Ahrefs & Yep Search Engine: What They Are and Why They Matter in 2025

The digital world moves fast, and staying ahead in SEO and online visibility is critical. Two tools making waves in 2025 are Ahrefs and its innovative counterpart, the Yep search engine.

What do Ahrefs do? At its core, it is a leading SEO platform trusted by marketers, businesses, and content creators to boost search rankings and traffic. Its new venture, Yep, is a privacy-focused search engine challenging giants like Google.

In this article, we will provide you with a guide to understanding both tools. We will discuss how they work together and why they matter for users, marketers, and advertisers.

What Does Ahrefs Do and How Does It Work?

Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO platform designed to help businesses and marketers improve their online presence. It provides tools for Ahrefs search, keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, and competitor research. Whether you're a blogger, an e-commerce owner, or an SEO expert, Ahrefs helps you understand what drives traffic and how to optimize for it.

How does Ahrefs work? It operates by crawling the web, much like a search engine. Its web crawler, AhrefsBot, scans billions of web pages daily and collects data on links, content, and keywords. This data is indexed and organized into a massive database, which users can access through Ahrefs' tools. For example, its Site Explorer lets you analyze a website's backlinks, organic traffic, and top-performing pages. The Keyword Explorer tool helps find high-potential keywords, while the Site Audit feature identifies technical SEO issues.

One common question is, can you check multiple sites on Ahrefs at once? Yes, it allows you to analyze multiple websites simultaneously through its Batch Analysis tool. This feature lets you compare backlinks, traffic, and other metrics for several sites at once. It saves time for competitive research and is especially useful for agencies or businesses tracking multiple competitors.

How to Access Ahrefs and Use It for SEO Research

How to call Ahrefs might sound technical, but it's simple. "Accessing" Ahrefs refers to using its data through its platform or tools like Site Explorer, Keyword Explorer, or its API for advanced users. For most people, this means logging into the Ahrefs dashboard and using its features to pull data. For example, entering a website into Site Explorer reveals its backlink profile, traffic sources, and top pages. The API, used by developers, allows integration of Ahrefs' data into custom tools.

To learn how to use Ahrefs for SEO research, start with these steps:

• Explore Site Explorer. Input a website to analyze its backlinks, organic traffic, and top-performing content.
• Use Keyword Explorer. Find keywords with high search volume and low competition for your niche.
• Run Site Audits. Identify technical issues like broken links or slow-loading pages.
• Track Rankings. Monitor your website's keyword rankings over time with Rank Tracker.

Ahrefs' interface is user-friendly, with clear navigation and visual reports. Its tutorials and support resources make it easy to get started. Whether you're researching competitors or optimizing your website, Ahrefs provides actionable insights to improve your SEO strategy.

Yep Search Engine: The Ethical Search Alternative by Ahrefs

The Yep search engine, built by Ahrefs, is a game-changer in the search world. Yep focuses on privacy and fairness. Launched as a competitor to traditional search engines, Yep aims to deliver relevant results without compromising user data or exploiting content creators.

What sets it apart? First, it prioritizes user privacy. Yep doesn't track personal information like geolocation, name, or search history by default. It collects minimal data, such as search terms and general location, to improve results without building user profiles for targeted ads. This makes Yep one of the most privacy-focused search engines available.

Second, Yep supports content creators through a 90/10 revenue-sharing model. Yep ensures creators are rewarded by sharing 90% of its ad revenue with publishers, incentivizing high-quality content. This approach could transform how content is valued online and benefits bloggers, journalists, and niche creators.

Yep's search results are clean and minimal, focusing on web and news results. It uses Ahrefs' powerful crawling technology, with YepBot (replacing AhrefsBot) scanning billions of pages daily. The search index updates every 15-30 minutes, ensuring fresh results. Yep also includes a TLDR box that pulls concise information from sources like Wikipedia for quick answers.

Yep Ads: The New Face of Ethical Search Advertising

Yep ads introduce a fresh approach to search engine advertising. Yep's advertising model emphasizes transparency and fairness. Yep hasn't fully launched its pay-per-click (PPC) advertising yet, but it plans to prioritize ad quality and relevance once its organic search results meet high standards.

What makes Yep Ads unique? As we said before, they align with Yep's creator-focused mission. Advertisers benefit from a 90/10 revenue-sharing model, where 90% of ad revenue goes to content creators whose pages appear in search results. For brands, this means safer ad placements.

Ahrefs search engine's Yep Ads also promise targeted advertising without invasive data collection. Yep uses search terms and general location to deliver relevant ads. This balances advertiser needs with user privacy, creating a win-win. For example, a business selling eco-friendly products could target searches for "sustainable gifts" without compromising user trust.

For advertisers, Yep Ads offer a chance to reach audiences through a platform that values ethics. Creators sign up for revenue sharing by adding a tag to their websites. This allows Yep to track and distribute earnings based on content impact. This model could reduce reliance on paywalls or affiliate links and let creators focus on quality.To get started, explore Ahrefs search engine's free tools or try Yep's beta version. Monitor Yep's updates as it evolves and consider how its ranking factors could influence your SEO strategy. In a world where privacy and fairness are increasingly valued, Ahrefs and Yep are tools to watch in 2025.