Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SEMRush VS Google Search Console

Compare SEMRush VS Google Search Console and see what are their differences

SEMRush logo SEMRush

All-in-one Marketing Toolkit for digital marketing professionals.

Google Search Console logo Google Search Console

Google Webmaster Tools provides you with detailed reports about your pages' visibility on...
  • SEMRush Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-24
  • Google Search Console Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-28

SEMRush features and specs

  • Comprehensive SEO Toolkit
    SEMRush provides a wide range of tools for keyword research, competitive analysis, backlink analysis, site audit, and more, making it a one-stop-shop for all SEO needs.
  • Accurate Data
    Known for providing accurate and updated data which is crucial for making informed SEO decisions.
  • Competitive Analysis
    Offers extensive competitor analysis features, helping businesses understand their competitors' strategies and improve their own.
  • In-depth Reports
    Creates detailed reports that offer valuable insights into performance metrics and areas for improvement.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The platform is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for beginners in SEO.

Possible disadvantages of SEMRush

  • Pricing
    SEMRush pricing can be relatively high, especially for small businesses and freelancers.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite being user-friendly, the sheer depth of features can present a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Data Limits
    Certain features and data exports are limited based on the subscription plan, which can be restrictive for high-volume users.
  • Customer Support
    While customer support is generally good, some users have reported slow response times during peak periods.
  • Occasional Inconsistencies
    Some users have reported occasional inconsistencies in search volume and backlink data.

Google Search Console features and specs

  • Free to Use
    Google Search Console is entirely free, allowing website owners and marketers to use its comprehensive tools without incurring additional costs.
  • Comprehensive Insights
    Provides detailed reports on search traffic, indexing status, and website performance, helping users make informed decisions.
  • Performance Tracking
    Allows users to track their websiteโ€™s search performance, providing metrics such as clicks, impressions, and average position.
  • Indexing Management
    Enables users to submit sitemaps and individual URLs for crawling, ensuring that new and updated content is indexed more quickly.
  • Security Features
    Alerts users about potential security issues like hacking and malware, enabling quick action to protect the website and its users.
  • Mobile Usability
    Offers insights into mobile usability issues, helping users optimize their sites for better mobile user experience.
  • Link Analysis
    Provides detailed data on inbound and internal links, helping users understand their link profile and identify potential improvements.
  • Search Appearance
    Helps users understand how their website appears in search results and offers advice on optimizing structured data.

Possible disadvantages of Google Search Console

  • Data Delays
    There is often a delay in data updates, sometimes up to 48 hours, which can affect timely decision-making.
  • Limited Historical Data
    Stores performance data for only the last 16 months, which can be restrictive for long-term analysis.
  • Complexity
    The extensive array of tools and reports can be overwhelming for beginners and requires a learning curve to use effectively.
  • No Real-Time Data
    Unlike some other analytics tools, Google Search Console does not provide real-time data, limiting instant insights.
  • Reliance on Google
    Being a Google product, the data and tools are tailored to Google's search engine, which may limit the scope if optimizing for other search engines is needed.
  • Limited Analytics Integration
    While it integrates with Google Analytics, the integration is not very deep, sometimes requiring manual correlation of data.

Analysis of SEMRush

Overall verdict

  • SEMRush is considered an excellent tool for digital marketers due to its wide range of features and reliable data. It is especially beneficial for businesses and marketers who want to enhance their SEO strategies and gain a competitive edge in the digital space. While it can be on the pricier side, the value it provides in terms of actionable insights and enhanced marketing strategies justifies the investment for many users.

Why this product is good

  • SEMRush is a comprehensive digital marketing tool that is highly regarded for its robust features designed to improve online visibility and optimize content marketing strategies. It offers extensive SEO tools, including keyword research, site auditing, competitor analysis, and backlink tracking. Additionally, SEMRush provides tools for PPC campaigns, social media monitoring, and content optimization. Its user-friendly interface and detailed analytics make it a favorite among digital marketers seeking data-driven insights to boost their online performance.

Recommended for

    SEMRush is particularly recommended for SEO specialists, digital marketing agencies, content marketers, and businesses of all sizes who are serious about improving their search engine rankings and digital marketing strategies. It is also suitable for PPC managers and social media strategists who need comprehensive tools for campaign analysis and tracking.

SEMRush videos

SEMRush Review 2020 โ˜‘๏ธ Best Keyword Research Tool in 2020? ๐Ÿ˜ฑ SEMRush Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - SEMRush Review 2019 and Full SEMRush Tutorial on How to Use SEMRush
  • Tutorial - SEMRush Review and Tutorial: How Good Is It Really?

Google Search Console videos

Google Search Console Tutorial - Google Webmasters Tools Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Google Search Console Review - Beginners Guide PREVIEW by Bizversity.com
  • Review - Monitoring Rich Results in Search Console - Google Search Console Training

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SEMRush and Google Search Console)
SEO
92 92%
8% 8
SEO Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Content Marketing
92 92%
8% 8
AI
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SEMRush and Google Search Console

SEMRush Reviews

  1. fraserstewart
    ยท CCO at Lyfeguard ยท
    Fantastic platform but introduce a โ€˜starter tierโ€™

    Canโ€™t knock the platform - itโ€™s great. I feel like they should have a paid-for offering at a lower price point, however. Strongly recommend!

  2. Mohit Gupta
    ยท Small Business Owner at SmokeHub ยท
    Easy to use with limited trail but prices are high expensive - Semrush

    Semrush is very popular and next level performance tool which varies competitors, analyzes and tracking of any domain website, which provides you full information what's the position of the website, overall traffic, etc. This tool is easy to use with limited trial 7 days, after the trial ends, has limited features work on free plan. There plans are very expensive, not affordable at purchasing price plans.

    In my experience, semrush is very costly and high level of experience.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Ahrefs, Moz, SE Ranking, Marketing Miner
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Real-time analytics|Excellent features|Simple yet powerful and efficient tool
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Pricing is too high|Limited features with free plan.
  3. Dorian Leone
    ยท Webmaster at Competitive Insight ยท
    Great keyword tracking platform, shame they removed the display advertising report

    SEMrush provides a great central hub for adding your websites as projects which can be tracked, audited and measured for visibility over time. I've used the platform across many roles and found the only recent drawback was the removal of their display advertising competitor reports.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Serpstat

The 16 Best Moz Alternatives for Every Budgetย 
If you run local SEO campaigns, Semrush has a whole set of tools called Semrush Local that are just for that purpose. You can add this tool kit on to a standard Semrush subscription or purchase it separately.
10 SE Ranking Alternatives in 2025 [Free and Paid]
SEMrush is ideal for users who need a comprehensive suite that goes beyond SEO, including content marketing and PPC management, making it perfect for digital marketers with diverse needs. Its extensive feature set offers a broader range of capabilities compared to SE Ranking.
10 Moz Pro Alternatives in 2025 [Free and Paid]
SEMrush is an all-in-one marketing platform that offers a broader range of tools compared to Moz Pro. SEMrush includes features such as keyword research, site audits, and backlink analysis, but it also extends into content marketing, social media management, and PPC.
Top 5 SEO Automation Tools for Agencies
By now, youโ€™ve seen how each of these top SEO automation tools can help your agency thrive in 2025. The right choice for you depends on your agencyโ€™s focus and challenges. If you need to quickly optimize on-page elements at scale, a tool like ClickRank or Alli AI might be your best bet for automating those tasks. If youโ€™re looking for a complete done-for-you AI assistant,...
Screaming Frog Alternative
SemRush - SemRushโ€™s technical SEO tools will allow you to crawl your website similar to Screaming Frog. SemRush also provides comprehensive keyword research tools of course, and a powerful toolset for any SEO. Pricing starts at $139.95 per month for one user.
Source: metamonster.ai

Google Search Console Reviews

Free SEO Tools To Improve Your Rankings
Better Google Search Console Insights Free services that connect to your Google Search Console (GSC) data and get you better reports on keywords, content ideas, ranking opportunities & recommendations, check for keyword cannibalization, and more. Make the best of Google's Search Console.
9ย Free Keywordย Research Tools (That CRUSH Google Keyword Planner)
Google Search Console helps you track your websiteโ€™s performance in organic search. This means it shows a lot of data about the keywords that you already rank for.
Source: ahrefs.com
73 Best SEO tools 2021 โ€“ The Most Epic List You Shouldnโ€™t Miss
Google Search Console is a web service by Google, provided free of charge for webmasters, which allows them to check indexing status and optimize visibility of their websites.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Search Console should be more popular than SEMRush. It has been mentiond 109 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SEMRush mentions (18)

  • SEO 101: A Fun and Easy Guide to Crushing It in Digital Marketing
    Unveiling the Advanced SEO Strategies: 1. Strategic Keyword Domination: Identify high-value, long-tail keywords relevant to your niche. Leverage keyword mapping to align content with specific stages of the customer journey. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush offer advanced keyword research capabilities. 2. Content Excellence Beyond Basics: Craft content that not only targets keywords but provides value and... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Research tools for niche/product competition?
    I use SEMRush (semrush.com/) a lot when researching a niche. I would input the URL of a competitor, and then examine "competitors of organic key words" -- to find related websites that compete with the input URL website. I would spent hours and hours in researching and documenting a list of competitors in different niches. Source: over 2 years ago
  • The blackout isnโ€™t just for subreddits. Users need to participate too.
    Https://www.similarweb.com/ and https://semrush.com they are not 100% accurate but they are a good indicator. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How is your content production workflow?
    Each day that I write, I create the post directly in Wordpress. I use Surfer for Content optimization and sometimes SEMrush to help with keyword research, but Iโ€™m not super strict about following the suggestions. I try to keep it as natural as possible. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Need to up my SEO game.
    If you're looking to up your SEO game, there are several strategies you can try. One approach is to conduct thorough keyword research to identify the phrases and terms your target audience is using to search for businesses like yours. Tools like SEMrush and SurferSEO can be helpful. From there, you can optimize your website content, including titles, meta descriptions, and body copy, to incorporate these keywords... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Google Search Console mentions (109)

  • Increasing Your Website Authority (DA, DR & AS Explained)
    Use Google Search Console or Semrush Backlink Audit to monitor and disavow toxic links. - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • How to Increase Site Traffic Without Paid Ads
    Many people believe traffic means going viral. Thatโ€™s a myth. What matters more is consistent relevance. Even 200 monthly visitors who read two pages and sign up for your newsletter are more valuable than 10,000 who bounce in 5 seconds. Use tools like Google Search Console to find queries youโ€™re already showing up for - and improve those pages. Study your bounce rates. Tweak intros. Rephrase subheadings.... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • SEO Considerations When Launching a Website Redesign
    Identify old URLs using Google Search Console or a site crawler like Screaming Frog. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Is Your Website Stuck in the Past? Hereโ€™s What You Might Be Missing in 2025!
    Need help with SEO? Tools like Yoast SEO or Google Search Console can make a huge difference! - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How I optimized my blog images using Rust
    Since I learned a bit more about SEO and about Google Search Console I decided to check my blog's performance and see what I can do to improve it. Submitted my sitemap and ran a performance check and even if performance was at 100/100 I saw that the images were not optimized. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SEMRush and Google Search Console, you can also consider the following products

Ahrefs - Ahrefs is a toolset for SEO and marketing. We have tools for backlink research, organic traffic research, keyword research, content marketing & more. Give Ahrefs a try!

Moz - Backed by industry-leading data and the largest community of SEOs on the planet, Moz builds tools that make inbound marketing easy.

SE Ranking - All-in-One cloud-based SEO software for agencies, marketing teams and webmasters

SimilarWeb - SimilarWeb.com is a website analysis tool that gives you analytics information for any website.

SEO PowerSuite - Get all SEO tools in one pack - download free edition of SEO PowerSuite and get top 10 rankings for your site on Google and other search engines!

Serpstat - Serpstat is the Swiss army knife for automating SEO processes. With a suite of powerful modules, you can track your performance, analyze your competitors, research keywords and backlinks, audit your website, and so much more.