How Accurate is Semrush Really?

The landscaping industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with homeowners and commercial property managers turning to search engines to find reliable landscaping services. For landscaping business owners looking to dominate their local market, understanding the accuracy of digital marketing tools like Semrush is crucial for making data-driven decisions that actually drive results.

Why Data Accuracy Matters for Landscaping Companies

As a landscaping business owner, every marketing dollar counts. Whether you’re a small residential lawn care service or a large commercial landscaping company, making decisions based on inaccurate data can lead to wasted advertising spend and missed opportunities. This is particularly critical in the landscaping industry, where seasonality and local competition significantly impact search behavior and marketing effectiveness.

When evaluating digital marketing tools, landscaping companies need to understand exactly how reliable the data is. Poor data quality can result in targeting the wrong keywords, misunderstanding competitor strategies, and allocating budget to ineffective marketing channels.

How Accurate is Semrush? The Data Breakdown for 2025

Recent comprehensive studies analyzing Semrush’s accuracy reveal important insights that landscaping businesses should consider before investing in the platform.

Traffic Data Accuracy: What Landscaping Businesses Should Expect

Research conducted in 2024 shows that Semrush typically overestimates website traffic by approximately 2-2.5 times the actual numbers. For landscaping companies analyzing competitor websites or measuring their own performance against industry benchmarks, this means the traffic numbers you see should be divided by roughly half to get closer to reality.

For example, if Semrush shows a competitor landscaping company receiving 10,000 monthly visitors, the actual number is likely closer to 4,000-5,000 visitors. While this overestimation might seem problematic, it’s consistent across most websites, making it still valuable for comparative analysis.

Keyword Research Accuracy: A Landscaper’s Best Friend

The good news for landscaping businesses is that Semrush excels in keyword research accuracy. The platform maintains data on 98% of all keywords searched in the U.S., with over 26.4 billion global search terms in its database. For landscaping companies targeting local keywords like “landscape design [city name]” or “commercial lawn maintenance,” this comprehensive coverage is invaluable.

Key benefits for landscaping businesses include:

• Seasonal keyword insights: Understanding when terms like “spring cleanup,” “snow removal,” or “holiday lighting” peak in search volume
• Local keyword variations: Discovering how potential customers in your area search for landscaping services
• Long-tail opportunities: Finding specific service-related keywords with lower competition

Competitor Analysis: Understanding Your Landscaping Market

Semrush’s competitive analysis features provide landscaping companies with crucial insights into their market positioning. While traffic estimates may be inflated, the relative positioning and trends between competitors remain accurate and actionable.

The platform’s ability to identify competitor keywords, advertising strategies, and content gaps helps landscaping businesses:

• Discover which services competitors are promoting most heavily
• Identify seasonal advertising patterns in the landscaping industry
• Find content opportunities that competitors haven’t addressed

Semrush Features Most Valuable for Landscaping Businesses

Local SEO and Google Business Profile Management

For landscaping companies, local visibility is everything. Semrush’s Local Listing Management tool provides reliable data on Google Business Profile performance and local directory presence. The platform tracks visibility across over 150 directories and provides Google Maps ranking trends – crucial data for landscaping businesses that rely heavily on local search.

Backlink Analysis for Landscaping Websites

Semrush maintains data on 808 million domains and 43 trillion backlinks, offering landscaping companies detailed insights into their link-building opportunities. This is particularly valuable for landscaping businesses looking to:

• Build relationships with local home and garden websites
• Identify partnership opportunities with complementary businesses
• Monitor and improve their local citation profile

Paid Advertising Intelligence

The platform’s paid search data accuracy is particularly strong because it sources information directly from Google search engine results pages. For landscaping companies running Google Ads campaigns, this means reliable insights into:

• Competitor ad copy and strategies
• Seasonal bidding patterns in the landscaping industry
• Cost-per-click trends for landscaping keywords

Areas Where Semrush Falls Short for Landscaping Businesses

Traffic Channel Distribution Inconsistencies

Studies show significant discrepancies between Semrush’s traffic source data and actual analytics. For landscaping companies, this means being cautious when using Semrush to understand how visitors find their website (organic search vs. direct traffic vs. referrals).

Social Media Data Limitations

Landscaping businesses increasingly rely on visual platforms like Instagram and Facebook to showcase their work. Unfortunately, Semrush’s social media data accuracy lags behind its SEO capabilities. Landscaping companies should supplement Semrush with native social media analytics for better insights.

Best Practices: Using Semrush Effectively for Landscaping Marketing

Focus on Relative Comparisons, Not Absolute Numbers

Rather than relying on specific traffic numbers, use Semrush to understand trends and relative performance. If Semrush shows your landscaping website gaining traffic compared to competitors, that trend is likely accurate even if the absolute numbers are inflated.

Combine Semrush with Google Analytics and Search Console

For the most accurate picture of your landscaping website’s performance, use Semrush alongside Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This combination provides both competitive intelligence (from Semrush) and accurate first-party data (from Google tools).

Leverage Seasonal Keyword Insights

The landscaping industry is inherently seasonal, and Semrush’s historical keyword data helps businesses plan their content and advertising strategies around seasonal demand patterns. Use this data to:

• Plan content calendars around seasonal services
• Adjust Google Ads budgets based on historical search volume
• Prepare for off-season marketing opportunities

Alternatives to Consider for Landscaping Businesses

While Semrush offers comprehensive features, landscaping companies should also consider:

• Ahrefs: Often provides more conservative traffic estimates that may be closer to reality
• Local SEO tools: Specialized platforms like BrightLocal for local citation management
• Google Keyword Planner: For the most accurate local search volume data in your specific market

Making the Investment Decision: Is Semrush Worth It for Landscapers?

For most established landscaping businesses, Semrush provides valuable insights despite its data limitations. The platform’s keyword research capabilities, competitor analysis features, and local SEO tools typically justify the investment for companies serious about digital marketing growth.

However, smaller landscaping companies with limited budgets might start with free tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics before investing in premium platforms like Semrush.

Maximizing ROI from Semrush in the Landscaping Industry

To get the most value from Semrush as a landscaping business:

1. Focus on keyword research and competitive analysis where the platform excels
2. Use traffic data for trend analysis rather than absolute measurement
3. Combine insights with local market knowledge to contextualize the data
4. Regular monitoring of seasonal keyword trends to stay ahead of demand

The Bottom Line: Semrush Accuracy for Landscaping Businesses

How accurate is Semrush for landscaping businesses? The answer is nuanced. While the platform overestimates traffic data and has limitations in social media analytics, its keyword research, competitor analysis, and local SEO features provide reliable insights that can significantly impact a landscaping company’s digital marketing success.

The key is understanding these limitations and using Semrush strategically as part of a comprehensive digital marketing toolkit rather than relying on it as the sole source of truth.

For landscaping companies serious about digital growth, Semrush remains one of the most valuable investments you can make in understanding your market, competitors, and opportunities for expansion.

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