Long Tail Pro vs Ahrefs (2025): Why LTP Shut Down

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Long Tail Pro vs Ahrefs (2025): Complete Comparison & Why Long Tail Pro Shut Down

Quick Answer: Long Tail Pro shut down in June 2024, making Ahrefs the clear winner by default.

For long-tail keyword research today:

✨ Best Overall: Ahrefs ($29-999/month)

📈 Budget Alternative: KWFinder ($29/month)

💰 Free Option: Google Keyword Planner.

Remember Long Tail Pro? That keyword research tool everyone swore by for finding those golden, low-competition keywords?

Well, here's the thing: it's gone. Completely shut down. As in, you can't even access your old data anymore.

If you're searching for "Long Tail Pro vs Ahrefs" in 2025, you're probably either:

Wondering what happened to your favorite keyword tool

Looking for the best alternative now that LTP is history

Trying to figure out if Ahrefs can replace what you lost

Good news? You're in the right place. We'll cover all of that.

Let's dive into what really happened, why Ahrefs survived while Long Tail Pro didn't, and most importantly, what you should use now for killer keyword research.

The Long Tail Pro Shutdown: What Actually Happened?

What Happened to Long Tail Pro?

Long Tail Pro officially ceased operations on June 5, 2024. No warning. No grace period. Just... gone.

According to users who tried accessing the platform that day, they were met with error messages and unresponsive support channels. The company's website went dark, and their social media accounts stopped responding entirely.

Here's the timeline of events:

March 2024: First signs of trouble, with users reporting billing issues

April 2024: Support response times increased from hours to weeks

May 2024: Many features started breaking, especially the rank tracker

June 5, 2024: Complete shutdown, website inaccessible

June 2024 onwards: No official statement from the company

The impact? Thousands of users lost access to:

Saved keyword lists

Rank tracking data

Competitor analysis reports

Historical keyword performance data

Some users reported losing years of keyword research data with no way to recover it.

Why Long Tail Pro Failed

Let's be real: Long Tail Pro's demise wasn't exactly shocking if you were paying attention.

1. Couldn't Keep Up with the Competition

While Ahrefs was pumping out new features monthly (Content Explorer, Site Audit, Web Explorer), Long Tail Pro stayed... pretty much the same. They focused on one thing: long-tail keywords. Problem is, every other tool started doing that AND everything else.

2. Technical Debt Killed Them

Users constantly complained about:

Slow loading times (sometimes 30+ seconds for basic searches)

Outdated UI that looked like it was from 2015

API limitations that capped searches way too low

Buggy rank tracking that often showed wildly inaccurate data

Meanwhile, competitors were innovating with better ways to find low-competition keywords and modern interfaces.

3. Pricing Model Backfired

Long Tail Pro tried to compete on price, but they cut too deep. At $37/month for their starter plan, they couldn't afford the infrastructure needed to provide accurate, real-time data. Meanwhile, Ahrefs charged $99+ and delivered 10x the value.

4. The Final Nail: Google's API Changes

In late 2023, Google made significant changes to how third-party tools could access search data. Tools needed serious infrastructure upgrades to maintain data quality. Ahrefs had the resources. Long Tail Pro didn't.

Historical Comparison: Long Tail Pro vs Ahrefs

Before we dive into what you should use now, let's look at how these tools actually compared when both were operational.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Long Tail Pro (Discontinued)	Ahrefs (Active)
Keyword Research	✅ Basic long-tail focus	✅ Comprehensive keyword data
Search Volume Data	~70% accuracy	95%+ accuracy
Keyword Difficulty	Proprietary KC score (0-100)	Accurate KD score (0-100)
SERP Analysis	Basic top 10 results	Full SERP with rich snippets
Backlink Analysis	❌ Not available	✅ Industry-leading database
Rank Tracking	✅ Limited (1000 keywords)	✅ Unlimited with higher plans
Content Explorer	❌ Not available	✅ 11+ billion pages indexed
Site Audit	❌ Not available	✅ 170+ SEO issues checked
API Access	Limited	Comprehensive
Database Size	~400 million keywords	22+ billion keywords
Update Frequency	Monthly	Real-time
Pricing (Historical)	$37-147/month	$99-999/month
Current Status	❌ SHUT DOWN (June 2024)	✅ Active & Growing

User Experience Comparison

Long Tail Pro was like that reliable Honda Civic. It got you from A to B, but it wasn't winning any races. The interface was simple, maybe too simple. You typed in a seed keyword, waited (and waited), and got a list of long-tail variations with basic metrics.

Ahrefs? That's your Tesla Model S. Sure, it might feel overwhelming at first with all those buttons and features, but once you learn the ropes, you realize you've been driving in the slow lane all along.

Key UX differences:

Speed: Ahrefs returns results in 2-3 seconds vs LTP's 20-30 seconds

Data Depth: Ahrefs shows 50+ metrics per keyword vs LTP's basic 5-6

Filtering: Ahrefs offers 15+ advanced filters vs LTP's basic 3-4

Export Options: Ahrefs supports multiple formats vs LTP's CSV-only

Why Ahrefs Survived and Thrived

Three words: continuous innovation.

While Long Tail Pro rested on its laurels, Ahrefs was busy:

Building the world's largest backlink database (4.8 trillion links)

Launching new tools every quarter

Investing millions in infrastructure

Actually listening to user feedback

They also diversified. Instead of just being "that keyword tool," Ahrefs became "that SEO platform that does everything." When Google changed the rules, Ahrefs had multiple revenue streams to weather the storm. This is why it's important to explore Ahrefs alternatives too - diversification matters for your toolkit as well.

Ahrefs for Long-Tail Keyword Research in 2025

So Long Tail Pro is dead. Can Ahrefs actually replace it for finding those juicy long-tail keywords?

Short answer: Yes, and it's actually better at it.

Before we dive into the specifics, it's worth understanding the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords and why long-tail keywords matter for your SEO strategy.

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords with Ahrefs

Here's exactly how to replicate (and improve upon) Long Tail Pro's functionality using Ahrefs.

For more detailed keyword research strategies, check out our comprehensive guide.

Step 1: Start with Keywords Explorer Navigate to Keywords Explorer and enter your seed keyword. Let's say you're in the fitness niche and enter "workout routine."

Step 2: Go to "Matching Terms" This shows all keywords containing your seed phrase. You'll see thousands of variations, but we're about to filter them down.

Step 3: Apply the Long-Tail Filters Here's the secret sauce:

Word count: 4+ words (this ensures long-tail)

KD (Keyword Difficulty): 0-20 (easy to rank)

Volume: 100-1000 (decent traffic, low competition)

SERP features: Exclude "Featured snippet" (less competition)

Step 4: Analyze Search Intent Click on any keyword to see:

Current top 10 ranking pages

Their Domain Rating (DR)

Estimated traffic

Number of backlinks

Look for SERPs where the top results have DR under 30. That's your sweet spot.

Step 5: Check Traffic Potential Don't just look at search volume. Ahrefs shows "Traffic Potential" - the total traffic you could get from ranking #1. Sometimes a 100-volume keyword can bring 1,000+ visitors when you rank for related terms.

Pro Tip: Use the "Questions" filter to find long-tail keywords phrased as questions. These often have lower competition and higher conversion rates.

Advanced Ahrefs Techniques for Long-Tail Gold

The Competitor Gap Method

Find 3-5 competitors with similar DR to yours

Use Content Gap tool

Filter for keywords where 2+ competitors rank but you don't

Apply the same long-tail filters above

The Parent Topic Hack

Find a high-volume head term

Click on "Parent Topic"

Go to "Also rank for"

These are semantic long-tails Google associates with the main topic

The SERP Weakness Method Look for these signals in the SERP:

Forums ranking in top 10 (Reddit, Quora)

Pages with <500 words ranking

No exact match domains

Low DR sites in top 3

Ahrefs Pricing & Plans

Let's talk money. Here's what Ahrefs costs in 2025:

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Best For
Starter	$29/mo	$25/mo	Individual bloggers, keyword research only
Lite	$129/mo	$108/mo	Small businesses, 5 projects
Standard	$249/mo	$208/mo	Growing companies, 20 projects
Advanced	$449/mo	$374/mo	Agencies, 50 projects
Enterprise	$14,990/year	Contact sales	Large organizations

Which plan for keyword research? Honestly? The Starter plan at $29/month does everything Long Tail Pro did and more. You get:

500 keyword searches/month

25 competitor domains analysis

100,000 crawl credits

Basic rank tracking

If you're serious about SEO beyond just keywords, the Lite plan is the sweet spot.

Best Long Tail Pro Alternatives in 2025

Ahrefs too pricey? I get it. Here are your best alternatives for long-tail keyword research:

For Budget Users

1. KWFinder by Mangools

Price: $29.90/month

Best for: Beginners who want Long Tail Pro's simplicity

Pros: Clean UI, accurate difficulty scores, location-based research

Cons: Limited to 100 searches/day on basic plan

KWFinder is probably the closest spiritual successor to Long Tail Pro. It focuses on one thing: finding easy keywords. The interface is gorgeous, and the data is surprisingly accurate for the price.

2. Ubersuggest

Price: $12/month (lifetime deals available)

Best for: Solopreneurs on a shoestring budget

Pros: Cheapest option, Neil Patel's constant updates

Cons: Data accuracy issues, limited filtering options

3. Google Keyword Planner

Price: Free

Best for: PPC advertisers who also do SEO

Pros: Direct from Google, completely free

Cons: Vague search volumes, limited SEO metrics

For Power Users

1. SEMrush

Price: $139.95/month

Best for: Agencies needing an all-in-one platform

Pros: 23+ billion keywords, excellent filtering, PPC data

Cons: Steeper learning curve, expensive

SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool is phenomenal for long-tail research. You can create keyword lists, group them by intent, and even get content ideas.

If you're curious about how it stacks up against Ahrefs specifically, check out our SEMrush vs Ahrefs comparison.

2. Moz Pro

Price: $99/month

Best for: Those who value simplicity with power

Pros: Priority score combines multiple metrics, great SERP analysis

Cons: Smaller keyword database than Ahrefs/SEMrush

Comparison of Alternatives

Tool	Starting Price	Keyword Database	Best Feature	Biggest Weakness
Ahrefs	$29/mo	22.5 billion	Overall accuracy	Price for full features
KWFinder	$29.90/mo	2.5 billion	Simplicity	Search limits
Ubersuggest	$12/mo	1 billion	Price	Data quality
SEMrush	$139.95/mo	24.6 billion	Feature depth	Complexity
Moz Pro	$99/mo	500 million	Priority score	Database size
Keyword Planner	Free	Unknown	It's free	Vague data

Migrating from Long Tail Pro

Still have Long Tail Pro data trapped somewhere? Here's how to salvage what you can:

Recovering Your Data

Unfortunately, with Long Tail Pro completely offline, direct data export isn't possible. However:

Check your email: Look for any automated reports LTP sent

Browser cache: If you recently accessed LTP, try viewing cached pages

Screenshots/Downloads: Search your computer for any CSV exports

Wayback Machine: Some users reported limited success accessing old data

Setting Up Alternative Tools

Transitioning to Ahrefs:

Start with your highest-value keyword lists

Re-run them through Keywords Explorer

Use "Batch Analysis" for bulk checking

Set up rank tracking for your money keywords

Create keyword lists to organize research

Quick Setup Tips:

Import any CSV files you have into Ahrefs Lists

Use tags to organize keywords by intent/category

Set up email alerts for ranking changes

Connect Google Search Console for real data

Replicating Long Tail Pro Workflows

Old LTP Workflow → New Ahrefs Workflow

Finding easy long-tails:

LTP: Enter seed → Filter by KC < 30

Ahrefs: Enter seed → Filter by KD < 20 + Word count 4+

Competitor keywords:

LTP: Manual competitor URL analysis

Ahrefs: Site Explorer → Organic keywords → Filter by position 1-10

Rank tracking:

LTP: Add keywords → Check daily

Ahrefs: Rank Tracker → Add project → Get daily updates + SERP features

The Future of Keyword Research Tools

Long Tail Pro's shutdown is a wake-up call. Here's what's coming:

AI-Powered Solutions

The future isn't just about finding keywords. It's about creating content that ranks. Tools like Outrank are pioneering this approach:

AI analyzes top-ranking content for any keyword

Automatically generates optimized articles

Handles technical SEO automatically

Publishes directly to your CMS

Instead of spending hours on keyword research, then more hours writing, AI tools handle the entire pipeline. Want to master keyword research first? That's still valuable, but AI is changing the game.

Market Consolidation

Expect more shutdowns. Smaller tools can't compete with the infrastructure requirements. We'll likely see:

3-4 major players dominating (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz)

Niche tools getting acquired or shutting down

AI integration becoming standard, not optional

What to Look for in 2025

When choosing your next keyword tool:

Financial stability: Can they afford to stay running?

Regular updates: Are they innovating or stagnating?

Data quality: Accuracy > quantity

Export options: Don't get locked in again

API access: For when you need to scale

FAQs

Is Long Tail Pro still available?

No, Long Tail Pro permanently shut down on June 5, 2024. The website, tool, and all associated services are no longer accessible.

What happened to Long Tail Pro?

Long Tail Pro ceased operations due to a combination of factors: inability to compete with larger tools, technical infrastructure problems, and changes to Google's data access policies. No official statement was provided by the company.

What's the best alternative to Long Tail Pro?

For most users, KWFinder offers the closest experience to Long Tail Pro at a similar price point ($29.90/month). However, Ahrefs' new Starter plan ($29/month) provides superior data and features.

Is Ahrefs worth it for keyword research only?

Yes, especially with the new Starter plan at $29/month. You get more accurate data, faster results, and additional features like SERP analysis that Long Tail Pro never offered.

Can I use Ahrefs for long-tail keywords?

Absolutely. Ahrefs excels at finding long-tail keywords. Use the Keywords Explorer with filters for word count (4+) and keyword difficulty (<20) to find thousands of long-tail opportunities.

Which is cheaper: Long Tail Pro alternatives or Ahrefs?

Ubersuggest is the cheapest at $12/month, while Google Keyword Planner is free. However, Ahrefs Starter plan at $29/month offers the best value when considering data quality and features.

How do I find long-tail keywords without Long Tail Pro?

Use any keyword research tool with filtering capabilities. Set filters for: 4+ word phrases, low competition/difficulty scores, and search volume between 50-1000. Ahrefs, KWFinder, and even free tools can do this.

Does Ahrefs have a free trial?

Ahrefs offers a 7-day trial for $7. While not free, it's enough time to export significant keyword data and evaluate if it meets your needs.

The Bottom Line

Long Tail Pro is gone. And honestly? That might be a good thing.

Its shutdown forced many of us to explore better alternatives. Turns out, we were settling for a Honda Civic when Ferraris were available at nearly the same price.

If you're looking to replace Long Tail Pro:

Have budget? Go with Ahrefs Starter plan

Super tight budget? KWFinder or Ubersuggest

No budget? Google Keyword Planner + manual research

But here's the real truth: keyword research is just the first step. You still need to create content that ranks.

That's where tools like Outrank come in. Instead of spending hours researching keywords and then more hours writing, why not let AI handle the heavy lifting? Generate SEO-optimized content that actually ranks, automatically.

The keyword research game has changed. Long Tail Pro's shutdown proved that. The question is: are you going to adapt, or get left behind like LTP?

Choose wisely. Your rankings depend on it.