Lifted Work vs Semrush
Semrush is a great SEO research tool. But for client reporting, you're paying for pre-built dashboard widgets when you could have fully custom reports filled by AI with data from GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, Meta, and your own agency's work.
In short: Semrush is the better choice if you need real SEO research: keywords, rankings, backlinks and competitor data. Lifted Work is better for the client-facing reporting layer, and the two are genuinely complementary rather than alternatives.
Quick Comparison
What each platform is built for
| Feature |
Lifted Work
|
Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword research and rank tracking | ||
| Site audits and backlink analysis | ||
| Competitor and market research | ||
| Custom HTML report templates | Widget-based only | |
| Agency work in reports (tasks, hours, milestones) | ||
| AI summary that can see your team's work | Marketing data only | |
| Google Analytics, Search Console and Ads | ||
| Meta Ads and Google Business Profile | ||
| Reports posted to a client portal | ||
| Automated monthly via AI | Scheduled sends only | |
| White-label branded reports | Higher tiers only | |
| Task and capacity management | ||
| Reporting included in base price | Separate subscription |
Why agencies choose Lifted Work over Semrush
Semrush reporting gives you drag-and-drop widgets from Semrush's own data. Lifted Work gives you HTML templates you design (or have AI design), connected to the same analytics platforms, plus something Semrush can't include: what your agency actually did for the client that month.
Reports you actually design
Semrush gives you widget-based templates. Lifted Work gives you full HTML templates with Tailwind CSS that you control completely. Design them yourself, paste one from a guide, or have the AI build one for you.
Include what your agency did
Semrush reports show analytics data. Lifted Work reports also include tasks your team completed, milestones hit, hours worked, and deliverables produced. The client sees the full picture, not just traffic numbers.
AI writes the analysis
The AI pulls data from every connected platform, writes the executive summary and recommendations, renders the report, posts it to the client's portal, and drafts a summary email. You review and send.
Same analytics sources
GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, Meta Ads, and Google Business Profile connect natively. The AI pulls from whichever platforms the client uses and skips the rest.
Reports live on the client portal
Rendered reports post directly to the client's feed on their branded portal. No emailing PDFs and hoping they open them. Clients log in and see the report alongside everything else you've delivered.
Reporting is included
Semrush plans run $139 to $549 a month, and white-labeled reports are a separate $20 a month add-on. Lifted Work includes report templates, rendering, and analytics integrations in every plan.
Feature by feature
See exactly how Lifted Work and Semrush stack up across the features that matter most for agency operations.
Semrush prices are list prices checked on 15 September 2026. Plans change; check their pricing page before deciding.
Report design
Lifted Work
- Full HTML templates with Tailwind CSS
- Design yourself, copy from a guide, or have AI build one
- Liquid syntax for conditional sections and loops
- Each client can have their own template
- Animated counters in the HTML version, final values in the PDF
Semrush
- Drag-and-drop widget builder
- Pre-built templates from Semrush's library
- Limited to Semrush's available widgets
- Can't include custom HTML or CSS
- Same template structure for every client
How reports get filled
Lifted Work
- AI pulls data from connected platforms automatically
- AI writes executive summary and recommendations based on the data
- Includes tasks completed, milestones, and hours worked
- Posts the finished report to the client's portal feed
- Drafts a summary email to the client with a link to the report
Semrush
- Pulls data from connected platforms automatically
- AI-generated summaries on the $20/mo Pro Report add-on
- No agency work data (tasks, hours, deliverables)
- Reports emailed as PDF attachments
- Scheduled sends on a set frequency
Data sources
Lifted Work
- GA4 traffic, conversions, landing pages, channels
- Search Console queries, pages, click-through rates
- Google Ads campaigns, keywords, spend, ROAS
- Meta Ads campaigns, spend, conversions
- Google Business Profile reviews, impressions, actions
Semrush
- GA4 integration available
- Search Console integration available
- Google Ads integration available
- Meta and social integrations available
- Semrush's own ranking, backlink, and audit data
Beyond reporting
Lifted Work
- Client portal with dashboard, feed, and deliverables
- Task management organized around clients
- Gmail sync and correspondence tracking
- AI playbooks for SEO audits, onboarding, content, and more
- Full agency operating system, not just a reporting tool
Semrush
- Keyword research and tracking
- Backlink analysis and monitoring
- Site audit and technical SEO
- Competitor analysis
- Full SEO research platform, not agency management
The honest part
Where Semrush is the better choice
No tool wins on everything. If these matter more to you than running client delivery in one place, Semrush is the right call.
It is an SEO research platform and we are not
Keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis, competitor research and site audits are Semrush's actual product. Lifted Work does none of this, and no amount of reporting overlap changes that.
Market and competitor intelligence
Traffic analytics, keyword gap analysis and share-of-voice data have no equivalent in Lifted Work. If you sell SEO strategy, you need something like this.
Depth of SEO data
Semrush maintains its own crawl and keyword databases at a scale we have no intention of matching. When you need the data itself rather than a view of it, that is what you are paying for.
They solve a different problem
Most agencies that use both keep Semrush for research and use Lifted Work for delivery and client-facing reporting. Treating them as alternatives is usually the wrong frame.
What each one costs
Lifted Work starts at $5/client/month. Unlimited team members on every plan.
View our pricing" I don't know what I'd do without Lifted Work. "
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions agencies ask about Semrush
We already use Semrush for SEO research. Do we need to switch?
No. Lifted Work isn't replacing your SEO research tools. It replaces Semrush's reporting. You can keep using Semrush for keyword research, backlink analysis, and site audits while using Lifted Work for client reporting, task management, and client delivery. The reporting comparison is about how you build and deliver monthly client reports, not about SEO research.
What can Lifted Work reports include that Semrush can't?
The big difference is agency work data. Lifted Work reports can include tasks your team completed that month, milestones hit, hours worked, and deliverables produced, alongside the analytics data from GA4, Search Console, and the rest. Semrush reports only include analytics data. The other difference is the AI writes the executive summary and recommendations based on the actual numbers, so the report reads like a person wrote it.
How do the report templates work?
Templates are HTML with Tailwind CSS and Liquid syntax for variables. You can design one yourself, copy one from our ready-made template, or ask the AI to build one for you. The report template how-to walks through all three options. Each client can have their own template. When the AI renders the report, it pulls data from every connected platform and fills in the variables. The output is a branded PDF or HTML report.
Can reports run automatically every month?
Yes. The monthly reporting playbook pulls analytics from every connected platform, renders the report, posts it to the client's feed, and drafts a summary email. A review task lands on your desk before anything goes live. You set it up once per client and it runs every month.
How does pricing compare?
Semrush plans run from $139 a month for SEO up to $549 a month for Advanced, and reporting is sold on top: a Base Report add-on at $10 a month, or a Pro Report add-on at $20 a month for white-labeling and AI summaries. Lifted Work charges per client ($5, $7, or $12/client/month depending on the plan) and includes report templates, rendering, analytics integrations, and the client portal on every plan. A 15-client agency on Delivery pays $105/month for everything.