Brandwave

How popular isSemrush?

In September 2026, people searched for Semrush by name about 838,000 times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 68.6% of all global AI SEO tool searches, placing Semrush first out of eight tools. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI SEO tools, Semrush appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Semrush is the most searched of 8 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. SemrushShare of searches 68.6%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. AhrefsShare of searches 30.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. FraseShare of searches 0.25%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. ClearscopeShare of searches 0.21%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. MarketMuseShare of searches 0.17%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th

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Top AI SEO tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Semrush appeared in all five answers. Semrush is the second most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Surfer1st
  2. Semrush2nd
  3. Clearscope3rd
  4. Frase4th
  5. Ahrefs5th
  6. MarketMuse6th
  7. Screaming Frog7th
  8. WriterZen–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Surfer5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Frase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Clearscope4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ahrefs3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Screaming Frog2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • MarketMuse1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • WriterZen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI SEO tools

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Which AI SEO tools compete with Semrush?

Semrush against AI SEO tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Semrush, Ahrefs. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushAhrefsFraseClearscopeMarketMuseWriterZenScreaming FrogSurfer
Oct 202563.9%35%0.16%0.45%0.36%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202568.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.16%<0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202572.3%26.4%0.17%0.41%0.42%0.2%<0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202663.8%34.9%0.22%0.44%0.53%0.15%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202664%35%0.22%0.37%0.3%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202668.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.11%<0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202668.5%30.6%0.19%0.32%0.26%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
May 202664%35%0.37%0.3%0.24%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Jun 202668.4%30.6%0.33%0.31%0.2%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
Jul 202668.5%30.6%0.35%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Aug 202668.5%30.6%0.28%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Sep 202668.6%30.7%0.25%0.21%0.17%0.09%<0.01%<0.01%

  1. 1.Semrush

    68.6%

    Held 1st. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  2. 2.Ahrefs

    30.7%

    Held 2nd. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Frase

    0.25%

    Held 3rd. 2.5K estimated branded searches, -10.8% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Clearscope

    0.21%

    Held 4th. 2.1K estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.MarketMuse

    0.17%

    Held 5th. 1.7K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.WriterZen

    0.09%

    Held 6th. 880 estimated branded searches, -12% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Screaming Frog

    <0.01%

    Held 7th. 40 estimated branded searches, +33.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  8. 8.Surfer

    <0.01%

    Held 8th. 10 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Semrush and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Semrush

41 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Semrush changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Semrush worldwide held steady at 838K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide increased from 63.9% to 68.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide peaked at 72.3% in December 2025 and was lowest at 63.8% in January 2026.

How did search popularity change for AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Screaming Frog worldwide rose 100% over 12 measured months, from 20 to 40 in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Frase worldwide rose 19.1% over 12 measured months, from 2.1K to 2.5K in September 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Clearscope worldwide fell 63.8% over 12 measured months, from 5.8K to 2.1K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for MarketMuse worldwide fell 63.8% over 12 measured months, from 4.7K to 1.7K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Surfer worldwide fell 50% over 12 measured months, from 20 to 10 in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for WriterZen worldwide fell 45% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 880 in September 2026.

How are Semrush’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Semrush’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • semrush
  • semrush seo tool

Do you work for Semrush? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Semrush compete?

Semrush is ranked in nine competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Keyword research tools1st of 743.3%Show ranking
SEO tools1st of 1045.5%Show ranking
Web traffic intelligence platforms1st of 549.3%Show ranking
Backlink analysis tools1st of 749.7%Show ranking
SEO rank tracking platforms1st of 956.7%Show ranking
AI search visibility tools1st of 1060.8%Show ranking
Competitive intelligence platforms1st of 761.9%Show ranking
AI SEO tools1st of 868.6%Shown above
Content marketing platforms1st of 768.9%Show ranking
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Is Semrush your brand?

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