Seasoned SEO professionals know that keyword research isn’t just a key area of focus for SEO strategies. One major part of SEO is content research. Many SEO tools offer content research and monitoring. However, two platforms stand out from the rest. Ahrefs and BuzzSumo are the top two platforms for this purpose. Here’s our review of Ahrefs vs BuzzSumo.
What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is a popular SEO tool that helps users reach number one through keyword research, site audit and explorer, rank tracker, and content explorer! Once you subscribe to Ahrefs, you can access their dashboard. One advantage of Ahrefs is that users won't be left in the dark. Ahrefs has SEO courses on YouTube that guide users into executing that strategy using Ahrefs' wide range of tools.
Ahrefs is an excellent tool for marketers and businesses of all sizes. Agencies can also leverage Ahrefs to manage 100 projects at a time. Plus, get a customized plan, too.
Ahrefs Features
Ahrefs Dashboard
Ahrefs has a robust dashboard that shows the following details:
- Health score
- Domain rating
- Organic traffic & keywords
- Referring domains and backlinks
You can also connect unlimited projects, provided that you can prove ownership or connect it via Google Search Console. Plus, you can use their portfolio tool to list all the websites to monitor in one place. Finally, organize keywords and projects into folders!
Site Explorer
The site explorer feature concentrates on areas such as organic and paid traffic, backlinks, and website structure. Aside from monitoring competitor keywords, you can monitor which keywords they’re bidding on. Additionally, know which websites your competitors are linking to.
Keyword Research
Get accurate search volumes and access to trending keywords across nine search engines, like Google and Yahoo. Plus, know how to rank for a keyword and get metrics to see average clicks and % of clicks. Finally, know the keyword’s history and its ranking potential.
SEO Site Audit
This is more for the technical pros. However, Ahrefs can help you analyze your website to give users a much better experience. It uses Javascript to analyze links.
Rank Tracker
Know how your keywords are ranking with this tool. You’ll get insights on the share of voice, average position, and positions distribution. Plus, see how your keywords are performing alongside your competitors!
Content Explorer
Finally, Ahrefs offers the content explorer tool. It works like BuzzSumo, where you can find content ideas and link prospects in one place. You can analyze various metrics like organic traffic, social shares, backlinks, and keyword rankings!
How Much is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs plans start at $99/mo. You can store up to five projects, get six months of history, and access to 500 credits per month. Here are other cool tools or features included in the Lite plan:
- Dashboard
- Site explorer
- Keywords explorer
- Site audit
- Rank tracker
- SERP comparison
- Competitive analysis
- Page inspect
- Alerts
- Export to Google Sheets
What is BuzzSumo?
BuzzSumo is a content research tool. Even though they don’t focus solely on keyword research, you can research relevant content to stay on top of the competition. Additionally, you can monitor competitor content and see how to do better.
BuzzSumo Features
Content Discovery
Discover trending or evergreen content that can inspire your own content. Know historical data about a keyword or topic. Plus, get keyword ideas for your niche. Additionally, you need to know relevant questions and where to share your content to get the most engagement.
Content Research
Do your content and backlink research in one place. You will get access to five billion articles in one platform. Plus, know which content types perform best. Additionally, identify your competitor’s top content. As for backlinks, you’ll know which links are getting engagements and get real-time updates on the newest links!
Find Influencers
This is the only feature that BuzzSumo has that Ahrefs doesn’t. Since BuzzSumo focuses on content discovery and research, it makes sense to reach out to influencers to promote your content. You’ll know their average engagement rate on Twitter. Plus, see which influencers are influential in creating the best content. This way, you’ll also get the benefits of your competitors.
Monitoring
The last main feature of BuzzSumo is its monitoring tool, which allows you to monitor your brand and your competitors' mentions on one platform. Plus, you can also be on the lookout for trending topics and know what people are saying about your products or services without searching on Google all the time.
How Much is BuzzSumo?
BuzzSumo pricing starts at $199/mo, which is ideal for content creators and marketers. Subscribers have unlimited searches and two alerts. Here are other perks:
- Content Analyzer
- Question Analyzer
- Trending Feeds
You can subscribe to other tiers for other benefits like media database and outreach, article uploads, and early access to new features. Here are the pricing tiers:
- Content Creation - $199/mo
- PR & Comms - $299/mo
- Suite - $499/mo
- Enterprise - $999/mo
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Ahrefs for Free?
The Ahrefs platform isn’t free. However, Ahrefs offers free tools with a limited daily usage. Here are the free tools:
- Backlink checker
- Webmaster tools
- Website authority checker
- Broken link checker
- Keyword generator
- YouTube, Amazon, & Bing keyword tools
- SERP checker
- SEO toolbar
- WordPress plugin
- Keyword rank and difficulty checkers
- Website checker
- AI writing tools
What is The Difference Between Semrush and Ahrefs?
Semrush and Ahrefs offer similar tools that you can’t tell them apart. However, the major difference between these is pricing. Ahrefs is so much more affordable, especially for smaller teams.
Is BuzzSumo a Free Tool?
BuzzSumo doesn’t offer free tools.
Conclusion
Ahrefs and BuzzSumo have some stark differences based on their focus features and tools. However, they are leaders in monitoring your competition. Plus, they use SEO tools, such as keyword research and content ideas, to help users create SEO-friendly articles. At the end of the day, Ahrefs is an SEO tool for marketers, agencies, and SEO professionals. Meanwhile, BuzzSumo provides users with trending topics and discover new content.
