Semrush and Moz are two search engine optimization (SEO) tools that help you do your research for content on web pages. They are considered leaders in the industry and direct competitors. If you’re looking for keyword research and to better understand how your website is performing against top competitors, both Semrush and Moz can help. Let’s take a closer look at how these tools are similar and how they differ.
Semrush vs. Moz: At a Glance
Semrush and Moz are two SEO tools that help you break down your research into campaigns or projects. These campaigns or projects are websites you are doing research for and will help monitor the success of the website. Semrush and Moz are both used for content marketing purposes, but Semrush goes a step further with its content marketing platform that helps you create content that will be more likely to rank among the competition.
How Semrush and Moz Stack Up
Semrush and Moz are two tools that can get your SEO needs accomplished. Both platforms do require a bit of training in order to maximize your subscription and get everything you’re paying for.
- | Semrush | Moz |
---|---|---|
Starting Monthly Price | $117.33 (with annual billing) | $39 (with annual billing) |
Keywords To Track | Starts at 500 | Starts at 300 |
Results per Report | Starts at 10,000 | Starts at 10,000 |
Projects | Starts at five | Starts at three |
Backlink Queries | N/A | Starts at 5,000 |
Content Marketing Platform | Yes | No |
Starting Price
Both Semrush and Moz can get expensive, but Semrush offers a discount on pricing when you subscribe and pay annually. Semrush is pricier than Moz, starting at $108.33 per month (with annual billing), while Moz is only $70 per month (with annual billing). Users should examine both products and determine if Semrush’s additional features are something they will use and, thus, make it worth paying more for.
Keywords To Track
When doing SEO work, you want to make sure that you are able to track the keywords important to your campaigns. This is the foundation of any SEO tool. Semrush allows you to track 500 words on its baseline plan, while Moz allows you to track 300 on its baseline plan. These numbers go up with the higher-tiered plans, expanding what you can track in your projects or campaigns.
Results To Report
When doing keyword research, you want to see as many results as possible to get the best sense of where you can see success. Semrush’s baseline plan offers 10,000 results per report, while Moz has 10,000 rows per keyword query in its baseline plan. These numbers go up in the higher-level plans.
Projects
Projects or campaigns are the websites you want to follow regularly. These are the primary URL domain names. Semrush’s baseline plan allows you to have five projects, while Moz allows you to have three campaigns. These numbers go up when you subscribe to higher-level plans.
Backlink Queries
Backlinks help your URL gain traction with the search engine spiders and show them that the website is relevant. Semrush doesn’t offer a backlinks query, while Moz’s starter plan has 5,000. This is an important feature that helps you maximize your visibility when used correctly.
Content Marketing Platform
The core of SEO is the content produced on the website. Semrush has tools that help you deliver the content needed to rank with its content marketing platform. This is not something that Moz currently offers.
Cost of Semrush vs. Moz
- | Plan 1 | Plan 2 | Plan 3 | Plan 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Semrush | $117.33 per month (with annual billing) | $208.33 per month (with annual billing) | $416.66 per month (with annual billing) | N/A |
Moz | $39 per month (with annual billing) | $79 per month (with annual billing) | $143 per month (with annual billing) | $239 per month (with annual billing) |
Customer Reviews and Reputation
Forbes Advisor looks at third-party review sites to see what actual customers have to say about the platforms that we examine. We took a look at the reviews on G2. Semrush has 1,827 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of five. Users of Semrush like that its tools save them hours of competitive research time.
Semrush’s keyword gap tool, for example, shows where a website can gain success quickly. Users also like the audits that review exactly what the site needs to work on and where errors exist so that they can fix it. However, users don’t like the steep learning curve for Semrush, saying there are lots of “i” blocks to hover over to gain more insight.
Moz has not been reviewed as much as Semrush, with 394 total reviews. It has an average star rating of 4.3 stars out of five. Users say that Moz is intuitive and easy to use and that the data is reliable and comprehensive, adding value for the website research. However, users also say that the backlink data falls short of expectations and can be improved, compared to tools such as Ahrefs and Google Search Console.
Top Semrush and Moz Alternatives
While Semrush and Moz are popular tools, they are not the only tools for website content developers to use to maximize their SEO efforts. Here are some of the top competitors to these two tools.
- | SEO Dashboard | SERP Comparison | Site Audit | Starting Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ahrefs | Yes | Yes | Yes | $108 per month (with annual billing) |
Screaming Frog | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
SpyFu | Yes | Yes | Yes | $33 per month (with annual billing) |
Google Search Console | Yes | No | Yes | Free |
Bottom Line
Semrush and Moz are similar tools that both help you tackle the best SEO research possible. These tools are necessary for any content developer looking to rank on the search engines and maximize the number of eyes on any given website page.
Semrush is best for:
- Website content developers looking to get an edge on content creation with the additional tools Semrush offers
Moz is best for:
- Website content developers seeking to get the most tools for a baseline price that is hard to beat
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are SEO tools?
SEO tools help content developers build website pages and content that has the best chance of getting ranked by search engines such as Google. They provide key insights about keywords, backlinks and competitors’ content.
What is the best SEO tool to use?
Semrush and Ahrefs sit at the top of the list when it comes to paid SEO tools. These are the most dynamic tools that offer the most reliable research. There are also free tools to help a web developer that include Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which provide critical insights about a website or URL.
Can I teach myself SEO?
It is possible to learn SEO on your own. You can utilize the vast video and content resources provided by paid tools such as Semrush and Moz. You can also hire an expert and gain insight by asking a lot of questions so you can transfer the work into your own hands with the tools available to everyone.