How to Build Backlinks with Ahrefs
Find link building opportunities with Ahrefs. Link Intersect, broken link building, and outreach strategies step by step.
Step-by-step
How to Build Backlinks with Ahrefs
Use Link Intersect to find prospects
Go to 'Link Intersect' in the More menu. Enter your domain and 2-4 competitors. Ahrefs shows domains that link to competitors but not to you — these are your highest-probability link targets.
Filter by quality
Sort results by DR to prioritize high-authority prospects. Filter out domains below DR 20 to focus on valuable links. Check each prospect's traffic to ensure they're real, active sites.
Find broken link opportunities
In Content Explorer, search for your topic and filter by 'Broken' pages. These are dead pages that still have backlinks pointing to them. Create similar content and reach out to linking sites offering your page as a replacement.
Track and manage outreach
Export your prospect list with contact information where available. Track outreach status in a spreadsheet or CRM. Monitor new backlinks in your Ahrefs dashboard to measure link building ROI.
Tips
Pro tips
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Quality over quantity — one link from a DR 70 site is worth more than 50 links from DR 10 sites
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Set up Ahrefs Alerts for competitor domains to catch new link opportunities as they appear
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Use Content Explorer to find 'link-worthy' content formats in your niche — then create similar (but better) content
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