How to compare historical traffic changes on Ahrefs

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-04-06

Quick Answer

Use Ahrefs Site Explorer to compare historical traffic by entering your domain, navigating to Organic search traffic, and selecting different date ranges or using the comparison feature. You can analyze traffic changes through the overview graph and detailed keyword performance data.

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Prerequisites

Active Ahrefs subscription
Access to Site Explorer tool
Basic understanding of organic traffic metrics
Domain or URL ready for analysis

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access Site Explorer and enter your domain

Log into your Ahrefs account and click on Site Explorer from the main dashboard. Enter your target domain or URL in the search bar at the top of the page and click Analyze. Wait for the data to load completely.

Make sure to enter the exact domain format (with or without www) that you want to analyze for consistent results.

Navigate to Organic search traffic section

Once the Site Explorer loads, look at the left sidebar and click on Organic search to expand the menu. Then select Organic search traffic from the dropdown options. This will display your domain's organic traffic overview and historical data.

Select your comparison time period

At the top right of the traffic graph, click on the date range selector. Choose your desired time period from preset options like Last 3 months, Last 6 months, or Last year. For custom ranges, click Custom and set specific start and end dates.

Use longer time periods (6-12 months) to identify meaningful traffic trends rather than temporary fluctuations.

Enable traffic comparison mode

Look for the Compare button near the date selector and click it. Select Previous period to compare with an equal time frame before your selected dates, or choose Custom period to compare with any specific date range. The graph will now show both periods with different colored lines.

Comparing with the previous year's same period accounts for seasonal traffic variations better than consecutive periods.

Analyze the traffic overview graph

Study the dual-line graph showing both time periods. Hover over data points to see exact traffic values and percentage changes. Look for Traffic value, Keywords, and Positions metrics. Note significant peaks, drops, or trend changes between the compared periods.

Examine detailed keyword performance

Scroll down to the Top organic keywords table. Click on the Position changes column header to sort keywords by ranking improvements or declines. Use the Traffic change filter to identify keywords that gained or lost significant traffic between periods.

Focus on keywords with high traffic volumes when analyzing changes, as they have the most impact on overall traffic trends.

Export and document your findings

Click the Export button above the keywords table to download the comparison data as a CSV file. Create a summary document noting the overall traffic percentage change, top gaining/losing keywords, and any significant ranking shifts that explain the traffic variations.

Regular monthly exports help track long-term traffic trends and provide historical data for SEO reporting.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

No traffic data showing for recent dates

Ahrefs updates organic traffic data every 2-3 days. Check if you're looking at very recent dates and adjust your comparison period to at least 1 week ago for complete data.

Traffic comparison shows unrealistic spikes

Click on Settings and ensure the correct Target country is selected. Also verify that you're comparing the same domain format (www vs non-www) in both periods.

Keywords table shows limited results

Increase the table display limit by clicking Show more rows at the bottom, or use the search filters to narrow down to specific keyword groups or traffic ranges.

Comparison periods don't align properly

Check that both date ranges have the same duration. Use the Previous period option instead of custom dates to ensure equal comparison periods, or manually verify your custom date ranges are identical in length.

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