Ahrefs is a widely used SEO tool for keyword research, competitor analysis, and link building. Creating an account is fast, but results come from: correct market settings, a clean first project, and a workflow you repeat every week.

1) Before you start: pick your goal

Ahrefs can do a lot. If you try everything at once, you lose focus. Pick your primary use case:

2) Choose a plan (do not rely on old pricing)

Ahrefs has multiple plans (names, limits, and pricing can change). Choose based on your needs, not on a screenshot of old prices.

The 4 questions that decide it

Rules of thumb

3) Create your Ahrefs account (steps)

Signup is usually straightforward:

1. Go to Ahrefs and start a trial or plan.

2. Create your login and verify your email.

3. Add company details (billing).

4. Add payment method and finish.

5. After login, set two things immediately:

4) Build your first project (this saves hours)

Do not start with random reports. Create one strong project you will keep using.

Project checklist

Site Audit (how to set it up)

Site Audit is useful for a quick technical scan. Use it to find issues and prioritize, not to blindly fix every warning.

Good first crawl settings:

5) Your first 30 minutes in Ahrefs (quick start)

If you only have 30 minutes:

1. Site Explorer: paste your domain and check the 6-12 month trend (traffic/keywords).

2. Top pages: identify what currently drives traffic.

3. Organic keywords: filter positions 4-20 for quick wins.

4. Backlinks: review "new" and "lost" for risk and opportunities.

5. Write a 10-item action list (impact > effort).

6) Set up Rank Tracker (without overkill)

Rank tracking works when you keep it small and relevant:

Always connect rankings to reality:

7) Common mistakes

Mini checklist

Conclusion

Creating an Ahrefs account is easy. Performance comes from a clean setup and a consistent routine.

Want me to review your Ahrefs setup and turn it into an action plan? See /work-with-me.