# Semrush vs SE Ranking: which do AI models recommend for SEO, September 2026

GTM AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, SEO and content optimization platforms. Seven of twelve models named Semrush first on the direct prompt; zero named SE Ranking. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/marketing/seo-content-optimization/semrush-vs-se-ranking/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | 20% | #2 of 16 | 23% | 43 | 12 of 12 |
| SE Ranking | 6% | #5 of 16 | 8% | 24 | 11 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GPT-5.4 mini: semrush first (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Conductor)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: semrush first (first choices: Semrush, Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, SE Ranking)
- Perplexity Sonar: semrush first (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Surfer SEO)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: semrush first (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Surfer SEO)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: semrush first (first choices: Ahrefs, Semrush) (alternatives: Clearscope, HubSpot, SE Ranking, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Surfer SEO)
- Kimi K2: semrush first (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Screaming Frog, Surfer SEO)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: semrush first (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, NeuronWriter, Surfer SEO)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Frase, MarketMuse, Semrush)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: HubSpot Content Hub, HubSpot Marketing Hub) (alternatives: Clearscope, MarketMuse, Semrush, Surfer SEO)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither first, one named (first choices: Keygrip) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Screaming Frog, Semrush, Surfer SEO)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Sight AI) (alternatives: Intero Digital, Stratabeat, Ubersuggest, Virayo, Writesonic)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, MarketMuse)

## What the models said about Semrush

- "SEO Tools to Avoid or Use with Caution | Semrush | 40/100 (High) | 3 documented complaints; recurring billing issues" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid: Enterprise tools (Ahrefs/Semrush $99–$139); overkill for small budgets." (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Semrush ($140+/mo) — great but overkill for most small budgets" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Semrush is the strongest all-in-one SEO platform for keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, competitive analysis, PPC, and content marketing workflows." (Perplexity Sonar, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Choose Ahrefs or Semrush if you need a baseline tool for overall website health, backlink tracking, and competitor espionage." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "If you want one platform only, Semrush is often the best balance of capability, breadth, and cost for mid-market teams." (GPT-5.4 mini, direct prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about SE Ranking

- "SE Ranking is solid for agencies and cost-conscious teams, but may fall short for enterprises needing deeper backlink analysis or more advanced SEM integration" (Perplexity Sonar, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "SE Ranking jumped significantly (now ~$103+/mo)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "The best SEO and content optimization platform for a company with a limited budget is SE Ranking, which costs $55/month" (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "or SE Ranking ($44/month) if you want a complete SEO platform including content optimization features" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.