Semrush or Ahrefs in 2024: Which SEO Tool Should You Choose?

SEO can make or break your website’s online presence. So, choosing the right SEO tool for your business is very important. Thankfully, there are several advanced tools that can boost your SEO and help your business grow. Semrush and Ahrefs are some of the popular tools used by businesses in 2024. While Semrush started off as a keyword research tool, Ahrefs was originally a backlink analysis tool. Currently, both of these tools serve as an all-in-one SEO suite that offers keyword research, content analysis, rank tracking and much more. But out of both, which one serves you the best? Which one do you choose for Ahrefs vs Semrush?

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Semrush or Ahrefs in 2024: Which Tool to Choose?

Boost your digital presence with two of the best-performing tools. These tools can optimize your search rankings on various search engines. But how do you know which one serves you the best? Well, we are gonna make an Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison and check out their features, pricing and the various tools that they offer!

1.  Keyword Research

When it comes to keyword research, Semrush has a lot more features and data to offer. What it means is that when it shows a keyword, you get a lot more in-depth data in the report. While Ahrefs will show you the search volume, competition and CPS, Semrush will provide you with extra data you won’t find in Ahrefs. This includes keyword search intent, the number of ads associated with a keyword and keyword clusters. So, it is pretty evident that Semrush is a better choice for keyword research and relevant data.

2. On Page SEO Data

When you compare Ahrefs and Semrush, they both have excellent features that show you the on-page SEO data. The site audit feature shows you the website’s health, and it figures out the technical issues. However, Semrush’s Site audit can identify a lot more technical issues. Unlike Ahrefs, Semrush has a powerful on-page SEO checker that can analyse your website and tell you how to improve your rankings. Overall, Semrush does a much better job at identifying website issues and how to approach them.

3. Comparison for Backlinks

Bothe the SEO tools are equal competitors when it comes to finding backlinks on a website. Semrush is a tool that can find more backlinks on a website than Ahrefs. Simply put, Semrush has a larger backlink index. But can you decide solely based on the size of the index? No, you can’t. UI is also important. Ahrefs UI is much better than Semrush. With just a couple of clicks, you can view all the backlinks, which is not possible with Semrush. So which one is better? The answer depends on the users and what they are looking for!

4. Pricing

Semrush vs Ahrefs pricing is the biggest deciding factor for any business. So, which tool offers a better pricing plan? This is a question many of you might be wondering. In terms of pricing, Ahrefs offers the cheapest entry-level plan at $99 per month. Whereas the cheapest plan in Semrush starts at $139 per month. So, if you are a small business owner with limited funds, Ahrefs could be a better choice for you. It includes all the basic features that the tool has to offer. Also, Ahrefs doesn’t offer any free trials, but Semrush offers a 7-day free trial for users who want to try out the tool.

5. Website Rank Tracking

Which tool has a better rank-tracking feature? When you do an Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison, you’ll notice a few things. First, Semrush does a routine check to see where you rank on Google for particular keywords. Second, it also offers a visibility score, which you won’t find in Ahrefs. Another thing is that Semrush regularly updates the tracked keywords every day. However, Ahrefs doesn’t update it that often. They only update it once or twice a week. So if you want your Google rankings to be tracked regularly, then Ahrefs might not cut it.

6. Local SEO Tools

If you’re wondering how to boost your business locally, then Semrush and Ahrefs have some amazing tools for you! With Semrush, you can check keyword data for a specific location, which, unfortunately, you cannot do with Ahrefs. It also provides you with details such as search intent, CPC, keyword difficulty and other reports. Ahrefs does not have a local SEO tool, but you can use the Keyword Explorer to conduct local keyword research. For businesses looking to grow in a target region, Semrush is a better choice.

7. Content Marketing Features

Stay on top of your content game with Semrush and Ahrefs content marketing tools and reports. If you need help with content marketing, then Semrush is your best choice. And the reason is pretty simple. Compared to Ahrefs, Semrush has a top-performing content marketing platform. With tools like SEO writing assistant at your disposal, Semrush can instantly create the best content for you. There’s no way that Ahrefs can even come close to providing users with features similar to Semrush. Plus, Semrush also ensures that you meet Google’s EEAT guidelines at every step.

8. Ahrefs vs Semrush Social Media Marketing Features

If you are into social media marketing, then Semrush won’t disappoint. If you compare both the SEO tools, there is really no comparison because Ahrefs doesn’t have tools for social media marketing. Whereas the Semrush social analytics tools can keep track of your posts reach, audience growth and engagement. It will also determine the best social media platforms so that you can reach your target audience. If you are an influencer or have started a business over social channels, Semrush is the ultimate tool to monitor your growth.

9. Support

Both Semrush and Ahrefs have exceptional customer service. You can reach Semrush customer support through various channels. This includes email and live chat. Even if you do not have an account, you can still contact the team and get your queries solved. Similarly, with Ahrefs, you can reach out via chat and email on their website. All you need to do is log in to your account, and you can proceed to chat with their support team. Overall, both tools have various channels to reach out to, plus they give you timely responses.

Conclusion

Now the question remains: Semrush vs Ahrefs, which one should you choose? Well, the answer is not so straightforward. Both tools are the best in the industry and help you rank better on the search engines. Be it keyword research or tracking your website ranking, both these tools offer sufficient features and benefits to the users. However, when you compare these two SEO tools, Semrush has more features and tools to offer. The only problem is that Semrush is a bit more expensive than Ahrefs. So, ultimately, there is no black-and-white answer to the question because the decision lies with users’ budgets, needs, and requirements.

FAQs

Q1. Semrush vs Ahrefs for keyword research: which one should I choose?

Ans. Semrush offers in-depth data about the keywords and also provides more features compared to Ahrefs. So, from a beginner’s perspective, Ahrefs should suffice, and for advanced keyword research, Semrush is a good choice.

Q2. Does the Ahrefs vs Semrush pricing differ by a lot?

Ans. Semrush is pricier than Ahrefs. So, if you are looking for a budget-friendly option, Ahrefs might be a better option for you.

Q3. Which is a better SEO tool if I want help with marketing?

Ans. If you compare Ahrefs vs Semrush, Ahrefs has more features that can help you out with content marketing and social media marketing.

Q4. As a small business owner which SEO tool would suit me the best?

Ans. Ahrefs and Semrush are both great tools for a small business owner.

Q5. Which SEO tool should I use if I want a free trial?

Ans. If you want a free trial, you should use Semrush. Semrush offers a 7-day free trial so you can see how the tool functions.