Alexis Kestler
Hey there! Understanding your competitor‘s estimated website traffic is crucial for making smart decisions in your digital marketing strategy. But with every company keeping their analytics private, how do you get an accurate snapshot of their performance?
Third-party tools like Semrush and SimilarWeb provide traffic estimations to give you the context you need. But which one offers greater precision and value overall?
As an experienced digital analyst, I‘ve used both these tools extensively. Here‘s my in-depth look at how Semrush and SimilarWeb compare when it comes to estimating competitor traffic.
Why You Need Estimated Traffic Data
Before we dive into the tools themselves, let‘s discuss why estimated traffic matters in the first place:
-
Provides context for your own traffic and growth. Is that 5% monthly increase good or bad? Estimated competitor traffic lets you find out.
-
Uncovers opportunities where rivals are overlooking or under-serving users. You can capitalize on these open gaps in the market.
-
Allows optimization based on competitor strategies. See what pages, keywords and channels drive traffic for them.
-
Gives a benchmark for overall market size and share. How does your business stack up in the competitive landscape?
While traffic estimates aren‘t 100% precise, they still offer enormous value. I always examine competitor numbers relative to my own site‘s performance. This allows me to connect the dots and make smarter marketing decisions.
Now let‘s see how Semrush and SimilarWeb gather this cruical data…
Semrush and SimilarWeb Traffic Estimation Methodologies
Semrush and SimilarWeb take similar approaches to gathering anonymous user behavior data. They combine this with other proprietary and public data sources. However, Semrush appears to have the larger panel size and more advanced technology.
Semrush Traffic Analytics
Specifically, Semrush gathers data from:
-
200+ million anonymous users via panel data partners. That‘s a massive sample size!
-
Proprietary tracking systems deployed on client sites.
-
Billions of rows of clickstream data. This allows deep behavioral analysis.
Semrush runs all this data through advanced machine learning algorithms to model traffic for any domain. According to the company, their technology is self-learning and continuously improves estimates.
Historical data goes back to April 2016 so you can evaluate trends and seasonality. Traffic insights cover 190 countries and regions with no extra fees. Their panel reach is certainly impressive!
SimilarWeb‘s Methodology
SimilarWeb takes a similar data-driven approach but doesn‘t disclose their panel size publicly. They combine:
- Anonymous browser panel data
- Public data sources
- Data from third-party providers
- Limited info provided directly by some website owners
Their basic plan only allows you to go back 12 months for historical estimates. To go back further, you need to upgrade to a more expensive Enterprise plan.
Geographic coverage is also limited. Out of the box, SimilarWeb only provides estimates for 90 countries. After that, you have to pay additional fees depending on which other markets you need.
Estimation Accuracy: Semrush Appears Superior Overall
So which tool offers more accurate traffic insights? From the studies I‘ve seen, Semrush consistently comes out on top – especially among larger, higher-traffic sites.
For example, a detailed analysis conducted by OWOX looked at over 750 websites across 10 industries. They validated the third-party estimates against real Google Analytics figures.
The results showed:
-
Semrush‘s estimates were closer to GA numbers for high-traffic sites over 500K visits per month.
-
SimilarWeb‘s estimates skewed lower in more cases compared to Semrush.
-
Both tools came reasonably close overall, but Semrush appeared more accurate.
Another experiment by Mobidea revealed similar findings:
| Monthly Traffic | Semrush Error Rate | SimilarWeb Error Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 50K-150K visits | 15% | 13% |
| 150K-300K visits | 10% | 18% |
| 300K-500K visits | 8% | 22% |
| 500K-1M visits | 5% | 29% |
Again, we see Semrush demonstrating lower error rates and greater accuracy for sites above 150K monthly visits.
Based on these tests, Semrush appears to provide slightly superior traffic insights overall. Their larger panel size and machine learning technology seem to give them an edge.
Key Feature Comparison
Beyond just traffic estimates, we need to evaluate the broader features each tool offers:
Mobile Data – Both provide mobile insights, but SimilarWeb charges extra for this data.
Historical Data – Semrush lets you go back to April 2016, while SimilarWeb only shows 12 months of history before upcharging.
Geographic Data – Semrush includes 190+ countries for a single fee versus SimilarWeb‘s 90 countries.
Traffic Channels – Each tool breaks down traffic sources nicely. SimilarWeb also adds display and email.
Top Pages – See top landing pages and content driving traffic to competitors. Available with both.
Additional Tools – A full Semrush subscription unlocks 50+ SEO, PPC and marketing tools. SimilarWeb focuses specifically on competitive intelligence.
It‘s clear Semrush provides a much more robust feature set out of the box, while SimilarWeb takes an à la carte approach.
The Pricing Difference Is Striking
Here‘s where we see a major divergence between the two tools:
Semrush – Its competitive analysis features are bundled in Trends, which starts at $200/month on top of a Semrush subscription. Their pricing is completely transparent.
SimilarWeb – Doesn‘t list prices publicly at all. You have to book a demo and get a custom quote from a sales rep, which is frustrating. The various add-ons are expensive.
This lack of pricing transparency is the main drawback of SimilarWeb. I always prefer seeing upfront pricing to make an informed decision.
The Clear Winner for Accurate Traffic Estimation
Given the accuracy, features, and transparent pricing, Semrush emerges as the clear leader in my opinion.
A few key reasons why I recommend Semrush over SimilarWeb:
-
Superior accuracy – Semrush‘s estimates are closer to real-world figures based on tests.
-
More powerful features – Tons of extra SEO, content, and competitive tools included.
-
Clear pricing – No sales rep runaround to get Semrush‘s prices.
-
Bigger panel – Estimates based on 200+ million users provides confidence.
I‘m a fan of Semrush‘s all-in-one competitive and market intelligence platform. For most digital marketers and analysts, it represents the best value by far compared to trying to cobble together SimilarWeb‘s disparate add-ons.
That said, it depends on your specific needs and budget. I always recommend starting with a free trial of Semrush so you can experience it firsthand.
With the right insights, you‘ll be equipped to build an unbeatable digital marketing and content strategy. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help.
