Semrush alternatives, by what you need

Semrush covers many jobs: keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlinks, competitor analysis, content, ads. Most founders use one or two. Buy the job, not the bundle.

Decide by your next deliverable. For example: fill a content plan for ten articles, check if a redesign broke SEO, or find three link prospects. Then pick the leanest tool that gets that done.

Use Ahrefs or SE Ranking for broad keyword and competitor ideas. Add Ubersuggest if you are new and want a simple start. Use AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked to mine questions. Always sanity check with your own Google Search Console queries.

1. 1

   Collect seed topics from your site and rivals

   List your core pages like /pricing and /guides/getting-started. In Ahrefs Keywords Explorer or SE Ranking, enter “invoice automation”, “billing software”, and your rival domains.

2. 2

   Map intent and difficulty

   Split by search intent. “What is invoice automation” is informational. “invoice automation software” is commercial. Use a tool’s difficulty metric as a rough filter, then judge the results yourself.

3. 3

   Validate with Search Console

   Open Performance in Google Search Console. Filter by Page for your /guides/ topic. Export queries with impressions but low clicks. These become your near-term targets.

4. 4

   Draft titles that fit the query

   Write a working title under about 60 characters. Example before: “Billing Tips”. After: “Invoice automation software: how it works and when to use it”.

If you only need questions, AnswerThePublic shows autocomplete as questions and prepositions, and AlsoAsked maps People also ask. They are fast ways to shape H2s for a guide page.

If you must track specific keywords daily or weekly, use SE Ranking. It focuses on rank tracking with supporting research, and suits a compact list. For rough direction without a tracker, Google Search Console already shows average positions over the last 28 days by query and page.

1. 1

   Pick a short list

   Track ten to twenty terms that match pipeline. Example: “invoice automation software”, “Xero invoice reminders”, your brand, and two feature terms.

2. 2

   Set a baseline and annotate

   Record positions before a release. When /pricing changes, add an annotation in your sheet. Compare the next two 28-day windows in Search Console.

3. 3

   Use page-level tracking

   /guides/invoice-automation may rank for dozens of variants. In Search Console, filter by that page and watch position trend and clicks over time.

If you want a crawl you can interpret, use Screaming Frog SEO Spider. It is a desktop crawler for Windows, macOS and Linux. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs. The licence unlocks unlimited crawls, custom extraction, scheduling and API connections. You get tables you read yourself.

If you prefer guided hints and visuals, use Sitebulb. It is a desktop crawler with a cloud version, with explained audit hints and crawl maps. For performance, run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools or PageSpeed Insights. For lab detail and waterfalls, use GTmetrix or WebPageTest. For indexing and enhancements, use Google Search Console.

1. 1

   Crawl your site

   In Screaming Frog, enter your homepage. Export titles over 60 characters and missing meta descriptions. Fix the worst pages first, like /pricing and /.

2. 2

   Check Core Web Vitals

   Open PageSpeed Insights for / and /pricing. Aim for LCP about 2.5 seconds, CLS about 0.1, INP about 200 ms. Fix images and layout shifts.

3. 3

   Verify indexing

   In Google Search Console, check Pages and Sitemaps. Ensure /guides/ pages are indexed. Fix “Alternate page with proper canonical tag” issues if you see them.

A fixed page looks like: a title under about 60 characters, a crisp meta description, compressed hero image, stable layout, and internal links from /guides/ to /pricing.

Use Ahrefs for backlink research. It is known for its backlink index and Site Explorer, and shows link growth and referring domains. Its Domain Rating, from 0 to 100, is link based and useful as a rough benchmark, not a target. Ahrefs Content Explorer helps find pages that mention your topic.

Use SE Ranking’s backlink features for lighter checks. In Google Search Console, the Links report shows the domains that already point to you. This is free and reliable for your own site once verified.

1. 1

   Benchmark your domain

   In Ahrefs Site Explorer, enter yourproduct.com. Note referring domains and DR. Check the anchor text mix. Compare to two rivals.

2. 2

   Find a link gap

   List domains that link to rivals but not you. Sort by relevance. Shortlist five that mention your exact topic.

3. 3

   Pitch with a fit

   Email the author of a relevant guide. Offer your /guides/invoice-automation explainer where it adds value. Avoid generic link swaps.

Use SpyFu for search and paid keyword history of domains. It is built for competitor research. You get a sense of what a rival has targeted over time. For a broader SEO picture, use Ahrefs Site Explorer to see top pages and keywords that drive traffic to a domain.

1. 1

   Pick two real rivals

   Not marketplaces. If you sell invoice automation for accountants, pick two SaaS peers with similar features and pricing pages.

2. 2

   Export their top terms

   In SpyFu, pull their best performers and paid history. In Ahrefs, export Top pages and Top keywords for each rival.

3. 3

   Find gaps you can win

   Cross off head terms. Keep long queries with clear intent, like “invoice reminders for Xero”. Build one page per gap. Link them from /guides/ and your /features/ page.

A fixed set looks like three pages that answer three rival-supported queries, internal links from /guides/ to /features/, and early impressions in Search Console within 28 days.

Use Google Search Console for pre click. It shows search queries, pages, impressions, clicks and positions. Use Google Analytics 4 for post click. It shows sessions, pages, events and conversions. The two never reconcile exactly. Report each for what it is built to show.

1. 1

   Make one page per objective

   Build a simple doc with three charts: GSC clicks for /guides/, GA4 conversions from organic, and a table of top landing pages by clicks.

2. 2

   Explain the cause

   Annotate launches and fixes. Example: “Reduced LCP on /pricing to about 2.5 seconds on 12 Sept. Clicks up over the next 28 days.”

3. 3

   Set the next job

   Close with one job: “Ship /guides/invoice-automation questions, link from /features/.” Keep tools and metrics in the appendix.

If you want one outside view on your site and market from a URL, Porteur gives a growth report bought once with a free check first.

• Google Search Console for queries, pages, indexing, sitemaps and Core Web Vitals.
• PageSpeed Insights for field data from Chrome UX Report and a Lighthouse run.
• Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools for lab checks during development.
• WebPageTest or GTmetrix for waterfalls and filmstrips when a page feels slow.
• Ubersuggest’s free tier to poke at keywords and site audit basics.
• AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked to gather questions and PAA angles.

You can research ten queries, fix slow images, and publish two useful guides with this stack. Add a paid tool only when you hit its ceiling on one job.