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 68.9% of all global content marketing platform searches, placing Semrush first out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about content marketing platforms, Semrush appeared in three of the five answers and was the most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Semrush is the most searched of 7 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. SemrushShare of searches 68.9%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. OptimizelyShare of searches 25.4%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. SkywordShare of searches 4.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. ContentlyShare of searches 0.83%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. CoScheduleShare of searches 0.37%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

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Top content marketing platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Semrush was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Semrush is the most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Semrush1st
  2. CoSchedule2nd
  3. Optimizely3rd
  4. StoryChief4th
  5. Contently5th
  6. Skyword–
  7. Uberflip–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • CoSchedule4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Semrush3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • StoryChief3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Optimizely2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Contently2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Skyword0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Uberflip0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about content marketing platforms

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 content marketing platforms compete with Semrush?

Semrush against content marketing platforms worldwide, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushOptimizelySkywordContentlyCoScheduleStoryChiefUberflip
Oct 202573.1%22%3%1.1%0.48%0.28%0.09%
Nov 202574.1%22.3%2.1%0.89%0.4%0.18%0.08%
Dec 202570.1%25.7%2.4%1%0.46%0.18%0.09%
Jan 202665.9%29.6%2.7%0.97%0.43%0.2%0.09%
Feb 202669.9%25.7%2.6%1%0.46%0.2%0.09%
Mar 202673.7%22.1%2.6%0.89%0.39%0.22%0.08%
Apr 202674.1%22.3%2.1%0.89%0.32%0.18%0.06%
May 202670.1%25.7%2.5%1%0.38%0.18%0.08%
Jun 202670.7%26%1.6%1%0.38%0.17%0.08%
Jul 202670.6%25.9%2%0.85%0.38%0.17%0.08%
Aug 202669%25.4%4.3%0.83%0.3%0.14%0.07%
Sep 202668.9%25.4%4.3%0.83%0.37%0.14%0.06%

  1. 1.Semrush

    68.9%

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

  2. 2.Optimizely

    25.4%

    Held 2nd. 248K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Skyword

    4.3%

    Held 3rd. 42.4K estimated branded searches, +0.71% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Contently

    0.83%

    Held 4th. 8.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.CoSchedule

    0.37%

    Held 5th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +24.1% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  6. 6.StoryChief

    0.14%

    Held 6th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, -0.75% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Uberflip

    0.06%

    Held 7th. 590 estimated branded searches, -18.1% 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 content marketing platforms worldwide decreased from 73.1% to 68.9%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among content marketing platforms worldwide peaked at 74.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 65.9% in January 2026.

How did search popularity change for content marketing platforms worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. Skyword’s share of searches among content marketing platforms worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.6% to 4.3% in September 2026.

  2. Semrush’s share of searches among content marketing platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 70.7% to 68.9% in September 2026.

  3. Optimizely’s share of searches among content marketing platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 26% to 25.4% in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for StoryChief worldwide fell 57.1% over 12 measured months, from 3.1K to 1.3K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Uberflip worldwide fell 41% over 12 measured months, from 1K to 590 in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for CoSchedule worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 3.6K 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
SEO rank tracking platforms1st of 956.7%Show ranking
Backlink analysis tools1st of 559.1%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%Show ranking
Content marketing platforms1st of 768.9%Shown above
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