How to Get Pro Results with AHRefs Free Plan

An Every Day Real SEO™ Tip from a 20-Year Veteran 

Why I Still Use the AHRefs Free Plan

First reason is that Google Analytics is garbage, and has been for a long time.

The once must-have-bread-and-butter SEO analytics platform (which I was married to for years) has gone the convoluted route into usless obscurity.

I guess if you like spending all of your time learning what is basically an absurd level of e-commerce tracking, then yeah - by all means, knock yer self out. 

But if like any Real SEO™ you need to balance time with value, then it's safe to ditch that tech heavy maze for something lean & sexy.

I can't say I have always been an AHRefs fan.

I went through most all of the other platforms as they emerged.

From way back when Raven Tools was new, and WebCEO wasn't extinct yet to one of my all time favorites, Market Samurai.

Of course I did time with Majestic, Moz (when Fishkin was involved), SpyFu and others too before arriving late to the AHref party.

And despite having access to all the pro tools in the world, I now use the free version of AHRefs every single day.

Why?

Because if you know what to look for, the free version delivers real, usable data.

It’s a perfect starting point for solo operators, clients on a budget, or even just building fast “Real SEO™ Proof” snapshots.

What You Get for Free — And How to Max It Out

AHRefs’ free Webmaster Tools account includes:

• Site Audit (crawl up to 5,000 pages)
• Site Explorer (limited but actionable backlink data)
• Keyword Rankings & Movements (for verified sites)
• Top 100 backlinks for any domain

The key is knowing where the value lives. For example, I use the audit to spot site health issues and backlink snapshots to qualify new leads or prospect domains.

My Daily Workflow with the Free Version

Here’s what a typical session looks like:

1. Run Site Audit on one of my 50+ niche sites.
2. Compare top inbound links to see Digital Karma™ patterns.
3. Use Site Explorer on a competitor’s domain to reverse-engineer what works.
4. Export findings and plug them into my QuickRankAI™ system.

What You Can’t Do (and When to Consider Upgrading)

Free is fantastic — but if you want full backlink histories, keyword tools, or multi-site analysis, you’ll hit a ceiling fast. That’s where a Pro or Standard plan starts paying off.

Get a Pro-Level Audit Without Paying a Dime

Try it yourself. Sign up for a free AHRefs account, connect your domain, and run a site audit today. You’ll immediately see the kind of actionable issues I tackle for my consulting clients.

Bonus: My Real SEO™ Workflow Template (Free When You Upgrade)

If you decide to level up, I’ll send you my personal SEO Audit & Action Plan template — the same one I use for local businesses, affiliate sites, and SaaS clients. Click here to view plans and claim your bonus »