Semrush vs Ahrefs vs Majestic Ultimate Comparison Review

In this ultimate comparison review, we'll dive into the features and pricing of three popular SEO tools: Semrush, Ahrefs, and Majestic. Semrush offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including keyword research, technical SEO audits, and competitor analysis, all for a starting price of $99.95 per month.

Semrush's database contains over 20 billion web pages, making it a powerful tool for keyword research and competitor analysis. Its technical SEO audit tool can crawl up to 500 pages per website.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, focuses on backlink analysis and content research, with a database of over 12 trillion links. Its keyword research tool offers features like keyword clustering and SERP analysis.

Majestic's link intelligence tool provides detailed insights into backlinks, including anchor text and link equity. Its SEO audit tool can crawl up to 100 pages per website.

When choosing a keyword research tool, it's essential to consider what matters most to you. As an experienced SEO marketing agency, we used three core criteria: keyword research functionality, data accuracy, and the number of keywords tracked.

Keyword research functionality is crucial, and both Ahrefs and Semrush have their strengths. Ahrefs shows the traffic potential for a specific keyword, which is a more accurate metric to rely on due to Google's tendency to "steal" clicks from website owners. On the other hand, Semrush shows more information in the Keyword Overview report, including keyword search intent, the number of results in SERP, and the number of ads for a particular keyword.

Data accuracy is also vital, and Ahrefs' traffic potential metric is a significant advantage. However, Semrush's PPC data can be beneficial for specific users.

Here's a comparison of the tools' features:

Ultimately, the choice between Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're looking for a tool with a user-friendly interface and accurate traffic potential metrics, Ahrefs might be the way to go. If you need more data and PPC insights, Semrush could be the better choice.

Ahrefs offers a helpful feature that compares traffic to the number of published pages on your website, allowing you to see when traffic has significantly increased and what pages positively impacted this growth.

Ahrefs boasts the world's largest backlink index, with over 170 trillion backlinks, making its site explorer tool stand out from the crowd. You can also check exactly which keywords and pages are bringing in the most traffic, for yourself or competitors.

Ahrefs has a backlink gap tool that allows you to see backlinks your core competitors have but you don't, making it easy to compare websites quickly. This is one of the easiest ways to see how you stack up against competitors quickly.

Ahrefs also has a unique tool called web monitoring, which sends you an email anytime you get mentioned online, allowing you to quickly secure the link.

Semrush provides a ton of backlink filters, allowing you to get specific on the types of links a website has, and even categorizes each link by industry. However, turning that research into link building opportunities requires more digging around.

Here's a quick comparison of the two tools' backlink auditing features:

Semrush also has a local SEO tool, which includes a Listing Management Tool to manage your local listings across multiple directories, including Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business.

Keyword research is a crucial step in SEO, and the right tool can make all the difference. Ahrefs offers a unique feature called traffic versus the number of published pages, which helps you compare how the number of published pages on your website correlates with its traffic.

Semrush, on the other hand, shows more information in the Keyword Overview report, including keyword search intent, the number of results in SERP, the number of ads for a particular keyword, and keyword clusters. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, however, shows the traffic potential for a specific keyword.

Ahrefs UI might be easier to understand if you're new to using SEO software, but Semrush shows a lot more data in its keyword research report, including PPC, making Semrush a more suitable tool for in-depth keyword research.

The top paid keywords section in Ahrefs tells you which keywords perform best in the campaign. However, Semrush provides solid PPC data, which might benefit specific users.

Moz's Keyword Explorer is great for gaining a deeper insight on your website and competitors. It's been separated into the Keyword Overview Tool, the Keyword Suggestions tool, and a SERP analysis tool. The Keyword Overview tool is undoubtedly the most useful, showing top ranking keywords, a distribution chart, and the ability to see all of their keyword rankings.

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, however, rounds up endless keyword suggestions, finds accurate search volume for keywords, and determines how difficult a keyword is to rank for. The charts and graphs are very organized, making it easy to use for traditional keyword research and competitive analysis.

Here's a comparison of the keyword research features of Ahrefs and Semrush:

Ultimately, the choice between Ahrefs and Semrush for keyword research depends on your specific needs and goals.

Ahrefs has done a great job at delivering powerful features that are easy to use. Their tools provide information that is digestible and easier to understand.

All of their tools are designed to help you complete SEO tasks quicker and with a lot less clicking around.

I've used both tools for years, so let's dive into the essential details.

Semrush is a powerful tool with a vast database of keywords, but it's not perfect.

It has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and find what you need.

One of the main pros of Semrush is its ability to provide in-depth competitor analysis.

Let's dive into the pros and cons of using these tools.

Semrush has been a reliable choice for me, with its years of experience and essential details that can only be found in this review.

One of the main pros of Semrush is that it has been used by me for years, offering a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate, even for those new to SEO.

Semrush also offers a range of tools and features that can help with keyword research, competitor analysis, and more.

However, one of the cons of Semrush is that it can be overwhelming for beginners, with so many features to learn and master.

In this review, I'll be comparing Semrush to Ahrefs, another popular tool in the SEO industry.

Ahrefs pricing starts at $99 per month for the lite plan and goes up to $999 per month for the enterprise plan.

For $99, you'll get access to all of the main features like backlink analysis, domain analysis, keyword research, etc.

Most website owners and even SEO freelancers will find that the lite plan will probably suit their needs.

If you run an SEO agency or have an SEO team, you'll likely need to look at the Standard plan and above.

The Ahrefs Advanced plan is what I have, and I take advantage of Ahrefs features every week.

Semrush is slightly more expensive than Ahrefs, with pricing starting at $119.95 per month for the Pro plan and going up to $449 per month for the Business plan.

Even at the lower end, Semrush is about $20 more expensive than Ahrefs.

The Pro plan will give you access to most Semrush features, but you won't get any of their content marketing features or historical data index.

Ahrefs offers better value for money, even as you upgrade to higher plans, offering better features overall.

Ahrefs is 20% cheaper than Semrush and gives you access to all the tools you need.

Backlink analysis is a crucial aspect of SEO, and both Ahrefs and Semrush offer powerful tools to help you analyze backlinks. Ahrefs has a backlink database of 26.9 trillion internal backlinks and 3.4 trillion external backlinks, making it one of the largest in the world.

Ahrefs' backlink analysis tools are far easier to use than Semrush's, and they speed up backlink audits and link building, making you more efficient. Ahrefs can find more links than Semrush most of the time, including in independent tests.

Ahrefs' backlink database size forms the foundation of their link building and backlink tools, and it's what allows them to keep a fresh live backlink database. Their web crawler crawls over 5 pages every minute, making it one of the most active crawlers out there.

Semrush, on the other hand, claims to have a backlink database of over 43 trillion backlinks, but it's unclear whether these are live backlinks or just historical records. Semrush's backlink database size is larger than Ahrefs', but Ahrefs counts only live backlinks in their index numbers.

Here's a comparison of the backlink database sizes of Ahrefs and Semrush:

Ahrefs' backlink analysis tools allow you to quickly see any website's backlinks, referring domains, and dofollow vs nofollow links. They also have a backlink gap tool that shows you backlinks your competitors have but you don't.

Semrush, on the other hand, provides a ton of backlink filters so you can get specific on the types of links a website has, but it's not as fluent in turning research into link building opportunities.

Technical audits are crucial for identifying and fixing technical SEO issues on your website. Semrush's site audit tool has a few more unique features that help you take your technical and on-page SEO to another level.

Ahrefs' site audit tool has recently been upgraded and now provides a quick look at your website's technical SEO health with 3 core site audit metrics: health score, URLs crawled, and URLs with errors. Ahrefs identifies all major technical issues, including slow loading pages, broken links, and internal linking errors.

Semrush also provides a robust site audit tool that gives you an overall health score and key metrics for each technical part of your website. This allows you to dive into certain aspects of your website immediately.

Ahrefs breaks SEO issues into three categories: errors, warnings, and notices, making it easy to prioritize which tasks to focus on first. Semrush also breaks issues into three categories, but provides a "Top Issues" list to help you tackle the most important problems first.

Semrush's internal link distribution report is a unique feature that helps you understand how your internal links are set up and whether your website's authority is flowing in the right direction. This report is not available in Ahrefs.

Here's a comparison of the technical SEO features of Semrush and Ahrefs:

In the world of SEO, rank tracking and reporting are crucial for understanding your website's performance. Semrush offers daily updates on keyword positions, even on its entry-level "Pro" plan.

Semrush has more features than Ahrefs, making it a more robust rank tracker. Ahrefs, on the other hand, provides solid and accurate data, but lacks advanced features and only updates rankings weekly.

If you're looking for mobile tracking, Semrush is a great choice. Ahrefs also provides a good balance of important data without overwhelming you with too much information.

Semrush is a more robust rank tracker with a ton more features to take advantage of. You'll also get your keyword positions updated daily – even on the entry-level "pro" plan.

Ahrefs Rank Tracker is solid and accurate, but it lacks advanced features and only updates rankings weekly. This makes Semrush the clear winner in this round.

Ahrefs has done an excellent job at providing you with enough important data without too much. This makes it a great choice for those who want a simple and easy-to-use rank tracking tool.

Semrush, on the other hand, has many advanced features and resources to help you learn more about SEO. You'll find many blog posts, tutorials, and videos to help you learn everything about Semrush and SEO in general.

If you're looking for a tool that's specifically designed for mobile tracking, you might want to check out some of the best mobile rank tracking tools available.

Here are some key differences between Semrush and Ahrefs:

Local Reports are essential for businesses that want to track their online presence and performance in specific locations.

Semrush offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use local SEO tool called Listing Management Tool, which helps manage local listings across multiple directories, including Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, doesn't have a dedicated local SEO tool, but you can use its Keyword Explorer to conduct local keyword research.

Semrush's Keyword Research Tool allows you to discover and analyze local keywords tied to countries, states, cities, and municipalities, giving you a deeper understanding of your target audience's search habits.

With Semrush, you can also check keyword metrics for a particular location, including keyword difficulty, volume, search intent, and cost-per-click (CPC).

Ahrefs takes the lead in keyword research and backlink analysis, making it a clear winner in these areas. Their web crawler is also more active than Semrush, which means their data should be more accurate.

The Ahrefs user interface is a significant advantage, with my SEO team at Search Logistics preferring it over Semrush for executing campaigns.

Ahrefs' pricing and value for money are also a plus, making it a more attractive option for those looking for a comprehensive SEO toolset.

In the ultimate comparison of Ahrefs vs Semrush, it's clear that both tools have their strengths and weaknesses. Ahrefs and Semrush look similar on paper, but a deeper dive reveals key differences.

The comparison breaks down into 8 key areas, each with its own unique features and benefits. Let's take a closer look at the features of each tool.

Here's a summary of the 8 key areas:

In the end, the choice between Ahrefs and Semrush comes down to your specific needs and goals. By considering the features and benefits of each tool, you can make an informed decision that's right for you.

Ahrefs is the "Big One" in the world of SEO tools, and for good reason. It's been investing in wider keyword capabilities over the years, and its backlink checker is a game-changer.

Ahrefs is days or even weeks ahead of its competitors in identifying new or lost backlinks. This is because its web crawler is more active than Semrush, which means its data should be more accurate.

Ahrefs has the most data to work with, claiming to track twice as many keywords as Semrush and five times as many as Moz. This is a significant advantage for marketers who need to stay on top of their SEO game.

Ahrefs pricing tiers start at $129 per month for the Lite plan and jump to $250 monthly for Standard. Additional users cost $60 per month per seat, which pushes small agencies toward the $449 per month Advanced plan.

Here's a quick comparison of Ahrefs and Semrush pricing:

Ahrefs' traffic estimations correlate with Google Search Console 99% of the time, a nifty five points higher than Semrush. This suggests that Ahrefs is the more reliable choice for marketers who need accurate data.