Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started with SEMrush and Ahrefs

Introduction to SEMrush and Ahrefs

If you’re just starting your digital marketing or SEO journey in the U.S., you’ve probably heard of SEMrush and Ahrefs. These two tools are among the most popular platforms for search engine optimization, keyword research, competitor analysis, and more. But if youre a beginner, it can be overwhelming to figure out what each tool does and how they can help you grow your website traffic.

What Are SEMrush and Ahrefs?

SEMrush and Ahrefs are all-in-one SEO tools that help marketers, bloggers, business owners, and agencies improve their online presence. They provide data and insights about your website, your competitors, and what people are searching for online.

Feature	SEMrush	Ahrefs
Keyword Research	Yes	Yes
Site Audit	Yes	Yes
Backlink Analysis	Yes	Yes
PPC Data (Google Ads)	Yes	No
User Interface for Beginners	Beginner-Friendly	More Data-Heavy

Why Are These Tools Important for Beginners?

If youre running a blog, an eCommerce site, or any type of online business in the U.S., understanding SEO is key to getting found on Google. SEMrush and Ahrefs make it easier to:

• Find the right keywords your audience is searching for
• Understand what your competitors are doing right (and wrong)
• Track your rankings over time
• Get insights into backlink opportunities to boost your domain authority
• Avoid technical SEO issues that might hurt your performance

A Quick Look at Their Strengths

Tool	Main Strengths
SEMrush	PPC advertising data, competitive research, easy-to-read dashboards for beginners
Ahrefs	Deep backlink analysis, accurate keyword difficulty scores, strong content explorer tool

The Bottom Line for New Users in the U.S.

If youre new to digital marketing or SEO in the United States, both SEMrush and Ahrefs offer powerful features that can help you get started on the right foot. Whether youre running a local bakery website or launching a national eCommerce brand, learning how to use these tools will give you a huge advantage in growing your online visibility.

You don’t need to master everything all at once—just getting familiar with the basics of these platforms can already put you ahead of many competitors who don’t use them at all.

This guide will walk you through using each tool step by step so you can start seeing results faster without feeling overwhelmed.

In the next section, we’ll explore how to set up your account with SEMrush and Ahrefs so you can dive in right away.

2. Setting Up Your Account and Dashboard Walkthrough

If youre just getting started with SEMrush or Ahrefs, the first step is setting up your account properly and learning how to navigate the dashboard. Both platforms offer powerful tools, but knowing where everything is and how to customize it can make a big difference in how effectively you use them for your SEO goals.

Creating Your Account

Getting started on either platform is pretty straightforward. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to set up an account on both:

Platform	Steps to Create an Account
SEMrush	Go to SEMrush.com Click “Sign Up” in the upper right corner Enter your email and create a password, or sign up using Google Select your plan (you can start with the free trial) Confirm your email address via the verification link
Ahrefs	Visit Ahrefs.com Click “Start 7-day trial for $7” or choose a monthly plan Create your account using your email and payment details Log in after confirming your email address

Navigating the User Interface

The dashboards of SEMrush and Ahrefs are designed for marketers, SEOs, and business owners alike. Heres a quick guide on what youll find when you log in:

SEMrush Dashboard Overview:

• Main Menu: Located on the left-hand side with tools like Domain Overview, Keyword Magic Tool, Site Audit, and Position Tracking.
• Projects: Use this section to track ongoing SEO campaigns for specific domains.
• Reports: You can generate customizable reports for clients or internal use.
• Toolkits: Divided into SEO, Advertising, Social Media, Content Marketing, and Competitive Research toolsets.

Ahrefs Dashboard Overview:

• Main Navigation Bar: Found at the top with access to Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, and Content Explorer.
• Dashboard View: Shows all the websites youre tracking including key metrics like backlinks, domain rating, and traffic trends.
• Alerts: Set up email alerts for new backlinks or lost ones.
• User Tools: Access saved filters and lists quickly from your main dashboard.

Customizing Your Dashboard for Better Insights

You can personalize your dashboards on both platforms to fit your workflow. Here’s how each platform lets you do that:

Platform	Customization Options
SEMrush	Add or remove widgets to track specific metrics like keyword rankings or backlink profiles. Create custom reports tailored to client needs or specific campaigns. Select preferred projects and pin them for easy access.
Ahrefs	Add multiple websites to monitor from one dashboard view. Create tags or folders to organize projects by client or industry. Add notes to track changes or updates made during campaigns.

Quick Tips for First-Time Users:

• Bookmark important sections: Save tools you use often for quicker access.
• Dive into tutorials: Both platforms offer helpful guides and tooltips throughout the interface.
• Avoid overwhelm: Start with one project at a time before exploring every feature available.

The setup stage might seem simple, but its essential. A well-organized dashboard makes it much easier to focus on strategy instead of searching through menus or data. Once youre familiar with the layout and have customized it around your goals, you’re ready to dive deeper into keyword research and competitor analysis in upcoming steps!

3. Keyword Research Basics

If youre just getting started with SEMrush and Ahrefs, one of the first things youll want to learn is how to do keyword research. This step is essential for understanding what your target audience is searching for—especially if youre focusing on U.S.-based traffic. Let’s break it down into simple steps and show you how both tools can help.

Understanding Your Niche

Before you dive into either tool, think about your niche. Are you in fitness, tech, beauty, or maybe local services? Knowing your area helps you find keywords that are both relevant and profitable. Ask yourself: What would someone in the U.S. type into Google if they were looking for what I offer?

Using SEMrush for Keyword Research

SEMrush makes it easy to discover keywords with their “Keyword Magic Tool.” Here’s how to get started:

Steps to Follow:

• Log in to your SEMrush account
• Select “Keyword Magic Tool” under the Keyword Research section
• Enter a seed keyword related to your niche (e.g., “home workout”)
• Set the country filter to “United States”

You’ll now see a list of related keywords along with data like search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent.

Example Table from SEMrush:

Keyword	Search Volume (US)	Keyword Difficulty	User Intent
home workout plan	12,000	43%	Navigational
best home exercises	8,500	38%	Informational
buy home gym equipment	2,100	57%	Transactional

Using Ahrefs for Keyword Research

If youre using Ahrefs, head over to their “Keywords Explorer.” It works similarly but has some unique features:

Steps to Follow:

• Log into Ahrefs and go to “Keywords Explorer”
• Select your preferred search engine (Google US)
• Add your seed keyword and hit search

You’ll get detailed metrics including Keyword Difficulty (KD), Search Volume, Clicks, and even Parent Topics.

Example Table from Ahrefs:

Keyword	KD Score	Search Volume (US)	Total Clicks
diy home gym	31	6,700	4,900
women’s home workout routine	27	5,300	5,000

A Few Tips for Targeting U.S.-Based Traffic:

• Add U.S. location filters in both tools to ensure accurate results.
• Aim for keywords with moderate competition but decent search volume.
• If you’re targeting a local area (like a city or state), include geo-specific terms in your keywords.

The better you understand what people in the U.S. are searching for, the more effectively you can create content that ranks well—and drives real traffic to your site.

4. Competitive Analysis Made Simple

One of the most powerful features of both SEMrush and Ahrefs is their ability to help you understand what your competitors are doing online. Whether youre running a local coffee shop in Austin or an e-commerce store based in Chicago, knowing what’s working for your competitors can give you a serious edge.

Why Competitive Analysis Matters

Competitive analysis gives you insights into the keywords your competitors rank for, the backlinks they’ve earned, and even which pages bring them the most traffic. This information helps you figure out what’s working in your industry—and how you can do it better.

How to Analyze Competitors Using SEMrush

SEMrush makes it super easy to spy (in a good way) on your competition. Here’s how:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Go to SEMrush Dashboard: Enter your competitors domain (like target.com or bestbuy.com).
2. Select “Domain Overview”: This shows overall traffic, organic keywords, paid search ads, and more.
3. Dive into “Organic Research”: See top-performing keywords and rankings.
4. Check “Backlink Analytics”: Discover who’s linking to them and why.

How to Analyze Competitors Using Ahrefs

If youre using Ahrefs, the process is just as simple:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Enter the Domain in Site Explorer: For example, nike.com or warbyparker.com.
2. Review the Overview Report: Get a snapshot of organic traffic, backlinks, and top pages.
3. Dive into “Top Pages” and “Competing Domains”: These tools show which content is winning and who else is in the game.

Real-World Example: Starbucks vs Dunkin

Let’s take a look at two American favorites—Starbucks and Dunkin. Here’s how their keyword performance might look inside SEMrush or Ahrefs:

Brand	Top Organic Keyword	Estimated Monthly Traffic	No. of Backlinks
Starbucks	“iced coffee”	40,000+	1.2M+
Dunkin	“donuts near me”	35,000+	950K+

This kind of data helps you identify keyword gaps—terms your competitor ranks for that you don’t—and backlink opportunities from domains that link to them but not you.

Your Takeaway

You don’t need to be an expert marketer to get value from these tools. With just a few clicks, you can uncover what’s driving traffic to your competitors and use that knowledge to grow your own site. Whether youre running ads or focusing on SEO, these insights are key to making smarter decisions that match American user behavior and preferences.

5. Tracking and Measuring Your SEO Progress

Once youve started using SEMrush and Ahrefs for your SEO efforts, its important to track your progress. Monitoring the right metrics helps you understand whats working and where you need to improve. Here’s how you can use both tools to keep an eye on your U.S.-based SEO campaigns.

Track Keyword Rankings

Both SEMrush and Ahrefs offer powerful rank tracking features. These tools let you monitor how your target keywords are performing in search engine results over time. This is especially useful for understanding how your site ranks in different locations across the U.S., which can help with local SEO strategies.

How to Track Keywords

• SEMrush: Use the Position Tracking tool. Enter your domain, choose the U.S. as your target location, and add the keywords you want to track.
• Ahrefs: Use the Rank Tracker tool. Set your project, choose the United States as the location, and input your keyword list.

Run Regular Site Audits

Site audits help identify technical issues that may be hurting your SEO performance. Think of it like a health check-up for your website. Fixing these issues can lead to better rankings and a smoother user experience.

Audit Features Comparison

Feature	SEMrush	Ahrefs
Crawl Depth Analysis	Yes	Yes
Error Reporting (404s, Redirects)	Yes	Yes
Mobile Usability Checks	Yes	No
Core Web Vitals Insights	No	Yes (limited)

Monitor Backlink Performance

Backlinks are one of the top ranking factors for Google. Keeping track of who links to your site—and whether those links are helping or hurting—is key to long-term success in U.S. search rankings.

Backlink Metrics to Watch

• Total Backlinks: The number of inbound links pointing to your site.
• Referring Domains: Unique websites linking back to you—more variety usually means better authority.
• Toxic Links: Low-quality links that could harm your SEO; both SEMrush and Ahrefs can help detect these.
• Dofollow vs Nofollow: Not all backlinks pass SEO value—track which ones do.

Create Custom Reports for Better Insights

If youre managing multiple clients or just want a clear view of your own website’s growth, creating custom reports is extremely helpful. Both SEMrush and Ahrefs allow you to build reports that include keyword rankings, traffic changes, backlink updates, and more—all localized for U.S.-based audiences when needed.

Tips for Effective Reporting:

• Set up weekly or monthly report schedules so you stay on top of changes.
• Add annotations when making major site changes so you can see their impact over time.
• Share reports with team members or clients using easy-to-understand visuals and summaries.

By consistently tracking keyword rankings, running site audits, and monitoring backlinks with SEMrush and Ahrefs, youll gain valuable insights that help you make smarter decisions for your SEO strategy targeting the U.S. market.