Ahrefs
Landing Page Teardown
Overview
Scroll through to see the full landing page, or continue for the teardown.
Above the Fold
Ahref’s Above the Fold section has four pieces that we’ll dive into individually.
Header
Objection handling as a hook
A lot of businesses need SEO but don’t have the time or resources to build expertise. So Ahrefs tells users they don’t have to be an SEO pro.
Tip: Associate your product (Ahrefs) with the benefit by including the product name in your header.
What does the product do for users?
Ahrefs helps users rank higher on search engines and get more traffic to their website.
(underlying benefit = more money)
Call to Action (CTA)
Ahrefs uses a CTA that hasn’t been overused and “Start a 7-day trial for $7” has a nice ring to it. This CTA has a consistent request with the navbar CTA. Consistency results in less confusion for the visitor.
Social Proof
Urgency
Ahrefs shows how many users signed up in the last 7 days – so that users feel like there’s a reason to sign up now.
Establishing Credibility
Use social proof above the fold to bypass the objection, “is this legitimate?” People like to know that other people vouch for a product.
Subheader
Making the promise concrete
Right now, users know Ahrefs will rank them higher and get more traffic to their site. But they don’t know how.
Ahrefs tells users how with: “All-in-one SEO toolset.”
Adding value to the subheader
Ahrefs adds “free learning materials” and “community & support” as their main value props.
Demand Curve Insight:
Ahrefs copy is great, but the subheader placement could be improved.
Based on our data, the best place to put your subheader is directly below the header.
Features
Demand Curve Insight:
What's good about it?
Ahrefs continues the narrative set in the ATF section. The All-in-one SEO toolset is the first feature mentioned in their subheader, so structurally it should be the first feature explored. They also prevent skimming by using bullets that are only a few words long and start with an action verb.
What could be improved?
The current images don’t help the user understand the product.
Ahrefs could add product images that show off each tool so that users don’t have to guess what’s inside.
Video
Demand Curve Insight:
Product video and image placement
This video would have worked better alongside the features section.
Users understand the product faster if they are able to see it side-by-side the product features.
Ahrefs could build momentum faster by cutting this section and replacing the cartoon images with product images. Then, the user goes from the features section to the objection handling section.
Objection Handling
Objection Handling:
Up until now, Ahrefs has been marketing to SEO beginners. But here they want to make it clear that Ahrefs is also a powerful and easy-to-use tool for experts.
Using UX to your advantage
Ahrefs uses a toggle for this section so that experts can explore why this is a tool for them without forcing the jargon on the beginners.
Free Learning Material
Continuing the narrative
Now, Ahrefs tackles the second value prop mentioned in their subheader. Free learning materials.
Education push
Ahrefs likely knows that the more SEO knowledge a user has, the higher chance of a free trial conversion.
Their blog material is very informative and educational, but it always pushes the reader towards using Ahrefs.
Tutorials
Advice isn’t enough
Ahrefs knows users won’t read their content without a nudge. Right after they tell users to learn how Ahrefs can help their business, they give users the resources to do so.
Options
Ahrefs knows different people learn best from different mediums. This is why users can watch videos, read guides, or get help from support.
Cater to your audience
These tutorials are catered toward their core audience, beginners. Ahrefs has plenty of advanced tutorials, but none of them are listed here on purpose.
Community and Support
Continuing the narrative
Ahrefs continues with the promise set in the subheader by introducing their community feature.
Using exclusivity to your advantage
Ahrefs uses “Ahrefs insiders” and “private Facebook community" to encourage users to join the community.
This community isn’t a bunch of SEO newbies either. It’s filled with “10,000 SEO-obsessed marketers who have seen it all.”
This all translates to, “Join our exclusive community where you will learn from experts, for only $7.”
Multiple ways of contact
Ahrefs gives users a choice in how they would like to reach out because everyone has their own preference.
Testimonials
Targeting Personas
Ahrefs uses a breadcrumb style widget that displays testimonials based on persona. If users blog, they can see what bloggers have to say. If a user runs an Ecommerce company, they can do the same.
Social Proof
More specific = more believable
A subtle thing like adding decimals to ratings increases specificity, which increases believability.
Transparency
Ahrefs doesn’t have to tell users when they got this data, but they do. Transparency builds trust.
Final CTA
Urgency
Ahrefs pushes for the conversion with urgency. They bluntly state that you’re missing out on growth opportunities if you don’t use Ahrefs.
Demand Curve Insight:
This is another instance where a product image would be better than a cartoon. We haven’t seen inside the product since the video at the beginning of the landing page.
Founder's Note
Calling out the problem
The first paragraph calls out the problem their users face and makes it feel relatable.
Framing yourself as the hero
In the second paragraph, Ahrefs positions themselves as the solver of the problem mentioned in the first.
Personable and charitable
The last paragraph bridges the problem and problem solver together.
They add in “... all our learning materials and some of the tools will stay free...” to reinforce their values mentioned in the second paragraph.
Then, it wraps up with some personality at the end. People like to buy from humans, even when their heads are detached from their bodies.
Key takeaways
- Use unique CTAs to differentiate from the crowd. Ensure the CTA is always the next step you want the user to take. “Get my free unicorn” is unique, but doesn’t tell the user what the next step would be.
- Use your subheader to explain how your product fulfills the bold claim made in the header.
- Use product images to help readers better understand your value props.
- You don’t always have to push for a free trial sign up or a demo call. If there’s a gap between your audience’s understanding of the product, and the product itself, push for education.
- Use exclusivity to entice visitors into wanting your offer more.
- Entice multiple personas by using testimonials catered to each target audience.
- Use founder’s notes to seem more human and personable.
Read more landing page teardowns
We break down the methods used by the highest-converting home pages so that you can understand the copywriting decisions behind every section.
Researched by Demand Curve
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