Brandwave

AnswerThePublic vs SE Ranking:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, AnswerThePublic had more branded searches than SE Ranking among SEO tools worldwide. AnswerThePublic had about 110,000 branded searches, while SE Ranking had 49,500. AnswerThePublic made up 6% of all SEO tool searches we track, and SE Ranking accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about SEO tools, SE Ranking appeared in three of the five answers and AnswerThePublic in two. SE Ranking was mentioned before AnswerThePublic in three out of four answers that named either.

Among SEO tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

AnswerThePublic, about 2 searches for every 1 for SE Ranking

AnswerThePublic 110K searchesSE Ranking 49.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

SE Ranking, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, AnswerThePublic in 2

SE Ranking in 3 of 5AnswerThePublic in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

SE Ranking, named ahead of AnswerThePublic in 3 of 4 answers

SE Ranking first in 3AnswerThePublic first in 1

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Top SEO tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, SE Ranking was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. AnswerThePublic was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. SE Ranking was listed before AnswerThePublic in three out of four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Semrush1st
  2. Ahrefs2nd
  3. Screaming Frog3rd
  4. SE Ranking4th
  5. Google Keyword Planner5th
  6. AnswerThePublic6th
  7. Moz Pro7th
  8. Mangools8th
  9. Ubersuggest9th
  10. Serpstat–

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
  • Ahrefs5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Screaming Frog4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • SE Ranking3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Google Keyword Planner2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • AnswerThePublic2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Moz Pro2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Ubersuggest1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Mangools1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Serpstat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about 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 21, 2026.

Is AnswerThePublic or SE Ranking more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for AnswerThePublic and SE Ranking by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten SEO tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

AnswerThePublic and SE Ranking among SEO tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for AnswerThePublic, SE Ranking. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushGoogle Keyword PlannerAhrefsUbersuggestAnswerThePublicSE RankingMangoolsSerpstatMoz ProScreaming Frog
Oct 202537.4%19.4%20.3%11%7.4%3.3%0.67%0.44%0.13%<0.01%
Nov 202539.6%17.8%17.5%11.5%9.4%2.8%0.7%0.46%0.11%<0.01%
Dec 202540.8%18.4%14.8%11.9%9.7%2.9%0.89%0.39%0.14%<0.01%
Jan 202635.2%18.2%19.1%12.6%10.3%3.1%0.94%0.42%0.15%<0.01%
Feb 202636.2%18.7%19.5%10.6%10.5%3.2%0.79%0.42%0.17%<0.01%
Mar 202654.6%13%14.1%9%6%2.2%0.55%0.36%0.13%<0.01%
Apr 202641.5%16.5%17.3%11.4%9.3%2.8%0.7%0.38%0.14%<0.01%
May 202637%18.2%19.1%10.3%8.4%5.6%0.77%0.42%0.15%<0.01%
Jun 202640.9%18.4%16.7%11%9%2.7%0.67%0.36%0.13%<0.01%
Jul 202639.9%22.7%17%9.1%7.5%2.7%0.67%0.3%0.13%<0.01%
Aug 202642.3%19.4%17.5%9.5%7.8%2.3%0.7%0.31%0.11%<0.01%
Sep 202645.5%19.3%16.4%9%6%2.7%0.66%0.29%0.09%<0.01%

How has the AnswerThePublic and SE Ranking comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • AnswerThePublic was ahead of SE Ranking in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AnswerThePublic’s share of searches among SEO tools worldwide moved from 7.4% to 6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 110K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SE Ranking’s share of searches among SEO tools worldwide moved from 3.3% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 49.5K.

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, AnswerThePublic lost share of searches among SEO tools worldwide, from 7.8% to 6%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for SE Ranking worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 49.5K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

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

AnswerThePublic

1 branded search term

  • answerthepublic

SE Ranking

1 branded search term

  • se ranking

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among SEO tools

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