What is Ahrefs and how to use it for keyword research?

What is Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that provides a range of features for keyword research, site analysis, and link building. It offers a vast database of backlinks, keywords, and search traffic data that can help you improve the SEO of your website or content.

Ahrefs is used by a range of businesses, marketers, and SEO specialists to research their competitors, analyze their backlinks, and optimize their content for search engines. Its keyword research tool, Keyword Explorer, is particularly helpful for identifying relevant and high-performing keywords for your content.

How to Use Ahrefs for Keyword Research

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Ahrefs for keyword research:

1. Access the Keyword Explorer Tool

To access Ahrefs Keyword Explorer tool, log in to your Ahrefs account and navigate to the “Keyword Explorer” tab in the top navigation bar.

2. Enter Your Seed Keyword

Start by entering your seed keyword into the “Keyword Explorer” search bar. A seed keyword is a basic word or phrase that describes your topic or industry. For example, if you are writing about “SEO,” your seed keyword might be “SEO tips.”

3. Analyze Search Volume and Keyword Difficulty

Once you have entered your seed keyword, Ahrefs will provide you with a list of related keywords and phrases, along with their search volume and keyword difficulty. Search volume refers to the number of times a keyword is searched for in a given period, while keyword difficulty refers to how hard it is to rank for that keyword.

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Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides a range of filters and sorting options that can help you refine your search results. For example, you can filter keywords by search volume, keyword difficulty, or the number of clicks generated by the top-ranking content.

To find the best keywords for your content, look for keywords with high search volume and low keyword difficulty. These are more likely to drive traffic to your website or content and improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

4. Analyze SERP Data

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer also provides SERP (search engine results page) data for each keyword, which can help you understand what type of content is currently ranking for that keyword. SERP data includes information such as the top-ranking pages, their domain ratings, and the number of backlinks they have.

Analyzing SERP data can give you insights into what type of content to create and how to optimize it for better ranking. For example, if the top-ranking content for a keyword is mostly videos, you may want to consider creating video content to target that keyword. Or, if the top-ranking content is mostly long-form blog posts, you may want to create similarly in-depth content to compete.

To access SERP data for a keyword, simply click on the keyword in the Keyword Explorer tool. This will take you to a detailed overview of the keyword’s search volume, keyword difficulty, and SERP data.

5. Analyze Keyword Ideas

Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer provides a range of keyword ideas that can help you expand your list of potential keywords. These keyword ideas are sorted by relevance and include data on search volume, keyword difficulty, and the number of clicks generated by the top-ranking content.

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To access keyword ideas, click on the “Keyword Ideas” tab in the Keyword Explorer tool. Here, you can enter your seed keyword or a related keyword to generate a list of keyword ideas.

6. Analyze Competitor Keywords

Ahrefs also allows you to analyze competitor keywords, which can help you identify new keyword opportunities and gain insights into what is working for your competitors. To analyze competitor keywords, simply enter your competitor’s URL into the “Site Explorer” tool, and Ahrefs will provide you with a list of the keywords they are ranking for.

By analyzing your competitor’s keywords, you can identify which keywords they are targeting, what type of content they are creating, and how you can differentiate your content to stand out.

7. Use Filters and Sorting Options

Ahrefs offers a range of filters and sorting options to help you refine your keyword research. For example, you can filter keywords by search volume, keyword difficulty, or the number of clicks generated by the top-ranking content. You can also sort keywords by relevance, search volume, or keyword difficulty, making it easy to identify the best keywords to target for your content.

To access filters and sorting options, click on the “Filter” or “Sort by” buttons in the Keyword Explorer tool. Here, you can select the criteria you want to filter or sort by and generate a list of keywords that meet your requirements.

8. Use Keyword Lists

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer also allows you to create and save keyword lists, which can help you organize your keyword research and track your progress. To create a keyword list, simply select the keywords you want to add and click on the “Add to list” button.

You can then create a new list or add the keywords to an existing list. Keyword lists can be edited, renamed, and exported to a CSV file for further analysis.

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9. Use the “Questions” Feature

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer also provides a “Questions” feature, which can help you identify the questions your target audience is asking related to your topic or industry. To access this feature, click on the “Questions” tab in the Keyword Explorer tool.

Here, you can enter your seed keyword or a related keyword to generate a list of questions that people are asking related to that keyword. This can give you insights into what type of content to create and how to optimize it to answer your target audience’s questions.

10. Use the “Parent Topic” Feature

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer also provides a “Parent Topic” feature, which can help you identify the broader topics and subtopics related to your seed keyword. To access this feature, click on the “Parent Topic” tab in the Keyword Explorer tool.

Here, you can enter your seed keyword or a related keyword to generate a list of parent topics and subtopics related to that keyword. This can help you identify the different angles and perspectives to cover in your content and provide a more comprehensive answer to your target audience’s search queries.

Conclusion

Keyword research is an essential part of SEO, and Ahrefs is a powerful tool that can help you conduct effective keyword research. By using Ahrefs to analyze search volume and keyword difficulty, analyze SERP data, use filters and sorting options, and analyze competitor keywords, you can identify the best keywords to target for your content and improve its ranking in search engine results pages.

Remember to focus on targeting keywords with high search volume and low competition, and to create content that is relevant, valuable, and engaging to your target audience. By following these tips and using Ahrefs effectively, you can optimize your content for SEO, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately grow your business.

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