Create a Winning Link-Building Strategy with Ahrefs Backlink Checker

Master Link Building with Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker: A Step-by-Step Guide

Want to build a robust backlink profile that actually drives rankings? You need two things: a solid strategy and the right tool. In this guide, I’ll walk you through using Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker to create an effective link building strategy that delivers real results.

Understanding Backlinks and Their SEO Impact

Backlinks are essentially votes of confidence from one website to another. When a site links to yours, it signals to Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Research consistently shows that pages ranking in top positions typically have more high-quality backlinks than their competitors.

Here’s why backlinks matter:

• They’re a primary ranking factor in Google’s algorithm
• They help search engines discover and index your content faster
• They drive referral traffic directly to your site
• They build domain authority over time

But not all backlinks are created equal. A few high-quality links from relevant, authoritative sites will always outperform dozens of low-quality ones.

Getting Started with Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker

Before diving into strategy, you need to understand your current backlink profile and what you’re working with. Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker makes this process straightforward.

Start by:

1. Entering your domain into Ahrefs’ free Backlink Checker
2. Reviewing your overall metrics (Domain Rating, referring domains, total backlinks)
3. Examining your top backlinks by authority
4. Identifying patterns in the types of sites linking to you

One often overlooked feature is the ability to filter backlinks by language or country. This is particularly valuable if you’re targeting specific geographic markets.

Analyzing Competitor Backlink Profiles

The real power of Ahrefs for link building comes from competitive analysis. Instead of starting from scratch, you can reverse-engineer what’s already working in your niche.

Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Identify 3-5 top competitors in your space
2. Enter each domain into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
3. Navigate to the Backlinks report
4. Filter for “dofollow” links (these pass SEO value)
5. Sort by Domain Rating to find high-authority opportunities
6. Look for patterns in the types of sites linking to multiple competitors

The “Link Intersect” tool in Ahrefs is particularly valuable here – it shows you which sites are linking to multiple competitors but not to you, essentially highlighting your most obvious link opportunities.

Creating a Targeted Outreach Strategy

With your research complete, it’s time to build an actionable outreach plan. The most successful link builders focus on relevance and relationship building over volume.

Based on your Ahrefs analysis, categorize potential link opportunities:

• Resource page links: Sites that maintain curated resource lists in your industry
• Guest post opportunities: Publications accepting contributor content
• Broken link opportunities: Pages linking to dead resources you could replace
• Unlinked mentions: Sites already mentioning your brand without linking

Don’t waste time on sites with obvious link farms or those with suspiciously high outbound link counts – Ahrefs makes these easy to spot with their outbound links metric.

Implementing the Skyscraper Technique with Ahrefs

One of the most effective link building strategies is the Skyscraper Technique, which Ahrefs’ Content Explorer makes significantly easier.

The process works like this:
1. Find content in your niche that has attracted lots of backlinks
2. Create something substantially better (more comprehensive, updated, better designed)
3. Reach out to sites linking to the original and show them your improved version

Ahrefs’ Content Explorer excels at finding these opportunities with its filtering capabilities. Look for content with high referring domains but low content scores, indicating popular topics with subpar execution.

Measuring Success and Refining Your Strategy

The best link builders test, measure, and refine their approach continuously. Ahrefs makes tracking progress simple by monitoring:

1. Growth in overall referring domains
2. Improvements in Domain Rating
3. Link acquisition rates for specific content pieces
4. Ranking improvements for target keywords

One underappreciated metric is the gap between total backlinks and referring domains. If this gap is growing disproportionately, it may indicate you’re getting multiple links from the same sites rather than expanding your link diversity.

By systematically using Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker to guide your strategy, you’ll build a backlink profile that doesn’t just impress in metrics reports, but actually drives sustainable organic growth.