This is how you get the most out of Ahrefs as an SEO tool for your strategy

Originally started as a pure backlink analysis tool, Ahrefs has now developed into one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms on the market. SEO professionals, content marketing experts and companies worldwide rely on Ahrefs to improve their online visibility, to be better ranked by search engines and to gain valuable insights into the online strategies of their competitors. We will show you exactly what Ahrefs is, what functions it offers, what the advantages and disadvantages of the tool are and in which areas you can use it for your visibility.

What does Ahrefs actually stand for?

Since Ahrefs originally started out as a pure backlink analysis tool, this name was probably chosen to illustrate its close connection to link building and analysis: Ahrefs most likely refers to the HTML tag ‘a href’, which is used in programming to define a hyperlink. This tag stands for Anchor Hypertext Reference, where the ‘a’ stands for ‘anchor’ and ‘href’ for ‘hypertext reference’. It is the code that makes it possible to make a text or image on a website clickable and lead to another URL.

The company was founded in 2010. Since then, Ahrefs has established itself as one of the leading platforms in the field of search engine optimisation and is used primarily for backlink analysis. At the same time, however, it also offers a wide range of other functions, such as keyword research, competitor analysis and site audits.

Why is Ahrefs so popular?

Ahrefs is very popular with SEO professionals and marketers for a number of reasons. These are the main advantages and arguments for using Ahrefs:

Extensive backlink database: Ahrefs offers you one of the largest and most up-to-date backlink databases. It gives you detailed insights into the backlink profiles of your own website and your competitors.

Exact keyword research: With Ahrefs, you can find precise keywords to use for your SEO strategy. The tool not only shows you the search volume, but also the potential clicks for each keyword.

Effective keyword research

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Competitor analysis: Ahrefs allows you to closely analyse your competitors’ strategies. You can find out which content performs particularly well, which keywords rank and where their strongest backlinks come from.

Content Explorer: Ahrefs’ Content Explorer is a helpful tool for identifying the most successful content in your niche. You can see which articles have received a high level of engagement – been liked, commented on, or shared a lot – and use them to inspire your own content strategy.

Site audit: Ahrefs also supports you with its comprehensive site audit tool, which you can use to detect and fix technical SEO issues on your website. It analyses all relevant SEO factors and provides detailed reports on errors and optimisation opportunities.

Ease of use: Despite its immense range of functions, Ahrefs is intuitive to use and very user-friendly. Even as a beginner, you can quickly learn your way around the tool.

Regular updates: Ahrefs is constantly being developed and improved. New features and updates ensure that the tool always stays at the cutting edge of SEO developments.

Other reasons to choose Ahrefs:

• Reliability and accuracy: Ahrefs is known for the accuracy of its data, which is particularly important for keyword research and backlink analysis.

• All-in-one tool: Ahrefs covers almost all important areas of SEO. From keyword research to competitor analysis and technical SEO – everything is combined in one platform.
  
• Competitive advantage: Ahrefs can give you a significant advantage when planning and implementing your own SEO strategy by providing truly in-depth insights into your competitors‘ strategies.

Ahrefs’ popularity stems mainly from the accuracy and depth of the data provided. Ahrefs has one of the largest databases of backlinks and keywords, making it an indispensable tool for SEO professionals. The user interface is intuitive and the results are clearly displayed, making it easy to use, even for beginners. Ahrefs not only offers you powerful tools, but also enormous time savings and the opportunity to take your SEO and content marketing strategy to the next level

An overview of the most important functions and uses of Ahrefs

1. Link building and backlink analysis

Backlink analysis is Ahrefs’ core function. The tool not only shows you the number of backlinks, but also their quality, anchor texts and the origin of the links. This information can make a real difference when it comes to the success of your link building strategy and the performance and visibility of your website.

Link building is one of the most important factors for a good ranking in search engines.

What’s more, Ahrefs allows you to perform a link audit so that you can analyse and understand your competitors‘ strategies and, if necessary, adapt them for your own strategy.

2. Keyword research and optimisation

With Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer, you can determine the search volume, difficulty, and potential traffic for specific keywords. In addition, the tool provides you with a list of related keywords and questions that users enter into search engines in this context. This allows you to create targeted content that is precisely tailored to the needs of your target audience. The tool also identifies keywords for you that show a high search volume and low competition at the same time. You can organise these keywords into lists and use them specifically in your content to improve your rankings and drive more traffic to your website.

3. Site Audit

Ahrefs’ Site Audit tool allows you to identify technical errors on your website that could affect its search engine ranking. The tool crawls your site and provides you with a comprehensive report of possible issues, such as slow loading times, broken links, duplicate content and missing meta tags. This information is essential to fix technical SEO issues and improve your site’s performance.

4. competitor analysis

A deep understanding of the competitive landscape is essential to the success of any SEO strategy. With Ahrefs, you can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and adjust your own strategy accordingly. You can see which keywords and backlinks your competitors are using and use this information to your advantage.

5. content explorer for content marketing

The Content Explorer is another very useful tool from Ahrefs. It helps you find the most popular content on a particular topic. The Content Explorer shows you which articles have been shared and linked to the most, and which topics are particularly popular with your target audience and within your niche. This makes it a valuable resource for idea generation and content optimisation, as well as for developing successful content strategies.

When is Ahrefs less useful for you?

Like every tool, Ahrefs has characteristics that may make it less appealing or less useful for your strategy. These include:

• Comparatively high cost: Ahrefs is relatively expensive compared to other SEO tools, which makes it a costly investment, especially for smaller companies and individuals.
  
• Steep learning curve: Despite its user-friendliness, Ahrefs requires a certain amount of training to get an overview of all the functions and learn how to use them sensibly.

• Limited API access: API access is limited in the cheaper plans, which can be a disadvantage for advanced users.

Ahrefs usage models

Ahrefs offers you various pricing models that are primarily based on your needs and budget. There are currently four main plans:

1. Lite: The cheapest plan, which offers basic features and is suitable for smaller projects.
2. Standard: The most popular plan, which covers all the essential features and is sufficient for most SEO projects.
3. Advanced: This plan offers advanced features and is ideal for larger companies or agencies.
4. Enterprise: The most comprehensive and expensive plan, offering custom solutions and unlimited API access. It is particularly suitable for large companies running extensive SEO campaigns.

Ahrefs: an indispensable SEO tool

Ahrefs is one of the most powerful online marketing tools and should be in every SEO toolbox. It offers comprehensive functions for analysing backlinks, keywords, content and competitors, enabling you to optimise your SEO strategy and significantly increase your visibility. Despite the comparatively high costs and a certain learning curve, investing in Ahrefs is worth it, as the tool offers you valuable insights into the performance of your website and the strategies of your competitors. Whether for link building, keyword research or content marketing – Ahrefs is the ideal tool to sustainably improve the visibility of your website.