We've used both tools for years across local service clients, eCommerce brands, and B2B lead gen. This isn't sponsored. Here's how they actually differ for Australian SEO work.
TL;DR: Ahrefs for backlinks & content. Semrush for local SEO & PPC. Many agencies use both.
| Feature | A Ahrefs | S Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Database | 28.7 billion keywords (217 locations) | 27.3 billion keywords (142 locations) |
| Backlink Database | 35 trillion backlinks, 500M domains | 43 trillion backlinks, 390M domains |
| Pricing (Entry) | $29/month (Starter) to $129/month (Lite) | $139.95/month (Pro) |
| Pricing (Advanced) | $449/month (Advanced) | $499.95/month (Business) |
| Support | 24/7 live chat + email (no phone) | 24/7 live chat + email + phone (higher plans) |
| Local SEO Tools | Basic (no GBP management) | Advanced (map pack tracking, GBP tools) |
| PPC Integration | None | Full Google Ads integration |
If you're managing local service clients in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane—plumbers, electricians, lawyers, clinics—Semrush is the better tool. Its local SEO features are significantly more developed than Ahrefs. You can track map pack rankings at the suburb level, manage Google Business Profile optimisation, and monitor local citation consistency.
Ahrefs has basic rank tracking but no dedicated local SEO tools. You can't track map pack positions, and there's no Google Business Profile integration. For agencies where 50%+ of clients are local businesses relying on Google Business Profiles for leads, this is a dealbreaker. Semrush's local toolkit justifies the slightly higher price.
The suburb-level ranking data in Semrush is particularly valuable for Australian businesses. Ranking for "plumber Sydney" is different from "plumber Bondi" or "plumber Parramatta"—and Semrush lets you track these granular local variations that Ahrefs treats as standard keyword tracking.
Ahrefs is the industry standard for backlink analysis and link building outreach. Its backlink index is larger (500 million referring domains vs Semrush's 390 million), the data is cleaner, and the interface is more intuitive for link prospecting work.
The broken backlink report in Ahrefs is superior—it finds pages on your site that have lost backlinks or have broken external links pointing to them, giving you immediate outreach opportunities. The linking authors feature shows you which journalists and bloggers have linked to competitors, making digital PR outreach significantly easier.
Semrush has backlink data, but it's not as comprehensive or up-to-date as Ahrefs. For agencies doing serious link building work—outreach campaigns, broken link building, competitor backlink analysis—Ahrefs is the better daily driver. The link intersect tool (showing domains linking to competitors but not to you) is particularly powerful for Australian businesses competing in established markets.
If you're managing an eCommerce client running both SEO and Google Ads, Semrush's PPC integration is a significant advantage. You can see organic and paid performance side-by-side, identify keywords where you're paying for clicks despite ranking organically, and optimise budget allocation between channels.
Ahrefs has no PPC integration. It's purely an SEO tool. For eCommerce businesses where the marketing team manages both organic and paid search, Semrush provides a unified view that Ahrefs can't match. You can track which product categories are cannibalising paid spend with organic rankings, and which high-intent keywords need paid support while SEO builds.
The position tracking in Semrush also integrates SERP features (shopping ads, product carousels) more comprehensively than Ahrefs, which matters for eCommerce where visibility isn't just about organic rankings—it's about total SERP real estate.
If you're a pure SEO agency focused on technical optimisation, content strategy, and link building—without significant local SEO or PPC work—Ahrefs is the better tool. The interface is cleaner, the site audit is faster, and the content gap analysis is more intuitive.
Ahrefs' Content Explorer is superior for finding content opportunities. You can search for topics, filter by social shares and backlinks, and identify exactly what content is working in your niche. For Australian businesses building content hubs and topic clusters, this is invaluable research.
The keyword difficulty score in Ahrefs is also more reliable than Semrush's. It's based purely on backlink profiles of ranking pages, making it easier to assess whether a keyword is realistically achievable for a client with limited domain authority. Semrush's keyword difficulty incorporates more factors, which can make it less transparent.
Ahrefs Lite at $129/month gives you better core SEO data than Semrush Pro at $139.95/month. You get full access to backlink analysis, keyword research, content explorer, and site audit. The only limitation is the number of projects and reports you can run, which is fine for small agencies with 5-10 clients.
However, if your client base is primarily local service businesses (trades, clinics, legal, real estate), the extra $10/month for Semrush Pro is worth it for the local SEO features. You can't effectively manage Google Business Profile optimisation and map pack rankings in Ahrefs.
For agencies managing diverse client types—some local, some national, some eCommerce—many end up subscribing to both. A common setup is Ahrefs Standard ($199/month) for backlink work and content research, plus Semrush Pro ($139.95/month) for local SEO and rank tracking. The combined cost is significant, but for agencies billing $5k-$10k/month per client, it's a justifiable tool investment.
Both Ahrefs and Semrush provide organic traffic estimates for competitor sites. These numbers are useful directionally but can be significantly off. Ahrefs' organic traffic estimates have been known to be particularly inaccurate—one verified case showed Ahrefs reporting 51k sessions when actual Google Search Console data showed something completely different.
Use both tools' traffic estimates to compare relative performance (is competitor A getting more traffic than competitor B?) rather than treating the absolute numbers as gospel. For your own sites, always validate with Google Search Console data, which is actual reported traffic rather than estimated.
Semrush is better for local SEO in Australia. It has dedicated local SEO tools including map pack tracking, Google Business Profile management features, and suburb-level ranking tracking. Ahrefs has stronger backlink data but lacks the local-specific features Australian agencies need for managing clients with Google Business Profiles and tracking local pack positions.
Ahrefs is better for backlink analysis. It has a larger backlink index (35 trillion backlinks, 500 million referring domains vs Semrush's 43 trillion backlinks, 390 million referring domains), cleaner link data, and superior features like broken backlink reports and linking authors. For pure link building and outreach work, Ahrefs is the industry standard.
Yes, many Australian agencies use both. A common setup is Ahrefs for backlink research and content analysis, and Semrush for local SEO, rank tracking, and PPC integration. The combined cost is significant ($270-$640/month depending on plans), but for agencies managing multiple clients across different service types, having both tools provides the most complete data set.
Ahrefs Lite at $129/month provides better core SEO data than Semrush Pro at $139.95/month for small agencies focused on technical SEO and content. However, if you manage local service clients with Google Business Profiles, Semrush Pro is worth the extra $10/month for the local SEO features. For pure SEO work without local focus, Ahrefs delivers better value.
Semrush tracks Australian search volumes reasonably well for high-volume keywords, but like all SEO tools, the numbers are estimates based on clickstream data and Google Keyword Planner ranges. For suburb-level and long-tail Australian keywords, both Semrush and Ahrefs can be significantly off. Use search volume data directionally rather than literally, and validate with Google Search Console data for keywords you already rank for.
Our SEO packages include comprehensive keyword research, backlink analysis, and local SEO management using industry-leading tools. You don't need to choose—we've already invested in both.
No lock-in contracts • Transparent pricing • Sydney-based team