Ahrefs' Word Counter: Side Project with 2.52 Billion Search Edge

Ahrefs acquired a side project that stands out in the crowded world of text analysis.

Word Counter is Ahrefs’ side-project tool.

It offers more than a basic tally of words. It delivers a full suite of features with a clean, user-friendly design.

A Suite of Tools Beyond Simple Counting

Word Counter provides separate pages for different functions. The tools section is useful for ranking through SEO.

The character counting page tracks every letter and space in a sentence like "This is a test."

Entity extraction pulls out specifics, such as "Ahrefs" or "Google," from a block of text.

Keyword analysis shows which terms pop up most, like "tool" or "content" in a draft.

Paragraph counting logs each text block, while sentence analysis breaks down structure—think "She writes daily" as one unit.

The rewriting tools add real value. Grammar checking catches mistakes, turning "your welcome" into "you're welcome."

Paraphrasing reshapes a line like "The tool is great" into "This utility shines."

Translation switches phrases across languages, taking "Bonjour" to "Hello" in a snap.

These features save writers a ton of time and boost accuracy in their writing.

Multiple Language Support at Your Fingertips

Ahrefs keeps it simple with language options at the bottom of the page.

Users can switch from English to Spanish or French with one click.

This small touch makes the tool accessible to more people around the world.

The multiple language support is phenomenal for ranking on Google using SEO since most other word counter tools don’t target other languages at all.

Dominating Search and Design

Word Counter ranks well on Google.

A search for "word counter" pulls up 2.52 billion results, beating "word count" at 2.28 billion. Despite the domain name being wordcount.com, Ahrefs uses "Word Counter" in the title as it gets more searches and covers both bases since "Word Count" is a substring of "Word Counter".

It sits at #5 overall but outclasses competitors with its modern look. Older tools from rivals feel stuck in the past with clunky layouts. Ahrefs’ design focuses on ease and clarity, setting it apart.

Real-Time Metrics in the Sidebar Spotlight

The right sidebar shows stats as users type.

For a short sentence, it might display "15 words" or "62 characters with spaces, 50 without."

It even estimates reading time at "3 seconds" and speaking time at "5 seconds."

Features like reading time and speaking time make it a preferred choice for quick text analysis, even for users with built-in word count tools in their editors.

Evolution from Humble Beginnings

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine shows Word Counter’s roots.

Back in 2012, it featured a basic interface with none of today’s bells and whistles.

Heck, even in 2023, it only had a single page.

Ahrefs acquired it, and since 2023, they have turned it into a full-featured suite.

Engineering as Marketing Mastery

Ahrefs uses an engineering-as-marketing strategy with Word Counter.

Companies like HubSpot and Shopify do the same, creating free tools for broad search terms.

Kapwing follows a similar playbook with tools for MP3, GIF, MP4, and JPEG conversions.

Word Counter targets "word counter" to draw users in, then nudges them toward Ahrefs’ main products.

Why It Wins: Value Over Gimmicks

Word Counter earns attention through organic PR and backlinks. It offers real help—think a writer checking "Is this 500 words yet?"—not flashy promises.

Its clean design beats built-in word counters in editors like Word or Google Docs.

Users prefer it for quick, reliable checks. Ahrefs proves that a well-made tool speaks for itself.

This side project shows how smart design and useful features win loyalty. Word Counter meets a common need with uncommon polish. Content creators notice the difference. Ahrefs’ investment in this tool pays off in steady, quiet growth.

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