Ahrefs: Content Marketing Backlinks, Step by Step

Is content marketing that attracts backlinks an impossible dream? Not if you know where to look and how to use the right tools. It’s not just about creating great content; it’s about strategically positioning that content to earn those valuable links. This guide will walk you through using Ahrefs to identify opportunities and create link-worthy content, step by step.

Step 1: Keyword Research and Content Ideation

Before diving into Ahrefs, you need to know what topics to target. Start with keyword research. I like to use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer for this.

Finding Relevant Keywords

1. Open Ahrefs Keywords Explorer.
2. Enter a broad term related to your niche (e.g., “marketing strategy”).
3. Go to the “Matching terms” report.
4. Filter for keywords with a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score below 40. This indicates easier-to-rank topics.
5. Look for keywords with high search volume (at least 500 monthly searches).

Pro Tip: Don’t just focus on keywords directly related to your product or service. Think about informational queries that your target audience might be searching for. For example, if you sell project management software, target keywords like “agile project management tutorial.”

Expected Outcome: A list of 10-20 relevant keywords with decent search volume and relatively low competition.

Step 2: Using Ahrefs Content Explorer to Find Backlink Opportunities

Ahrefs’ Content Explorer is your secret weapon for finding websites that might be interested in linking to your content. We’re looking for sites that already cover topics related to your keywords.

Searching for Relevant Content

1. Open Ahrefs Content Explorer.
2. Enter one of your target keywords (e.g., “content marketing examples”).
3. Set the “Title & Content” search mode. This ensures the keyword appears prominently on the page.
4. Filter for “Live” pages only.
5. Add a filter: “Domain Rating (DR) > 50”. This ensures you’re targeting websites with some authority.

Common Mistake: Forgetting to filter by Domain Rating. Reaching out to low-authority sites is often a waste of time.

Analyzing Search Results

1. Review the search results, paying attention to the “Referring domains” column. This shows how many websites are linking to each page.
2. Click on the number in the “Referring domains” column to see the websites that are linking to that page.
3. Identify websites that seem like a good fit for your content. Consider factors like relevance, audience, and authority.

Pro Tip: Look for websites that have linked to multiple articles on similar topics. They’re more likely to link to yours as well.

Expected Outcome: A list of 5-10 high-authority websites that have already linked to content related to your target keywords. These are your potential backlink targets.

Step 3: Identifying Competitor Backlinks with Link Intersect

The Link Intersect tool in Ahrefs reveals websites that link to your competitors but not to you. These are prime backlink opportunities.

Finding Competitor Backlinks

1. Open Ahrefs Link Intersect.
2. Enter the URLs of 2-3 of your top competitors.
3. Enter your website URL in the “But doesn’t link to” field.
4. Click “Show link opportunities.”

Common Mistake: Choosing irrelevant competitors. Make sure you’re comparing yourself to businesses that target the same audience and keywords.

Analyzing Link Intersect Results

1. Review the list of websites that link to your competitors.
2. Focus on websites with a high Domain Rating (DR).
3. Identify the types of content that these websites are linking to. Is it blog posts, case studies, or something else?

I had a client last year, a local Atlanta-based CRM company, who was struggling to get backlinks. Using Link Intersect, we discovered that several tech blogs were linking to their competitors’ comparison pages. We created our own comparison page, highlighting specific advantages for small businesses in the Southeast, and secured backlinks from two of those same blogs. The increase in organic traffic was significant, especially from the Buckhead and Midtown areas.

Pro Tip: Export the Link Intersect results to a spreadsheet for easier analysis and outreach tracking.

Expected Outcome: A list of websites that are highly likely to link to your content, based on their existing linking behavior.

Step 4: Creating Link-Worthy Content

Now that you’ve identified potential backlink opportunities, it’s time to create content that people will actually want to link to. Forget generic blog posts; you need something unique and valuable.

Types of Link-Worthy Content

• Original Research: Conduct a survey or study and publish the results. According to a 2025 report by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) , original research is the most effective type of content for attracting backlinks from industry publications.
• Infographics: Visual representations of data are highly shareable and linkable.
• Ultimate Guides: Comprehensive resources that cover a topic in depth.
• Comparison Posts: “[Your Product] vs. [Competitor]” articles can attract backlinks from sites seeking balanced reviews.
• Tools and Calculators: Free tools that provide value to your audience.

Here’s what nobody tells you: Creating truly link-worthy content takes time and effort. Don’t expect to churn out a blog post in an hour and see backlinks rolling in. Invest in high-quality research, design, and writing.

For example, if you are an Atlanta brand, consider using case studies to showcase your expertise. This is a great way to earn more attention.

Content Optimization

Once you’ve created your content, optimize it for search engines:

1. Include your target keyword in the title, headings, and body copy.
2. Use internal links to connect your new content to other relevant pages on your website.
3. Add a meta description that accurately summarizes the content.

Common Mistake: Keyword stuffing. Use keywords naturally and avoid over-optimizing your content.

Step 5: Outreach and Promotion

Creating great content is only half the battle. You need to actively promote it and reach out to potential linkers.

For more on this, see our guide to journalist pitching PR secrets. It’s important to get your message out there!

Finding Contact Information

1. Use tools like Hunter.io or Voila Norbert to find email addresses for the websites you identified in Steps 2 and 3.
2. Check the website’s “Contact Us” page or social media profiles.

Crafting Your Outreach Email

1. Personalize your email. Mention something specific about the website or the author.
2. Explain why your content is relevant to their audience.
3. Clearly state your request (e.g., “I thought your readers might find this resource helpful and I was wondering if you’d consider linking to it from your article on [topic]”).
4. Keep your email short and to the point.

Pro Tip: Offer something of value in your outreach email. For example, you could offer to write a guest post for their website.

We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. We were promoting a study on the impact of remote work on productivity. Our first outreach emails were generic and received a very low response rate. We then started personalizing each email, referencing specific articles the recipient had written and explaining how our study could add value to their content. Our response rate tripled.

Expected Outcome: A few high-quality backlinks from relevant websites.

Remember, backlink myths busted are common, so stay informed!

Also, remember that data-driven marketing is essential for success.

Good PR experts can also help you with this process.

Earning backlinks is a marathon, not a sprint. By consistently creating valuable content and strategically promoting it, you can build a strong backlink profile that drives traffic and improves your search engine rankings. Start with Ahrefs, find those hidden opportunities, and get to work.