Ahrefs: Track Rankings, Analyze Competitors, and Improve SEO Performance

Marketers today are navigating a search landscape reshaped by AI overviews, real-time ranking shifts, and rising competition for every keyword. Without reliable data and tools to inform them, even the best strategies fall short. The challenge isn’t just finding information—it’s knowing what’s working for your competitors, how your content performs, and where you can gain ground.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO and marketing intelligence platform used by teams ranging from solo site owners to global enterprises. It combines deep web crawling technology with a suite of powerful tools that help marketers track rankings, study competitors, identify keyword opportunities, and monitor site health. With over 17,000 new users joining in a single week and adoption across 44% of the Fortune 500, Ahrefs has become a daily driver for SEO professionals worldwide.

What sets Ahrefs apart is its ability to turn vast amounts of web data into practical insights. Whether you’re benchmarking your site against a competitor or evaluating keyword intent, Ahrefs brings clarity to your decision-making process.

Core Capabilities That Set Ahrefs Apart

• AI Content Grader: Review content for SEO alignment before publishing, based on real-time data and best practices.
• AI Content Helper: Get tailored content guidance to improve relevance, structure, and keyword usage.
• Batch Analysis: Analyze key metrics across hundreds of URLs or domains simultaneously.
• Brand Radar: Track your brand’s visibility in AI-generated summaries and search results.
• Content Explorer: Search for popular content across any topic, sorted by engagement and backlinks.
• Content Gap: Find keywords your competitors rank for that your site currently misses.
• Dashboard: Keep a centralized view of project performance, including rankings, audits, and alerts.
• Domain Comparison: Compare SEO metrics across multiple domains side-by-side.
• Email Alerts: Set up custom alerts for keyword movements, backlinks, or brand mentions.
• IndexNow: Instantly notify search engines of content changes and updates.
• Keywords Explorer: Access keyword volume, trends, difficulty scores, and click potential for millions of terms.
• Link Intersect: Identify websites linking to your competitors but not to you.
• Looker Studio Connectors: Build custom reports and dashboards using Ahrefs data integrations.
• Portfolios: Organize tracked URLs by project, region, or campaign to manage large sets efficiently.
• Rank Tracker: Monitor keyword rankings over time by device and location.
• SEO Checker: Analyze pages for on-page SEO issues and opportunities.
• Site Audit: Crawl your website and identify technical SEO issues that affect performance.
• Site Explorer: Dig into backlink profiles, traffic estimates, and ranking keywords for any URL.
• Web Analytics: Complement traditional analytics tools with SEO-focused behavior data.

Ahrefs’ ecosystem also includes free tools, such as the Backlink Checker, Keyword Generator, and SERP Checker, making it accessible to even those just starting out. For those scaling operations, the Enterprise plan provides API access, advanced data exports, and streamlined reporting for teams.

Getting Started with Ahrefs

You can begin by creating a free account with Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, which includes site audits and backlink monitoring for your verified domain. For broader features, such as keyword research and competitor tracking, plans start affordably and scale based on your data needs and team size.

Each tool includes step-by-step tutorials, in-app guidance, and access to its extensive learning hub. Whether you’re self-taught or leading an in-house team, Ahrefs supports your growth through practical resources, not upsells.

Built on Decade-Deep Data Infrastructure

Ahrefs operates one of the most active web crawlers in the world—second only to Google—and maintains its own search engine, Yep, which feeds insights back into the platform. This infrastructure enables Ahrefs to deliver faster and more accurate SEO data than most of its competitors.

64% of SEO professionals trust Ahrefs’ link data the most, and 44% rely on its Domain Rating metric to evaluate site authority.

The State of Link Building Report

Ahrefs is relied on by major brands like IBM, Hubspot, and Zoom to power SEO strategy, but it’s also used daily by content marketers, e-commerce managers, and agencies. It integrates seamlessly into workflows, whether you’re auditing a site, optimizing for a campaign, or building a long-term content strategy.

Without Ahrefs, we would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue each year.

Greg Heilers, Co-Founder at Jolly SEO

Suppose you’re looking to understand your SEO performance, identify gaps in your content, and take action with confidence. In that case, Ahrefs offers the tools and data you need to compete in today’s evolving search environment.

Start with a free site audit using Ahrefs Webmaster Tools