HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Reverse-Engineer Competitor Backlinks With Ahrefs

Reverse-Engineer Competitor Backlinks With Ahrefs is a seo & organic tactic for getting your first users: With almost no backlinks, the team used Ahrefs to export competitors' referring domains, then hunted that list for places they could post their own link, prioritizing high-authority dofollow sites before spraying widely.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for New content sites with thin backlink profiles. As a seo & organic play, plan for high effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

SEO & organicHigh effortSlow

Why does seo & organic work for this?

If a link helped a competitor rank, the same source can likely be earned or placed for you.

The exact steps (5)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Reverse-Engineer Competitor Backlinks With Ahrefs" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is high effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

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