As your affiliate business begins to grow and more resources become available, you’ll naturally want to improve the tools you use. Part of this might include subscribing to tools that can help you with keyword research and search engine optimization (SEO).
Two of the most popular platforms in this respect are Ahrefs and SEMRush. To help you decide which best meets your needs, we take a closer look at both and break out the pros and cons of each.
What Is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is a comprehensive platform that has been around for more than a decade. Several of the world’s biggest companies use the service, including Netflix, Adobe, and Uber.
When using Ahrefs, you can utilize several tools to take your SEO work to the next level. This includes:
- A website audit to ensure that your site is compliant with best SEO practices;
- A keyword explorer to help you pick the best terms to include in your content;
- A content explorer to help you find linking opportunities elsewhere and think about new content ideas.
Ahrefs has a tiered pricing structure. Lite costs $99 per month, followed by Standard ($179), Advanced ($399) and Agency ($999).
The Pros of Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the most established platforms in the SEO space and has comprehensive tools for affiliates of all sizes.
When using Ahrefs, you can perform several functions to help you develop better-quality content. Moreover, the service is user-friendly and available in several languages.
The Cons of Ahrefs
Ahrefs’ quality comes at a cost, and some affiliates might find that it’s out of their price range.
If you use Google Chrome, you might also find it slightly annoying that you can’t get an extension for this.
What Is SEMRush?
SEMRush is another comprehensive online tool with a focus on improving SEO. However, it also has several tools to help specifically with content marketing.
Some of SEMRush’s best features you can make use of include:
- Post tracking to measure the performance of your content;
- Website monetization tools;
- Competitor analysis to help you stand out from others in your field.
Like Ahrefs, SEMRush has a tiered pricing structure. Pro costs $119.95 per month, followed by Guru ($229.95) and Business ($449.95).
The Pros of SEMRush
SEMRush has a well-rounded suite of tools for both SEO and content marketing. For the more advanced subscriptions, it’s generally less expensive than Ahrefs – though if you’re a larger business, you might want to compare the person-to-person costs.
Another benefit of SEMRush is that it helps you measure your competitors for PR – so you can check to see what their current reputation is like compared to yours.
The Cons of SEMRush
In terms of backlinking, you might find that SEMRush doesn’t satisfy you in the same way as Ahrefs could. And as your team grows, it might not be the most cost-effective option.
SEMRush is also less useful if you don’t already have content on your website.
Ahrefs vs. SEMRush: Which Should You Choose?
The answer depends on your specific needs. If you’re established but not significant in size, you might prefer to go with SEMRush.
On the flip side, Ahrefs offers an excellent SEO suite for large companies and those just getting started.
Regardless of the choice you make, both tools are considered to be among the best for affiliates looking to improve their SEO work.