How to Use Ahrefs for Keyword Research? - [7 Steps for Success]

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How to Use Ahrefs for Keyword Research?:

What is Ahrefs? Ahrefs is an incredibly powerful tool for keyword research, and it can provide you with a treasure trove of data to help you optimize your website for search engines.

In fact, Ahrefs continues to be the most popular and effective SEO tool according to a few recent studies and findings including various recommendations from the Pro SEO community.

In this blog post, I will walk you through the step-by-step process of using Ahrefs for keyword research. By the way, this is not a sponsored post. Also, refer to FAQs at the end of this blog post.

Do you know? - “96.55% of pages get no organic traffic. Keep your pages in the other 3.45% by building backlinks, choosing topics with organic traffic potential, and matching search intent” – Ahrefs

Ahrefs for Keyword Research:

Step 1: Sign in to Ahrefs Account

To get started, sign in to your Ahrefs account. If you don't have one, you can sign up for a free plan or subscribe to a paid plan that suits your needs.

In case you are planning to have a free plan to start with, just remember that it has a limited version use of Ahrefs.

You need to upgrade to a premium plan to unlock all Ahrefs toolsets to gain its full power.

Step 2: Go to the Keywords Explorer Section

Once you're logged in, you can see your dashboard. Then you can click on Keywords Explorer from the menu.

Then you are within the Keywords Explorer Section.

Now, you are ready to get exposed to thousands of keyword ideas, calculate their traffic potential and search volume, find out how difficult it is to rank for them, and many more.

The welcome video even provides some basic instructions to help you get off to a strong start.

Furthermore, by providing a short tutorial on how to use it, this additional video on the keyword explorer section supports your subsequent keyword research efforts.

Now, start entering your target keyword or phrase in the space bar at the top that you want to research.

If you have the paid subscription plan, you can begin experimenting or playing around to gain some practical knowledge and become accustomed to doing keyword research.

Don't worry, Ahrefs Academy has a free video course available to teach you how to use Ahrefs for keyword research and many more uses, if you still need additional help.

Image Content Source - Ahrefs

Step 3: Analyze the Keyword Overview

After entering your target keyword, you'll be taken to the keyword overview page.

Here, you'll find a wealth of information about the keyword, including search volume, keyword difficulty, top-ranking pages, organic position history, global volume, ads history chart, and other metrics data.

The search volume indicates how many people are searching for that particular keyword in a given month.

The higher the search volume, the more potential traffic you can get if you rank well for that keyword.

Keyword difficulty measures how challenging it is to rank for a specific keyword. Ahrefs uses a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the easiest and 100 being the most difficult.

Aim for keywords with lower difficulty scores to increase your chances of ranking higher in search results.

For new website owners, publishers, or SEO beginners, this is the best approach to start with for optimizing a website and its content.

To make your keyword research streamlined, and easier, use numerous dropdown menus, or modifiers available within.

Are you aware? - “Long-tail queries account for almost 35% of traffic and almost 50% of conversions, according to Ahrefs” – Search Engine Land

Next, the top-ranking pages section shows you the pages that are currently ranking well for your target keyword.

This can give you insights into the type of content that Google considers valuable for that particular keyword.

Image Content Source - Ahrefs

You can get more examples and detailed assistance with this from the aforementioned videos and course.

Step 4: Explore Related and Matching Keywords [terms]

Ahrefs also provides a list of related and matching keywords that are similar to your target keyword.

You may find them in the keywords explorer section's keyword ideas area, which is on the screen's left sidebar.

These can be valuable for expanding your content strategy and finding new ideas for blog posts or product offerings. Applications are almost endless.

Take note of these keywords as per your requirements that have high search volume and low difficulty scores.

Step 5: Analyze Competition

Another important aspect of keyword research is analyzing your competition.

Ahrefs allows you to see which websites are currently ranking well for your target keyword.

By studying their content and backlink profiles, you can gain insights into what it takes to outrank them.

Step 6: Refine Keyword List

Based on the data you've gathered, refine your keyword list by selecting keywords with high search volume and low difficulty scores.

These are the keywords that have the potential to drive significant organic traffic to your website or blog.

Step 7: Track Progress

Once you've identified your target keywords, it's important to track your progress over time.

Ahrefs has a rank tracker feature that allows you to monitor your website's rankings for specific keywords.

This can help you identify any fluctuations and make necessary adjustments to your SEO strategy.

“If content marketing is a house, then keyword research is the ground it’s built on” – Siege Media

Remember, effective keyword research is an ongoing process, so make sure to regularly revisit and update your keyword strategy as necessary.

In conclusion, Ahrefs is an invaluable tool for keyword research.

By following these steps, you can uncover high-potential keywords, analyze your competition, and track your progress over time. Happy researching!

FAQs:

Is Ahrefs Free?:

Yes, Ahrefs is free, but with limited access. To benefit fully, a premium or paid subscription option is suggested.

What is Ahrefs used for?:

Ahrefs is used for all SEO applications. In other words, it is a complete set of SEO tools for optimizing websites and content.

Does Ahrefs have a Free Trial?:

Ahrefs doesn't provide a free trial; the only option is to sign up for a free subscription with limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit.

What is Ahrefs Rank?:

From the summary of various studies, research, perceptions, and findings in the last 2-3 years, Ahrefs as an SEO tool ranks at the No.1 position.

As per the Similarweb platform, its category rank is 13 [Business and Consumer Services (in the US) in Digital Marketing]. Check for the latest rank here. Semrush and Moz are Ahrefs's strong competitors.

Which is better Ahrefs vs Semrush?:

Indeed, both Ahrefs and Semrush are almost equal in competence. However, considering the average ratings and the number of reviews on the Capterra platform, Semrush emerges as the better choice.

Image Source - Capterra

By the way, here are my suggestions for alternative keyword research tools you could also try: Long Tail Pro and Keyword Tool Pro, though Ahrefs is still the global leader.

Here's related information that you may also find helpful – Can Keywords be Two Words?

P.S: Ready to [unlock the power of digital marketing] and drive [your] business forward? – Access my forum today

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