Averi + Ahrefs: Backlink Data Meets Content Strategy

Most content teams use Ahrefs and their content platform as two entirely separate workflows. They'll do keyword research in Ahrefs on Monday, paste keywords into a doc on Wednesday, and write the article by Friday — losing context and momentum at every handoff. The Averi + Ahrefs integration closes that gap, turning raw backlink and keyword data into published content without the copy-paste shuffle.

This guide walks through how the integration works, which use cases it unlocks, and the specific workflows that make it worth setting up.

Why Backlink Data Belongs in Your Content Strategy

Ahrefs is most famous for its backlink index, but the real power for content marketers lives in what that link data reveals: what topics attract links, what content formats earn authority, and where the gaps in your industry's content are.

When you know which pieces in your niche pull the most referring domains, you're not guessing about what to write. You're reading the market's revealed preferences. A competitor's "Ultimate Guide to SaaS Onboarding" with 340 referring domains isn't just a blog post — it's a content format validation signal.

The problem is turning that signal into content. Ahrefs tells you what is working. Averi helps you build why it works into a repeatable content system for your startup.

What the Averi + Ahrefs Integration Does

Keyword Import Without the Spreadsheet Hell

When you export a keyword list from Ahrefs — whether from Keywords Explorer, Site Explorer, or Content Gap analysis — you can import it directly into Averi's content strategy layer. Averi reads the keyword difficulty (KD), search volume, and current ranking URL (if any) and maps these to your content queue intelligently.

Instead of manually deciding which keywords deserve blog posts vs. landing pages vs. comparison pages, Averi applies your Brand Core and ICP context to make that recommendation. A keyword with KD 12 and high commercial intent gets routed to a landing page brief. A KD 45 informational keyword gets a pillar-article treatment. A low-volume, high-intent keyword with existing SERP fragmentation gets a FAQ article.

Content Gap Analysis → Content Briefs

The Content Gap tool in Ahrefs shows you keywords your competitors rank for that you don't. The Averi integration lets you pull that gap list directly into a content brief workflow.

Connect your Ahrefs account, enter your domain and up to three competitor domains, and Averi pulls the gap keywords. From there, you can:

1. Filter by KD range (useful for early-stage startups who should target sub-30 KD)
2. Group keywords by topic cluster automatically
3. Generate a full content brief for any keyword with one click

The brief includes search intent analysis, recommended content format, suggested outline, internal linking opportunities from your existing Averi Library, and target word count based on the SERP.

Backlink Opportunity Discovery → Outreach Content

Here's a less obvious use case: using backlink data to inform link-worthy content creation, not just SEO targeting.

In Ahrefs, run a "Best by Links" report on any competitor domain. Sort by referring domains. The top results tell you what content in your space earns the most links. Bring that list into Averi's strategy interface, and you can:

• Identify the content types that earn links (original research, tools, definitive guides, contrarian takes)
• Brief similar formats in your own voice using your Brand Core settings
• Build a "link-worthy content calendar" as a distinct content tier

This is how you build domain authority intentionally, not accidentally.

Rank Tracking Feedback Loop

Once you've published content that originated from an Ahrefs keyword insight, the integration creates a feedback loop via Averi's performance analytics. When a piece starts ranking, Averi surfaces it in your content dashboard with current position data pulled from Ahrefs' rank tracker.

You'll see which briefs turned into ranking content, which need refreshing (position dropped), and which are within striking distance of page one (positions 8-15 that need a content update or more links).

Setting Up the Integration

Step 1: Connect Your Ahrefs Account

In Averi, go to Settings → Integrations and select Ahrefs. You'll need your Ahrefs API key (available in your Ahrefs account under Account Settings → API). Note: Ahrefs API access requires a Standard plan or above.

Enter the API key and click Verify Connection. Averi will confirm it can read your account data.

Step 2: Set Your Primary Domain

Configure your root domain in Averi's Brand Core settings if you haven't already. The integration uses this to filter out your own site from competitive analyses and to benchmark your current ranking profile.

Step 3: Import Your First Keyword Set

Start with a Content Gap analysis. In Averi's Strategy → Content Gap tool:

1. Enter up to 3 competitor domains
2. Select your KD range and minimum search volume
3. Choose whether to include/exclude branded terms
4. Click Generate Gap Report

Averi will pull the data from Ahrefs and display it as a prioritized topic list, not a raw CSV. You'll see each keyword with its recommended content type, estimated difficulty, and whether you have any existing content that could be expanded to target it.

Step 4: Create Briefs from Keywords

Select any keyword from your gap list and click Create Brief. Averi generates a full content brief in under 60 seconds, incorporating:

• Target keyword + semantic variants (pulled from Ahrefs' "Also rank for" data)
• Recommended H2 structure based on SERP analysis
• Internal linking suggestions from your Averi Library
• Competitor content summary (what exists and what's missing)
• Suggested word count and content format

The brief lands directly in your content queue, ready for drafting in Averi's AI-assisted workflow.

Advanced Workflows

The "Skyscraper" Pipeline

The skyscraper technique (find top-performing content, create something better) is well-known but poorly executed because teams lose context between research and writing. With Averi + Ahrefs:

1. Run "Best by Links" on a competitor in Ahrefs
2. Import the top 10 results into Averi as a research batch
3. Averi analyzes each piece and generates a "gap brief" — what this content is missing, what you'd need to create something definitively better
4. Write a competing piece in Averi with the gap brief loaded
5. Publish via Averi's CMS integration (WordPress, Webflow, or Framer)

The whole pipeline from Ahrefs export to published draft takes hours instead of days.

The "Refresh Radar" Workflow

Content decay is real. Posts that ranked on page one two years ago often slip to page two as competitors publish updates. Ahrefs' rank tracking catches these declines.

Set up a Ahrefs rank tracker for your 20 most important content pieces. When Averi detects a piece dropping (via the integration), it flags it in your content queue as Needs Refresh. Click into the brief, and Averi shows you:

• What changed in the SERP since you published
• New questions being asked (from "People Also Ask" data)
• New competitors that appeared in top 10
• Specific sections to update

This keeps your existing content earning without requiring full rewrites.

Monthly Link-Worthy Content Planning

Once a month, run this workflow:

1. Pull Ahrefs' "Content Explorer" results for your primary topic (filtered: DR 40+, published last 90 days, referring domains 10+)
2. Note the formats and angles that are earning links right now
3. Brief 1-2 "link-worthy" pieces in Averi with a more ambitious scope (original data, tools, comprehensive guides)
4. Assign these to your content calendar in Averi as priority items

Over time, this builds the high-authority content that makes your whole site harder to outrank.

What This Integration Doesn't Replace

Ahrefs is a research tool. Averi is a content execution platform. The integration connects them, but it doesn't replace strategic thinking. You still need to:

• Decide which content goals matter most for your startup stage (traffic vs. leads vs. authority)
• Prioritize keywords that align with your ICP, not just high-volume terms
• Review and edit AI-generated briefs before using them as creative direction
• Build genuine editorial quality into every piece — links and rankings follow content that deserves them

The integration saves you hours of mechanical work. Use that time on judgment calls.

Further Reading

• AI-powered SEO for B2B SaaS
• how to execute SEO for startups
• double your organic traffic playbook
• Averi's Strategy Map to connect Ahrefs data to a comprehensive content strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a paid Ahrefs plan to use the integration?

Yes. The Ahrefs API requires a Standard plan ($199/month) or above. The Lite plan does not include API access. If you're not ready to commit to Ahrefs, you can still use Averi's manual keyword import (paste a CSV) to achieve most of the same workflow without the live API connection.

Can I import keywords from Ahrefs exports without an API key?

Yes. Even without an API connection, you can export keyword data from Ahrefs as CSV and import it into Averi's Strategy dashboard. You won't get the live rank tracking feedback loop, but you'll still get the automated brief generation and content queue features.

How often does Averi sync rank data from Ahrefs?

When the API integration is active, Averi pulls rank data daily. You can trigger a manual refresh at any time from the content performance dashboard.

What's the difference between using this integration vs. just doing keyword research manually?

The integration reduces the friction between insight and execution. Manual keyword research creates a gap: you do research, export a spreadsheet, import keywords to a doc, write briefs manually, then start drafting. Every handoff loses context. The integration collapses those steps, so the keyword insight flows directly into a content brief and into your queue — with your brand voice and ICP context already baked in.

Does the integration work with Ahrefs' site audit data?

Not currently. The integration focuses on keywords, rank tracking, and backlink data for content strategy purposes. Technical SEO audit data from Ahrefs isn't pulled into Averi. For technical SEO work, use Ahrefs' audit dashboard directly.