Ahrefs Marketing Prompts
Last updated: April 2026
After using Ahrefs daily for five years, I've learned that precise prompts transform it from a data dumpster into a strategic partner. Good prompts force you to think like a marketer, not just a data analyst. These prompts will help you uncover hidden opportunities, reverse-engineer competitors, and create content that actually ranks. I crafted these through trial-and-error across client campaigns—expect to cut research time by 60% and discover angles you'd otherwise miss. They work whether you're managing a startup blog or enterprise SEO.
Find low-competition keywords for a new blog
beginnerIn Keywords Explorer, search for [your broad topic]. Filter for Keyword Difficulty (KD) 0-10, Volume 100+, and 'Questions' word count. Sort by Volume to KD ratio. Export the top 50 keywords with their Volume, KD, and top-ranking URLs.Expected Output
A spreadsheet of 50+ question-based keywords with low competition (KD ≤10) and decent search volume. Each row includes metrics and the current top 3 ranking pages for quick gap analysis.
Analyze competitor's top-performing content
beginnerIn Site Explorer, enter [competitor.com]. Go to 'Top Pages' → filter by 'Organic traffic' → set date range to 'Last 3 months' → sort by 'Traffic' descending. Export top 20 pages with their URLs, traffic, backlinks, and keyword count.Expected Output
A ranked list of your competitor's most-trafficked pages over the last quarter, showing exactly which content drives their SEO success and how many keywords each ranks for.
Generate content ideas from Reddit discussions
beginnerIn Content Explorer, search for [your topic] and filter by 'One word per title ≥4' and 'Domain rating (DR) 0-50'. Sort by 'Referring domains' low to high. Look for URLs from Reddit, Quora, or niche forums in the results.Expected Output
A list of community-driven discussions (often from Reddit threads) that have attracted backlinks, revealing real audience questions and pain points that haven't been fully addressed by commercial sites.
Find easy backlink opportunities from competitors
beginnerIn Site Explorer, enter [competitor.com] → go to 'Backlinks' → switch to 'New' backlinks → filter by 'Dofollow' and 'Domain Rating (DR) 20-60'. Export the list and manually check if you can create better content than what's linked.Expected Output
A targeted list of recently acquired backlinks to your competitor, from moderate-authority sites that might also link to you if you provide superior content on the same topic.
Audit your site for technical SEO issues
beginnerIn Site Audit, crawl [yourdomain.com] with default settings. After completion, go to 'Issues' tab and filter by 'Critical' and 'Errors'. Prioritize fixing 'Crawlability' and 'Indexability' issues first, then address 'Internal linking' warnings.Expected Output
A prioritized checklist of technical problems preventing your site from ranking, with exact URLs affected and step-by-step instructions for fixes.
Identify your brand's share of voice vs competitors
beginnerIn Organic Research, enter [yourdomain.com] and [competitor1.com], [competitor2.com] in the comparison field. Set date range to 'Last 6 months'. Export the 'Competitors' tab data showing traffic distribution and keyword overlap percentages.Expected Output
A clear visualization and data table showing what percentage of total organic traffic in your niche each competitor captures, plus which keywords you're both fighting for.
Reverse-engineer a competitor's content strategy
intermediateIn Site Explorer, enter [competitor.com/blog]. Go to 'Top Pages' → filter by 'Organic traffic' and set minimum traffic to 500. Export top 50 pages. Then, in Keywords Explorer, paste their top 3 URLs to see all ranking keywords for each.Expected Output
A complete map of your competitor's content pillars, showing which pages rank for hundreds of keywords and revealing their hidden semantic targeting strategy.
Build a keyword cluster for pillar content
intermediateIn Keywords Explorer, search [core topic]. Look at the 'Parent Topic' report and identify the main parent topic. Click into it, then export all 'Child' keywords with Volume 10+, grouped by 'Intent' (Informational, Commercial, Transactional).Expected Output
A structured keyword spreadsheet organized by search intent, ready to map to sections of a comprehensive pillar page or content hub.
Find guest posting opportunities with exact traffic data
intermediateIn Content Explorer, search for ['write for us' + your industry]. Filter by 'Domain Rating (DR) 40-80' and 'Organic traffic 1k+'. Check each site's 'Top Pages' in Site Explorer to verify they actually get traffic in your niche.Expected Output
A vetted list of legitimate guest post targets with verified traffic numbers, not just arbitrary domain authority metrics.
Optimize existing content for featured snippets
intermediateIn Site Explorer, enter [yourdomain.com] → 'Top Pages' → identify pages with traffic but low rankings (positions 4-10). For each, go to 'Organic Keywords' and filter for 'SERP Features: Featured Snippet'. See which questions you almost rank for.Expected Output
Specific questions your pages are close to triggering featured snippets for, allowing you to add direct, concise answers and potentially double your click-through rate.
Discover content gaps between you and the #1 result
intermediateIn Keywords Explorer, enter your target keyword. Look at the top 3 ranking URLs. For each, click 'Content Gap' analysis. Filter for keywords where they rank top 10 but you don't rank at all, with Volume 100+. These are your immediate content opportunities.Expected Output
A list of semantically related keywords that top-ranking pages cover but your content misses, providing exact topics to add to your page.
Identify trending topics before they peak
intermediateIn Keywords Explorer, search for [your industry]. Switch to 'Questions' tab and sort by 'Traffic Potential' descending. Look for keywords with sharp upward trend arrows in the 'Trend' column over last 90 days. Export these with their monthly search growth rate.Expected Output
A list of emerging questions in your niche with increasing search volume, allowing you to create content before competition catches on.
Map competitor's backlink acquisition timeline
intermediateIn Site Explorer, enter [competitor.com]. Go to 'Backlinks' → set graph to 'New backlinks over time'. Note spikes in acquisition. Then filter to those date ranges and analyze which content campaigns or PR efforts caused each spike by examining referring pages.Expected Output
A timeline visualization correlating your competitor's content launches or marketing campaigns with actual backlink growth, revealing their most effective link-building strategies.
Create a cannibalization fix plan
advancedIn Site Explorer, enter [yourdomain.com]. Go to 'Organic Keywords' → filter for keywords where multiple pages rank (check 'Positions' column). For each keyword, identify the strongest page, then 301 redirect or canonicalize weaker pages to consolidate ranking power.Expected Output
A spreadsheet of keywords suffering from internal competition, with a clear action plan to consolidate ranking signals to your best-performing page for each.
Execute a complete topic takeover strategy
advancedFirst, in Keywords Explorer, find your core [topic] and export all 'Child' keywords with Volume 50+. Second, in Site Explorer, analyze the top 3 sites for that parent topic to see their content gaps. Third, create a content calendar covering every angle they miss.Expected Output
A 90-day content plan targeting every relevant subtopic in your niche, systematically building topical authority to eventually dominate the entire subject.
Build a predictive content model
advancedIn Content Explorer, search for successful pages in your niche (DR 60+, traffic 5k+). Export their titles, word count, backlinks, and publishing date. Cross-reference with their current ranking keywords in Keywords Explorer. Look for patterns in content age vs. traffic growth to predict longevity.Expected Output
A data model showing which content attributes (length, freshness, backlink velocity) correlate with sustained traffic, allowing you to predict which of your pieces will perform long-term.
Orchestrate a strategic unlinked mention campaign
advancedIn Content Explorer, search for your [brand name] or [product name]. Filter for pages with 'Domain Rating (DR) 30+' that don't contain your domain in the text. Manually review these 'unlinked mentions' and reach out requesting a link to your relevant resource.Expected Output
A targeted outreach list of high-quality sites already talking about your brand but not linking, representing easy backlink wins with high conversion rates.
Conduct a full funnel keyword mapping
advancedIn Keywords Explorer, start with your core commercial keyword. Identify its 'Parent Topic'. Then, export all 'Child' keywords and manually tag each by funnel stage: Top (awareness), Middle (consideration), Bottom (conversion). Create content for each stage targeting those specific intents.Expected Output
A complete keyword-to-content map aligning every piece of content with a specific funnel stage and user intent, ensuring you capture leads throughout their journey.
Reverse-engineer Google's algorithm updates
advancedWhen a core update hits, immediately check your 'Top Pages' in Site Explorer filtered by 'Traffic change' negative. Compare losing pages against winning pages in your niche using Content Explorer's 'Top Pages' filter for same period. Look for patterns in E-E-A-T signals, content freshness, or technical factors.Expected Output
Actionable insights about what Google now prioritizes, allowing you to adjust your content strategy before competitors decode the update.
Create a defensive SEO strategy against competitors
advancedIn Site Explorer, enter your domain. Go to 'Competing Domains' and identify rising competitors (those with increasing keyword overlap). For each, run a 'Content Gap' analysis to see which of your high-value keywords they're beginning to rank for. Fortify those pages immediately.Expected Output
An early warning system showing which competitors are encroaching on your territory and which specific pages need reinforcement to maintain rankings.
Tips for Better Prompts
Always cross-reference Keyword Difficulty with your actual Domain Rating. I've seen beginners ignore this and target KD 30 keywords with a DR 15 site—they never rank. Match your ambitions to your authority.
Use the 'Parent Topic' feature religiously. It's Ahrefs' secret weapon for understanding how Google groups keywords semantically. I structure entire content calendars around these clusters, not individual keywords.
Don't just chase backlink quantity. Filter by 'Dofollow' and 'DR' but also check the 'Traffic' of referring domains. A link from a DR 40 site with 10k traffic is worth ten links from DR 40 sites with no traffic.
Chain prompts for complex projects: Start with competitor analysis → identify content gaps → find easy keywords → check for featured snippet opportunities → then create content. This workflow took me from random blogging to strategic publishing.
Customize placeholders thoughtfully. For '[your industry]', be specific—'B2B SaaS CRM' works better than 'software'. The more precise your input, the more actionable Ahrefs' output becomes.