Guest bloggers want to write for good websites. They use Ahrefs and Semrush to check website traffic. These tools show how many visitors a website gets.
But the numbers are not always correct. They only give an estimate, not real traffic. Many bloggers trust these tools too much. This can lead to bad choices.
They may write for a website that has low traffic. Sometimes, they ignore good websites because of wrong data. These mistakes can waste time and effort.
Bloggers should know the problems with these tools.
Top 15 Ways How Ahrefs and SEMrush Can Mislead Guest Bloggers
1. Estimated Traffic, Not Real Traffic
They do not show real traffic numbers. They only guess how many visitors a website gets. These tools use different methods to make this guess. But their guess is not always correct.
A website may have more or fewer visitors than the tools show. Bloggers believe the numbers are real, but they are only estimates. This can lead to mistakes. A website with high estimated traffic may have low real traffic.
A website with low estimated traffic may have many real visitors. Bloggers should not fully trust these numbers.
2. Different Data Sources
They do not use the same data. They collect information from different places. This is why their traffic numbers are not the same. One tool may show high traffic, but the other may show low traffic.
Bloggers may get confused because of this difference. They do not know which number is correct. Both tools only estimate traffic, so both can be wrong. A website’s real traffic may be very different.
3. Delayed Updates
They do not update traffic data instantly. They take time to collect and process information. This means the numbers you see may be old. A website’s traffic can change every day.
It may get more or fewer visitors than before. But these tools may still show old traffic numbers. Bloggers may think a website has high traffic, but it has dropped. Or they may ignore a website that recently gained more visitors.
4. No Social Media Traffic
They do not count social media traffic properly. Many websites get visitors from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. But these tools mostly track search engine traffic.
If a website gets most of its traffic from social media, both may show low numbers. Bloggers may think the website has no visitors, but that is not true. They may skip a good website because of this mistake.
Social media can bring a lot of real visitors. Bloggers should ask website owners about their social media traffic.
5. Inaccurate Local Traffic
They may not track local traffic correctly. Some websites get visitors from specific countries. But these tools may not count all of them. They mostly focus on global traffic.
If a website has many visitors from one country, the tools may show low numbers. Bloggers may think the website has no traffic, but that is wrong. They may ignore a good website because of this mistake.
Local businesses and blogs can have many real visitors, even if the tools show low traffic. Bloggers should ask website owners about local visitors.
6. Paid Traffic Not Included
They do not count paid traffic. Some websites use ads to get visitors from Google or social media. But these tools only track organic traffic, not paid ads.
If a website gets many visitors through ads, both may show low traffic numbers. Bloggers may think the website is not popular, but that is not true. They may miss a good website because of this mistake.
Many websites grow by using paid ads. Bloggers should ask website owners if they use ads to get visitors.
7. Keyword Ranking Errors
They may show wrong keyword rankings. They track which keywords bring visitors to a website. But their data is not always correct. Sometimes, they show a website ranking high for a keyword when it is not.
Other times, they miss important keywords that bring traffic. If the keyword data is wrong, the traffic estimate is also wrong. Bloggers may choose a website based on bad data.
They may think a website gets many visitors, but it does not. To avoid mistakes, bloggers should check keyword rankings from multiple sources.
8. Blocked by Websites
Some websites block the, from tracking their data. Website owners can stop these tools from collecting information. When this happens, both cannot see the website’s traffic.
They may show very low or even zero traffic, but the website may have many visitors. Bloggers may think the website is not popular, but that is not true. They may ignore a good website because of this mistake.
Some big websites block these tools to keep their data private. Bloggers should ask website owners about real traffic.
9. Low Sample Size
They do not check all website visitors. They only look at a small sample and guess the total traffic. This method is not always correct. A website may have many more visitors than the tools show.
Or it may have fewer visitors than the estimate. Bloggers may believe the traffic numbers are real, but they are only guesses. This can lead to bad choices. A website with low estimated traffic may be popular.
A website with high estimated traffic may not have many visitors. Bloggers should check other sources to get the real traffic numbers.
10. No Data for New Websites
They do not have data for new websites. These tools take time to collect traffic information. If a website is new, it may not appear in their reports. Even if the website has visitors, both may show zero traffic.
Bloggers may think the website is not popular, but that is not true. They may ignore a good website just because it is new. Many new websites grow quickly and get real visitors.
Bloggers should not judge a website only by these tools. They should ask the website owner for real traffic data before deciding.
11. Ignores Email and Direct Traffic
They do not track email and direct traffic. Many websites get visitors from emails or people typing the website address directly. These tools mostly track search engine traffic.
If a website gets most of its visitors from emails or direct links, they may show low numbers. Bloggers may think the website has no traffic, but that is wrong. They may skip a good website because of this mistake.
Many successful websites have strong email lists and loyal visitors. Bloggers should ask website owners about their real traffic sources.
12. Changes in Search Algorithms
Google changes its search rules often. These changes can affect website rankings. Both take time to update their data. If a website loses or gains traffic because of Google’s changes, these tools may not show it quickly.
Bloggers may see old traffic numbers and make wrong choices. They may choose a website that had high traffic before but lost visitors recently. Or they may ignore a website that is now getting more traffic.
Google updates can make big differences. Bloggers should check other sources and ask website owners about recent traffic changes before making a decision.
13. Backlink-Based Estimates
They often estimate traffic based on backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites. These tools think that more backlinks mean more visitors. But this is not always true. A website may have many backlinks but low traffic.
Another website may have few backlinks but many visitors. If bloggers trust these tools too much, they may choose the wrong websites. They may believe a website is popular just because it has many backlinks.
But real traffic comes from different sources, not just backlinks. Bloggers should check other traffic data, not just backlinks, before deciding where to submit guest posts.
14. Mistaking Bot Traffic for Real Users
Both sometimes count bots as real visitors. Bots are not real people. They are computer programs that visit websites. Some websites get a lot of bot traffic. But these visitors do not read or interact with content.
If these both count bots, their traffic numbers are wrong. Bloggers may think a website has many visitors, but most of them are bots. This can be misleading. Writing for a website with bot traffic will not help bloggers reach real readers.
Bloggers should check if a website has real visitors before deciding to write a guest post.
15. Overestimating or Underestimating Traffic
They do not always show the correct traffic numbers. Sometimes, they show too much traffic. Other times, they show too little. Their traffic numbers are only guesses, not real data.
A website may have more visitors than the tools show. Or it may have fewer visitors than they estimate. Bloggers who trust these numbers too much may make mistakes. They may choose a website that looks popular but has low real traffic.
Or they may ignore a good website because the tools show low numbers. Bloggers should check other sources, like Google Analytics, to find real traffic numbers.
