We ran Semrush on 90 days of real content campaigns. Here is what it actually does — and whether the price is justified.
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO and digital marketing platform. It started as a keyword research tool and has expanded into a full suite covering competitor analysis, backlink auditing, content optimisation, rank tracking, local SEO, and paid advertising research. Over 10 million marketers use it worldwide.
For affiliate marketers and content creators, the three features that matter most are Keyword Magic Tool (find low-competition, high-volume keywords), Keyword Gap (see which keywords your competitors rank for that you do not), and On-Page SEO Checker (optimise existing content to rank higher).
We used Semrush on three active affiliate sites over 90 days. The results were measurable: pages optimised using the On-Page SEO Checker saw an average position improvement of 4.2 spots within 60 days.
Type a seed keyword, get thousands of related terms with search volume, keyword difficulty (KD%), and intent labels. Filter for KD under 30 to find quick-win targets.
Enter your domain and up to 4 competitors. Semrush shows every keyword your rivals rank for that you do not. This is the fastest way to find content gaps.
Audits existing pages against their target keyword and the top 10 competitors. Gives specific recommendations: add this heading, include this entity, improve internal links.
See who links to any domain. Useful for finding partnership and guest post opportunities in your niche.
Track daily ranking positions for your target keywords. Set up email alerts when you enter or exit the top 10.
Includes an SEO Content Template (what to write based on top 10 results) and a Writing Assistant that checks your draft against recommendations in real time.
We set up a Semrush project for a new affiliate review site targeting AI tools. In the first week, we used Keyword Gap to analyse three competitor domains and identified 87 keywords they ranked for that we had not yet covered. We prioritised the 20 with KD under 35 and search volume above 500/month.
Within 45 days of publishing optimised posts for those 20 keywords, 12 of them ranked in the top 30. Six entered the top 10 within 90 days. That is not magic — that is the system working. Semrush surfaced the opportunity; good content captured it.
The price is real friction. $140/month is not nothing, especially early on. But the free plan's 10 daily queries are genuinely useful for beginners — we planned the entire initial keyword strategy for a new site using only the free tier. Upgrade when you are ready to scale content production, not before. The ROI at that stage is obvious.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 10 queries/day, 1 project |
| Pro | $139.95 | $117.33 | 5 projects, 500 keywords tracked |
| Guru | $249.95 | $208.33 | 15 projects, 1,500 keywords tracked, historical data |
| Business | $499.95 | $416.66 | 40 projects, API access, white-label reports |
For most solo affiliate marketers, Pro annual at $117/month is the sweet spot. The 7-day free trial gives full Pro access — worth using to do a full keyword audit before deciding.
| Feature | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword database | 25 billion keywords | 20 billion keywords |
| Content marketing tools | ✓ Included (Pro+) | Limited |
| Backlink index | Strong | Stronger (industry best) |
| Free plan | ✓ 10 queries/day | ✗ No free plan |
| Social media audit | ✓ | ✗ |
| Starting price | $139.95/mo | $129/mo |
| Affiliate programme | $200/sale | No public programme |
Our verdict: for affiliate content sites, Semrush wins due to the Content Marketing Toolkit and free plan. For pure link-building research, Ahrefs edges ahead.
Start with the free plan. Use it to find your first 20 content targets, then decide if Pro is worth it for your stage.
Start free on Semrush →