How to perform keyword research with Ahrefs?

Have you ever wondered how certain brands consistently appear in search results exactly when potential customers are looking for them? Think of this. When someone searches for a term like “best website builder,” the companies ranking at the top are not there by chance.

Their visibility is the result of deliberate keyword research. It is all about understanding what audiences search for, how competitive those searches are, and which topics offer the strongest opportunities for growth. Ahrefs is one such tool that makes this process structured and data-driven. In the sections ahead, we’ll look at how to use Ahrefs for keyword research and how to choose keywords that can bring the right visitors to your website.

What is Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is an SEO tool that helps you understand how people find websites through search engines. It shows you what keywords people are searching for, which pages are ranking for those keywords, and how much traffic those searches can bring.

When you use Ahrefs, you can find new keyword ideas, check how difficult it may be to rank for them, and study what your competitors are doing.

Benefits of using Ahrefs

Many brands that want their websites to rank better are switching to Ahrefs because it provides clear and reliable SEO data that helps you choose the right keywords and content opportunities. Compared to many other tools, it offers deeper insights that make keyword research more practical and effective. Here are some benefits of using this tool.

Strong keyword database

Ahrefs has one of the largest keyword databases available. This allows you to discover a wide range of keyword ideas across different industries, topics, and search behaviors. This helps you see a wide range of search terms people use, not just the obvious or most common ones. It gives you more options when you are planning content.

Goes beyond search volume

Search volume alone is not enough. A keyword can have high searches but still not be useful for your brand to show up. Ahrefs helps you look at keywords more practically, so you spend time on terms that match what your audience is actually looking for.

Shows keyword difficulty

Ahrefs provides a Keyword Difficulty score that helps you understand how competitive a keyword is. This makes it easier to judge whether ranking for a term is realistic for your website. Instead of guessing, you get a clearer idea of which keywords are achievable and which ones may require much stronger authority or time.

Checks traffic potential

Ahrefs also shows Traffic Potential, which helps you estimate how much traffic a page can attract overall. This is important because pages rarely rank for only one keyword. The one they usually bring visits from many related searches. Traffic Potential helps you choose topics that can drive more long-term value, not just single-keyword traffic.

Does a powerful competitor research

One of Ahrefs’ biggest strengths is competitor research. You can see which keywords other websites are ranking for and what content brings them traffic. This helps you understand what is already working in your space and identify opportunities you may be missing. This will help you plan a better keyword strategy that will help you beat your competition.

How to perform keyword research on Ahrefs

Ahrefs makes keyword research a structured process. Instead of relying on assumptions, it helps you find what people are searching for, understand how competitive those searches are, and decide which keywords are worth targeting. Here is how you do it right.

Start with Ahref’s keyword explorer

The first step is to use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer. This is where you enter a broad topic related to your brand or content focus. In other words, this is called the “seed keyword.” Ahrefs will generate keyword data and provide an overview of search demand, competition, and ranking potential. This step helps you build a starting point for deeper keyword research.

Get keyword ideas

Once you enter a topic, Ahrefs provides different keyword idea reports such as matching terms, related terms, and questions. Take a thorough look at these keywords. These reports expand your keyword list beyond the initial search and show the different directions people take when searching around the same topic. This is useful for finding content angles and search terms you may not have considered.

Find keywords that work for your brand

Read about the keyword metrics and practices you need to follow. After generating keyword ideas, the next step is narrowing them down. Ahrefs allows you to filter keywords using metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, and traffic potential. Here are some tips to do it right.

Focus on relatable keywords

Start by choosing keywords that clearly connect to your business, product, or audience needs. Even if a keyword looks attractive in terms of numbers, it is only valuable if it fits what you actually offer and what your users are searching for.

Do not only go by high search volumes

High search volume does not always mean high value. Many high-volume keywords are broad, competitive, or unclear in intent. It is often more effective to target keywords that are specific, relevant, and achievable rather than chasing only the biggest numbers.

Avoid choosing high-competition keywords

Choosing keywords with manageable competition leads to faster and more realistic wins. A keyword may look promising, but if the top results are dominated by strong, established websites, ranking may take significant time and effort. Ahrefs helps you understand this through Keyword Difficulty and SERP analysis.

Do not ignore the keyword density

Keyword research is not just about picking one main term. It is also important to notice related phrases and variations that people use around the same topic. These help you create more complete content that naturally covers what users are looking for.

Pay attention to traffic

It is important for you to look at the overall traffic a keyword topic can bring. Ahrefs’ Traffic Potential metric helps you understand whether a page can attract visits from multiple related searches, making it a stronger long-term opportunity.

Pick keywords based on search intent

Always check what users are trying to achieve with a search. Some keywords reflect learning intent, others show comparison intent, and some indicate purchase intent. Choosing keywords based on intent ensures your content matches what people expect to find. Luckily, Ahrefs categorizes this for you.

Build a keyword list you can use

The purpose of filtering is not to collect endless keywords. It is to create a shortlist that you can realistically target with content, track over time, and build a clear SEO roadmap around.

Check the search intent based on SERP overview

Keyword research is not only about numbers. Ahrefs also helps you understand what type of content the search engines are ranking for a keyword. By reviewing the SERP Overview, you can see whether users expect informational content, comparison pages, product pages, or something else.

Do not forget to check your competition

Ahrefs allows you to study competitor websites and identify the keywords they already rank for. This is one of the fastest ways to find proven keyword opportunities in your space. Instead of starting from scratch, you can build on what is already working in your industry.

Choose keywords that fit your strategy

Once you have a refined list, the final step is prioritization of the keywords you have chosen. Ahrefs helps you choose keywords based on relevance, ranking difficulty, traffic potential, and brand value. This helps you focus on keywords that are realistic to target and meaningful for long-term growth.

Group the keywords and organize them

Keyword research becomes more effective when keywords are grouped rather than being used individually. Ahrefs supports this by helping you identify related terms and parent topics, making it easier to plan content clusters instead of isolated pages.

Add keywords to the keyword list

Once you have filtered and finalized your keyword choices, the next step is to save them in Ahrefs using Keyword Lists. This helps you keep your research organized and makes it easier to plan content around your selected keywords. Instead of working with scattered ideas, you can group keywords by topic, intent, or priority and return to them anytime while building your SEO roadmap. Keyword lists also help you track progress over time and ensure your research turns into actionable content planning.

If you want keyword research to feel less like guesswork and more like a clear process, Ahrefs is one of the best tools to start with. It gives you the data to choose keywords confidently, understand what you can realistically rank for, and plan content with purpose. Try it today, plan your content strategy with the right keywords, and watch your brand rank on the search engines for your audience.