Tim Soulo from Ahrefs discusses their credit system, effective communication, negative experiences on Twitter, landing massive links with data, using Hreps for site restoration, and the connection between Ahrefs' pricing increase and yep.com.
Ahrefs faced a shift in perception and is now associated with corporate greed.
Ahrefs introduced a credit system to provide advanced tools for experienced marketers.
Ahrefs aims to develop their own search engine, Yep.com, to enhance their tools and hire talented data scientists.
Deep dives
The Perception Shift of Aetraevs in the Industry
Aetraevs, once considered the best tool in the industry, has faced a shift in perception and is now associated with corporate greed. This change in reputation has led to questions about the justification of this perception.
The Introduction of the Credit System
Aetraevs introduced a credit system to address the limitations of fixed pricing. The credit system charges users based on usage, allowing for differentiation between different types of customers. While it has received some criticism, Aetraevs believes that this system aligns with their goal of providing advanced tools for more experienced marketers.
Creating a Search Engine with Yep.com
Aetraevs has a long-term plan to develop their own search engine, Yep.com. This venture is driven by the passion of the founder, who is fascinated by technology and has always wanted to explore search engine development. While it may not aim to compete with giants like Google, Yep.com provides opportunities for innovation and allows Aetraevs to hire talented data scientists to enhance their tools.
The Value and Challenges of Product Development
The speaker reflects on the importance of clear communication and thorough testing during the development of a product. They emphasize the need to address potential flaws and corner cases to ensure a smoother user experience. They also highlight the value of making subsequent fixes and concessions to improve the fairness and usability of the product over time. Specific examples of fixes, such as changes in credit usage and report filtering, are mentioned as evidence of iterative development.
The Differentiation of Ahrefs and CMS Systems
The speaker addresses the question of why Ahrefs is necessary when compared to traditional CMS systems. They explain that Ahrefs provides a much higher level of granularity in backlink data, saving multiple data points for each backlink, which can be filtered and sorted. This granular data allows users to delve deeper into their backlink analysis and separate valuable information from irrelevant data. The speaker acknowledges the size and resources of competitors like SEMrush but asserts that Ahrefs' focus on data depth and investment sets them apart.
In the last two years, Ahrefs, a tool that many people in the industry would agree is the best tool for the job, has lived long enough to see itself become the villain and many now associate the brand with corporate greed. So how did that happen and is it justified?
No topic was off the table in this week’s episode with Tim Soulo from Ahrefs. Gael gets the 4-1-1 on their credit system, whether their search engine yep.com was funded by the price increase or not, and compares Ahrefs and their value proposition to the competition.