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Take the work-at-your-own-pace Email Marketing Starter Kit Course
Founder and CEO of Brandi Allen Marketing (aka BAM)
I work with health coaches that want to make a difference in women’s lives, ditch the hustle, and still have a thriving, profitable business, all while maintaining balance in their own lives.
My team can help you do this with a curated marketing strategy, monthly content calendars and copy written and delivered in your unique voice and style.
If you’re a new business owner, you’ve probably heard about the importance of email marketing. But if you’re anything like me, getting a new tool like an email marketing platform set up can be daunting and time-consuming. I know it was something I struggled with when I first started my business. Are all email marketing […]
Starting a health and wellness blog lets you share your knowledge but it also has the ability to turn into additional income. Just HAVING a blog doesn’t mean you’ll earn. It takes some strategy and planning to monetize your health blog. This article guides you on the best methods, like affiliate marketing, sponsored content, making […]
Google gets more than 1 billion health questions every day. So, making your wellness site visible on search engines is very important. A survey by Moz showed 75% of people don’t look past the first search page. This means being on the first page is critical for wellness sites to find their audiences.1 This article […]
SEO software makes optimizing your website possible even if you aren’t ready to work with an agency. It also gives you the freedom to NEVER work with an SEO agency and manage your SEO within your team.
I love software and tools that make life easier and help me learn as I use them.
Unfortunately, even though these tools are cheaper than hiring out for SEO, they can still be an investment. So before you sign up, make sure you’re getting the one that is going to give you the most bang for your buck AND that you enjoy using.
Two popular SEO tools on the market today, which I personally use daily, are Hike SEO and Semrush.
I hope this detailed review will help your small business see what option fits your SEO tool needs best.
The best part about Hike SEO is that it’s a cost-effective and super easy-to-use option, especially for small businesses. You can have literally ZERO knowledge about SEO and still be able to use it effectively. Hike starts at $59.99 a month with extra users at no additional fee. (PS! This code gives you 50% off your first month!) This makes Hike SEO a wallet-friendly choice compared to Semrush. Semrush, on the other hand, charges $119.95 a month for its Pro plan. Adding more users costs $45 each.
Semrush is known for its wide range of digital marketing tools and SEO functionality. This makes it ideal for big companies and SEO experts. If you have a background in SEO or want deeper insight into your website health, Semrush is a good option. However, small businesses might find Semrush too detailed and data-focused for their needs. Hike SEO, meanwhile, focuses on what small businesses really need. It offers a simple, budget-friendly SEO solution with key features for competing online.
Hike SEO’s plan is just $59.99 monthly, with free extra users. This helps small businesses a lot by saving money. It’s cheaper than Semrush.
For Semrush, you pay $119.95 a month for a Pro plan. Adding a user costs $45 more.1 This could be costly for small businesses with many team members.
| Feature | Hike SEO | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Base Plan Cost | $59.99/month | $119.95/month |
| Additional User Cost | Unlimited, free | $45/month per user |
| White-label Cost | $25/month | $100/month |
| Ideal for | Small businesses with fewer than 1,000 pages1 | Large enterprises and experienced SEO teams1 |
| Customer Focus | Majority of customers have 2-10 employees1 | Serves a wide range of business sizes |
| Additional Offerings | Free onboarding and 1-2-1 support calls1 | Limited onboarding and support |
Hike SEO is made for small businesses. It gives you what you need for SEO, like finding the right keywords and checking your rank. It also helps with optimizing your website to attract more visitors. The tool is easy to use. It focuses on giving small business owners and marketers data they can act on monthly step-by-step instructions.
Semrush has a lot more to offer. It’s great for diving deep into keyword research, checking your rivals, and making sure your site is in top shape. For big companies and SEO pros, its detailed features are a treasure. But, for small businesses, it might be too much.
Hike SEO makes keyword research simple for small businesses. Their tools help find important keywords easily. They use methods like checking competitors and related searches and focusing on local needs. This way, businesses can find the best keywords.
Semrush is known for its top-notch keyword research. Their tools offer deep analysis of search volume, competition, and trends. While this is great for big companies, it might be too much for small ones focusing locally.
Both Hike SEO and Semrush are great tools for site audits. They focus on different needs, helping small businesses or big enterprises.2
Hike SEO’s site audit is perfect for small businesses. It gives an easy analysis of their technical SEO. This tool finds and highlights key issues first so owners can fix them fast.
I love that the key issues are prioritized so you can spend your valuable time where it counts the most.
Semrush, on the other hand, dives deep into technical SEO details. It shows many metrics and lists out what needs changing. However, this depth might be too much for small companies. I personally prefer something more straightforward.
Both Hike SEO and Semrush let you monitor your website’s performance in search results. Semrush is known for its advanced rank tracking, which updates you in real-time and advises you on how to stand out more. However, Hike SEO’s tracking is simple and effective, making it good for small businesses that do not need Semrush’s details.
| Feature | Hike SEO | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Rank Tracking Methods | Comprehensive, easy-to-use tools | Advanced, in-depth analysis with 8 research methods3 |
| Ranking Data | Effective and actionable insights | Comprehensive data on rankings, visibility trends, and search result distribution3 |
| Ranking Volatility Monitoring | Basic tracking and monitoring | Advanced Sensor feature that provides insights into ranking changes3 |
| Competitor Comparison | Limited comparison capabilities | Detailed competitor ranking data and analysis3 |
| Automation | Manual tracking and monitoring | Automated daily ranking checks3 |
In the comparison, Semrush comes out as the more detailed option, while Hike SEO focuses on ease of use.
Hike SEO provides crucial backlink analysis for small businesses. It shows the number of referring domains and link quality. It also highlights any possible issues.2 The tool is simple to use. It helps owners spot the best link-building chances.
Hike SEO also allows you to delete backlinks from sketchy websites that are hurting your Google reputation. Just click a button to remove the link instantly.
Semrush goes in-depth on website backlinks. It details every backlink’s quality, source, and anchor text. It even gives tips on improving the link profile. This data is great for big firms. Yet, it might overwhelm small businesses needing to boost their site’s off-page work.
Another amazing feature of Hike is its built-in courses, which you can take at your own pace to really gain a deeper understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Even with each task that’s suggested, you’ll get an in-depth explanation of why it’s necessary.
Hike takes away the common gatekeeping that is prevalent in the SEO world. When it’s broken down, SEO can be easily understood by any business owner and is quite simple.
I’ve taken courses in the past for SEO, and Hike’s is by far the one that clicked with my brain the best.
If you need additional help, their team is ready to answer any question you might have and even send videos when needed so you can get the most out of your subscription.
Hike SEO is often the better pick for small businesses when compared to Semrush. It costs $59.99 per month and lets you add more users for free1. It’s easy to use and has all the features a small business needs for SEO.1 On the other hand, Semrush is more expensive, starting at $119.95 monthly. Its extra user fee is $45 per month1. For small businesses aiming to boost local or regional search rankings, Semrush’s detailed options might be more than what’s needed.
What sets Hike apart is its focus on serving small companies. It tailors its SEO data for those with 2-10 workers1. Over 4,500 small business have preferred Hike over Semrush. They praise Hike for being budget-friendly and easy to use.1 Hike even has special features for agencies that cost less than what Semrush offers. For instance, Hike’s white-label feature is priced at $25 per month, while Semrush charges $100.1 Semrush’s strength lies in providing very detailed SEO data for bigger businesses and expert SEO teams.1
Both Hike SEO and Semrush offer support via live chat, emails, and phone. However, Hike has the upper hand with free onboarding support and personalized calls with the support team.1 Also, Hike lets users talk directly to their in-house SEO experts to offer guidance over the phone. This can be really helpful for those who aren’t SEO pros.1
Hike SEO’s tools help small businesses. They offer clear insights to check SEO efforts. This makes it easy to use data for making smart choices. The tool has dashboards you can customize, shows keyword progress, and uses simple visuals.
I love using Hike for my clients because I can create instant charts and detailed tables that autofill each month with new data and instantly send the reports to my clients.
Semrush’s reports are very detailed and full of insights. They can be great for big companies, but they might be too much for small businesses, especially for those who are new to SEO. The complex features of Semrush can be hard for small business owners who are not SEO pros.
I’ve also noticed that I have to spend a lot of time simplifying the information on the reports for my clients so it’s easier to understand at a glance.
Hike SEO has one plan priced at $59.99 monthly. It allows unlimited users without extra cost. This is great for small businesses. In comparison, Semrush starts at $119.95 for the Pro plan. It also charges $45 monthly for extra users.
Hike SEO focuses on essential SEO needs for small businesses. It offers keyword research, optimization tips, link analysis, and rank tracking. Semrush, on the other hand, is more comprehensive. It includes advanced research, competitive analysis, and detailed reporting. These are better for larger companies and experienced SEO teams.
Hike SEO’s tools are simple for small businesses. They help find important keywords without being too complex. Semrush is known for its powerful keyword research. It gives detailed data on various keyword aspects.
Hike SEO offers a simple site audit for small businesses. It points out key technical SEO issues. Semrush, however, provides a deep and detailed audit. It covers many metrics and offers in-depth recommendations. This is more useful for large enterprises.
Hike SEO helps small businesses understand their backlinks. It details the number of domains and link quality. Semrush, though, has a very detailed backlink analysis. It provides a thorough review of all backlinks with quality and source info.
Hike SEO is ideal for small businesses. It’s affordable, easy to use, and has features perfect for their needs. Semrush, with its advanced tools, might be too much for small businesses focused locally.
Hike SEO’s reports are straightforward and actionable for small businesses. They provide insights to monitor SEO progress. Semrush, with advanced reporting, offers extensive insights and customizable reports. But this much detail may overwhelm small businesses.
Most of my clients see results in as little as 3 months. You decide how much time you dedicate to your SEO each month. If you’re able to put in 10-20 hours per month you see results faster. Others can only give 2-5 hours a month to SEO so it may take up to 12 months to see big improvements.
I highly recommend that if you’re not working with an SEO agency or are able to hire out for SEO, you give Hike a try. Use my link (I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you) to save 50% on your first month. Hike also has a great 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for free for two weeks to see if it’s a good fit for your team.
As your business grows, you can easily hire pieces of your SEO directly from Hike or the team at Brandi Allen Marketing with the click of a button.
Want to see how it all works? Book a free website audit and Hike training to see if it’s right for you!
Please note: I am an affiliate with some of the brands mentioned in this post, so I may receive a small commission for purchases made using my link. This helps support this blog and is at no additional cost to you.
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