Brandwave

How popular isAhrefs?

In September 2026, people searched for Ahrefs by name about 352,000 times worldwide, a 30.4% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 29.5% of all global SEO rank tracking platform searches, placing Ahrefs second out of nine platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about SEO rank tracking platforms, Ahrefs appeared in four of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the nine.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Ahrefs is the second most searched of 9 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. SemrushShare of searches 56.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. AhrefsShare of searches 29.5%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  3. MozShare of searches 9.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. SE RankingShare of searches 4.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. AccuRankerShare of searches 0.25%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd

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Top SEO rank tracking platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Ahrefs is the fourth most recommended of the nine.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Semrush1st
  2. SE Ranking2nd
  3. AccuRanker3rd
  4. Ahrefs4th
  5. Nightwatch5th
  6. Mangools SERPWatcher6th
  7. Wincher7th
  8. Moz–
  9. ProRankTracker–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • SE Ranking5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • AccuRanker5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Nightwatch3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Mangools SERPWatcher3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Wincher1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Moz0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • ProRankTracker0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about SEO rank tracking platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which SEO rank tracking platforms compete with Ahrefs?

Ahrefs against SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, SE Ranking. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushAhrefsMozSE RankingAccuRankerProRankTrackerWincherNightwatchMangools SERPWatcher
Oct 202553.4%32.4%8.8%4.8%0.38%0.1%0.04%0.17%<0.01%
Nov 202557.3%28.5%9.4%4.2%0.26%0.09%0.03%0.18%<0.01%
Dec 202558.9%24.4%11.8%4.3%0.26%0.08%0.03%0.15%0.01%
Jan 202652.1%32.3%10.4%4.7%0.29%0.08%0.03%0.11%<0.01%
Feb 202652.9%32.8%8.6%4.8%0.3%0.46%0.04%0.06%0.05%
Mar 202657.4%29.9%7.7%4.2%0.29%0.4%0.08%0.06%0.03%
Apr 202654.8%31.8%9%4%0.26%0.05%0.05%0.03%<0.01%
May 202648%34.1%9.6%7.9%0.19%0.07%0.06%0.03%<0.01%
Jun 202652.9%32.3%10.6%3.9%0.2%0.04%0.04%0.03%<0.01%
Jul 202649.4%36.8%9.9%3.6%0.19%0.05%0.03%0.03%<0.01%
Aug 202654.1%31.5%10.9%3.3%0.2%0.06%0.02%0.03%<0.01%
Sep 202656.7%29.5%9.3%4.2%0.25%0.05%0.03%0.03%<0.01%

  1. 1.Semrush

    56.7%

    Held 1st. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.6 points.

  2. 2.Ahrefs

    29.5%

    Held 2nd. 351K estimated branded searches, -10.5% vs prior month. Share -2 points.

  3. 3.Moz

    9.3%

    Held 3rd. 110K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.

  4. 4.SE Ranking

    4.2%

    Held 4th. 49.5K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.

  5. 5.AccuRanker

    0.25%

    Held 5th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, +19.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.ProRankTracker

    0.05%

    Held 6th. 650 estimated branded searches, -8.5% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Wincher

    0.03%

    Moved from 8th to 7th. 390 estimated branded searches, +56% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  8. 8.Nightwatch

    0.03%

    Moved from 7th to 8th. 300 estimated branded searches, -18.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  9. 9.Mangools SERPWatcher

    <0.01%

    Held 9th. 50 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Ahrefs and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Ahrefs

31 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Ahrefs changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Ahrefs worldwide fell from 505K to 352K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide decreased from 32.4% to 29.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide peaked at 36.8% in July 2026 and was lowest at 24.4% in December 2025.

How did search popularity change for SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Semrush gained share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 54.1% to 56.7%.

  2. In September 2026, SE Ranking gained share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 3.3% to 4.2%.

  3. In September 2026, Ahrefs lost share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 31.5% to 29.5%.

  4. In September 2026, Moz lost share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 10.9% to 9.3%.

  5. In September 2026, Wincher rose from 8th to 7th among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide.

  6. In September 2026, Nightwatch fell from 7th to 8th among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide.

How are Ahrefs’ branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • ahrefs
  • ahrefs backlink checker
  • ahrefs seo tools

Do you work for Ahrefs? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Ahrefs compete?

Ahrefs is ranked in seven competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Keyword research tools3rd of 718.2%Show ranking
SEO tools3rd of 1016.4%Show ranking
Web traffic intelligence platforms2nd of 525.7%Show ranking
Backlink analysis tools2nd of 725.9%Show ranking
SEO rank tracking platforms2nd of 929.5%Shown above
AI search visibility tools2nd of 1027.2%Show ranking
AI SEO tools2nd of 830.7%Show ranking
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Is Ahrefs your brand?

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