only allows 10 reports a day, 1 project and 10 tracked keywords. The trial gives you full access to a paid plan for 7 days, and you can cancel before you’re charged.

Semrush also runs free single-purpose tools on its website, such as a website traffic checker, a keyword tool, a backlink checker and an AI visibility checker. They’re handy for a one-off look. My Semrush free trial guide explains how to get the most from the 7 days.

Try Semrush free for 7 days

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How much does Semrush cost?

Semrush’s SEO plan costs $139 a month, Semrush One Starter $199 and Pro+ $299, with about 17% off if you pay yearly. Advanced is custom-priced for large teams. Separate toolkits for content, local, social, ads, traffic and digital PR are sold on their own.

Plan Monthly price What it adds
Free $0 10 reports a day, 1 project
SEO $139 Full SEO tools, 5 websites, 500 tracked keywords
Semrush One Starter $199 SEO plus AI visibility tracking
Pro+ $299 15 websites, 1,500 keywords, historical data, content tools
Advanced Custom 40+ websites, API, share of voice

Source: Semrush pricing page, checked 20 October 2026. US dollars; VAT may apply in the UK.

If you’ve seen Semrush Pro, Guru and Business mentioned elsewhere, those are the old plan names. Their limits now sit on SEO, Pro+ and Advanced.

How do you learn to use Semrush?

You learn Semrush fastest by using five reports on your own website rather than watching every tutorial. My honest view is that it’s a great tool and very easy to understand once you’ve opened the main reports a few times.

Learn Semrush in five sessions

  1. Run Site Audit on your website and read the top three issues.
  2. Put your main topic into the Keyword Magic Tool and filter for keyword difficulty under 30.
  3. Type your biggest competitor into Domain Overview and look at their top pages.
  4. Use Keyword Gap to compare your site with two competitors.
  5. Set up Position Tracking for 20 keywords and check it each week.

Semrush Academy has free video courses on each tool if you want more depth. For your own site’s real numbers, pair Semrush with Google Search Console, which my Search Console guide covers.

People also ask

What does Semrush stand for?

Semrush started as SEMrush, from SEM, short for search engine marketing. The company now writes it as Semrush and uses the name on its own rather than as an acronym.

Is Semrush owned by Google?

No. Semrush is independent of Google and is now owned by Adobe, which completed its purchase in April 2026. Semrush’s data is collected from search results rather than supplied by Google.

What is SemrushBot?

SemrushBot is the crawler Semrush uses to scan the web and build its backlink and site data. It’s a normal search-marketing crawler, and you can manage it through your robots.txt file like other bots.

Is Semrush a good tool?

Yes. Semrush is one of the two leading all-in-one SEO tools, alongside Ahrefs. It’s easy to learn and covers SEO and AI search in one place; price is the main drawback.

Frequently asked questions

What is Semrush used for in digital marketing?

In digital marketing, Semrush is used to plan content around real searches, study competitors, fix technical SEO problems, track rankings, research paid search keywords and monitor how AI assistants mention a brand.

Is Semrush only for SEO?

No. SEO is the core, but Semrush also sells toolkits for content writing, local listings, social media, paid ads, website traffic research and digital PR, plus AI visibility tracking.

Do I need Semrush if I have Google Search Console?

Search Console shows your own site’s real data for free. Semrush adds what Search Console can’t: keywords you don’t rank for yet, competitor research, daily rank tracking and deeper audits.

Is Semrush hard to learn?

Not really. Every report uses the same layout of a search bar, headline numbers and a filterable table. Most people are comfortable with the main reports within a week.

How accurate is Semrush data?

Ranking data is accurate because it comes from live search results. Search volumes and other sites’ traffic are estimates, so treat them as a guide for comparing options rather than exact figures.

Can I use Semrush for a small business?

Yes. A small business usually only needs the SEO plan, or the free account plus Search Console at the start. Focus on keyword research, Site Audit and Position Tracking.

What is the difference between Semrush and Semrush One?

Semrush is the company and platform. Semrush One is a plan that bundles the SEO toolkit with AI visibility tracking, starting at $199 a month.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want to know if Semrush is right for your business?

Tell me what you sell and where your customers find you. On a free call I’ll tell you whether Semrush, a cheaper tool or no tool at all is the right next step. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEO

How to Use Google Search Console: A Beginner’s Guide for 2026

Google Search Console is free, it’s Google’s own data about your site, and most small business owners set it up once and never open it again. That’s a waste, because it’s the quickest place to find pages that are nearly ranking.

Last updated: 25 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

You only need four reports in Search Console: Performance, Pages, URL Inspection and Sitemaps. This guide shows what each one tells you and the weekly ten-minute routine I use to turn them into more clicks.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and self-employed for 20 years, running my own websites and SEO content builds for clients. Search Console is the first thing I check on any site, before any paid tool.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How do I use Google Search Console?

Verify your website, submit your sitemap, then check four reports. Performance shows the searches, clicks and positions for your pages. Pages shows what’s indexed and why anything isn’t. URL Inspection checks a single page and requests indexing. Sitemaps confirms Google can read your page list.

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how your website performs in Google Search. It tells you which searches your pages appear for, how many people click, your average position, which pages are indexed, and any technical problems Google finds. Paid tools estimate this data; Search Console reports it directly from Google.

It doesn’t show other people’s websites. For competitor research you need a tool like Semrush (my Semrush review covers it). For your own site, Search Console is the source of truth, and the two work best side by side.

Google also counts clicks and impressions from its AI features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, inside the normal Performance report under the “Web” search type, so you don’t need a separate tool to see whether your pages are cited there.

How do I set up Google Search Console?

Set up Search Console by adding your site as a property and proving you own it. It takes about ten minutes if you can log in to your domain registrar or your website’s admin area.

  1. Sign in and add a property. Go to search.google.com/search-console, sign in with your Google account and click Add property.
  2. Choose Domain or URL prefix. A Domain property covers every version of your site and is verified with a DNS TXT record. A URL-prefix property covers one version and can be verified with an HTML tag or file.
  3. Verify ownership. Add the TXT record at your registrar, or paste the HTML tag into your SEO plugin, then click Verify. DNS changes can take a little while to show.
  4. Submit your sitemap. Open Sitemaps in the left menu, enter your sitemap address (for example sitemap_index.xml on WordPress with Yoast) and click Submit.
  5. Wait for data. The Performance report fills over the following days. Indexing data appears as Google crawls your site.

If you already set up the site but can’t remember the login, ask whoever built the site. They can add you as an owner from Settings, then Users and permissions.

How do I read the Performance report?

The Performance report shows four numbers for your site: total clicks, total impressions, average click-through rate (CTR) and average position. Underneath, tabs break those numbers down by query, page, country, device and date. It’s where you find out what people searched before they landed on your site.

Metric What it means What to look for
Clicks People who clicked through to your site from Google Rising over time
Impressions Times one of your pages appeared in results Pages with high impressions and few clicks
CTR Clicks divided by impressions Low CTR on page one usually means a weak title
Average position Your average ranking for that query or page Positions 5 to 20 are your best quick wins

Metric definitions from Search Console Help.

Click the Queries tab, tick all four metrics, and sort by impressions. Any query where you sit between positions 5 and 20 with decent impressions is a page that’s close. A better title, a clearer answer near the top, and a few internal links often push it up a page.

**My weekly ten-minute routine:** open Performance, set the date to the last 28 days compared with the previous 28, sort queries by impressions, and pick one page sitting in positions 5 to 20. Improve that page’s title and opening answer, add two internal links to it, and request indexing. One page a week adds up.

How do I check which pages are indexed?

The Pages report (under Indexing) shows how many of your pages are indexed and lists every page that isn’t, with the reason. Fix the reasons you can control and ignore the ones that are working as intended, like redirects or pages you’ve deliberately set to noindex.

Status What it means What to do
Crawled, currently not indexed Google visited and chose not to index Improve or merge thin pages
Discovered, currently not indexed Google knows the URL but hasn’t crawled it Add internal links and wait
Excluded by noindex tag A tag tells Google to skip the page Remove it if the page should rank
Page with redirect The URL redirects elsewhere Usually fine
Not found (404) The page doesn’t exist Redirect it if it used to get traffic
Duplicate without user-selected canonical Google sees it as a copy of another page Set a canonical or merge

How do I request indexing in Search Console?

Paste a page’s URL into the inspection bar at the top of Search Console, wait for the result, then click Request indexing. Google adds the page to its crawl queue. It’s the fastest way to get a new or updated page looked at, but it doesn’t guarantee indexing.

Google applies a quota to these requests and says asking repeatedly for the same URL won’t make it crawl faster. You also need to be an owner or full user of the property. Use it for new pages and important updates, and let the sitemap handle the rest. If you’re launching a brand-new site, my guide to getting your website on Google walks through the full order.

Search Console full of errors you don’t understand?

I’ll go through it with you on a free call, explain what matters and what doesn’t, and give you a short fix list.

  • Pages aren’t getting indexed
  • Clicks have dropped and you don’t know why
  • You want a content plan built from your own search data

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

How do I add a user to Search Console?

Go to Settings, then Users and permissions, click Add user, enter their Google account email and choose Full or Restricted access. Owners can add and remove users; full users can see all data and take most actions; restricted users can only view most data.

Give agencies and freelancers Full access rather than ownership. If they leave, you remove them and keep control of your site. If you only own a URL-prefix property, consider adding a Domain property too so you’re covered for every version of your address.

Search Console vs Semrush: which do you need?

You need Search Console for every website, because it’s free and it’s Google’s own data. Add a paid tool like Semrush when you want to research keywords you don’t rank for yet, look at competitors, track rankings daily or audit the site in depth.

Job Google Search Console Semrush
Your real clicks and queries Yes, exact Connects to Search Console
Keywords you don’t rank for yet No Yes
Competitor traffic and keywords No Yes
Daily rank tracking No Yes
Indexing problems Yes Partly, via Site Audit
AI visibility tracking Clicks only, mixed into Web Yes, on Semrush One
Price Free From $139 a month, 7-day free trial

Sources: Search Console Help and Semrush pricing page, checked 20 October 2026.

You can connect Search Console to Semrush so your real data sits next to the research. If you want to test that, my guide to the Semrush free trial includes a 7-day plan.

Connect Search Console to a free Semrush trial

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

People also ask

Is Google Search Console free?

Yes. Google Search Console is completely free for any website owner. You only need a Google account and the ability to verify that you own the site.

How long does Search Console take to show data?

Performance data starts appearing within a few days of verifying your site. Indexing information builds up as Google crawls your pages, which can take a few days to a few weeks for a new site.

What’s the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?

Search Console shows what happens on Google before someone clicks: searches, impressions, rankings and clicks. Google Analytics shows what people do after they arrive on your site.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Search Console show different numbers from Google Analytics?

They measure different things. Search Console counts clicks from Google Search, while Analytics counts sessions from every source and can miss visits blocked by cookie banners. Expect them to differ.

How far back does Search Console data go?

The Performance report shows up to 16 months of data. Export it regularly if you want a longer history for year-on-year comparisons.

What is a good CTR in Search Console?

It depends on position and the search. A page in position one usually earns far more clicks than a page in position eight. Compare CTR between your own pages at similar positions to find weak titles.

Can I see AI Overviews traffic in Search Console?

Google includes clicks and impressions from AI features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode in the Performance report under the Web search type. It doesn’t currently split them out as a separate line.

Should I verify www and non-www separately?

Not if you use a Domain property. A Domain property covers every subdomain and both http and https, so it’s the simplest setup.

What does average position mean?

Average position is the mean ranking of your page across every search it appeared for. A page can rank first for one query and fortieth for another, so look at positions query by query.

How do I remove a page from Google with Search Console?

Use the Removals tool for a fast, temporary removal, then delete the page, add a noindex tag or block it properly so it stays out of results permanently.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want me to read your Search Console with you?

Most sites have three or four quick wins hiding in the Performance report. On a free call I’ll find them with you and show you what to change. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEMRUSH

Semrush Free Trial 2026: How It Works, What You Get and How to Cancel

The Semrush free trial gives you full access for 7 days, which is enough to find out whether the tool earns its price on your own site. Here’s exactly how it works, what to test, and how to cancel cleanly if it isn’t for you.

Last updated: 24 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Semrush series.

I’m a fan of Semrush: it’s easy to use, easy to understand, and the 7-day trial gives you a full overview before you pay anything. The trial only helps if you use it properly, though, so this guide includes a day-by-day plan.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and self-employed for 20 years, running my own content sites and SEO content builds for clients. I test every paid tool on its trial with a plan, so I’m not paying for something I won’t open.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How long is the Semrush free trial?

The Semrush free trial lasts 7 days. It covers Semrush One, the SEO toolkit and most other toolkits, with full access to their tools. You add a card to start, Semrush runs a small refunded check, and you’re only charged if you don’t cancel before the 7 days end.

Start the Semrush free trial (pick your toolkit)

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How does the Semrush free trial work?

The Semrush free trial gives you 7 days of access to a paid plan or toolkit at no cost. You choose a product, create an account, add a card, and use the tools straight away. If you cancel before the 7 days are up, you aren’t charged. If you don’t cancel, the subscription starts and you pay the normal monthly price.

Semrush explains the card step on its pricing page: it charges “a nominal amount” to check the card is valid and refunds it immediately. You won’t be charged the plan price until the trial ends.

7

days of full access

$0

if you cancel in time

8

toolkits on the trial page

10

reports a day on the free account

Which Semrush plans have a free trial?

The 7-day free trial is available on Semrush One and on most individual toolkits. You pick which one when you start, so choose based on the job you want done.

Trial option What you can test Price after the trial (monthly) Pick it if…
Semrush One SEO tools plus AI visibility tracking From $199 You care about Google and AI search
SEO Toolkit Keyword research, backlinks, site audits, rank tracking $139 You want classic SEO for a website
Content Toolkit Topic ideas, SEO briefs, AI writing and optimisation From $60 (billed yearly) You write a lot of content
Local Toolkit Google Business Profile, listings, reviews From $30 per location (billed yearly) You’re a local business
Traffic & Market Toolkit Traffic estimates for any website From $289 (billed yearly) You research competitors or markets
Social Toolkit Scheduling, tracking, influencers From $20 (billed yearly) You manage social accounts
Advertising Toolkit Google and Meta ads research From $99 (billed yearly) You run paid ads

Source: Semrush free trial and pricing pages, checked 20 October 2026. Toolkit prices are shown as the yearly-billed monthly rate on Semrush’s site; the monthly rate may be higher. Prices in US dollars; VAT may be added in the UK.

For most small businesses, bloggers and creators with a website, the SEO Toolkit or Semrush One is the right trial. If you want to see how ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI features talk about your brand, go for Semrush One, because the SEO Toolkit doesn’t include AI visibility tracking.

What do you get on the Semrush trial?

On the trial you get the same tools paying customers get on that plan, so it’s a real test rather than a demo. On the SEO Toolkit that means Keyword Magic Tool, Domain Overview, Organic Research, Keyword Gap, Backlink Analytics, Site Audit and Position Tracking, within the plan’s limits of 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords.

Semrush One adds AI visibility on top: prompt tracking, brand mentions across ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity, and an AI-readiness check inside Site Audit.

The free account is different. It has no time limit, but you only get 10 reports a day, 1 project and 10 tracked keywords. It’s fine for poking around. It’s not enough to plan a content strategy.

Feature Free account 7-day trial (SEO Toolkit)
Time limit None 7 days
Card needed No Yes
Analytics reports 10 a day 3,000 a day
Projects / websites 1 5
Tracked keywords 10 500
Full keyword lists and exports Limited Yes

Source: Semrush pricing page FAQ, checked 20 October 2026.

What should you test during the Semrush trial?

Test the reports you’d use every week, on your own site and your real competitors. A trial spent clicking around the menu tells you nothing. A trial spent building a 90-day content plan tells you whether the subscription pays for itself.

My 7-day Semrush trial plan

  1. Day 1: Create a project for your site and run Site Audit. Write down the three most serious errors and fix them.
  2. Day 2: Run Domain Overview on your three biggest competitors. Note their top pages and estimated traffic.
  3. Day 3: Use Keyword Gap to compare your site with those competitors. Export the keywords they rank for and you don’t.
  4. Day 4: Take your main topic into the Keyword Magic Tool. Filter for keyword difficulty under 30 and pick 30 keywords.
  5. Day 5: Set up Position Tracking for those 30 keywords so you can see where you start.
  6. Day 6: Open Backlink Analytics for your strongest competitor and list five sites that might link to you too.
  7. Day 7: Review what you found. If it’s more than a month of work, keep the subscription. If not, cancel today.

If you’re on Semrush One, swap day 6 for the AI visibility reports. Check which prompts mention your competitors and not you, because that list tells you which pages to write or improve.

Start your 7-day trial and follow the plan

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How do you cancel the Semrush free trial?

You cancel the Semrush free trial from your account’s subscription settings before the 7 days end, and you won’t be charged. Semrush’s own FAQ says you can cancel, downgrade or upgrade “at any time” unless you’ve signed custom terms.

**Set a reminder for day 6.** The trial turns into a paid subscription automatically. Put a reminder in your calendar the day you sign up, so you decide on purpose rather than finding a charge on your statement.

Your exports stay yours after you cancel. Download keyword lists, audit reports and gap analyses as CSV or Excel files during the trial so the work isn’t lost if you don’t continue.

Is there a Semrush coupon code or discount?

There isn’t a standing Semrush coupon code, and any site promising a magic code is selling you something that doesn’t exist. The real ways to pay less are the 7-day free trial, paying yearly (up to 17% off), and starting on the cheaper SEO plan rather than Semrush One.

Semrush sometimes runs longer trials through partner offers, but the standard trial on Semrush’s own site is 7 days. If you see a longer trial advertised, check it’s on a semrush.com page before you trust it.

Not sure which trial to pick?

I’ll look at your site and your goals on a free call and tell you whether you need Semrush One, the SEO Toolkit, or just the free account and Search Console.

  • You run a website or blog and want more Google traffic
  • You’re a creator thinking about a website as well as YouTube
  • You want an outside view before spending $139 a month

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

How much does Semrush cost after the free trial?

After the free trial, the SEO plan costs $139 a month and Semrush One starts at $199 a month, or $117.33 and $165.17 a month if you pay yearly. Pro+ is $299 a month for bigger sites and teams. My Semrush review explains who each plan suits.

If the trial showed you a clear list of wins, the subscription usually pays for itself the first time one of those pages starts bringing in enquiries or sales. If it didn’t, cancel, keep the free account, and use Google Search Console for your own site’s data. My guide on getting your website on Google covers that setup.

People also ask

Does the Semrush free trial charge you?

Not if you cancel in time. Semrush makes a small card check that’s refunded straight away, then charges the plan price only when the 7-day trial ends.

Can you use the Semrush trial twice?

Semrush ties trials to your account and payment details, so a second trial on the same details isn’t something to count on. Use your 7 days fully the first time.

Is Semrush free forever?

There’s a free account with no time limit, but it’s capped at 10 reports a day, 1 project and 10 tracked keywords. The full tools need a paid plan or the 7-day trial.

Is the Semrush trial the full version?

Yes. The trial gives you the same tools and limits as the paid plan you choose, so the results you get are the same results you’d get as a customer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a credit card for the Semrush free trial?

Yes, Semrush asks for a card to start the 7-day trial. It charges a small amount to check the card and refunds it immediately, and you aren’t charged the plan price until the trial ends.

What happens when the Semrush trial ends?

If you haven’t cancelled, the trial turns into a paid subscription on the plan you chose and your card is charged the normal price. If you cancelled, your account drops back to the free tier.

Can I switch plans during the Semrush trial?

Semrush lets paying customers upgrade or downgrade at any time. If you started the wrong trial, contact Semrush support before it ends rather than assuming it switches over automatically.

Does the Semrush trial include AI visibility?

Only the Semrush One trial includes AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity. The SEO Toolkit trial covers classic SEO tools.

Can I keep my data after cancelling the trial?

Your projects stay on your account, but you’ll lose access to most of the data once you’re back on the free tier. Export your keyword lists and audit reports before day 7.

Is there a Semrush trial for agencies?

Agencies can start the same 7-day trial and test Pro+ limits for more client sites. For large teams, Semrush offers demos of its custom Advanced and Enterprise plans.

How do I cancel Semrush before the trial ends?

Go to your account’s subscription settings and cancel the plan before day 7. Semrush says you can cancel at any time, and doing it inside the trial means you won’t be charged.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want to get more out of your 7 days?

Book a call before you start the trial and I’ll tell you which reports to run for your site, so the week ends with a real plan instead of a pile of exports. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
SEMRUSH

Semrush Review 2026: Is It Still the Best SEO Tool? (Honest Verdict)

Semrush is the SEO tool most people end up comparing everything else to, and in 2026 it changed more than it has in years. New owner, new plan names, and a big push into AI search. Here’s my honest take on whether it’s worth your money.

Last updated: 22 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Semrush series.

Short version: Semrush is easy to use, easy to understand and does more than any single tool I’ve tried for website SEO. The 7-day free trial gives you a proper look at all of it. The catch is price, and the new plan line-up confuses people. I’ll cover both.

Why listen to me? I’ve been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017, I spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team, and I’ve run 500+ channel audits. I’ve also been self-employed for 20 years and run my own content sites, so I judge SEO tools on one thing: do they help you get found and paid.

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: Is Semrush worth it in 2026?

Yes, if you run a website you want to grow from Google or AI search. Semrush covers keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, rank tracking and AI visibility in one place, and it’s easy to learn. Plans start at $139 a month, so test it on the 7-day free trial first.

My verdict: 4.5 / 5 ★★★★½

Semrush is the easiest all-in-one SEO tool to learn and the most complete for website SEO plus AI search. Price is the only real drawback.

Try Semrush free for 7 days

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

What is Semrush?

Semrush is an online SEO and marketing platform that shows you what people search for, which websites rank for those searches, and what you need to fix to rank higher yourself. You log in through a browser, type a keyword or a website address, and it gives you search volumes, competitor data, backlinks and a to-do list for your own site.

It started as a keyword tool and grew into a full marketing suite. In 2026 it sells “toolkits” for SEO, AI visibility, content, local listings, traffic analysis, social media, advertising and digital PR. Most people only need the SEO side, and that’s what this review focuses on.

Semrush also has a new owner. Adobe completed its purchase of Semrush on 28 April 2026, so the company now describes itself as “an Adobe company”. Day to day, the product and the login are the same.

28B

keywords in the database

43T

backlinks tracked

808M

domain profiles

142

country databases

Is Semrush easy to use?

Semrush is easy to use once you know which three or four reports matter, and that’s the part most reviews skip. My honest view after using it: it’s a great tool, very easy to understand, and the free 7-day trial gives you a full overview of what it can do before you pay anything.

The dashboard looks busy on day one because there are over 50 tools in the menu. You don’t need most of them. For a small business site, a blog or a creator’s website, the work happens in five places:

  • **Keyword Overview and Keyword Magic Tool** to find what people search and how hard it is to rank.
  • **Domain Overview and Organic Research** to see any competitor’s traffic and top pages.
  • **Site Audit** to find technical problems on your own site.
  • **Position Tracking** to watch your rankings move each day.
  • **Backlink Analytics** to see who links to you and to your competitors.

Every report has the same layout: a search bar at the top, headline numbers in cards, then a table you can filter and export. Learn one and the rest feel familiar. Semrush Academy, the free course platform, covers each tool if you prefer video lessons.

What does Semrush do well?

Semrush does five jobs well enough that most small teams can drop two or three other subscriptions. Here’s what I’d use it for and why.

Keyword research

The Keyword Magic Tool takes one seed word and returns thousands of related searches, grouped by topic, with volume, keyword difficulty and search intent for each. The intent label (informational, commercial, transactional or navigational) saves you writing a sales page for a keyword where people only want an answer. Filter for difficulty under 30 and you’ve got a list of long-tail keywords a newer site can rank for.

Competitor analysis

Type a competitor’s domain into Organic Research and you see the keywords it ranks for, its estimated traffic, and which pages bring that traffic in. Keyword Gap compares up to five sites and shows the searches they rank for and you don’t. For a new site, that gap list is often the whole content plan for the next six months.

Site Audit

Site Audit crawls your site and flags broken links, slow pages, missing titles, duplicate content and crawl errors, sorted by severity. On the Semrush One plans it also checks “AI readiness”, including whether AI crawlers can reach your pages. You get a health score out of 100 and a plain-English explanation of how to fix each issue.

Position Tracking

Position Tracking checks where your pages rank for a keyword list every day, on desktop and mobile, for a country or a city. The SEO plan tracks 500 keywords across 5 websites. It’s the report I’d look at weekly to see whether new content is working.

AI visibility

The newest part of Semrush tracks how often ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity mention your brand, and for which prompts. It’s included in the Semrush One plans and sold as a separate AI Visibility toolkit. If customers ask AI tools for recommendations in your industry, this is the only way I know to measure whether you show up.

See what Semrush finds on your site (7-day free trial)

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

How much does Semrush cost in 2026?

Semrush costs $139 a month for the SEO plan, $199 for Semrush One Starter and $299 for Pro+, with up to 17% off if you pay yearly. There’s also a free account limited to 10 reports a day and a custom-priced Advanced plan for large teams.

Plan Monthly Billed yearly (per month) Websites / keywords tracked Best for
SEO $139 $117.33 5 / 500 Freelancers, bloggers, small business SEO
Semrush One Starter $199 $165.17 5 / 500 + 50 AI prompts SEO plus AI search tracking
Pro+ $299 $248.17 15 / 1,500 + 100 AI prompts Growing teams and agencies
Advanced Custom Custom 40+ / 5,000+ Larger organisations
Free $0 $0 1 project / 10 keywords Trying the interface

Source: Semrush pricing page, checked 20 October 2026. Prices in US dollars; UK customers are billed in pounds and VAT may be added.

If you’ve read older reviews mentioning Pro, Guru and Business, those plans have been renamed. The daily report limits on the old Pro, Guru and Business plans (3,000, 5,000 and 10,000) now sit on SEO, Pro+ and Advanced. Starter is new and adds AI visibility to the SEO plan.

Extra users cost from $45 a month each on the SEO and Semrush One plans, which adds up fast for a team. For a one-person business, the SEO plan is enough. If you care how AI tools talk about your brand, Starter is the one I’d pick.

**Price check:** Ahrefs, the closest rival, starts at $129 a month for Lite and $249 for Standard, with a $29 Starter plan for basic research. So Semrush isn’t the cheap option, but the gap is smaller than most people assume.

Semrush pros and cons

Semrush’s biggest strength is breadth: one login covers research, auditing, tracking and AI visibility. Its biggest weakness is cost, especially once you add users.

What it does well

  • Very easy to learn: every report follows the same layout
  • The largest keyword database I’ve seen (28 billion keywords)
  • Keyword intent labels and difficulty scores save hours of guesswork
  • Site Audit explains each fix in plain English
  • Tracks AI search visibility, which most rivals only started adding recently
  • 7-day free trial on every main plan

Where it falls short

  • $139 a month is a lot for a hobby blog
  • Extra users from $45 a month each
  • Traffic numbers for other sites are estimates, not exact figures
  • YouTube data is limited; it’s built for Google web search
  • The menu is overwhelming until you know the five reports that matter

Who should use Semrush, and who shouldn’t?

Semrush suits anyone who earns money from website traffic: small businesses, bloggers, affiliate site owners, freelancers and agencies. It’s harder to justify if your site makes nothing yet or your audience lives on YouTube.

You are… Should you use Semrush? Plan I’d start with
A small business owner wanting more enquiries from Google Yes SEO
A blogger or affiliate site owner Yes, once the site has 20+ posts SEO
A freelancer or consultant doing SEO for clients Yes Starter or Pro+
A brand worried about AI search Yes Starter
A YouTuber with no website Probably not; use vidIQ None
A brand-new site with no budget Use the free account first Free

If you’re a creator, YouTube search needs YouTube-specific tools. I cover those in my best YouTube SEO tools guide. Semrush comes into its own when you also run a website, because it shows where your videos and blog posts can rank on Google itself. My guide to ranking YouTube videos on Google explains that crossover.

Not sure Semrush fits your business?

A quick call is cheaper than a year of the wrong subscription. I’ll look at your site or channel and tell you which tools and which reports will move the needle.

  • You’re paying for SEO tools you barely open
  • You’ve got traffic but no enquiries or sales
  • You want a content plan built from real search data

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

How does Semrush compare with Ahrefs and the alternatives?

Semrush and Ahrefs are the two serious all-in-one SEO tools, and the honest answer is that both are good. Semrush is easier to learn and tracks AI visibility in its main plans; Ahrefs is loved for backlink data and has a cheaper entry plan.

Tool Starting price Free option Best at
Semrush $139/mo (SEO plan) Free account, 7-day trial All-in-one SEO and AI visibility, ease of use
Ahrefs $29/mo Starter, $129/mo Lite Ahrefs Webmaster Tools Backlink research
Moz Pro $49/mo Starter, $99/mo Standard Free trial on Medium plan Beginners, domain authority
SE Ranking $129/mo Core 14-day trial, no card Budget rank tracking
Google Search Console Free Free Your own site’s real data

Source: each provider’s official pricing page, checked 20 October 2026.

Whatever you pick, connect Google Search Console too. It’s free and shows the real clicks and searches for your own site, which no paid tool can see. Semrush lets you plug it in so both sets of data sit side by side.

How do you test Semrush for free?

You can test Semrush free for 7 days on the SEO plan, Semrush One or most toolkits, with full access to the tools. You need a card to start, Semrush runs a small check on it that’s refunded straight away, and you’re not charged until the trial ends. Cancel before day seven and you pay nothing.

Here’s how I’d use the 7 days so you know by the end whether it’s worth paying for:

My 7-day Semrush trial plan

  1. Day 1: Add your site as a project and run Site Audit. Fix the top three errors.
  2. Day 2: Put your three biggest competitors into Keyword Gap and export the keywords they rank for and you don’t.
  3. Day 3: Use the Keyword Magic Tool on your main topic. Filter to difficulty under 30 and save 30 keywords.
  4. Day 4: Set up Position Tracking for those 30 keywords.
  5. Day 5: Check Backlink Analytics on your top competitor. Note five sites that link to them and could link to you.
  6. Day 6: If you’re on Semrush One, check your AI visibility for your brand and top service.
  7. Day 7: Decide. If you found more than a month’s worth of work, keep it. If not, cancel and keep your exports.
Start your 7-day Semrush trial

Affiliate link: if you start a trial or subscribe through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The trial lasts 7 days and you can cancel before it ends.

My verdict: should you buy Semrush in 2026?

Semrush gets 4.5 out of 5 from me. It’s the easiest complete SEO tool to learn, it’s the most useful single subscription for growing a website, and it’s ahead of most rivals on tracking AI search. I knock half a star off for price, because $139 a month plus $45 per extra user is a real cost for a small business.

If you’re serious about traffic from Google or AI tools, start the trial, follow the 7-day plan above, and see what it finds on your own site. That will tell you more than any review.

Want help turning the data into a plan?

Tools give you numbers. I help you decide what to do with them. One call and you’ll leave with a short, prioritised list for your site or channel.

  • You’ve run an audit and don’t know where to start
  • You’re choosing between Semrush and another tool
  • You want SEO and YouTube working together

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

People also ask

Is Semrush free?

Semrush has a free account with 10 reports a day, 1 project and 10 tracked keywords. That’s enough to look around, but not enough to run SEO for a business. The paid plans come with a 7-day free trial.

Who owns Semrush now?

Adobe owns Semrush. The deal was announced in November 2025 at about $1.9 billion and completed on 28 April 2026. Semrush still runs as its own product under its own name.

Is Semrush good for beginners?

Yes. Semrush is one of the easier SEO tools to learn because every report uses the same layout, and Semrush Academy has free lessons for each tool. Start with Site Audit and the Keyword Magic Tool.

Is Semrush better than Ahrefs?

Neither wins outright. Semrush is easier to learn and includes AI visibility tracking on its Semrush One plans; Ahrefs is strong on backlinks and has a cheaper Starter plan. Try both on their trials and keep the one you open more.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Semrush per month?

Semrush costs $139 a month for the SEO plan, $199 for Semrush One Starter and $299 for Pro+ when billed monthly. Paying yearly brings those down to $117.33, $165.17 and $248.17 a month. Advanced is custom-priced, and UK customers may pay VAT on top.

What happened to Semrush Pro and Guru?

Semrush renamed its plans in 2026. The old Pro plan’s limits now sit on the SEO plan, Guru’s on Pro+, and Business’s on Advanced. Semrush One Starter is new and adds AI visibility tracking to the SEO plan.

Does the Semrush free trial need a card?

Yes. Semrush asks for a card to start the 7-day trial and runs a small check that’s refunded straight away. You aren’t charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then.

Can Semrush track AI search like ChatGPT?

Yes. The Semrush One plans and the AI Visibility toolkit track mentions of your brand in ChatGPT, Google’s AI features, Gemini and Perplexity, and show which prompts trigger them and which competitors appear instead.

Is Semrush accurate?

Semrush’s data on your own rankings is accurate because it checks the search results directly. Traffic figures for other websites are estimates based on rankings and click rates, so use them to compare sites rather than as exact visitor counts.

Is Semrush worth it for a small business?

Semrush is worth it for a small business that wants more customers from Google and has time to act on the findings. If you won’t publish content or fix issues, the free account and Google Search Console will do.

Can I use Semrush for YouTube?

Only partly. Semrush is built for Google web search. It has paid apps for YouTube keywords in its App Center, but creators get more from YouTube-specific tools like vidIQ and TubeBuddy.

Can I cancel Semrush at any time?

Yes. Semrush says you can cancel, downgrade or upgrade your plan at any time unless you’ve signed custom terms. Cancelling during the 7-day trial means you won’t be charged.

About the author

Alan Spicer has been a YouTube Certified Expert since 2017 and creating on YouTube since 2012. He holds six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, has coached 500+ creators and run 500+ channel audits, and spent 2020–2021 on the vidIQ customer success team. After 20 years self-employed, he runs his consultancy and his own content sites from Huddersfield, usually fuelled by tea. Read client results.

Want a second pair of eyes on your SEO plan?

If you’re about to spend money on tools, spend 30 minutes with me first. I’ll tell you which data you need, what to ignore, and where the quickest wins are for your site or channel. I’m a YouTube Certified Expert with six Silver Play Buttons, 500+ channel audits and 20 years of running my own online businesses behind me.

Book your free discovery call →

View coaching services & packages · Read client results

Sources

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you start a Semrush trial or subscription through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d use myself, and programme terms and prices change, so check the current details on Semrush’s site before you buy.

Categories
CASE STUDY

Case Study: VidIQ Coaching & Creator Growth Impact

VidIQ Coach Case Study

Background: Who Are VidIQ?

VidIQ is one of the world’s leading YouTube growth platforms, trusted by millions of creators globally to understand the YouTube algorithm and grow their channels more effectively. The platform combines advanced analytics, keyword research, competitor intelligence, and trend discovery tools with education and coaching.

VidIQ serves a broad creator base, ranging from brand-new channels to established creators with hundreds of thousands or millions of subscribers. Its audience spans gaming, technology, education, finance, lifestyle, entertainment, and business content. Beyond tooling, VidIQ is widely recognised for its creator-first education model, offering coaching, tutorials, community sessions, and expert guidance to help creators turn data into growth.

Role Overview

Position: YouTube Coach & Consultant (In-House)
Company: VidIQ
Duration: 2020 – 2021

During my time working with VidIQ as an in-house YouTube coach and consultant, I supported creators directly through VidIQ’s coaching programme while also feeding real-world insights back into product, education, and creator-success teams. My role focused on helping creators achieve measurable, sustainable growth, not short-term spikes.

Scope of Work

  • Delivered 1:1 coaching to 400+ creators across multiple niches, including tech, gaming, finance, education, lifestyle, and personal branding.
  • Conducted in-depth channel audits covering:
    • Content positioning and niche clarity
    • Title, thumbnail, and metadata optimisation
    • Audience retention and watch-time analysis
    • CTR, impressions, and traffic source breakdowns
    • Upload cadence, series development, and content planning
  • Helped creators move away from vanity metrics toward signal-based decision making.
  • Supported creators at all stages, from early channels (<10K subscribers) to established creators experiencing growth plateaus.

 

Representative Creator Outcomes

(Creator names anonymised for privacy – can be replaced with named case studies if required.)

  • Technology & Productivity Creator: Improved average watch-time and consistency by restructuring hooks and tightening narrative flow.
  • Personal Finance Educator: Increased CTR through metadata and thumbnail realignment, paired with topic clustering around audience intent.
  • Gaming Creator: Broke a long-standing view plateau by applying retention-first pacing and pattern interruption techniques.
  • Education Channel: Shifted from sporadic performance to predictable results through series-based content and demand-led topic selection.

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Strategic Frameworks Applied

1. Demand-Driven Topic Mapping

Used VidIQ’s keyword, trend, and competitor tools to align content ideas with actual audience demand, not guesswork. Helped creators prioritise topics with realistic ranking and discovery potential.

2. Packaging & Click Psychology

  • Reworked titles and thumbnails to improve emotional clarity and curiosity.
  • Focused on promise–payoff alignment to reduce early drop-off.
  • Applied search vs discovery framing based on channel size and authority.

3. Retention-First Content Design

  • Analysed retention curves to diagnose pacing, structure, and hook failure.
  • Introduced opening-30-second frameworks and mid-video pattern interruption.
  • Helped creators understand why viewers leave, not just when.

4. Sustainable Growth Systems

  • Built repeatable topic clusters, series formats, and publishing systems.
  • Shifted creators away from one-off viral chasing toward repeatable wins.
  • Implemented feedback loops tied directly to analytics performance.

Results & Impact

While individual results varied by niche and channel size, common outcomes included:

  • Improved CTR and watch-time within 30–60 days of strategy changes.
  • Clearer niche definition leading to stronger audience signals.
  • Increased creator confidence and autonomy in reading analytics.
  • Reduced burnout through better planning and realistic growth expectations.

Observed patterns across coached creators: – Plateau-breaking growth driven by retention optimisation rather than volume – Faster topic validation before publishing – Higher consistency of performance instead of sporadic spikes

Internal Value to VidIQ

Beyond creator-facing coaching, my work delivered value internally by:

  • Surfacing recurring creator pain points to inform product and feature discussions.
  • Providing real-world feedback on how creators interpret analytics dashboards.
  • Strengthening VidIQ’s positioning as a trusted growth partner, not just a tool.
  • Supporting educational content and community sessions as an expert voice.

Why This Matters

This role sharpened my ability to:

  • Diagnose YouTube performance issues quickly and accurately.
  • Translate complex analytics into simple, motivating actions.
  • Balance algorithm mechanics with human storytelling.
  • Operate at scale with hundreds of creators without losing strategic depth.

The experience directly influenced how I later scaled large channels, advised media brands, and built repeatable YouTube growth systems for creators and companies.

Categories
HOW TO GET MORE VIEWS ON YOUTUBE HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE LISTS TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

5 Ways To Find the Best Tags for Ranking Your YouTube Videos

YouTube Tags

There are 720,000 hours of video added to YouTube every day. So the chance of your latest offering being watched by a large audience is pretty slim.

Building a following on YouTube can be a challenging task; so you have to use every tool at your disposal to promote your video.

When considering how to promote your video, it’s essential to understand that YouTube is a search engine. The second biggest search engine after Google, in fact. So the meta-data you add to your video when you upload it (title, description, and tags), can play a part in attracting some initial views.

This post looks at one part of the meta-data – Youtube tags. What they are, how to add them, and gives you five ways to find the best tags for ranking your YouTube videos.

Here we go.

What Are YouTube Tags?

In their help section for content creators, YouTube says the following about tags;

“Tags are descriptive keywords you can add to your video to help viewers find your content.”

YouTube is plainly stating that tags are keywords. Should your tags match with the keywords a YouTube user searches for, then you have a chance of appearing in the search results.

However, they then go on to say;

“tags play a minimal role in your video’s discovery.”

Hmm, it sounds like you don’t need to use them then?

Well, if you are a top YouTuber and receive thousands of views in the first few hours after uploading a video, then maybe tags aren’t as important for you. However, if you have a smaller channel, you need to seek every edge, no matter how slight, to drive initial traffic.

The right 4 or 5-word tag added when you upload new content, can kickstart your views.

Once you gain that initial traffic, metrics like watchtime and engagement take over, and YouTube can choose to suggest your video in viewer’s feeds.

Tags Help YouTube Categorise Your Video.

Tags also play a role in helping YouTube decide the precise topic of your video. The English language is a wonderful thing, but it can sometimes be confusing – some words have more than one meaning. So tags can be used to tell YouTube the topic and purpose of your video.

Here’s an example. The video below is about ‘irons’. An iron can be a household item or a golf club. But, the title of the video doesn’t convey to YouTube which kind the video is about.

Golf iron or steam iron

But, YouTube can use the tags and other video meta-data to help categorise the content. The tags for this video leave no room for doubt that it’s about a household iron.

steam iron tags

How Do You Add YouTube Tags?

You add YouTube tags in the video details section of your YouTube Studio. Navigate to your list of videos and click the ‘Details’ icon.

adding tags instruction

Underneath the ‘Audience’ section, there is a text entry box to enter your tags. Tags can be more than a single word; type in the tags hitting return after each one. Alternatively, you can paste in a list you prepared elsewhere.

adding tags further instruction

How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?

This one is a little tricky. On the one hand, YouTube permits entry of up to 500 characters in the video tag section. On the other hand, YouTube warns against adding excessive tags in their help section:

Youtube warning for tag misuse

A study conducted by briggsby.com concluded that ideally, you should use less than 300 characters. Which, assuming you are using 3-4 word keyphrases, puts the ideal number of tags at 30-40.

One of the key takeaways of the study recommended that as long as you stay relevant to the video topic, use as many characters as you can manage.

What Should You Use for Your YouTube Tags?

The tags you choose for your video should ideally be 3-word or more keyphrases that describe the overall topic of your video AND the content more precisely.

For example, if you uploaded a video reviewing steam irons, then some of the tags might be;

  • Best steam iron
  • Top steam irons
  • Best steam iron for clothes
  • Rowenta steam iron
  • Tefal steam iron for clothes

As you can see, these tags anticipate the kinds of phrases someone might use when looking for reviews of steam irons. It’s also a good idea to use some related brand names in your list of tags if appropriate.

Using some 5-word or more key phrases in your tags is recommended too. Unless your YouTube channel is a powerhouse with thousands of subscribers, you are unlikely to rank in the search results for shorter 2 or 3-word key phrases.

You can, however, appear in the top results for longer keyword search phrases, though these will have lower search volumes and drive smaller traffic.

5 Ways To Put Together a List of YouTube Tags.

So how do you put your list of tags together?

It’s best if you produce a long list of many possible tag key phrases first, then whittle it down to the best 30 or so. Start a new document or spreadsheet and as you collect potential tags, add them to the list.

You may be able to use some of the tags in another video you are planning; keeping tag ideas together in a file is not a bad practice.

As promised, here are five ways to find the best YouTube tags for ranking.

1.Brainstorm

One way to come up with a list of tags for your YouTube video is to brainstorm a list of keywords that someone might use to search for your video.

Imagine you know little to nothing about the details included in your video. What might a person in that situation type into a search engine to find the information?

It may sound like a silly idea, but you can come up with some out of the ordinary key-phrases using this method. Pretending you know nothing about your video topic can draw out some keywords that your competitors may not be using.

It’s worth a moment of your time before you use the same tag suggestion tools that everyone else uses.

2.YouTube Autocomplete

Autocomplete is a feature that predicts search terms when a user begins typing in the search bar.

It is there to save the user time. Google says that autocomplete reduces typing by 25% and collectively saves over 200 years of typing-time every day!

Because autocomplete predicts what users are going to type it also supplies a useful list of multi-word key phrases.

Here is an example using the steam iron keyword. Adding in extra words, or even a single letter, will reveal lots of keywords you can use in your tags.

youtube autocomplete example

3.Rapidtags.io YouTube Tag Generator

Rapid Tags is a YouTube tag generator that suggests a list of tags based on a seed keyword. You can copy all the suggestions with one click and add them to your list of possibles.

Rapid Tag does say in their about section that some tags may not be totally suitable for you purposes and you should remove any that don’t describe your video well.

rapidtags example

4.vidIQ

vidIQ is a tool designed to help creators build an audience on YouTube. The software has multiple tools for YouTube channels; one being their Google Chrome plugin. The plugin displays additional information about a video directly within the desktop version of YouTube.

Part of the information displayed is the tags used by a video. So, you can view some videos similar to yours and harvest the tags from those videos to add to your list.

vidiq example

5.Ytubetool.com

Ytubetool is a free tool you can use to harvest tags from a video if you don’t want to use vidIQ, or can’t install a Google Chrome plugin.

Simply add the URL of any YouTube video, and the tool will display a list of tags used by the video. With one-click to copy; it’s more potential tags ideas to add to your master file.

ytubetool example

Conclusion.

Using tags in your YouTube meta-data is not the most significant factor in ranking a video on YouTube. However, tags can play a small part in attracting initial traffic to your video.

Tags can also help YouTube to categorise your video, especially if the words in your title have more than one meaning.

YouTube themselves admit that tags only play a small part in your video discovery. So perhaps tags are best thought of as the finishing touches to your YouTube SEO. Necessary, but don’t obsess over it.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube

I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.

I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.

That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.

Best of all, some of their templates are FREE! or you can pay a small fee if you want to go for their slightly more premium designs (pst – I always used the free ones).

5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.

Categories
HOW TO GET MORE VIEWS ON YOUTUBE TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO YOUTUBE YOUTUBE TUTORIALS

Unlimited YouTube Video Ideas In Minutes

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS 1

Are you struggling for video ideas? Here is a sure fire way to have unlimited options that are definitely being searched.

[embedyt]https://youtu.be/FZJehuSmVjo[/embedyt]

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

Here we go. Hello, I’m Alan Spicer, your YouTube certified expert and I know that it’s really hard to get started on YouTube. It’s hard to think of ideas.

Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert

When you first get started, you might barrel into ideas. You might have a load in your head. You might have a notebook to get started, but sooner or later, it might just dry up where you get a bit of writer’s block, you’re stuck.

 

The core problem here happens to be that you want to be creating content that is searched, and being searched for right now, because it’s okay to throw up a video about your travel, it’s okay to throw up a video about your new hair dye or to seat there reading a book, but if you truly want to get caught by search, you need to make sure that you’re actually making content, that people are searching for.

 

I use this all the time. It’s called the “Alphabet Soup Method.”

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

If you already know what this happens to be, then fine, please bear with me, right?

 

I’ll explain why it’s important. But if you have no idea, I’m just about to explode your brain.

 

YouTube is the second largest search engine on the Internet. The only one that beats YouTube is Google who owns YouTube. So, they’ve been doing this for years. They’ve got 10, 15, 20 years worth of experience of learning what humans want to know, or find, and they understand our searching habits.

 

This means that you finally get that shortcut to understanding how people find your videos. I do channel reviews for my clients and I did possibly hundreds over the course of the last few months with vid IQ.

 

So many people make this mistake. Well, you look at their video and they have a fantastic done now, but the title of the video is the name of a series or “Wow, look at this!” or “Yummy cupcake.”

 

At least “Yummy cupcakes” is a searchable term, but “Wow, look at this!” and “This is a wall” or “We went here.” Nobody is searching for “We went here,” or “I dyed my hair.” Nobody is searching for really obscure Wow titles.

 

The only reason you get away with Wow is if you’re Casey Neistat or Jake Paul or Logan Paul or Cody Wanner, people who already have an inbuilt baked audience.

Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert

For a small YouTube channel, you need to stop pandering to either suggested traffic by uploading a ton of content or search by being smart aboutnhow you title content and how you think your things that you will create. There is no point in making a video that is so ultra niche that the only person that’s going to search for it is you and your mom.

 

That’s why you can’t just do, “Here’s what I did on my day in my house with my brother” because nobody else cares about that other than your brother.

 

So, what you do is you go to the search bar and dependent on your niche you start typing your way through search suggestions.

 

Let’s say I want to do something about cake, so I type in “Make a cake” and you’ll get your search results. But here’s the important thing: “Make a cake a” and it gives you suggestions.

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

Then, “Make a cake b” and “Make a cake c,” these are your search terms that humans have actively searched for.

 

So it could be “How to make a cake without eggs, how to make a cake with chocolate, how to make a banana cake, how to make an almond cake,” these are search terms that people have searched for.

 

And if it doesn’t auto complete, it’s likely that people haven’t gone to look for it.

 

You could also do this in Google, you type in your keyword or key-search term, “How to make a cake.”

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

And then you scroll all the way past the results down to the bottom, to the related terms. These are also video topics that you can make.

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

As you keep clicking through, you can get ultra niche. So it could be, “How to make a chocolate cake with cherries, how to make a chocolate cake with fudge icing.”

 

The ABC method will give you an unlimited amount of ideas that you can deep dive into. Also, if it was to just do the search results, that’s what I did here to start with: “How to make a YouTube,” and then it was “Playlist, channel, video, end screen, end card, outro.”

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

You will never run out of topics and you can always cheat by adding a little asterisk as well.

 

So, “How to * cake?”

 

What this does is it tells YouTube, “Okay, I want it to be about cake, but I don’t know what it is.”

 

So it could be, “How to proof a cake, how to ice a cake, how to make a fudge cake brownie.”

 

The little stars are wild cards and YouTube will auto fill it. And if it auto fills it for you, you’ll see that those are words and phrases that other humans have searched for in such a regular basis, that it becomes a search term.

 

If you pair that up with something like vidIQ search tool, you can see the competitiveness and the volume.

 

DO THIS FOR UNLIMITED YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

 

What you need is low competitiveness and high volume, which means there are so many people searching it, but not enough content to service that need.

 

Final Words

Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert

All you need to do is know exactly the videos you need to make by watching this video right here, remember to subscribe and I’ll see you soon.

 

And remember if you need more help with your channel with graphics, subtitles, affiliate marketing or more – check out my resource page where I list all my secret tools and websites to supercharge your channel growth.

Categories
LISTS TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO YOUTUBE

How To Do Keyword Research for YouTube – 3 Free Keyword Research Tools

How To Do Keyword Research for YouTube - 3 Free Keyword Research Tools

YouTube Keyword Research or Video SEO keyword ranking research is the secret to ranking better in youtube.

Learning how to do youtube keyword research with free keyword research tools can help you grow on youtube, get more views on youtube, get more subscribers on youtube and become successful on youtube search rankings long-term.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube

I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.

I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.

That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.

Best of all, some of their templates are FREE! or you can pay a small fee if you want to go for their slightly more premium designs (pst – I always used the free ones).

5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.