There are several things to consider before you decide which SEO tool is best for your needs.
Unfortunately, there are no single opinions on which one will be the best fit for every person.
However, with this blog post outlining what each SEO tool can do and how they compare, you will have all the information you need to make an educated choice.
Here are our top 3 Super Effective Keyword Research tools
1. Semrush – Largest keyword database in the industry
2. KwFinder – Best to find long-tail keywords
3. Keyword Tool Dominator – Best for finding new trending keywords
Summary
| SEO Tool Name | SEMrush | SpyFu |
| Founded | 2008 | 2005 |
| Plan Start From | Its plans start from $119.95. | $33 per month |
| Key Features | Content Review, Keywords, and phrase Search, Search Engine Presentation, Web Inspect, Reporting | SEO and PPC marketing, Keywords finder, Keywords Rank tracker, Competitors spying, Backlinks analysis, Ranking History of a Domain, Customized reporting |
| Website | Click Here | Click Here |
What is SEMrush?
SEMrush is an SEO tool that provides keyword ranking data on some of the most popular search engines.
It also offers data on your competitors’ backlinks, keywords, organic traffic, social shares, and more.
Using SEMrush can help you identify where you rank for specific keywords and what the competition is doing to rank higher than you are.
This is especially useful for finding out if they are bidding more money on keywords that you are currently ranking for without paying any money at all.
If this is the case, it might be a good idea to do the same thing yourself.
SEMrush is much more than just a free SEO tool, though. It has quite a few paid options that you can choose from.
What is SpyFu?
SpyFu is much different than SEMrush in that it does not help you find out how your competitors are ranking for keywords.
Instead of this, SpyFu enables you to find out what keywords your competitors are advertising for on Google Adwords.
This is especially useful if the competitor is not an actual business you can contact directly but rather just someone who has a website they are trying to rank for specific keywords.
Using SpyFu, you can learn precisely what keywords and phrases the competitor are bidding on and how much money they are paying for these keywords.
Comparison of Different Features
| Key Features | SEMrush | SpyFu |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Tracking | Allows to track volume and rank of keywords but also gives suggestions | It has the same feature but is not as comprehensive. |
| Keyword Difficulty | Let’s see the percentage difficulty of keywords. | It gives you a number for the difficulty of keywords |
| Competitor Analysis | Let’s track competitors’ backlinks. | Allows users to see who is ranking on the first page |
| Content Tracking | It gives you a basic SEO overview of your site and how to improve it. | Allows you to track and see how well your content is ranking across the web. |
Price Comparison
| SEMrush | SpyFu |
|---|---|
Trial: $0 for one week | Not available |
Pro: $119.95/ month | Basic: $39/ month |
| Guru: $229.95/ month | Professional: $69/ month |
| Business: $449.95/ month | Unlimited: $129/ month |
| Enterprise: (On-Demand) | Not available |
SpyFu vs. SEMrush In-depth Analysis
SEMrush Features
Advanced Keyword Research
With a SEMrush subscription, users access Google’s database of keyword research data and data from competitive sites.
With this tool, you can determine the popularity and competition of any given keyword as well as its average cost per click (CPC).
You can also use this tool to identify keywords that will likely drive traffic to your site.
As one of the complete tools for keyword research available online, SEMrush allows you to refine your searches by geographic location and language.
This can be a valuable tool in improving your site ranking.
Competitor Analysis
SEMrush is the perfect tool for identifying your competitors’ weaknesses and how you can take advantage of them with SEO optimization.
This is a significant feature for anyone currently involved in SEO. By using this tool, you can identify how well your competitors have optimized their websites and where they have fallen short of their goals.
With this information, you can fill in the gaps created by your competition and create a more competitive website of your own.
Keyword Position Tracking
Using this tool, anyone involved with SEO will be able to track the position of any given keyword on Google’s search engine results page.
SEMrush is one of the few tools online that is capable of providing this information in real-time.
This can be very useful for monitoring site progress, especially when it comes to eCommerce or affiliate marketing.
Site Audits
Another ability of SEMrush is the site audit tool that allows users to get a complete picture of their website’s SEO health.
This tool will tell you if you are using the right keywords on your site, if there are broken links, or if you are using any duplicate content in violation of search engine standards and guidelines.
Bulletproof Backlink Analysis
By using this feature, users will view all inbound and outbound links from a given website.
SpyFu Features
Keyword Research
Like SEMrush, SpyFu allows users to find keyword trends that will increase traffic to their site. However, it is not as comprehensive as SEMrush.
Competitor Analysis
This tool allows users to see who is ranking on the first page for any given keyword.
This can be very useful in determining who your real competition is and how you can overtake them with SEO optimization.
It is similar to the competitor analysis tool available on SEMrush, except it doesn’t give you information about backlinks or traffic trends.
Bulletproof Backlink Analysis
This ability is not available on SpyFu.
Keyword Research
For keyword research, the most important thing to know is that SEMrush and SpyFu provide different levels of access depending on whether you pay for a subscription or not.
If you do not have a subscription with either tool, you will be able to perform basic keyword research electronically for free with their respective sites.
However, if you go beyond the initial search and want to get detailed information about your competitors’ keyword use, you will need an active subscription with either one of these two tools.
When it comes to keyword research, SEMrush is always better than SpyFu.
This is because SEMrush allows you to analyze your competition’s data with the same subscription that you use to collect your data.
On the other hand, SpyFu will only allow you to spy on your competitors’ keywords with their basic version of the service.
With SEMrush, SpyFu can be used for free due to their one-month free trial offer. But the advantage is with SEMrush as this feature is included in its subscription.
Site Audits
This is not an area where SEMrush is better than SpyFu. As with competitor analysis, both tools include some site audit features for free users, but some functionality is only available in their premium subscription.
One example of this is the ability to track competitor traffic through Google Analytics.
However, both tools allow you to track site visits on your site without a paid subscription but cannot provide detailed information on how that traffic is performing for you or your site’s visitors.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, it is difficult to answer these two questions since they are mainly subjective.
Even though SpyFu has a more extensive and comprehensive list of companies and keywords, SEMrush has better and more advanced features in the paid version that are probably worth the extra cost.
As such, I would recommend trying both at first, then choosing which option offers you the functionality that best suits your needs.
Whichever one works for you should be a great tool in your tool belt!
Keep in mind that you will need to set up an account with them online before using their software when using either tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do These Tools Have Free Trials?
Yes, SEMrush offers a one-week free trial, but unfortunately, SpyFu does not provide any free trials.
Can I Get A Special Subscription Package As Per My Demands?
Yes, SEMrush offers an on-demand enterprise package where you can get a subscription package designed especially for you.
Amit Gupta is the creator of Keyword-Research.org
Amit is a keyword research guru. After completing his high school certification, Amit spent half a decade learning about different ways to do keyword research for SEO and PPC. Before forming Keyword-Research.org, Amit worked for top Keyword Research companies for more than 10 years. When Amit is not helping people with their keyword research, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
