If you're in B2B sales, you know the pain: tons of website visits, but only a handful are worth your time. Lead lists fill up with junk. Hours wasted chasing ghosts. If you’re tired of sifting through noise, this guide’s for you. We’ll get straight to the point—how to use LeadFeeder filters to actually find the good leads hiding in your data.
No fluff, no silver bullets. Just a clear, step-by-step way to cut through the mess.
Why Filters Matter (and Where Most People Get It Wrong)
Here’s the honest truth: most folks using LeadFeeder just plug it in and stare at a wall of company names, hoping something pops out. Then they give up, claiming the tool “didn’t work for them.” The problem isn’t LeadFeeder—it’s not using filters smartly.
Filters are your X-ray vision. Used right, they’ll show you: - Which companies actually fit your target profile - Who’s really interested (not just passing by) - Where your sales time is best spent
Skip filtering, and you’re back to cold calling randoms. Use them well, and you’ll spot high value leads you’d never have found otherwise.
Step 1: Get Clear on What a “High Value” Lead Looks Like
Before you touch a single filter, you need a clear picture of what matters for your business. Otherwise, you’ll just create noise with fancy filters. Ask yourself:
- What industries do we actually serve well?
- What company sizes convert best for us?
- Which countries or regions are relevant?
- Are there visit patterns that signal real interest (multiple visits, specific pages, etc.)?
- Do we want to exclude existing customers, competitors, or job seekers?
If you don’t know these answers yet, talk to whoever closes deals at your company (often it’s you). Look at your best customers. What do they have in common?
Pro tip: Don’t create a “wish list” ideal customer. Be brutally honest about who actually buys and sticks around.
Step 2: Get Your Website and CRM Data Ready
LeadFeeder works by tracking companies visiting your website using IP data. It’s not magic—it can’t see everyone, and it’s blind to personal visitors on home WiFi. But for B2B, it’s surprisingly useful.
You’ll get more from filters if: - Your website has clear landing pages for products/services - UTM tagging is set up for campaigns - Your CRM is connected (to filter out current customers)
If you haven’t connected your CRM or set up tracking, do that first. Otherwise, you’re working with one hand tied behind your back.
Step 3: Set Up Basic Filters (Don’t Overthink It)
Here’s where most guides go off the rails, suggesting you build elaborate filter pyramids. Ignore that. Start simple. Here are the basics you should try first:
1. Industry
- Use the “Company Industry” filter to narrow down to the sectors you actually want.
- Don’t select too many—think “top 3-4 industries,” not twenty.
2. Company Size
- Filter by employee count. Start broad (e.g., 11-200) and tighten up if you get too much noise.
3. Geography
- “Country” or “City” filters are a quick way to exclude irrelevant regions.
- If you’re international, set up separate feeds for each region.
4. Page Views
- Look for signs of real interest: e.g., “Visited at least 3 pages” or “Visited pricing/contact page.”
- You can filter for specific URLs—great for segmenting by product or use case.
5. Exclude Internals
- Set up filters to exclude your own company, partners, or known job seekers. Nothing eats time like chasing your own tail.
How to do it: In LeadFeeder, go to “Filters” and stack these criteria. Name your filtered feed something obvious, like “Core ICP (US, SaaS, 11-200).”
Step 4: Layer on Advanced Filters (When You’re Ready)
Once you’ve nailed the basics and want to get sharper, try these:
1. Source/Medium
- Filter visitors who came via specific campaigns (“utm_source contains ‘webinar’”).
- See which campaigns are actually bringing in high-fit companies.
2. Behavioral Filters
- “Visited X page Y times” or “Spent more than 2 minutes on site.”
- Combine with company filters for high-intent leads.
3. Custom Segments
- Exclude companies already in your CRM pipeline.
- Highlight return visitors after a long break (good for re-engagement).
Don’t go overboard. Filters are there to make your life easier, not to impress your boss with complexity.
Step 5: Save and Automate Your Feeds
Don’t rebuild filters every week. In LeadFeeder, you can save filtered views as “Feeds.” Do this for each core segment you care about (e.g., “Enterprise EU,” “Midmarket US,” etc.).
Set up email alerts or Slack notifications for these feeds. That way, you only get pinged when something worth your time shows up.
Pro tip: If you’re getting too many alerts, tighten your filters. If you’re getting none, loosen them up. It’s trial and error.
Step 6: Actually Qualify—Don’t Trust the Data Blindly
Here’s where people mess up: they assume every filtered company is “ready to buy.” That’s rarely true. LeadFeeder tells you who’s looking, not who’s buying.
When a lead pops up: - Check what pages they visited. Was it just the Careers page? Ignore. - Is it a big-name company, but only the IT department visited a blog post? Probably not a sales lead. - Did they hit pricing, demo, or case study pages? That’s a strong signal—reach out.
Reality check: LeadFeeder’s company matching isn’t perfect. Sometimes you’ll get weird results (like a law firm from the wrong country). That’s normal. Always double-check before reaching out.
Step 7: Track What Works and Adjust
Filters aren’t set-and-forget. Every month or so, look at:
- Which feeds actually led to sales conversations?
- Are you getting junk leads? If so, which filter needs tightening?
- Are you missing good leads? Loosen up, or try new criteria.
Don’t be afraid to kill off feeds that aren’t working.
Pro tip: If you’re not seeing deals from a filter after 30-60 days, it’s probably not worth your time.
What to Ignore (And What Not to Fret About)
- Company names you don’t recognize: That’s normal. Google them first.
- The “all companies” feed: It’s just noise. Always filter.
- Perfect data: You’ll never get it. LeadFeeder is a tool, not a crystal ball.
- The urge to over-automate: You still need human judgment. Don’t let the robots send awkward cold emails.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Filters in LeadFeeder aren’t magic, but they are a practical way to spot real sales opportunities if you use them right. Don’t overcomplicate things. Start simple, focus on what’s actually working, and tweak as you go. The best sales teams treat this as a living process, not a “set and forget” checklist.
Keep filtering, keep learning, and remember: the goal is fewer, better leads—not more noise.