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Answer the Public vs Semrush

Semrush is a marketing platform. Answer the Public (via Apify) is a data source.

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The “Keyword Magic Tool” vs Autocomplete

Semrush’s “Keyword Magic Tool” is industry-leading because of its filtering and clustering UI. It’s designed for a human analyst sitting at a desk. ATP’s data is raw. It’s the “long tail” of human curiosity. It captures the weird, specific, and conversational queries that often get filtered out of “commercial intent” databases.

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The API Bottleneck

Semrush offers an API, but it’s gated behind high-tier “Business” plans (often $400+/mo). This makes it inaccessible for:
  • Indie hackers building tools.
  • Agencies building internal dashboards.
  • Startups with lean budgets.
The Apify Advantage: Our Answer the Public Actor gives you API access from day one, with no minimum monthly spend. You pay only for the compute time used to scrape the data.

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Integration Scenarios

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Scenario A: The Agency Report

  • Semrush: Export PDF -> Email to Client.
  • Apify: Webhook -> Google Sheets -> Looker Studio (Live Dashboard).

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Scenario B: Content Generation

  • Semrush: Copy keywords -> Paste into ChatGPT.
  • Apify: JSON Response -> LangChain Agent -> Draft Article.

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Conclusion

If you need a Dashboard, buy Semrush. If you need Data, use the Apify Actor.