I recently came across a new SEO tool called Semdash, so I decided to test it out.
In this post, I’ll share my experience, the results I got, and my honest thoughts on how it performs.
I’ll also compare it with my preferred SEO tool, Semrush (yes, the names are quite similar).
Let’s get started.
Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links at no cost to you.
What Is Semdash?
Semdash is a similar tool to Semrush and other SEO tools that you’ve probably heard of before. If you look at the UI, it looks exactly the same but with different colors and branding.
Semdash provides insights into competitor traffic, topic competitiveness, keyword opportunities, and more.
But let’s see how it performs and if it’s worth it.
My Experience with Semdash
I tested my website, nodesk.fi, using Semdash’s domain analyzer.
I simply entered the domain, selected the location and language—that part was straightforward.
Now, let’s take a look at the data Semdash provided and see how it compares to other tools and real-world results.
1. Traffic Distribution
Semdash provided the traffic distribution for nodesk.fi, indicating that most visitors are from Finland, with a small percentage coming from Sweden.
Promising! This is indeed the case. The traffic is mostly from Finland and Sweden.
2. Organic Traffic Distribution
Semdash also gave me an organic position distributio chart that looks like this:
Based on this report, it says that the domain ranks outside of the top 5, mainly in the second and third search results page on Google.
That is true based on what we’ve seen in the actual data on our site.
3. Organic Keyword Distribution
Semdash creates organic keyword distribution charts too. Here’s one for our site, nodesk.fi:
This metric is similar to the previous one but focuses on the number of keywords ranking in specific positions in the SERPs. Based on our actual data, the results were fairly accurate.
If you’re analyzing competitor sites, this kind of insight can be quite valuable.
4. Traffic Analysis
Now we get to the more interesting part—the traffic and keyword metrics.
Here’s what Semdash estimates for nodesk.fi:
It suggests we have 17,000 visitors monthly. However, in reality, the number is just 1/3th of that.
The estimate is quite far off—but to be fair, traffic prediction is notoriously difficult. Even Semrush didn’t get it right.
5. Top Keywords Report
To help with competitive analysis, Semdash also shows the keywords the target site is ranking for.
Each keyword comes with associated data such as search intent (e.g., commercial), traffic volume, keyword difficulty (KD), cost per click (CPC), and more.
These metrics are useful for evaluating potential niches. For example, a keyword with high CPC and volume but low KD can indicate a valuable, low-competition opportunity.
Semdash also provides a top pages report for the site, offering further insights.
This is close but still wrong. The real top pages are here:
(I won’t share the actual traffic numbers for individual pages, but I can say that the estimates from Semdash were noticeably off.)
Other leading SEO tools, like Semrush, tend to provide more accurate figures in this area.
6. Link Analysis
Semdash lets you analyze your competitors’ links too. This is what all good SEO tools let you do.
Semdash also shows the number of referring domains, backlinks, and both new and lost links and domains.
This information is helpful for understanding how competitive a niche might be. For example, if a site has 100,000 high-quality backlinks and ranks in the top 10 on Google, targeting the same topics could be challenging. Competing would likely require building a similar backlink profile—a process that can take years of consistent effort.
7. Competitiveness Analysis
You can also use the competitiveness analysis feature to see how your site is positioned within the broader competitive landscape.
However, for our site, nodesk.fi, the competitiveness report was quite inaccurate.
Our site focuses on electricity-related content, but Semdash identified major newspapers as competitors—which doesn’t really align with our niche. While there may be some overlap in topics, those sites cover a wide range of subjects. Their reported keyword and traffic numbers (e.g., 15 million keywords and 500,000 visits) are inflated in this context and not a meaningful comparison.
8. Keyword Overview
Next, I explored Semdash’s keyword overview feature.
This tool allows you to enter a keyword—like “AI”—and view data on its competitiveness, search volume, and related keywords. It’s useful for identifying low-competition topics to target on your site.
I ran a search for “AI Tools” and received the following report:
The tool gave “AI Tools” a competitiveness score of 59 out of 100.
While that’s useful, it’s worth noting that most other SEO platforms offer similar data. For comparison, Semrush rates the same keyword as nearly 100% competitive—a significantly higher estimate than Semdash’s.
So essentially:
Semdash suggests it’s a topic worth targeting.
Semrush indicates it’s highly competitive and likely not worth pursuing.
Based on my own experience—having worked in this space for nearly three years—I’d agree with Semrush. “AI Tools” is a highly competitive topic, and targeting it would be challenging without a strong foundation.
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My Verdict
Overall, Semdash feels like a simplified, less accurate version of Semrush.
Personally, I’d still choose Semrush over Semdash. For example, the related keyword suggestions were limited, and the competitiveness scores didn’t align with real-world data—both of which are critical features in an SEO tool.
While Semdash does cover the essentials, it falls short in terms of accuracy and advanced capabilities.
At this stage, I wouldn’t recommend using Semdash—even if it comes at a lower price point. You’re likely better off using free tools and your own research until you’re ready to invest in a more reliable option like Semrush.
That said, there’s clearly a lot of buzz around Semdash. I’ll revisit it in the future to see how it evolves.
BTW, you can use better tools like Semrush for free. I’ve arranged a free 14-day pro plan deal.
