SEMRush vs Google Search Console: How Accurate is SEMRush Organic Data?

We love SEMRush at Varn. It’s a useful tool that helps us go deep on SEO analysis giving access to keyword data, competitor insights, backlinks and much much more. However it has its limitations, and as is often the case with third-party tools, a lack of access to direct analytics in the form of Google Search Console or GA4 can lead to a lack of accurate data.

With the above in mind, we were curious about the accuracy of SEMRush when it comes to the ability to track organic traffic for our clients, so by analysing 32 of our clients Google Search Console profiles, we were able to compare with the results visible in SEMRush and the findings were interesting.

When it comes to tools providing competitive intelligence they are great for content planning, proposal documents and benchmarking for results that account for market changes. However, for obvious reasons they are not as accurate as client specific data sets and can be very inaccurate at times.

When you are comparing data, make sure that you keep it all on the same platform. So if you are looking at SEMRush data vs the competition, then do not be tempted to include your data from Google Search Console (even though this is in theory more accurate). Instead, keep all the data sources consistent and have a caveat that whilst the total figures may be inaccurate, the percentages in relation to the other websites is the more useful statistic. Additionally when looking at historical traffic in SEMRush, be cautious of how this compares to your Google Analytics/Search Console as this too can show differing traffic fluctuations.

• Average Overestimation: In cases where SEMrush overestimates traffic, the average overestimation is 152.26%.
• Average Underestimation: In cases where SEMrush underestimates traffic, the average underestimation is -52.84%.
• SEMrush’s estimates deviate from GSC data by either significantly overestimating or underestimating, with an overall tendency toward overestimation when it occurs.
• SEMrush overestimated traffic compared to GSC in 15 cases and underestimated in 15 cases.

To summarise, Varn loves SEMrush as it is such a useful tool for all sorts of projects running from keyword planning to competitive research. If you would like any support with your data analytics, then get in touch with a member of our expert team today.