SEO tools play a crucial role in improving our SEO efforts. There are many SEO tools on the market.
But, in this blog, we will compare two highly used SEO tools: Semrush and Ahrefs.
Semrush Vs Ahrefs: Let’s see which tool best suits you and your SEO.
Let’s compare the features of these two competitors.
What are Semrush and Ahrefs?
Let’s take a quick overview of these two competitors.
Semrush
Semrush is an SEO tool and a SaaS product mainly used by digital marketers.
This tool is primarily focused on SEO-related searches and continues to focus on this area, displaying a wide range of queries and data.
Here are the features of Semrush.
- Competitive research
- Keyword research
- Link building
- On page SEO Checker
- Site audit
- Position tracking
- Backlink Checker and more
We can see each feature detail in the comparison.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs launched as a backlink tool, but later added many competitive features similar to those of Semrush.
It almost has the same SEO features as Semrush, so it’s a reason we need to compare this tool’s features.
Let’s take a quick breakdown of Ahrefs’ features.
- Keyword research
- Rank tracking
- Site audit (Technical SEO)
- Content Explorer and more
These are the features that Ahrefs is offering.
Wait, here comes the main part.
Which is the Effective Tool For Keyword Research?
First, let’s get to know Semrush Keyword Research.
Semrush
Semrush keyword research tool is the best of all; see how it works.
For instance, I typed Semrush.
It provides me with 9,438 keywords related to Semrush, which is insane.
Compared to Ahrefs, it will provide detailed data on each keyword.
This overview will provide a comprehensive view of various key metrics, including volume, global volume, intent, CPC, competitive density, keyword variations, and related keyword questions.
The best part is that it can automatically cluster your keywords.
Semrush is best for this feature, which helps every marketer achieve their goals. The best part is that it has PPC features for your ads.
Sermush is an all-in-one tool.
Ahrefs
Is Ahrefs a more worthwhile tool for keyword research than Semrush?
Let’s test it.
I enter the same keyword in Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer. It gives me 4,440 keywords compared to Semrush’s fewer.
It will show you the KD, volume, and clicks.
Semrush gives a deep overview of a keyword, which Ahrefs lacked.
It also provides a question related to your keyword. This helps you write a blog post with the right answer.
Google likes it when you answer the search queries.
Well, I’m not saying it is a worthless tool for keyword research, but compared to Semrush, it gives more keywords, deeper data, and a much more comprehensive overview than Ahrefs.
I’m not just saying this on my own; I’ve been using Semrush for a year and Ahrefs as well.
So, Semrush is best for keyword research.
Which is the Effective Tool For Backlink Analysis?
Through this comparison, we learn which backlink analytics or backlink checkers provide more backlinks.
Let’s do it. First, start with Semrush backlink analytics.
I’m picking one of my competitors’ domains for the analysis. Let’s see how many links Semrush shows.
Here is the result.
Semrush analyzes around 2.2M backlinks and 68.5K referring domains.
It’s cool.
Now, let’s look at Ahrefs backlink checker. I insert the same domain in Ahrefs as well.
| Backlinks | Referring domains |
|---|---|
| 2.1M | 65.4K |
Here, Semrush analyzed 2.2M backlinks and 68.5K referring domains.
At the same time, Ahrefs analyzes 2.1M and 65.4K referring domains.
Thus, the difference in their analysis was marginal.
Semrush improved its backlink analysis better and deeper than Ahrefs, but the two are doing their best and are equalling.
Compared to their ease of use, Ahrefs is easier than Semrush.
Because Ahrefs launched as a backlink checker first, it only brings other features.
Finally, Ahrefs achieves ease of use, and Semrush offers more and deeper analyses.
Which is the Effective Tool For Site Audit(Technical SEO)?
When it comes to site audits, let’s see which is very effective.
I insert comtechies.com on both tools.
Let’s see what it is showing…
Semrush
Semrush has the best site audit feature I’ve used to audit my site.
Semrush shows the website’s health. It’s good to see your site’s health to know if it is in good health. It shows that my website’s health is 79%.
COOL.
It also identifies broken links, HTTPs issues, internal linking, site performance problems, and other issues.
Moreover, it will show what the issue is and give guidance on fixing it.
This will somehow really help resolve our site issues.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs shows my website’s health score is 85%.
Moreover, I’m not satisfied with this feature. Semrush is better than this tool.
But it will show,
- Incoming links
- Outgoing links
- HTML tags
- Performance and more
This will also increase the loading speed.
Recently, Ahrefs added another feature called ‘Structure Explorer’.
It shows your website’s different pages more deeply.
Finally, Semrush is top in technical SEO or site audit features. From my own experience, this is the best tool ever for site audits.
Which is the Effective Tool For Position Tracking?
Which shows you the correct keyword ranking accurately? Let’s see it.
Semrush
I’ve been using Semrush for a long time to track my keywords.
It was accurate and showed the real positions of the keywords.
Additionally, it displays the keyword visibility percentage.
The best part is that it updates the keyword position daily, making it easy to track and helping us improve our blog and keyword game.
So, tracking the keyword is easy in Semrush.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs also shows the keyword in the right position, which I have already double-checked.
However, Ahrefs shows rankings twice a week, while Semrush shows them daily.
So, in rank tracking, Semrush was at the top. Two tools are best for tracking keywords, but Semrush still has extra features and is stronger than Ahrefs.
Feature Comparison Of Semrush & Ahrefs
Let’s view all features in a single table.
| Features | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Research | Yes | Yes |
| Site Audit | Yes | Yes |
| Backlink Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Content Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Position Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Competitor Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Technical SEO Audit | Yes | Yes |
| SERP Feature Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Brand Monitoring | Yes | No |
| Social Media Tracker | Yes | No |
| Content Marketing Tools | Yes | No |
| PPC Keyword Tool | Yes | No |
| Organic Traffic Insights | Yes | Yes |
| Backlink Gap analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Keyword Gap Analysis | Yes | Yes |
This table shows that both tools offer the same features, but Ahrefs lags behind in a few areas compared to Semrush.
Pricing and Value
Let’s see which tool is best for its pricing and value.
It depends on your needs. If you are using only backlink analysis, Ahrefs is better for you. But I would suggest doing it in Semrush.
As we can see from the comparison, Semrush wins.
And I’m not saying that Ahrefs is bad in this. I’m just comparing this tool and using these tools. In terms of performance, Semrush outperforms Ahrefs.
Now, come to pricing.
Semrush pricing starts from $129.
You will gain access to additional features, including SEO and PPC, with the Pro plan.
I recommend selecting a plan that suits your needs. If you’re confused about selecting plans, here is a comparison of Semrush costs. Also, use the Semrush Coupon and utilize its discount to reduce the cost and save money.
Ahrefs pricing starts from $99.
There has been a change in Ahrefs’ pricing model. I’m not sure if it’s your bad luck or not.
Ahrefs also charges based on your usage. It is more complicated and expensive than Semrush.
They launched this pricing model in 2022.
So, what do you think?
Which SEO tool is best? And which tool wins this comparison?
Both tools scored equally.
Conclusion
The winners are both Semrush and Ahrefs because they offer different features and display metrics based on distinct analyses.
What’s your take on this? You can frankly give your opinion.
Which tool is best for you and why?
I’m eager to know your answer. Drop your opinion in the comments!
Let’s share our opinions with each other.
Bonus: Here is the beginner-friendly Semrush tutorial and features you will get in free semrush account that you should know.
