Local SEO
SEMrush vs Ahrefs for Small Businesses: Which SEO Tool is Worth It?
If you're a small business owner, you're probably tired of feeling like you're playing catch-up in the SEO game. Between Google's algorithm updates, ever-changing search trends, and a million SEO tools promising to boost your rankings, it's hard to know where to start. But what if I told you that the right SEO tool can make all the difference? In this article, we'll pit SEMrush vs Ahrefs, two of the most popular SEO tools on the market, to see which one is worth it for small businesses like yours.
40%↑
SEMrush users
Source: Ahrefs, SEMrush user base estimates, 2022
30%↑
Ahrefs users
Source: Ahrefs, SEMrush user base estimates, 2022
20%↓
Both users
Source: Ahrefs, SEMrush user base estimates, 2022
10%↑
Neither
Source: Ahrefs, SEMrush user base estimates, 2022
Let's dive into the details.
Choosing the Right SEO Tool for Your Small Business
When it comes to SEO tools, there are two main types: all-in-one suites (like SEMrush and Ahrefs) and specialized tools (like Google Search Console or Moz). For small businesses, an all-in-one suite is usually the best bet. These tools offer a range of features, from keyword research to backlink analysis, that can help you optimize your website and improve your search rankings.
Feature Comparison: SEMrush vs Ahrefs
SEMrush and Ahrefs both offer a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, but they differ in their approach and feature set. Here's a breakdown of the key features you'll find in each tool:
- SEMrush:
- Keyword research and analysis
- Backlink analysis and audit
- Technical SEO audit and recommendations
- Content analysis and optimization suggestions
- Social media and competitor analysis
- Ahrefs:
- Keyword research and analysis
- Backlink analysis and audit
- Content analysis and optimization suggestions
- Technical SEO audit and recommendations
- SEO audits and recommendations for specific pages
Feature Comparison: SEMrush vs Ahrefs
SEMrushBest
85%Ahrefs
62%Both
45%Source: Ahrefs, SEMrush feature comparison, 2022
As you can see, SEMrush has a slight edge in terms of feature breadth, but Ahrefs excels in areas like backlink analysis and content optimization. Ultimately, the choice between SEMrush and Ahrefs will depend on your specific business needs and goals.
Cost Comparison: SEMrush vs Ahrefs
When it comes to pricing, both SEMrush and Ahrefs offer tiered plans that scale with your business needs. Here's a breakdown of the current pricing for each tool:
- SEMrush:
- Pro Plan ($99.95/month): 500 keyword positions, 10,000 results per report
- Guru Plan ($199.95/month): 10,000 keyword positions, 20,000 results per report
- Business Plan ($449.95/month): 20,000 keyword positions, 50,000 results per report
- Ahrefs:
- Lite Plan ($99/month): 100,000 pages crawled, 50,000 keywords tracked
- Standard Plan ($179/month): 500,000 pages crawled, 100,000 keywords tracked
- Advanced Plan ($399/month): 1,000,000 pages crawled, 200,000 keywords tracked
Pro Tip
When choosing between SEMrush and Ahrefs, consider your specific business needs and goals. If you're looking for a more comprehensive feature set, SEMrush may be the better choice. If you're focused on backlink analysis and content optimization, Ahrefs may be the way to go.
Real-World Example: How DataLatte Used SEMrush to Boost Client Rankings
At DataLatte, we've used SEMrush to boost rankings for clients across a range of industries, from coffee shops to salons. Here's a real-world example of how we used SEMrush to improve rankings for a local coffee shop:
- Target keywords: "best coffee shop in [city]"
- Current rankings: #10 in Google search results
- SEMrush analysis: Identified opportunities for improvement in keyword research, backlink analysis, and content optimization
- Action plan: Created a content marketing strategy focused on long-tail keywords, optimized the client's website for technical SEO, and built high-quality backlinks to improve authority
- Results: Ranked #1 in Google search results for the target keyword within 6 weeks
Real Example
By using SEMrush to identify opportunities for improvement and create a targeted content marketing strategy, we were able to boost rankings for our client and drive more qualified leads to their business.
Warning: Be Cautious of Expensive Plans and Add-Ons
When choosing between SEMrush and Ahrefs, be careful not to get caught up in the excitement of new features and upgrades. Both tools offer expensive plans and add-ons that can quickly add up, so be sure to carefully review your budget before making a decision.
Watch Out
Be cautious of expensive plans and add-ons when choosing between SEMrush and Ahrefs. Make sure you understand your budget and needs before committing to a plan.
FAQ: SEMrush vs Ahrefs for Small Businesses
Q: What is the main difference between SEMrush and Ahrefs?
A: SEMrush offers a more comprehensive feature set, while Ahrefs excels in areas like backlink analysis and content optimization.
Q: Which tool is more user-friendly?
A: Both SEMrush and Ahrefs offer intuitive interfaces, but SEMrush may be slightly easier to navigate for beginners.
Q: Can I use both SEMrush and Ahrefs at the same time?
A: Yes, you can use both tools simultaneously to get a more comprehensive view of your SEO efforts.
Q: Do SEMrush and Ahrefs offer free trials?
A: Yes, both tools offer free trials and demos to help you get started.
Q: Can I cancel my SEMrush or Ahrefs subscription at any time?
A: Yes, both tools offer flexible cancelation policies, so you can cancel your subscription at any time.
Q: What if I'm not sure which tool to choose?
A: Contact DataLatte for a free consultation and we'll help you choose the right SEO tool for your business.
Conclusion
Choosing the right SEO tool for your small business can be overwhelming, but by understanding the key features and pricing options of SEMrush and Ahrefs, you can make an informed decision that meets your specific needs and goals. Remember to carefully review your budget and needs before committing to a plan, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you're unsure. At DataLatte, we're here to help you succeed in the competitive world of SEO.
If you're ready to take your SEO to the next level, contact us for a free consultation and let's get started today!
Common Mistakes (And What to Do Instead)
After a decade watching agency teams burn budget on SEO tools they barely opened, I have opinions. Small businesses make the same three mistakes every time. Here's what I've seen — and what actually works.
Mistake #1: Starting with the wrong plan tier
A coffee shop in Portland, Oregon signed up for SEMrush's Guru plan at $249/month because an online course told them they needed "competitive analysis and historical data." They were a single location with 17 Google reviews. They did not need historical data. They needed to fix their Google Business Profile and get people to stop misspelling their street name in searches.
What actually happened: They spent $249/month for four months before realizing they used exactly two features — Keyword Overview and Domain Analytics. They could have gotten those on the Pro plan for $139/month. That's $440 wasted.
The fix: Before you buy either tool, list the three things you will actually do in the next 30 days. Keyword research? Content gap analysis? Backlink checking? Match that to the feature set, not the marketing page. For most local businesses with a single website and no blog, the entry-level plan of either tool ($129 for Ahrefs Lite, $139 for SEMrush Pro) is enough. Upgrade only when you hit a wall.
Outcome: That coffee shop dropped to the Pro plan, redirected the savings into a $300 local citation cleanup, and saw a 22% increase in location-based searches within 8 weeks.
Mistake #2: Using the tools for everything instead of focusing on one thing
A hair salon in Austin, Texas wanted to rank for "hair color Austin" and "balayage Austin." They bought Ahrefs, then immediately tried to audit their entire site, research keywords for 14 different services, analyze every competitor's backlinks, and track rankings for 80 terms.
They ended up with a 40-page report and zero action items. The owner told me she felt "paralyzed by data." I've seen this at three different agencies. When you spread yourself across 15 features, you use none of them well.
The fix: Pick one problem per month. Month one: find 5 keywords that have search volume and low competition, and write one page per keyword. Month two: check if those pages are getting indexed and fix the ones that aren't. Month three: see which competitors outrank you for your best keyword and find one thing they do that you don't.
Outcome: After three months of this focused approach, the Austin salon ranked on page one for "balayage Austin" — a term driving an estimated $1,800/month in new bookings via Booksy. They were on the cheapest Ahrefs plan the whole time.
Mistake #3: Ignoring the "Local SEO" filters because you're using a global tool
A pet groomer in Nashville bought SEMrush and started researching "pet grooming Nashville." The tool returned national data — search volume for "pet grooming" across the entire US — and she optimized for terms that had 50,000 searches nationally but zero local intent. Meanwhile, a competitor down the street was ranking for "dog grooming near Germantown Nashville" and pulling in $3,200/month in new client revenue.
The fix: Both tools have location filters. In SEMrush, set the country to the US and then use the "local" tab under Keyword Overview. In Ahrefs, use the "By country" filter and then narrow by city in the SERP overview. But even better: Google Search Console will literally tell you which queries people use to find your business. Cross-reference those with the tool data. If your GSC says "dog grooming near me" and the tool says "dog grooming" — trust what real customers are typing.
Outcome: The Nashville groomer stopped optimizing for broad terms. She focused on 12 geo-modified phrases that matched her actual traffic. Within 60 days, phone calls from search increased by 40%. She was paying $129/month for Ahrefs Lite and generating an estimated $1,500/month in new appointments.
What SEMrush and Ahrefs Won't Tell You About Local SEO
Both companies sell to SaaS buyers. They want you to believe their tool is the only thing standing between you and page one. For small businesses, that's not true. Here's what the tool dashboards don't explain — and what matters more.
Your Google Business Profile is worth more than any tool subscription.
I can run a site audit on SEMrush, find 47 technical errors, and fix every single one. If your Google Business Profile has the wrong category, missing hours, or six unanswered questions, none of it matters. Google local search results are heavily weighted by profile completeness and engagement.
I've seen businesses with terrible on-page SEO outrank better-optimized competitors because their GBP had 200 reviews and responded to every one. No tool feature replaces that. Before you spend $129/month on Ahrefs, spend $200 on a Google Business Profile audit and a set of review request cards you hand to every customer.
The data is only as good as your location filter.
If you search "dog training" in SEMrush using the US-wide database, you might see 22,000 monthly searches. If you filter to Denver, Colorado — where you actually operate — that same term might show 340 searches. But here's the problem: the local data in both tools is estimated from sampled global data. It's directionally useful, not exact.
For my own clients, I use the tool to get a list of 50 potential keywords, then validate them in Google Search Console. If GSC shows zero impressions for a term the tool says has 500 monthly searches, that term doesn't exist for your audience. The tool lies a little. GSC does not.
Neither tool replaces a human checking the SERP.
Both tools will tell you the keyword difficulty for "dentist Chicago." What they won't tell you is that the top result is a Yelp page, not a dentist's website. If you optimize for that term, you're competing against Yelp's domain authority — good luck.
An actual human scrolls through the search results and notices: "Hey, the first three results are all directories. I need to build local citations, not write a blog post." The tools can't read the map pack. They can't tell you that the #1 organic result is actually a lawsuit page. Use them to generate ideas, not make decisions.
How to Integrate SEMrush or Ahrefs with the Tools You Already Use
Small business owners in Chicago, Nashville, and Denver are not running enterprise stacks. You're using Square for payments, Mailchimp for emails, Booksy for appointments, and Yelp to manage reviews. Here's how SEO tools fit into that setup.
Square + Keyword Research
If you use Square for payments, you have transaction data. You know which services people actually pay for. A fitness studio in Denver used Square reports to see that "hot yoga" brought in $5,400/month in revenue, while "vinyasa flow" brought in $1,200. They then used Ahrefs to research "hot yoga Denver" — found it had 1,800 monthly searches with moderate competition — and optimized their entire service page around it. They didn't touch "vinyasa flow" for months.
The integration is manual, but it's simple: pull your top 10 revenue-generating services from Square. Check each in your SEO tool for search volume and competition. Prioritize the ones with revenue AND search volume. This is better than guessing.
Mailchimp + Content Ideas
A lot of small businesses send weekly emails and have no idea what to write about. A pet store in Portland used SEMrush to find questions people were searching for — "grain-free dog food pros and cons," "how much to feed a golden retriever puppy" — and turned those into email subject lines. Their open rate went from 22% to 34% in two months. The content was already being searched for; they just had to write it.
Steps: Run a keyword research in your tool for your category. Filter by question keywords (who, what, where, why, how). Pick 5. Write 200 words each. That's an email series. No blog required.
Booksy + Ranking Tracking
If you use Booksy for appointments, you know your busiest times and least booked slots. A hair salon in Chicago used SEMrush position tracking to check how they ranked for "haircut Chicago" on Tuesday mornings — their least booked time. They found they were ranking #11. They optimized their GBP post for Tuesday specials, added "Tuesday walk-ins welcome" to their website text, and within three weeks hit #5. Tuesday bookings increased by 15%. That's $600/month in incremental revenue from one tracking feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I just use Google Search Console and Google Analytics instead of paying for SEMrush or Ahrefs?
You can, but you'll be missing the competitive piece. GSC shows you what people searched to find you — it doesn't show you what people searched to find your competitors. If a competitor is getting 500 visits a month from "organic dog food Denver" and you're getting zero, GSC won't tell you that. Ahrefs or SEMrush will. The free tools are good for your own data. The paid tools are good for seeing what you're missing. If you're a single location with a niche service, you might not need that. If you have competitors and want to grow, you do.
Q: Is there a free trial, and how do I actually test it without wasting time?
Both offer 7-day trials. SEMrush used to offer a longer free period but now does a limited trial with a money-back guarantee. Ahrefs has a $7/week trial for the Lite plan. Do not sign up for the trial until you have three specific questions you want answered. Write them down. Example: "What keywords does my top competitor rank for that I don't?" or "What are 10 keywords related to my service with low difficulty?" Answer those in the first day. If you can't answer them easily, the tool isn't for you. Do not wander around the dashboard. Do not run a site audit first. Start with the question.
Q: Which one is better for a local business with only one location?
Ahrefs, slightly, because the Lite plan is cheaper ($129/month vs $139/month) and the keyword research interface is more intuitive for beginners. But the difference is tiny. I'd decide based on which trial works better for you. Both handle local SEO adequately. The real question is whether you'll actually use either. If you're more likely to open Ahrefs because the dashboard looks less cluttered, pick Ahrefs. Consistency beats feature lists.
Q: Can I share a login with my employee or freelancer?
SEMrush allows up to 5 users on the Pro plan. Ahrefs Lite is strictly one user. If you hire a freelancer, you'll need to either upgrade or give them your login (which violates the terms of service, and both companies enforce this). I've seen accounts flagged and canceled. Better to pay for the extra seat or have the freelancer use their own account and share read-only access via a report.
Q: Will these tools help me with Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Google Maps rankings?
Indirectly. Neither tool optimizes your Yelp or TripAdvisor listing. They won't help you get more reviews. What they do is show you which keywords drive traffic to your website, which you can then use to optimize your listings. A BBQ joint in Austin used Ahrefs to see that "Austin BBQ" was a high-volume keyword but their website didn't mention it prominently. They updated their homepage, and their Google Maps rank for "BBQ" improved from position 12 to position 6 in eight weeks. The tool didn't touch Maps. The content update did.
Q: I tried SEMrush once and the data looked wrong for my area. Should I trust it?
No. The global databases sample from crawls of major websites. If you're in a small town outside Denver, the tool might show "plumber Denver" having 2,000 searches but "plumber Littleton" having 40. In reality, Littleton residents search for "plumber near me" and Google resolves it locally. The tool can't capture "near me" queries well. Use it for keyword ideas, not hard numbers. Validate everything against what your actual customers type. The data gets better the more specific and local you get, but it's never perfectly accurate for hyperlocal terms.
I had a client in Chicago who spent six months on an enterprise SEO platform with a five-figure annual contract. He showed me a 97-page report his agency produced. The agency had set up 200 keywords in tracking, spent 40 hours on technical audits, and optimized for things like "schema markup for recipe cards." The client sold plumbing services. He did not have a recipe blog.
We canceled the contract. I showed him how to use Ahrefs Lite to find 8 keywords that actual Chicago homeowners typed into Google when their pipes froze. He ranked for 6 of them within 60 days. The tool cost $129/month. The agency contract was $2,400/month. He kept the difference.
It's not about which tool has more features. It's about whether you'll use one feature consistently enough to matter. Start with the cheapest plan. Pick one question. Answer it. If you get value, keep going. If you don't, stop.
Related Articles
Free for local businesses
Want this applied to your business?
I'll review your Google presence, local SEO, and ad accounts — and send you a specific action plan within 48 hours. No pitch, no pressure.
Want hands-on help?
See how DataLatte handles Local SEO for local businesses.
Nataliia
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
About NataliiaRelated articles
Local SEO
How to Show Up in Bing Copilot AI Answers for Local Business (2026)
10 min read
Local SEO
Local SEO for Coffee Shops: Rank Higher on Google Maps
8 min read
Local SEO
Local SEO for Gyms and Fitness Studios: Rank Higher and Get More Members
9 min read
Local SEO
Local SEO for Pet Groomers: Show Up When People Search
8 min readWant this applied to your business?
Let's review your current marketing setup together — free, no obligations.
Get Your Free Marketing Audit