copyhackers.com

If you're new to Ahrefs and want to run your first SEO audit, the fastest path is: open Site Explorer, enter your target URL, review the Overview for a health snapshot, then dig into Organic Keywords, Top Pages, and Site Audit to find specific problems. From there, build a short prioritized to-do list instead of trying to fix everything at once.

This tutorial walks through that workflow using a realistic starting scenario, explains what the numbers mean, and shows how to turn findings into actions.

Before You Start: Pick a Narrow Scope

A common beginner mistake is auditing an entire large website on day one. The reports become overwhelming, and you can't tell which issues matter.

Instead, choose one of these starting points:

• A single important page (your homepage or a key product/service page)
• A small site (under ~50 pages, e.g., a personal blog or small business site)
• One section of a bigger site (e.g., /blog/)

For this tutorial, assume you're auditing a small business site with about 30 pages. The same steps scale up later.

You'll need an Ahrefs account to follow along. Ahrefs offers paid plans, and pricing and feature limits change over time, so check the current Pricing page for what's included in each tier before committing.

Step 1: Enter Your Target in Site Explorer

Site Explorer is Ahrefs' core tool for analyzing any website or URL.

1. Open Site Explorer from the top navigation.
2. In the search box, paste your domain (e.g., example.com).
3. Choose the Exact URL or Domain mode depending on scope. For a full-site view, use Domain or Prefix; for a single page, use Exact URL.
4. Press Enter.

You'll land on the Overview report. Don't try to absorb everything — focus on four numbers first.

Reading the Overview Snapshot

Important caveat: Ahrefs' traffic and keyword numbers are estimates based on its own data. They won't match Google Search Console or your analytics exactly. Treat them as directional, not absolute.

Step 2: See What You Already Rank For

Go to Organic Keywords in the left sidebar. This shows queries where your site appears in search results.

Sort by Traffic (descending) to see which pages bring the most estimated visitors. Then look for:

• Keywords ranking in positions 4–15 — these are often the easiest wins. A small content or on-page improvement can push them onto page one.
• Keywords with high volume but low position — potential opportunities if the topic is relevant.
• Irrelevant keywords — if you rank for something off-topic, it may signal thin or mismatched content.

Write down 5–10 of the position 4–15 keywords. These become your first optimization targets.

Step 3: Find Your Best and Weakest Pages

Open Top Pages. This ranks your URLs by estimated organic traffic.

Look for two things:

1. Your top performers — understand what topics and formats work. Can you create more content like this?
2. Pages with traffic but poor rankings — these may need on-page fixes (title, headings, internal links).

If a page gets zero traffic and targets a topic you care about, it's a candidate for a rewrite or consolidation.

Step 4: Run a Technical Site Audit

Now move to Site Audit. This crawls your site and flags technical and on-page issues.

1. Click Site Audit → New project.
2. Enter your domain and set crawl settings (default is usually fine for a small site).
3. Start the crawl and wait for it to finish.

Once complete, you'll see a Health Score and a list of issues grouped by category.

Which Issues to Fix First

Not all issues are equal. Prioritize in this order:

Ignore low-impact warnings (like minor meta description length) until the big items are handled.

Step 5: Turn Findings Into a To-Do List

You now have raw data. Convert it into a short, actionable list. Example:

1. Fix 3 broken links found in Site Audit.
2. Rewrite title tags on 5 pages with duplicate titles.
3. Improve 4 pages ranking in positions 6–12 by adding missing subtopics and internal links.
4. Remove or update 2 thin pages with no traffic.

Keep the list to 5–10 items max for your first audit. Finishing a short list beats starting a long one.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Chasing every red flag. Site Audit flags many minor issues. Fix what affects rankings and users first.
• Trusting estimates as exact numbers. Ahrefs data is modeled, not measured from your analytics.
• Auditing a huge site too early. Start small to learn the interface.
• Ignoring search intent. A page can be technically perfect but still fail if it doesn't match what searchers want.
• Forgetting to re-crawl. After fixes, run Site Audit again to confirm improvements.

Where to Go Next

Once your first audit is done:

• Compare with competitors using Site Explorer's Competing Domains and Content Gap reports.
• Track keyword rankings over time with Rank Tracker.
• Explore backlink opportunities in the Backlinks and Link Intersect reports.
• Set up recurring Site Audit crawls so new issues surface automatically.

Your first audit isn't about perfection — it's about building a repeatable habit: enter a target, read the key reports, pick the highest-impact fixes, and act. Do that once a month and your site's health compounds.

Copyhackers treats messaging as a positioning problem before it is a writing problem. The approach, as described on copyhackers.com, starts with finding what actually makes a brand different, then saying it clearly and consistently across the whole team. It is built for challenger brands and B2B or disruptive B2C companies that want to move past generic, AI-generated copy toward messages grounded in conversion copywriting.

The core premise: differentiate first, then write

Copyhackers states it pioneered conversion copywriting and has trained nearly 10,000 copywriters since 2011. Its stated commitment is to "the science (and some of the art) of copywriting" — meaning the method leans on research, testing, and conversion principles rather than pure creative instinct.

The site frames the central task plainly: "Find what actually makes you different. Then: Say it like you mean it." That sequence matters. Messaging work does not begin with drafting headlines; it begins with positioning and differentiation.

Three pillars of the method

Positioning & differentiation

The first job is to identify the real, defensible difference a product or brand has in its market. Copyhackers lists this as a distinct service area, which signals it is treated as a prerequisite for any messaging output rather than a byproduct of good writing.

Narrative architecture

Once differentiation is clear, the message needs structure. Narrative architecture is the second listed pillar — the framework that organizes what the brand says so it holds together across channels, campaigns, and teams instead of fragmenting into disconnected taglines.

Messaging in a time of AI

Copyhackers positions itself explicitly against "AI slop." The homepage repeats the line "Some people love AI slop. For everyone else, there's Copyhackers." The approach is not anti-tool; it is a claim that AI output without positioning and narrative work produces undifferentiated copy. The differentiator is the thinking behind the words, not the speed of producing them.

Messaging is treated as a team sport

A distinctive part of the Copyhackers approach is who does the work. The site runs brand voice and messaging workshops "for the whole team – not just the copywriters," with the reasoning stated directly: "messaging is a team sport. And when the whole team is excited, customers feel it."

The inverse is also stated as a warning: "If your team is confused about messaging, everyone feels it." This means the method is designed to produce internal alignment, not just a document. A messaging project that only the marketing team understands is treated as incomplete.

Who it is built for

The site makes a point of respecting "boring" businesses, framing them as solving real problems for real markets. If your category feels unglamorous, that is presented as a fit rather than a barrier.

The first-principles framing

Copyhackers describes its growth work as "getting back to marketing first principles: what to say, and how to say it." That two-part split is the cleanest summary of the approach:

• What to say — positioning, differentiation, and the underlying message
• How to say it — voice, narrative structure, and execution

Most copywriting resources start at the second question. Copyhackers' stated method starts at the first, and treats the second as dependent on it.

How to evaluate whether this approach fits your team

Ask three questions before engaging:

1. Do you have a differentiation problem or a writing problem? If your copy is competent but indistinguishable from competitors, this approach targets the root cause. If you only need production capacity, the workshop model may be heavier than necessary.
2. Can more than the copy team participate? The method assumes cross-functional involvement. A single freelance writer working alone is not the intended unit of work.
3. Are you willing to do discovery before drafting? The site's entry point is a short discovery call, and the service structure puts positioning and narrative work ahead of copy production. Teams that want words immediately may find the sequence slower than expected.

For teams that answer yes to all three, the offer centers on workshops and corporate training rather than one-off copy deliverables. The site lists a $5 entry offer at checkout, but pricing for workshops and training is not published on the page — you would need to book a discovery call to get specifics.

The fastest way to start with Copyhackers is to book a short discovery call or consult through the site, where you discuss your messaging objectives and get matched to the right service. That path fits teams and brands that want corporate training, brand voice and messaging workshops, or strategic help rather than a self-serve course. If you're an individual copywriter, the site also points to books, resources, and a $5 checkout offer you can buy directly.

Who Copyhackers Is For

Copyhackers describes itself as the pioneer of conversion copywriting and says it has trained nearly 10,000 copywriters since 2011. Its current positioning is aimed at two groups:

• Challenger brands and next category leaders that need to find what makes them different and then say it clearly.
• Teams, not just copywriters — the site calls messaging "a team sport" and runs brand voice and messaging workshops for the whole team.

The site also states it works with "boring" B2B categories (accounting software, VPNs, ERPs, factory analytics, AI token management, insurance) as well as baseball teams and luxury skincare brands, and frames its focus as B2B and disruptive B2C.

Ways to Start, and Which to Pick

If your goal is a decision about your company's messaging, start with the call. If your goal is personal skill-building, start with the books and resources.

Step-by-Step: Booking a Call

1. Go to copyhackers.com and look for the discovery call or consult call-to-action. The homepage repeats variations such as "Start with a short discovery call," "Find a time to discuss your objectives with us," and "Book a discovery call."
2. Prepare your objective. The site frames the call around your objectives, so bring a concrete problem — for example, "our team can't agree on our differentiator" or "our copy isn't converting."
3. Expect a fit conversation, not a pitch. The stated purpose is to discuss objectives and determine whether Copyhackers can help.
4. Get routed to the right service — workshop, corporate training, or another engagement — based on what you describe.

Verification: You'll know it worked when you have a scheduled time and a clear next step for your team. If you leave the call without knowing which service applies to you, ask directly before it ends.

Step-by-Step: Buying the $5 Offer

1. From the site, follow the pricing link to the checkout page at checkout.copyhackers.com/checkout/cc4b-now.
2. The listed price on that link is $5 ("Get it for $5").
3. Complete checkout to access the product.

Note: the site shows a pricing page and a checkout entry, but the available evidence only confirms the $5 offer. Other service pricing isn't stated, so treat workshop and training costs as something to confirm on the call.

Step-by-Step: Pre-Ordering Jo's Book

The homepage includes a "Pre-order Jo's book" call-to-action. Use it if you want a low-commitment way to sample the Copyhackers approach before committing to training. Pre-order availability and delivery details should be confirmed on the linked page.

Common Sticking Points

• Trying to buy training like a course. Corporate training and workshops appear to run through a consult, not a self-serve cart. If you skip the call, you may not find a direct purchase path.
• Assuming one price fits all. Only the $5 offer has a stated price. Don't budget for workshops or training from that number.
• Sending only the copywriter. The site explicitly says messaging is a team sport and runs workshops for the whole team. Sending one person undercuts the stated model.
• Confusing resources with services. Books, GPTs, SOPs, and tutorials are self-serve; workshops and training are consult-led. Pick the lane that matches your goal.

A Quick Decision Rule

• You have a team and a messaging problem → book a discovery call or consult.
• You want to learn copywriting yourself → start with the books and resources, or the $5 offer.
• You want to test the thinking before spending → pre-order the book.

Copyhackers corporate training is likely a fit if your team is a challenger brand or an aspiring category leader with a messaging problem that goes beyond the copywriters — unclear positioning, inconsistent brand voice, or a whole team that can't agree on what to say. It is probably not a fit if you only need a single piece of copy written, or if you're looking for a self-serve course rather than facilitated team training.

What Copyhackers corporate training actually is

Copyhackers describes itself as the pioneer of conversion copywriting and says it has trained nearly 10,000 copywriters since 2011. Its corporate training arm, led by Joanna Wiebe, runs brand voice and messaging workshops for the whole team — not just the copywriters.

The stated goal is to help brands "find their message and get it in front of more of the right people" by returning to marketing first principles: what to say, and how to say it.

The engagement starts with a short discovery call, where you discuss your objectives before any workshop is scoped.

Who it's built for

According to the site, the workshops target:

• Challenger brands — companies taking on an established leader rather than defending a category.
• The next category leader — brands trying to define or own a new category.
• B2B and disruptive B2C companies — the site explicitly names both.
• Teams, not individuals — the workshop is designed for the whole team, on the premise that "messaging is a team sport."

The site also makes a point of working with businesses it calls "boring": accounting software, VPNs, ERPs, factory analytics, AI token management, insurance. It notes it also works with baseball teams and luxury skincare brands. The through-line is that these are businesses solving real problems for real markets — not that they're inherently exciting.

The problems it's designed to solve

Copyhackers frames its offer around four messaging problems:

That last point is the clearest signal of fit. The site's own framing is that if your team is confused about messaging, the confusion shows up across the business — not just in the marketing copy.

When Copyhackers is a good fit

• Your team can't articulate why you're different from competitors, or everyone articulates it differently.
• You want brand voice and messaging alignment across functions, not just a rewrite of your homepage.
• You're a B2B or disruptive B2C company in a category that outsiders find unglamorous.
• You're willing to invest in a facilitated workshop with a discovery call up front, rather than buying a template or course.
• You want the whole team bought in, on the theory that "when the whole team is excited, customers feel it."

When it's probably not a fit

• You need a single deliverable — a landing page, an email sequence — written for you. That's a different service than team messaging training.
• You want a self-paced course. Copyhackers does offer copywriter training, books, GPTs, and tutorials as separate resources, but the corporate training track is a facilitated engagement.
• Your team already has sharp, agreed-upon positioning and just needs execution.
• You're looking for the cheapest possible option. The site lists a $5 checkout link for one product, but that is not the corporate training offer — pricing for workshops isn't published on the page, so you'd need the discovery call to get a number.

How to decide

1. Write down your actual problem. If it's "we don't know what to say or why we're different," that's the problem Copyhackers names. If it's "we know exactly what to say but need it written faster," it isn't.
2. Check whether it's a team problem or a copy problem. The workshop is built for the whole team. If only one person owns messaging, the format may be more than you need.
3. Book the discovery call. The site routes every path — "Start with a short discovery call," "Find a time to discuss your objectives with us," "Book a consult" — through that conversation. It's the only way to get scope and pricing.
4. Compare against your alternatives. A freelance copywriter solves execution; a positioning consultant solves strategy for leadership; Copyhackers' stated angle is doing both at the team level, with the copywriters included rather than isolated.

If your team is confused about messaging and you're a challenger or category-defining brand, the discovery call is the low-cost next step to test fit. If your need is narrower than that, the individual training resources and books on the site are the more proportionate place to start.

Copyhackers is a copywriting training and messaging consultancy founded around the work of Joanna Wiebe. It offers corporate training, brand voice and messaging workshops, copywriting courses, and a resource library. It is aimed at two audiences: teams that need to fix how their product is positioned and messaged, and individual copywriters who want to get better at conversion copywriting.

The site describes Copyhackers as having "pioneered conversion copywriting" and says it has trained nearly 10,000 copywriters since 2011. If you are deciding whether to engage with it, the practical question is which of its two tracks fits you: corporate messaging work or self-serve copywriting education.

What Copyhackers actually does

The homepage frames the core problem as difficult messaging rather than generic "content." Its stated specialties are:

• Positioning & differentiation — finding what actually makes a brand different
• Narrative architecture — structuring the story that carries that difference
• Messaging in a time of AI — the site takes an explicit stance against "AI slop," positioning human-crafted messaging as the alternative

The pitch is that messaging is "a team sport," not just a copywriter's job. That is why the workshop offering is directed at whole teams rather than only the people writing copy.

Corporate training and workshops

For companies, Copyhackers runs brand voice and messaging workshops for the entire team. The stated target is "challenger brands and the next category leader" — companies trying to differentiate rather than compete on features alone.

The site says it works across categories that are often considered dull: accounting software, VPNs, ERPs, factory analytics, AI token management, insurance, and more accounting software. It also mentions baseball teams and luxury skincare brands. The through-line it claims is respect for businesses "solving real problems for real markets."

The entry point for this track is a short discovery call or consult, where you discuss objectives before any engagement. There is no published price for the corporate work on the page — pricing is handled through that conversation.

Courses, books, and resources

For individuals, Copyhackers maintains a resource library that the site organizes into roughly these areas:

There is also a Money Words newsletter and a book by Joanna Wiebe available for pre-order.

One concrete pricing signal appears on the page: a checkout link offering something "for $5." The page does not specify what that $5 item covers, so treat it as a low-cost entry product rather than a full course price. Everything else — courses, workshops, corporate engagements — requires checking the relevant page or booking a call.

Who it is for — and who it is not for

It fits you if:

• You lead marketing at a B2B or disruptive B2C company and your team is confused about what to say
• You want messaging work done with the whole team, not handed off to one writer
• You are a copywriter specifically interested in conversion copywriting as a discipline
• You want a human-crafted alternative to AI-generated copy

It probably does not fit you if:

• You want a cheap, self-paced intro to writing in general — the resource library is deep but oriented toward conversion and strategy
• You need a fixed public price list before talking to anyone; the corporate track starts with a discovery call
• You are looking for general content marketing or SEO training rather than messaging and conversion

How to start

1. If you are a company: book a discovery call or consult through the site to discuss objectives. Expect the conversation to center on positioning, differentiation, and team-wide messaging.
2. If you are an individual: browse the resource library — start with the copywriting basics tutorials, then move to strategic conversion copywriting. The Money Words newsletter is the low-commitment way to sample the approach.
3. If you want to test the waters cheaply: the $5 checkout offer is the lowest-friction entry point mentioned on the page, though confirm what it includes before buying.

The site's own summary of its value proposition is the clearest filter: "Find what actually makes you different. Then: say it like you mean it." If that is the problem you have, Copyhackers is built for it. If your problem is volume of content or technical SEO, it is not the tool.