Overall Satisfaction with Open Site Explorer
I first started using Open Site Explorer 5 years ago when I began my career in SEO. I still use it to this day as an aid in backlink analysis and the development of link building strategies. Open Site Explorer gives me the ability to evaluate not only a client's inbound links but competitors as well which is helpful. Some metrics from OSE include Domain Authority, Page Authority, link root domains, and total inbound links.
- Gives you a quick overview of your client's backlink health.
- Easily compare your website's backlink profile vs. competitors.
- Determine additional link opportunities to help grow inbound links to your site.
- Lack of instant export of data. Adds to a queue rather than being instant.
- Advanced reports are needed for larger websites and come at the cost of a subscription to Moz Pro.
- Helps greatly with pitching clients as you can get an idea of how their backlink profile looks for free.
Ahrefs is much more comprehensive than Open Site Explorer. If you are in need of a deep backlink analysis there are better options out there for your money. If you need a quick look at the state of a client's backlink profile than OSE is for you. It will give you the top metrics you are looking for and then some. I find OSE to be more user-friendly than competitors.