theuniguide.co.uk No paid content found

If you're new to Ahrefs and want to run your first SEO audit, the fastest path is: open Site Explorer, enter your target URL, review the Overview for a health snapshot, then dig into Organic Keywords, Top Pages, and Site Audit to find specific problems. From there, build a short prioritized to-do list instead of trying to fix everything at once.

This tutorial walks through that workflow using a realistic starting scenario, explains what the numbers mean, and shows how to turn findings into actions.

Before You Start: Pick a Narrow Scope

A common beginner mistake is auditing an entire large website on day one. The reports become overwhelming, and you can't tell which issues matter.

Instead, choose one of these starting points:

• A single important page (your homepage or a key product/service page)
• A small site (under ~50 pages, e.g., a personal blog or small business site)
• One section of a bigger site (e.g., /blog/)

For this tutorial, assume you're auditing a small business site with about 30 pages. The same steps scale up later.

You'll need an Ahrefs account to follow along. Ahrefs offers paid plans, and pricing and feature limits change over time, so check the current Pricing page for what's included in each tier before committing.

Step 1: Enter Your Target in Site Explorer

Site Explorer is Ahrefs' core tool for analyzing any website or URL.

1. Open Site Explorer from the top navigation.
2. In the search box, paste your domain (e.g., example.com).
3. Choose the Exact URL or Domain mode depending on scope. For a full-site view, use Domain or Prefix; for a single page, use Exact URL.
4. Press Enter.

You'll land on the Overview report. Don't try to absorb everything — focus on four numbers first.

Reading the Overview Snapshot

Important caveat: Ahrefs' traffic and keyword numbers are estimates based on its own data. They won't match Google Search Console or your analytics exactly. Treat them as directional, not absolute.

Step 2: See What You Already Rank For

Go to Organic Keywords in the left sidebar. This shows queries where your site appears in search results.

Sort by Traffic (descending) to see which pages bring the most estimated visitors. Then look for:

• Keywords ranking in positions 4–15 — these are often the easiest wins. A small content or on-page improvement can push them onto page one.
• Keywords with high volume but low position — potential opportunities if the topic is relevant.
• Irrelevant keywords — if you rank for something off-topic, it may signal thin or mismatched content.

Write down 5–10 of the position 4–15 keywords. These become your first optimization targets.

Step 3: Find Your Best and Weakest Pages

Open Top Pages. This ranks your URLs by estimated organic traffic.

Look for two things:

1. Your top performers — understand what topics and formats work. Can you create more content like this?
2. Pages with traffic but poor rankings — these may need on-page fixes (title, headings, internal links).

If a page gets zero traffic and targets a topic you care about, it's a candidate for a rewrite or consolidation.

Step 4: Run a Technical Site Audit

Now move to Site Audit. This crawls your site and flags technical and on-page issues.

1. Click Site Audit → New project.
2. Enter your domain and set crawl settings (default is usually fine for a small site).
3. Start the crawl and wait for it to finish.

Once complete, you'll see a Health Score and a list of issues grouped by category.

Which Issues to Fix First

Not all issues are equal. Prioritize in this order:

Ignore low-impact warnings (like minor meta description length) until the big items are handled.

Step 5: Turn Findings Into a To-Do List

You now have raw data. Convert it into a short, actionable list. Example:

1. Fix 3 broken links found in Site Audit.
2. Rewrite title tags on 5 pages with duplicate titles.
3. Improve 4 pages ranking in positions 6–12 by adding missing subtopics and internal links.
4. Remove or update 2 thin pages with no traffic.

Keep the list to 5–10 items max for your first audit. Finishing a short list beats starting a long one.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Chasing every red flag. Site Audit flags many minor issues. Fix what affects rankings and users first.
• Trusting estimates as exact numbers. Ahrefs data is modeled, not measured from your analytics.
• Auditing a huge site too early. Start small to learn the interface.
• Ignoring search intent. A page can be technically perfect but still fail if it doesn't match what searchers want.
• Forgetting to re-crawl. After fixes, run Site Audit again to confirm improvements.

Where to Go Next

Once your first audit is done:

• Compare with competitors using Site Explorer's Competing Domains and Content Gap reports.
• Track keyword rankings over time with Rank Tracker.
• Explore backlink opportunities in the Backlinks and Link Intersect reports.
• Set up recurring Site Audit crawls so new issues surface automatically.

Your first audit isn't about perfection — it's about building a repeatable habit: enter a target, read the key reports, pick the highest-impact fixes, and act. Do that once a month and your site's health compounds.

The A-level explorer on The Uni Guide is a tool that matches your A-level subjects to possible degree courses, giving you a fast starting point if you haven't decided what to study. It suits students who already know their A-level subjects but are still weighing up degree directions. You enter your subjects, and the tool suggests degree possibilities based on them — useful for narrowing options before you dig into specific courses and universities.

What the tool does

According to The Uni Guide's own description, the explorer lets you "match your A-levels to degree possibilities in seconds." That's the core function: it takes the subjects you're studying and turns them into a list of degree areas worth considering.

It's designed for the early stage of the decision, not the final one. The site frames it as a way to "get degree ideas fast" — so treat the output as inspiration and a shortlist to investigate, not a definitive answer.

How to use it

1. Go to The Uni Guide (theuniguide.co.uk) and find the A-level explorer, which is linked from the "Get degree ideas fast" section on the homepage.
2. Enter your A-level subjects. The tool works from the subjects you select, so have your actual (or planned) A-levels ready.
3. Review the degree suggestions. The explorer returns degree possibilities connected to your subject combination.
4. Shortlist the ones that interest you. From there, use The Uni Guide's course and university search to check entry requirements, locations, and course details.

The expected result is a set of degree directions you may not have considered, generated in seconds rather than through hours of manual searching.

Why it's useful if you're undecided

• It starts from what you already have. You don't need a career plan — just your A-level subjects.
• It broadens rather than narrows too early. Seeing unexpected matches can surface options you'd have missed.
• It feeds into the rest of the site. Once you have ideas, you can search courses and universities by name or location, and check key Ucas dates.

What it won't do

The explorer gives direction, not decisions. It won't tell you whether you'll enjoy a subject, what the entry grades are for a specific course, or where you should study. For those, you still need to compare individual courses and universities — which is exactly what The Uni Guide's course and university search is for.

If you're still at the "no idea" stage, the explorer is a reasonable first move. If you already have a shortlist, skip it and go straight to comparing courses.

The Uni Guide (theuniguide.co.uk) is a UK university and degree course search site built around three tools: a course search, a university search, and a comparison function. You can search courses by course name or location, search universities by university name or location, and use the site's comparison entry point to weigh options side by side. It suits anyone at the "what should I study and where" stage — typically applicants working towards Ucas deadlines — who wants to shortlist courses and universities before applying.

What you can do on the site

The homepage frames the whole site as "What to study, where to go and how to get there," and splits into three main areas: Courses, Universities, and Advice.

The A-level explorer is the fastest route if you have no fixed idea yet: it matches your A-levels to degree possibilities "in seconds," which is useful for generating a shortlist rather than confirming one you already have.

Step-by-step: finding and comparing courses

1. Decide your starting point. If you know the subject, start with the course search. If you know the place, search by location instead. If you know neither, start with the A-level explorer.
2. Run the course search. Enter a course name or a location in the course search box and submit. Expect a list of matching courses — this is your raw shortlist, not a final answer.
3. Run the university search separately. Enter a university name or a location in the university search box. Use this when the institution matters more than the subject, or to check what else a university offers.
4. Compare your shortlist. Use the site's comparison entry point to put your candidates side by side. This is the step that turns a long list into a decision.
5. Check the dates. Work through the Ucas deadlines and key application dates guide so your shortlisting finishes in time to actually apply.
6. Fill the gaps with advice. The advice section covers the parts of the process the search tools don't — for example how to write a top personal statement, how student finance actually works, a guide to Ucas Clearing, and what to do before you go to university.

Verify before you commit

The search results are a starting point for a decision, not the decision itself. Before you finalise a choice, confirm the details that matter to you — entry requirements, course structure, and location — against the university's own information. The Uni Guide's role is to get you to a shortlist and a comparison quickly; the confirmation step is yours.

Common sticking points

• Searching too narrowly. Searching a course name only returns what matches that name. If your results look thin, search by location instead, or go back to the A-level explorer.
• Treating the shortlist as final. The comparison tool exists precisely because the first list is usually too long. Compare before you cut.
• Leaving dates to the end. The site publishes a dedicated Ucas deadlines and key application dates guide — use it early, because a good shortlist is worthless if the deadline passes.
• Skipping the advice section. Personal statements, student finance, and Clearing are all covered there, and they're the parts most applicants underestimate.

Where to start

If you already have a subject in mind, go straight to the course search. If you have grades but no direction, start with the A-level explorer. If you're early in the process and want the whole picture first, read the advice section — beginning with "Where to start with applying to uni" — then come back to the search tools with a clearer brief.

The Uni Guide covers four main areas of practical application advice: writing a personal statement, understanding student finance, navigating Ucas Clearing, and preparing before you start university. These topics sit alongside its course and university search tools, so you can move from "what should I study" to "how do I actually apply" in one place. The advice is aimed at UK applicants working through the Ucas system, and it is written to be used at the point you need it rather than read cover to cover.

The four advice areas it highlights

The site's homepage groups its guidance under a "Your journey to uni starts here" section and names these specific topics:

• How to write a top personal statement — guidance on the written statement that forms part of your Ucas application.
• How student finance actually works — an explainer on tuition fees, loans and the money side of going to university.
• A guide to Ucas Clearing — what Clearing is and how to use it if you need to find a place after results.
• Before you go to university — practical preparation for the transition once your place is confirmed.

Each is presented as a starting point, with a "Browse all advice" link leading to the wider advice library.

How the advice fits with the search tools

The Uni Guide is not only an advice site. The same homepage offers two search boxes:

There is also a topic search (the example given is "personal statements") for finding advice articles directly. In practice this means you can research a course, check the entry requirements, then jump to the personal statement or finance guidance without leaving the site.

Getting degree ideas before you apply

If you are earlier in the process and don't yet know what to apply for, the site offers an A-level explorer. You enter your A-level subjects and it matches them to degree possibilities "in seconds." This is useful if you want to see which courses your current subject combination keeps open before committing to a personal statement or a Ucas choice.

Key dates and deadlines

The Uni Guide also publishes a guide to Ucas deadlines and key application dates, described as a way to "stay on track on your road to uni." This is the reference point for knowing when to submit your application and which dates matter for your cycle. Because deadlines can change year to year, treat the site's page as the current source rather than relying on dates you remember from a previous year.

What to expect from the advice content

The homepage also surfaces longer-form material, including an "Expert Clearing advice" item listed with a running time (09min 49s), suggesting some guidance is video or audio rather than text. If you prefer reading, the written guides cover the same core topics.

A sensible way to use the site:

1. Start with the A-level explorer if you have no course in mind.
2. Use the course and university search to build a shortlist.
3. Read the personal statement guide before you draft.
4. Check the student finance explainer so you understand what you're signing up to.
5. Keep the deadlines page open while you work through your application.
6. Read the Clearing guide in advance, so you know your options if results don't go to plan.

The advice is general guidance for UK applicants rather than personalised advice, so for decisions specific to your circumstances — particularly around finance or eligibility — check the official Ucas and Student Finance sources it points toward.

The Uni Guide (theuniguide.co.uk) is a free UK university and degree course search and advice site. It is aimed at students preparing to apply to university, and its core offer is threefold: search for courses, search for universities, and read guidance on applying. The site's own strapline sums it up: "What to study, where to go and how to get there."

If you are at the stage of choosing what to study, comparing where to go, or working through a Ucas application, the site is built for exactly that. It is not a university's own admissions portal, and it is not a rankings table — it is a discovery and advice layer that sits before and alongside the application itself.

What you can actually do on the site

The homepage presents three main navigation areas — Courses, Universities, and Advice — each with its own search box.

The search boxes accept either a subject/course term or a place, so you can approach the decision from either direction — "what can I study in this city" or "where can I study this subject."

The advice side: what topics it covers

The advice section is organised around the application journey rather than around subjects. The homepage highlights a set of starting points, including:

• How to write a top personal statement — guidance on the Ucas personal statement, one of the most common sticking points in an application.
• How student finance actually works — an explainer on funding, aimed at clearing up a topic that is frequently misunderstood.
• A guide to Ucas Clearing — what Clearing is and how it works, relevant if you miss your offers or apply late.
• Before you go to university — practical preparation once a place is confirmed.
• Where to start with applying to uni — an entry point for anyone at the very beginning of the process.

There is also a dedicated Ucas deadlines and key application dates section, which the site frames as a way to "stay on track on your road to uni." If your main worry is timing rather than choice, that is the section to go to first.

Two tools worth knowing about

The A-level explorer

The site offers an A-level explorer that, in its own words, lets you "match your A-levels to degree possibilities in seconds." This is useful if you know your subjects and predicted grades but have not settled on a degree — it works backwards from your qualifications to courses that fit them, rather than asking you to guess a subject first.

Course and university comparison

Because both courses and universities are searchable and presented for comparison, the site supports the compare-then-shortlist workflow: find candidates, narrow them down, then check the specific entry requirements and details on the university's own pages.

Who it is for, and what it is not

The Uni Guide suits:

• Pre-application students deciding on a subject or shortlisting universities.
• Applicants mid-process who need help with the personal statement, deadlines, or finance.
• Anyone in Clearing or preparing for it.

It is less suited to:

• Postgraduate-specific research — the framing throughout is undergraduate and Ucas-based.
• Official confirmation of entry requirements, fees, or deadlines. The site aggregates and explains, but the authoritative source for any specific course is the university's own page and Ucas itself. Treat The Uni Guide as the map, not the contract.

A practical way to use it

If you are starting from scratch, a sensible sequence is:

1. Open the A-level explorer and enter your subjects to generate degree ideas.
2. Take the resulting subjects into the Courses search, filtering by location if you have a preference.
3. Use the Universities search to look up the institutions behind the courses that interest you.
4. Check the Ucas deadlines guide and put the relevant dates in your calendar.
5. Read the personal statement guide before you start drafting, not after.

The site's own description of its role is "Your journey to uni starts here" — it is a starting point and a signposting service, with the expectation that you will follow through to official sources for the final details.