B2B video marketing is often a snoozefest.
Generic content, low engagement – it’s a common story.
But there’s one exception that’s been burning a hole in my mind: Ahrefs.
Their video strategy is flawless.
With YouTube being the second biggest search engine, Ahrefs doubled down and grew its YouTube channel to over more than 500k subscribers.
To quote their own words, “With more people than ever before consuming content in video format, video SEO is hard to ignore now”.
So today I’m sharing what I’ve learned about Ahrefs in the past weeks, so you can apply their winning strategies to your own video marketing playbook.
Been planning to write this newsletter about Ahrefs ever since I’ve written that profile about Tim Soulo.
So, without further ado, in this newsletter you’ll read about:
- Ahrefs’ video marketing tactics
- Who are their brand faces
- Where do they distribute their videos.
Let’s get started.
Chances are you know about Ahrefs, but
Ahrefs is a software company that creates online SEO tools and provides top-notch educational content for marketing professionals.
They compete with companies such as Semrush or SimilarWeb.
Their headquarters are in Singapore and currently have around 50-200 employees all over the world.
Let’s get into Ahrefs’ video tactics
Ahrefs’ video strategy can be primarily divided into two main categories: brand awareness and product updates.
Brand awareness
1. AhrefsTV
Ahrefs TV is the best YouTube channel on SEO.
This was their first YouTube channel started back in 2015.
Since then, according to View Stats, the channel has grown to an audience of 560,000 subscribers and has a total of 25,826,347 video views.
Since they started the account they’ve almost always been on continuous growth and according to View Stats they will continue to grow in the next year to 660,783 subscribers.
What makes them a YouTube SEO leader?
It’s their content.
It’s a great resource for anyone interested in learning and mastering SEO from beginners to experienced SEO experts.
Besides the typical videos about keyword research, link building, and technical SEO, their content also consists of videos about demystifying SEO myths and fun SEO experiments.
Meanwhile, experienced marketers can gain fresh perspectives and insights from Ahrefs experiments and case studies, such as this video about how side businesses that helped the New York Times grow its revenue.
Also, guess what?
Ahrefs is also a master of YouTube SEO.
Their thumbnails are spot on. For each video, they have three or four thumbnails swapped until they settle on a final one.
Their video descriptions are crafted to optimize for search engines.
They effectively weave in keywords related to their other SEO courses while clearly outlining the video’s content.
This approach helps their videos rank higher in search results and attract a larger audience.
Another key piece in Ahrefs’ YouTube success is Sam Oh.
He’s been the face of the channel for seven years, so he’s become synonymous with Ahrefs’ SEO expertise.
This consistent brand representation has built trust and loyalty among viewers, solidifying Ahrefs’ position as a leading authority in YouTube SEO.
And I found a podcast interview where Sam Oh talked about how he started their YouTube account.
If you think he had amazing tools or a big-fancy-name strategy, he didn’t.
He said he came on a content position and started to take old blog posts, write scripts based on them, and make them videos.
What he did is he gave a lot of interest in analytics in terms of
- why are people driving away from videos
- what are people interested in
- what they wrote in the comments
- what produces the higher number of clicks.
He also tried to understand YouTube’s algorithm by observing all of the above.
And in time, their channel started to see more traction and it still is a reliable source for those wanting to learn about SEO or keep up with the latest trends in SEO.
2. Ahrefs podcast
Besides the two YouTube channels mentioned above, Ahrefs has a podcast channel run by their CMO, Tim Soulo.
I briefly wrote about their podcast in an article about Tim, but didn’t get in depth of it because it was only one month old.
The number of subscribers is at 6,240 at the moment and has 107,952 total views (including the several videos the channel had before the podcast launched).
Initially, this YouTube channel was launched as ‘SaaS Marketing Vlog by Ahrefs,’ with the main goal of creating content related to SaaS marketing. However, after a three-year hiatus, the team decided to relaunch the channel and change its direction, turning it into a podcast.
This demonstrates that it is not always necessary to start a new project from scratch; sometimes you can relaunch an abandoned project without losing the interest of your audience.
Every video starts with a preview from the guest, and then Tim comes and makes an intro about who’s the guest, and what he does.
Below is an example from one of their episodes with Alex Nigmatulin, co-founder and CMO of PRNEWS.io, that talks about digital PR and how to use it to your advantage.
Their thumbnails have the same concept.
They are all with the guests’ faces and a little hint about the topic or quote from the interview.
Regarding the way they write their video titles I see the same strategy used as the one Sam Parr and Shaan Puri use for My First Million Podcast.
Familiarity-based titling strategy
This familiarity-based titling strategy maximizes appeal and reach by featuring well-known guests’ names in titles, attracting their fan base and adding credibility to the podcast.
For lesser-known guests, focusing on intriguing topics ensures the title remains compelling, drawing in listeners based on content relevance and potential benefits.
This approach enhances discoverability through search engines and social media, balances audience interests, and encourages new listeners, ultimately increasing the podcast’s success and visibility.
If the person invited to Ahrefs Podcast is well-known by many, they mention their name in the title, such as “Why Rand Fishkin Isn’t Relying on Attribution OR SEO ”.
But if the name isn’t so familiar with the industry, they write the topic in the title without mentioning their names – the episode with Gauillaume Moubeche was called “The secrets to scaling to $150M with limited resources”.
They also made use of excerpts from their podcasts to convince their audience to attend the Ahrefs Evolve Conference, by reiterating what’s the value of going to a conference.
Ahrefs Elvove is a SEO conference that will take place in Singapore at the Pan Pacific Orchard in October 2024.
It’s an event for 500 SEO and digital marketing professionals from around the world to connect and gain first-hand insights on what’s working and what’s not in 2024.
You can find all the details about the speakers, the workshops, and the whole agenda on their homepage if you click on Conference.
To promote their conference they’ve created a video with Tim Soulo who takes the future attendees on a virtual conference tour.
He provided clear instructions in the virtual tour to reduce confusion, make the registration process way smoother, and enhance the overall attendees’ experience.
Product updates awareness
1. Monthly product roundup
Ahrefs creates monthly product roundups to enhance customer satisfaction, drive product adoption, and inform their product roadmap.
This strategic initiative has a dual purpose: nurturing existing customer relationships and attracting new users.
By consistently showcasing new features and improvements, Ahrefs keeps customers informed and excited about the platform’s evolution.
These updates highlight the value of their toolset and encourage users to explore functionalities they might have overlooked.
They talk about the new launches on YouTube on their product channel called Ahrefs Product Updates.
Then create a blog post and a monthly newsletter about the latest features, and ultimately the latest improvements and updates also get featured in the in-app welcome banner.
2. Short product demos
Grabbing attention is more crucial than ever.
Ahrefs understands this perfectly, and they’ve developed a clever strategy to conquer the “low attention span” era.
Ahrefs has been churning out these bite-sized blasts on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, showcasing their latest features in a quick and engaging format.
It’s a short action-packed video highlighting the power of a new tool, all within 15 seconds.
It’s just the perfect way to pique viewers’ curiosity and get them excited about what Ahrefs has to offer.
Ahrefs also promotes these captivating mini-demos on Twitter and Facebook to ensure maximum reach.
Just last year alone, Ahrefs launched over 130 new features!
And for more than half of them, they created these dynamic short demos.
Ahrefs goes beyond video, crafting in-depth landing pages on platforms like X.
These show users how to leverage Ahrefs’ tools to their full potential.
3. Ahrefs academy
Part of their tactics is the Ahrefs academy because Ahrefs positioned itself as an educator.
Offering a rich curriculum of video courses, the academy covers a wide range of topics, from SEO fundamentals (like the SEO Beginner Course) to broader marketing strategies (such as Blogging for Business).
This approach establishes Ahrefs as a go-to resource for marketers of all levels.
Beyond theoretical knowledge, the academy also provides practical guidance on How to use Ahrefs through actionable use cases.
4. Workshops
Ahrefs understands the power of face-to-face interaction. Recognizing that digital tools are just one part of the marketing equation, they proactively host in-person meetups in cities like Singapore and London.
The topics covered are diverse and cater to various skill levels.
From advanced keyword research to competitive analysis techniques, attendees gain practical insights directly from Ahrefs experts.
What they want to achieve with these in person workshops is to build a vibrant community of SEO professionals, empowering them to learn, grow, and achieve their marketing goals.
The human touch
Ahrefs understands that in today’s B2B landscape, building trust and awareness hinges on the power of real people.
This focus on human connection is evident in their team of passionate creators and experts.
Patrick Stox the #1 technical SEO in the world and Ahrefs’ Product Advisor.
Patrick keeps you in the loop on exciting features and updates through his social media channels, like his insightful post about the Ahrefs site audit tool.
Sam Oh is the face of Ahrefs on YouTube who educates users with engaging video tutorials and demos.
Andrei Țiț and Rebekah Bek are the creative minds that craft demo videos and product updates, breaking down complex features into clear, easy-to-understand explanations.
As CMO and Ahrefs’ main product evangelist, Tim Soulo is everywhere!
Whether you see him filming a podcast, sharing valuable content on LinkedIn, or leading a meetup in London, his passion for Ahrefs is contagious.
Ahrefs team is building genuine relationships.
They share their knowledge, engage in discussions, and create a sense of community that creates trust and loyalty towards Ahrefs.
Ahrefs video distribution strategies
Ahrefs prioritizes product development and creating valuable content.
This allows the Ahrefs team to focus their energy on what truly matters: making their platform and resources even better.
That’s why they have a multi-channel distribution strategy to maximize reach and impact.
Here’s a breakdown of their key platforms.
YouTube as their primary educational hub
You’ll find in-depth SEO tutorials for marketers with Sam Oh as the face of the brand, monthly product updates with Rebekah Bek, and a dedicated podcast creating a community around SEO and broader marketing topics with Tim Soulo.
Ahrefs repurposes their YouTube content about product updates into blog posts, ensuring their valuable information reaches a wider audience.
Subscribers also receive a newsletter with a curated digest of the latest content, including product updates and blog posts.
In the app, there is a welcome banner where users are greeted with a highlight of the latest product updates, encouraging exploration.
By distributing these updates across various channels, including YouTube, blogs, and newsletters, they’ve maximized their reach.
This content-driven approach attracts new users and strengthens Ahrefs’ authority in the SEO industry.
By closely monitoring user engagement with these updates, Ahrefs gains invaluable insights into customer preferences and behavior.
Secondary video platforms: TikTok, X/Twitter and LinkedIn
On social media platforms like X and LinkedIn they post short, attention-grabbing demos like GIFs and video shorts to keep audiences informed and interested in new features.
They’ve recently launched a TikTok account, where they share videos discussing new features and funny corporate content.
Product videos ads
They use Facebook and X for their strategic ad campaigns to showcase new product features, boosting engagement and reach.
Ahrefs content reaches the right audience on the right platform, creating brand awareness, user education, and customer satisfaction.
Takeaways for you
If you decided to skip the whole thing and read just this part, I’m just as thankful because this is what I want you to keep in mind from this article.
- You can have separated channels for different needs. Ahrefs actually has 9 YouTube channels, even though I’ve only mentioned 3 of them. They have 5 channels in different languages—Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian, and Italian—catering to their major customers from these regions. Additionally, they created the main channel for general information and education, a channel dedicated to product updates for their bottom-of-the-funnel content, a live channel where they create videos from their workshops, and a podcast channel for a more holistic approach.
- You don’t have to be everywhere, just where your audience is. Ahrefs doesn’t have a TikTok account because it doesn’t align with their brand’s values. Their content is primarily informational and educational, while TikTok focuses more on edutainment. If a platform doesn’t fit their brand, they choose not to use it. The same applies to you—you don’t need to be on every platform just because everyone else is. Focus on the platforms where your audience is active instead of trying to be everywhere.
- Adapt to the platforms. On YouTube, Ahrefs focuses on educational and informative video content. On Instagram, they highlight the human side of the brand by sharing pictures of employees and team-building activities. On LinkedIn, they post photos from conferences to showcase their industry authority. It’s important to adapt to each platform’s typical post styles and understand what your audience wants to see on each platform, tailoring your content to meet their needs.
- Apply the familiarity-based titling if you have a podcast, and see what happens. maximize their reach and engagement. As I mentioned, featuring well-known guests’ names in titles can attract their followers and add credibility, while focusing on intriguing topics for lesser-known guests ensures the content remains appealing. This strategy can enhance discoverability, balance audience interests, and encourage new listeners, increasing your podcast’s visibility and success. If you try this strategy, let me know how it works for you—I’m curious to see the results.
So you’ve seen Ahrefs didn’t have some magical strategy for their YouTube channel, they’ve tried, analyzed and tried again till they found out what works for them and their audience.
Same goes with everything you want to try. You need to try, test, analyze, and see what happens. And don’t jump to conclusions too fast, some things take more time to grow then others.
I hope Ahrefs video marketing journey will inspire you and help you come up with some great video strategies that will skyrocket your brand.