Semrush

AI-powered SEO and digital marketing platform for visibility, content, and competitive intelligence

Surfer SEO

AI-powered SEO content optimisation platform for data-driven content teams

Semrush

Moderate

13/25

Surfer SEO

Moderate

14/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionSemrushSurfer SEO

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Semrush: Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

Surfer SEO: Hosted on GCP EU region; processes public web content and user-authored text; no PII in core workflow

2/5

Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

3/5

Hosted on GCP EU region; processes public web content and user-authored text; no PII in core workflow

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Semrush: US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

Surfer SEO: Polish company incorporated in EU; subject to GDPR as data controller; no CLOUD Act exposure

2/5

US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

4/5

Polish company incorporated in EU; subject to GDPR as data controller; no CLOUD Act exposure

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Semrush: Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

Surfer SEO: User content processed for scoring; not retained for model training; account data managed under GDPR

3/5

Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

4/5

User content processed for scoring; not retained for model training; account data managed under GDPR

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Semrush: SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

Surfer SEO: No publicly disclosed security certifications; GDPR-compliant privacy policy in place

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

1/5

No publicly disclosed security certifications; GDPR-compliant privacy policy in place

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Semrush: Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

Surfer SEO: Suitable for standard content and marketing teams; not designed for regulated industry compliance requirements

3/5

Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

2/5

Suitable for standard content and marketing teams; not designed for regulated industry compliance requirements

Total Score

13/25

14/25

Best For

Semrush

Best for enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Surfer SEO

Best for teams prioritising European legal jurisdiction; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Detailed Comparison

Semrush vs Surfer SEO: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Semrush (Semrush, US) scores 13/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered SEO and digital marketing platform for visibility, content, and competitive intelligence. Surfer SEO (Surfer SEO, PL) scores 14/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-powered SEO content optimisation platform for data-driven content teams.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Surfer SEO leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Semrush (2/5): Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance

●Surfer SEO (3/5): Hosted on GCP EU region; processes public web content and user-authored text; no PII in core workflow

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Surfer SEO leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●Semrush (2/5): US-incorporated public company, now a subsidiary of Adobe Inc.; subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; GDPR DPA available

●Surfer SEO (4/5): Polish company incorporated in EU; subject to GDPR as data controller; no CLOUD Act exposure

#### Data Retention & Training

Surfer SEO leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Semrush (3/5): Primarily processes public web data; customer project and account data retained per privacy policy; no known use of customer data for AI model training

●Surfer SEO (4/5): User content processed for scoring; not retained for model training; account data managed under GDPR

#### Certifications

Semrush leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Semrush (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

●Surfer SEO (1/5): No publicly disclosed security certifications; GDPR-compliant privacy policy in place

#### Regulatory Fit

Semrush leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Semrush (3/5): Suitable for marketing and SEO teams across regulated industries; primary risk is account data jurisdiction rather than sensitive data processing

●Surfer SEO (2/5): Suitable for standard content and marketing teams; not designed for regulated industry compliance requirements

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Semrush	Surfer SEO
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

Semrush and Surfer SEO are closely matched on trust and compliance, with scores of 13/25 and 14/25 respectively. The right choice depends on your specific regulatory requirements and existing technology stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Semrush or Surfer SEO?

Semrush has a TrustKit score of 13/25 while Surfer SEO scores 14/25. Surfer SEO currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Semrush and Surfer SEO compare on data residency?

Semrush scores 2/5 for data residency (Infrastructure spans US and EU; no dedicated per-customer data residency selection; standard DPA available for GDPR compliance), while Surfer SEO scores 3/5 (Hosted on GCP EU region; processes public web content and user-authored text; no PII in core workflow).

Are Semrush and Surfer SEO GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Semrush has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Surfer SEO scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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