When I first started Grand Cru Digital, I spent a few weeks trialing all the different SEO tools. I needed a program that would help me keep an eye on various websites (alongside my own) to track SEO progress and keep a close eye on website health. I had dabbled with Semrush at my previous agency, however it wasn’t until I spent a good few days intensely using the tool that I knew the investment in the tool would help me provide a better service for my clients.
Plus, it’s a tool not only for SEO but also for PPC (Google Ads), content marketing, social media and competitive research. Cue the *wow* emoji face.
How does Semrush help me? It helps me easily keep a close eye on keyword rankings (across different devices and in different locations), do keyword research, monitor the health of my websites and much more! I receive automatic emails which alert me of any big changes to my websites so I can make sure everything is running smooth. Semrush is an asset to my business that saves me so much time and stress!
“The Semrush symbol is a fireball. This is the energy that fuels the marketing mechanism.”
I have now been using Semrush solidly for the last 3 years. In fact, I use it every day. Which is why I have become an affiliate partner of theirs recently. I was already recommending the tool, so it just makes sense, that at no cost to you, I get a small amount of commission if you choose to sign up to SEMRush via my affiliate links in this post and on my site.
The big thing about Semrush that I really love is that they are constantly making their tools better. And in 2020 they made so many exciting updates (including their new branding!). So today I thought I would share with you a few of the updates that I particularly loved. You can read about the full list of Semrush updates here.
More Keyword Data
Understanding what keywords people are searching for, is essential to a successful SEO strategy. In 2020, Semrush improved their Keyword Overview report and you can now see things like:
- The global search volume for a specific keyword and which countries that keyword is most popular in
- You can see the top 100 Google results for a specific keyword and the metrics for each of those websites (backlinks, search traffic, etc)
And did I mention the Semrush keyword database has over 20 billion keywords now? This has grown exponentially seeing as the database had two billion in 2018. What amazing growth!
New Keyword Gap Tool
The more keyword data I can get my hands on, the better in my opinion. Understanding what people are searching for is key (pun totally intended!). The Keyword Gap Tool allows you to plug in your website alongside competitor domains and see what they are ranking for that you are/aren’t ranking strongly for.
It can help you with new content ideas alongside spotting opportunities where you can potentially improve content to obtain better results.
You should constantly be looking at ways to improve your content alongside ways to create amazing new content which your audiences would love.
Improved Website Audit Health Analysis
For all the websites I look after, I use the Site Audit tool. It helps me automatically check the health of my websites on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s alerted me of potential issues which if left unattended, could have resulted in a drop in traffic or rankings. So I am very thankful I have access to this tool!
In 2020 Semrush added a new one-of-a-kind Markups Report. This helps you see what markup you have on your website and any potential implementation errors.
You can give the Site Audit tool a go here:
As mentioned, these are only SOME of the improvements Semrush made in 2020, to see the full list of Semrush updates click here.
I would strongly recommend you at least try the free version of the tool to see if it’s the right fit to help drive digital marketing growth for your business. If it is the right fit, then you may be interested in the pricing and plans, which you can find below.
Semrush Pricing
Let’s talk pricing. You can view the full Semrush pricing on their website, however the gist of it for annual subscriptions is:
Pro
- This is the perfect package if you are a business owner, startup or are a freelancer/in-house marketer.
- US$99.95 per month, which is approximately AU$129
Guru
- This package is what Grand Cru Digital is on – it’s great for more advanced SMB who need more features and their online marketing is a huge priority for their business. It’s also good for marketing agencies like GCD
- With the Guru and Business packages, unlike the Pro account, you also have access to the Content Marketing Platform
- US$191.92 per month, which is approximately AU$248
Business
- This is for people with an extensive web presence – for example if you run an eCommerce business and your website is your livelihood, then this is probably the perfect package for you. It’s also good for agencies who manage multiple clients
- US$374.95 per month, which is approximately AU$484
You can also go on monthly plans so you can quit anytime, however the cost per month is slightly higher than what is mentioned above. Please note these prices are correct as of the 18th February 2021.
I understand anything like this can be a big investment for a business (it most definitely was for me when I first start Grand Cru Digital), therefore if you have any questions, I would be more than happy for you to let me know via my contact form.
Chat soon!
Cheers,
Casey
