Tim Soulo on marketing Ahrefs to $100M ARR - bootstrapped!
What does Ahref’s first marketing hire have to say about marketing all the way to $100m ARR - bootstrapped!?
We recently sat down with Tim Soulo, the CMO and product advisor of Ahrefs, to find out.
Tim’s insights on how he and his team achieved such impressive growth were surprisingly straightforward—demonstrating that sometimes, success in business doesn’t require reinventing the wheel, but rather, mastering the fundamentals and executing them flawlessly.
Here’s the top five steps you can take to replicate Ahref’s success:
Leverage SEO and Content Marketing
Try out new content channels like YouTube
Focus on the fundamentals over trends
Fuel word of mouth by training your customers
To get your brand noticed don’t follow every trend - be unique
Let’s dive in and cover the key takeaways that can help any business achieve sustainable growth.
1. Leverage SEO and Content Marketing
From the very beginning, Ahrefs has been a testament to the efficacy of its own SEO platform.
But in addition to using the ‘standard’ SEO tactics to dominate search engine results, Tim emphasizes the importance of producing high-quality content.
To do this, you should follow two primary rules:
content should be written by experts, and
producing unique thought leadership through independent data studies.
Tim underlines that when the people creating the content are not experts on what they’re writing about it shows, meaning it is crucial to have the most knowledgeable people on your team creating content.
By publishing expert written content alongside data-driven research, you are not only able to establish the authority of your company as a reliable source of information but also able to attract backlinks – which further boosts SEO efforts.
In addition to this, Tim suggests these two tips for YouTube channel growth:
1. Cross-promote to existing audience to fuel initial growth
2. Focus on engagement metrics such as playbacks, likes, and view duration.
On the type of content your team should be outputting on YouTube, Tim explains that “creating videos about new features is boring”. Meaning that to optimize engagement you need to prioritize putting out content that resonates with your viewers (and the algorithm).
2. Try out new content channels like YouTube
Creating content isn’t just about filling a blog with articles. This is why Tim took to YouTube the very first month he joined the company back in 2015.
However, Ahrefs’ YouTube channel, now boasting over half a million subscribers, wasn’t an overnight success. It was the result of consistent effort, high-quality content, and a deep understanding of their audience’s needs.
Tim highlighted the importance of dedicating substantial time and resources from the very beginning to make a channel successful.
For companies looking to achieve success on YouTube, or any other channel, Tim recommends his simple trick: to go all in.
In addition to this, Tim suggests these two tips for YouTube channel growth:
1. Cross-promote to existing audience to fuel initial growth
2. Focus on engagement metrics such as playbacks, likes, and view duration.
On the type of content your team should be outputting on YouTube, Tim explains that “creating videos about new features is boring”. Meaning that to optimize engagement you need to prioritize putting out content that resonates with your viewers (and the algorithm).
3. Don’t over-rely on analytics
Tim denounces over-reliance on analytics to inform your approach to content, especially in the early stages of your business. Instead, the key to understanding what content resonates is content, content, and more content.
He explains that when you generate more output, you can really learn the specifics of what works and what doesn’t for your audience.
By focusing on producing valuable content and improving their product, Ahrefs could better refine their strategies and adapt based on their better understanding of their audience.
4. Fuel Word-of-Mouth by training your customers
Tim defines word-of-mouth as one of the most powerful drivers of growth, as happy customers who achieved success with your product naturally become the best advocates. A point also raised by Chris Walker in his recent appearance on Dreamdata Live, check out the highlights here →
Although exposure through word of mouth is something that exists somewhat outside of your control, you can help fuel it yourself by educating your customers on how your product works and providing them with arguments that make it stand out against your competitors.
To provide your customers with these talking points Tim suggests giving “them very specific arguments, which are easy to remember and which stand out enough to be memorable”.
5. To get heard don’t follow every trend - be unique
In an industry often obsessed with the latest trends, Tim advises to stick to the basics.
Meaning that instead of getting stuck keeping up with the latest and greatest, you can benefit more by finding and talking about the things that work specifically for you.
As an example, Tim points to the current craze over AI. When it comes to attempting to gain traffic by jumping onto these buzzwords it is important to ask yourself, “If everyone is talking about AI, who do you listen to?”
The bottom line is that you can better stand out when you’re focused on the things others aren't. This is why Tim suggests devoting your time and resources to unique content, or attempting experiments others aren’t willing to do. You might be interested in this conversation with G Cabane on experimentation →
An example of this approach is when Ahrefs invested in a few independent copywriting agencies to work on their homepage redesign. They turned this initiative into a case study, repurposing it as content to create buzz and reinforce Ahref’s commitment to innovation.
Conclusion
Tim revealed a simple yet powerful truth: you don’t need to chase every new trend or rely on every marketing gimmick to succeed. Instead, a commitment to quality, creativity, and continuous experimentation can propel your business to remarkable heights.
For those looking to emulate Ahrefs’ success, the path is clear:
Make use of SEO and content marketing
Try out new content channels like Youtube
Stay focused on the fundamentals rather than the trends
Leverage word-of-mouth to your advantage
Don’t follow every trend blindly and work on unique content to stand out
The journey to $100M ARR might seem daunting, but with the right approach, it’s more achievable than you might think. And who knows? Your company could be the next Ahrefs, inspiring a new generation of marketers with your own story of success.
About the Speaker
Tim Soulo is a seasoned marketing professional and the CMO and Product Advisor at Ahrefs, a leading SEO toolset provider. After joining Ahrefs in 2015, Tim quickly established himself as a key player in the company’s growth trajectory. Under his leadership, Ahrefs has significantly expanded its market presence, driving growth from a niche tool to a powerhouse in the digital marketing industry, boasting over $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
Beyond his contributions to Ahrefs, Tim is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the digital marketing space. He regularly shares his insights on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, where he engages with a global community of marketers and SEO professionals. His work continues to influence and inspire marketers worldwide, making him a prominent figure in the field of SEO and digital marketing.
