Ahrefs SEO Prompts
Last updated: April 2026
In my five years of daily Ahrefs use, I've learned that good prompts are the difference between getting raw data and getting actionable insights. A well-structured prompt forces the tool to focus on your specific business context, filtering out irrelevant noise. These prompts were crafted from my own workflow for clients ranging from SaaS startups to e-commerce giants. Expect to move from generic keyword lists to prioritized content opportunities and competitive weaknesses you can actually exploit. I've tested each one against real campaigns.
Find low-competition keywords for a new blog post
beginnerIn Keywords Explorer, analyze the seed keyword [your primary topic, e.g., 'best running shoes']. Filter for Keyword Difficulty (KD) 0-10, Volume > 100, and include only 'Questions' in the Phrase match report. Sort by Volume to find easy-to-rank question-based topics.Expected Output
A filtered list of specific question keywords (e.g., 'what are the best running shoes for flat feet') with low KD and decent search volume, ideal for beginner-friendly blog content.
Audit your site's top pages for traffic drops
beginnerIn Site Explorer, enter your domain [yourdomain.com]. Go to 'Best by links' report. Set the date range to compare the last 3 months vs. the previous 3 months. Filter for 'Traffic' change and show pages with a drop greater than 20%.Expected Output
A list of your previously strong pages that have recently lost organic traffic, allowing you to prioritize update and recovery efforts.
Identify your competitor's best-performing new content
beginnerIn Site Explorer, enter competitor domain [competitor.com]. Go to 'Best by links' report. Filter for 'Published' date in the last 6 months. Sort by 'Traffic' to see which of their recent articles got the most traction fastest.Expected Output
A ranked list of your competitor's newest content that already drives significant traffic, revealing content gaps and trending topics in your niche.
Generate a simple keyword list for a product page
beginnerIn Keywords Explorer, enter your main product keyword [e.g., 'ergonomic office chair']. Go to the 'Phrase match' report. Filter for KD < 30 and Volume > 50. Export the list and group manually by intent (commercial, informational, transactional).Expected Output
A spreadsheet of 100-500 related keywords with metrics, providing the raw material for on-page optimization and content silo planning.
Conduct a backlink gap analysis against 3 competitors
intermediateIn Site Explorer, use the 'Link Intersect' tool. Enter your domain [yourdomain.com] in the first field and up to three competitor domains [competitor1.com, competitor2.com, competitor3.com] in the others. Analyze the report showing domains that link to multiple competitors but not to you.Expected Output
A targeted list of high-potential backlink prospects (referring domains) that already endorse your competitive space, skipping you.
Optimize an existing article for featured snippets
intermediateIn Keywords Explorer, analyze the primary keyword for your target article [your target keyword]. Scroll to the 'SERP Features' section and note which features (Paragraph, List, Table) appear. Then, use the 'Questions' report to find the top 5-10 questions asked, and structure your content to answer them directly with clear headers and bullet points.Expected Output
Actionable data on snippet opportunities and user questions, enabling you to reformat your article to directly target snippet placements.
Build a content brief using top-ranking page data
intermediateIn Keywords Explorer for your target keyword [keyword], open the 'SERP Overview'. Analyze the top 3 ranking URLs. In Site Explorer, open each URL and note: 1) Word count from the 'Overview', 2) Top 5 keywords they rank for from the 'Organic search' report, 3) Readability score (if using Content Gap). Compile this into a brief targeting a higher word count and covering all their top keywords.Expected Output
A data-driven content brief specifying target length, core subtopics (from competitor keywords), and a baseline for comprehensiveness.
Find link-worthy, under-linked resource pages
intermediateUse the Content Explorer. Search for a broad industry topic [e.g., 'digital marketing statistics']. Apply filters: 'Live pages', 'Word count' > 1500, 'Language' English, 'Domain Rating' < 50. Sort by 'Referring domains' low to high. Look for high-quality, data-rich pages with surprisingly few backlinks.Expected Output
A list of in-depth resource pages (like stat roundups or guides) that are strong candidates for 'resource' link building due to high utility but low current link count.
Diagnose a site-wide ranking drop after an algorithm update
intermediateIn Site Audit, run a crawl of your site [yourdomain.com]. First, check the 'History' chart for indexability issues. Then, cross-reference with Google Search Console data for the same period. In Site Explorer, check your domain's 'Organic traffic' trend and 'Top pages' report for the drop period. Correlate traffic loss with any crawl errors, a sudden loss of backlinks (in 'Backlink' report), or a spike in competitor activity.Expected Output
A correlated diagnosis pointing to the most likely cause: technical issues (crawl errors), penalty profile (backlink loss), or increased competitive pressure.
Plan a topical authority content cluster
advancedAct as an SEO architect. For the core pillar topic [e.g., 'keto diet'], use Keywords Explorer. First, find the pillar keyword's parent topic via 'Parent topic' data. Then, run a Phrase match report, filter for KD < 25. Use AI-driven 'Clusters by AI' to group keywords. Manually review clusters, designating one as the pillar page (high-volume, broad) and 5-7 others as cluster pages (specific). Map internal links from all clusters to the pillar.Expected Output
A visual map and brief for a pillar page and supporting cluster content, targeting a comprehensive keyword network to build topical authority.
Execute a cannibalization fix and consolidation plan
advancedYou are an SEO surgeon. In Site Explorer for your domain, go to 'Organic search' > 'Pages'. Identify keyword cannibalism: find 2+ URLs ranking for the same target keyword [specific keyword]. Analyze each page's performance: Traffic, Backlinks, URL Rating. Choose the champion page (strongest metrics). For the other pages (consolidation targets), use 301 redirects to the champion or significantly rewrite them to target a new, distinct keyword from your research. Update internal links.Expected Output
A clear plan identifying the champion page and actions (redirect or rewrite) for cannibalizing pages, resolving internal competition.
Forecast ROI for a keyword targeting campaign
advancedAct as an SEO CFO. For a target keyword [keyword], note its Volume and your estimated Click-Through Rate (CTR) at position #1 (approx. 35%). In Keywords Explorer, check the current 'CPC' value as a proxy for commercial value. Estimate your site's conversion rate [e.g., 2%] and average order value [e.g., $100]. Calculate: (Volume * CTR * Conversion Rate * AOV) = Estimated Monthly Value. Compare to the effort needed to achieve rank (Keyword Difficulty).Expected Output
A simplified financial model estimating the monthly revenue potential of ranking #1 for a keyword, weighed against the difficulty/cost to get there.
Tips for Better Prompts
Always filter by 'Live pages' in Content Explorer. I wasted hours analyzing dead pages early on. This filter ensures you're only looking at active, indexable content, making your prospecting and research 100% more relevant.
Use the 'Compare' mode in Graphs religiously. For example, plotting your organic traffic trend against a competitor's instantly reveals if a drop is industry-wide or specific to you. This context saves days of misdiagnosis.
Chain prompts for complex tasks. Start with a beginner 'Brainstorm' prompt to get keywords, then feed those into an intermediate 'Analyze' prompt on competitor pages, and finish with an advanced 'Optimize' prompt to build a superior page. Don't try to do it all in one query.