Brandwave

Profound vs Semrush:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Profound among AI search visibility tools worldwide. Semrush had about 673,000 branded searches, while Profound had 22,200. Semrush made up 60.8% of all AI search visibility tool searches we track, and Profound accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI search visibility tools, Semrush appeared in four of the five answers and Profound in three. Profound and Semrush were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.

Among AI search visibility tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Semrush, about 30 searches for every 1 for Profound

Semrush 673K searchesProfound 22.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Semrush, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Profound in 3

Semrush in 4 of 5Profound in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.

Profound first in 2Semrush first in 2

Follow Profound vs Semrush and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top AI search visibility tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Semrush was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Profound was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Profound and Semrush were each listed first in two of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Peec AI1st
  2. Otterly.AI2nd
  3. Semrush3rd
  4. Profound4th
  5. Ahrefs5th
  6. SE Ranking6th
  7. Searchable7th
  8. AirOps–
  9. AthenaHQ–
  10. Scrunch–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Semrush4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Peec AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Otterly.AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Profound3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • SE Ranking2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Searchable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • AirOps0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • AthenaHQ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Scrunch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI search visibility 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.

Is Profound or Semrush more popular in search?

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

Profound and Semrush among AI search visibility tools worldwide, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushAhrefsSE RankingPeec AIProfoundAirOpsSearchableOtterly.AIAthenaHQScrunch
Oct 202558.2%31.8%5.2%0.91%1.1%1.1%0.75%0.24%0.27%0.31%
Nov 202562.3%27.9%4.6%1.4%0.99%1.4%0.65%0.26%0.23%0.28%
Dec 202565.4%23.9%4.8%1.5%1.1%1.5%1%0.26%0.29%0.28%
Jan 202657.3%31.3%5.2%1.6%1.1%1.6%0.92%0.35%0.33%0.31%
Feb 202657.3%31.3%5.1%1.3%1.5%1.6%0.76%0.36%0.37%0.31%
Mar 202661.6%27.6%4.5%1.4%1.6%1.4%0.8%0.46%0.32%0.27%
Apr 202661.9%27.7%4.6%1.4%1.4%1.4%0.66%0.38%0.32%0.27%
May 202654.3%29.7%8.9%2.3%1.4%1.5%0.87%0.51%0.33%0.29%
Jun 202660.8%27.2%4.5%2.1%1.6%1.7%0.78%0.57%0.39%0.4%
Jul 202661%27.3%4.5%2.1%1.6%1.4%0.95%0.55%0.32%0.33%
Aug 202661.4%27.5%3.7%2.1%1.9%1.4%0.95%0.49%0.26%0.33%
Sep 202660.8%27.2%4.5%2.2%2%1.4%0.94%0.52%0.27%0.27%

How has the Profound and Semrush comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Semrush was ahead of Profound in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Profound’s share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide moved from 1.1% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 15.9K to 22.2K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide moved from 58.2% to 60.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 673K.

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Semrush lost share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide, from 61.4% to 60.8%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Profound worldwide rose 39.7% over 12 measured months, from 15.9K to 22.2K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

11 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Profound’s and Semrush’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.

Profound

10 branded search terms

  • profound aeo
  • Profound AI
  • profound ai search
  • profound ai seo
  • profound ai tool
  • profound ai visibility
  • profound geo
  • profound seo
  • try profound
  • tryprofound

Semrush

1 branded search term

  • semrush

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among AI search visibility tools

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free