Definition
Ahrefs is one of the most comprehensive SEO suites on the market, recognized especially for the power of its link index. Its crawler, AhrefsBot, is the second most active on the web after Googlebot, enabling it to maintain an extremely up-to-date backlink database. The tool also offers a keyword explorer, technical site audit, rank tracking, and in-depth competitive analysis. Ahrefs is particularly valued by link building professionals and SEO agencies for evaluating link profile quality and identifying backlink acquisition opportunities.
Key Points
- One of the largest and most up-to-date backlink indexes on the market
- Content Explorer feature for finding high-performing content in a niche
- Proprietary Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR) metrics for evaluating authority
Practical Examples
Competitor link profile analysis
With Ahrefs Site Explorer, enter a competitor's URL to discover all their backlinks, referring domains, anchors used, and link profile growth over time.
Broken link opportunity research
The Broken Backlinks feature identifies competitor pages that have incoming links but return a 404 error, offering an opportunity to propose your content as a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ahrefs offers limited free access via Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, which lets you check backlinks and SEO health for your own sites. Paid plans start from $99/month and offer advanced features like competitor analysis and unlimited keyword research.
Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows performance data for your own site in search results. Ahrefs is a paid third-party tool offering a much broader view, including competitor analysis, an independent backlink index, and advanced keyword research tools.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07