If you work on a B2B marketing team, you’ve probably heard that SEO tools are “must-haves” for your funnel. But let’s be real: most platforms are overloaded with features nobody uses, and plenty of reports that just gather digital dust. If you’re trying to win more leads, close deals, and prove you’re not just chasing vanity metrics, here’s what’s actually worth your time in Ahrefs, and what you can skip.
This guide is for B2B folks who want to plug leaks in their marketing funnel—not drown in keyword data. I’ll walk you through the key features, how to use them, and where you can ignore the noise.
Why Ahrefs for B2B Funnels?
Let’s get this out of the way: Ahrefs is not a magic bullet. It won’t write your content, build your funnel, or fix a broken offer. But if you know what you’re looking for, Ahrefs does a few things really well:
- Finds what your customers are searching for (so you can stop guessing)
- Shows you where you’re losing out to competitors
- Helps you prioritize content and technical fixes that actually support your funnel
That’s it. Don’t let anyone tell you Ahrefs will “10x your pipeline” by itself.
1. Keyword Explorer: Find What Prospects Actually Want
If you’re in B2B, you know most keyword tools are built for B2C volume—think “best running shoes” or “how to clean sneakers.” But in B2B, the audience is smaller, the stakes are higher, and most traffic won’t convert anyway.
What Keyword Explorer Gets Right: - Real search volume: Not perfect, but better than most. - Keyword difficulty: Tells you if you have a shot at ranking—useful if you don’t have a huge domain. - SERP analysis: See what’s already ranking, so you don’t waste time on impossible targets.
How to use it: 1. Start with keywords your sales team hears from real prospects (not just what you think is “high intent”). 2. Plug those into Keyword Explorer. 3. Filter for lower difficulty, mid-to-low volume, but high relevance. 4. Check the SERP—do you see real competitors or fluff? If it’s full of listicles or thin content, you might have a shot.
What to ignore:
Chasing broad, high-volume keywords. “Cloud software” won’t get you leads. Focus on the specific pain points and questions your buyers actually have.
Pro tip:
Export your keyword list and cross-check with paid search data. If nobody’s bidding on it, it’s probably not worth your time.
2. Site Audit: Fix What’s Actually Broken
Technical SEO is important, but you don’t need to chase every warning Ahrefs throws at you. The Site Audit tool is solid for flagging real issues that block leads from ever seeing your content.
What Site Audit Gets Right: - Crawls your whole site and points out real technical errors: broken pages, redirect loops, missing meta tags. - Prioritizes issues so you don’t waste time on “nice-to-haves.”
How to use it: 1. Set up a crawl of your main domain (and subdomains, if you use them for landing pages). 2. Ignore the minor warnings (e.g., “long title tag”) unless you’re pushing for perfection. 3. Zero in on errors that break user journeys: 404s on key pages, broken forms, mobile usability issues. 4. Assign fixes to dev or content teams—don’t just let the report rot in your inbox.
What to ignore:
Obsessing over every “yellow” warning. Most don’t matter unless you’ve already fixed the big stuff.
3. Content Explorer: Find Content Gaps and Opportunities
Most B2B teams waste time reinventing the wheel. Content Explorer lets you see what’s already out there, what’s working, and where you can do better (or just different).
What Content Explorer Gets Right: - Shows you content that’s getting links and shares in your niche. - Filters by domain rating, traffic, and date—good for spotting outdated but high-ranking posts. - Finds “content gaps”—topics your competitors cover but you don’t.
How to use it: 1. Search for topics or questions your sales team hears often. 2. Filter for content published in the last year—see what’s relevant now. 3. Look for high-performing posts with weak content. Can you write something better, deeper, or more targeted for decision-makers? 4. Use the “content gap” tool to compare your site to competitors and see what you’re missing.
What to ignore:
Don’t chase every “trending” post or viral listicle. Focus on content that solves real problems for your buyers, not just what racks up social shares.
Pro tip:
Combine Content Explorer with your CRM data—see which topics actually drive deals, not just traffic.
4. Site Explorer: Stalk (Productively) On Your Competitors
Site Explorer is where you do your recon—seeing what’s working for your competitors, where they’re getting backlinks, and what content is driving their traffic.
What Site Explorer Gets Right: - Shows you your competitors’ top pages—not just their homepage. - Backlink profiles: See who’s linking to them (and who might link to you if you have something better). - Keyword and traffic breakdowns: Spot which topics and pages are bringing in actual visitors.
How to use it: 1. Plug in your top 3-5 competitors (real ones, not just the giants). 2. Look at their “Top Pages” and “Top Subfolders.” What’s getting the most traffic? 3. Use the “Backlinks” report to find link opportunities. Did they get mentioned in an industry roundup? Reach out with your own take. 4. Check which keywords they rank for that you don’t (the “Content Gap” tool again).
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over every backlink your competitors have. Focus on links from sites your buyers actually read (think trade publications, not random directories).
5. Rank Tracker: Track Only What Matters
Rank Tracker is easy to misuse. Tracking every keyword under the sun is a waste of time. But if you pick the right ones, you can see if your hard work is paying off—or if you’re stuck.
What Rank Tracker Gets Right: - Tracks your position for target keywords over time. - Lets you segment by location and device (useful if you sell globally or have a mobile audience).
How to use it: 1. Pick 10-20 keywords that map to real funnel stages (awareness, consideration, decision). 2. Set up weekly or monthly tracking. Daily is overkill. 3. Watch for big swings—did a page drop off the map? Did a new post jump to page 1? 4. Use ranking data to inform your next moves (double down, rewrite, or pivot).
What to ignore:
Don’t panic over small ranking changes. Focus on trends over months, not days.
6. Ahrefs Alerts: Get Notified, But Not Overwhelmed
You can set up alerts in Ahrefs for new backlinks, keyword rankings, or brand mentions. Use these to keep tabs on what actually matters—don’t just flood your inbox.
Smart Ways to Use Alerts: - Backlink alerts: Know when you’ve gained (or lost) a valuable link. - Brand mentions: Get notified if someone mentions your company (or your competitors) online. - Keyword alerts: Track significant ranking changes for mission-critical keywords.
What to ignore:
Don’t set alerts for every keyword or link. Pick the ones tied to real business goals.
What Doesn’t Matter (Much) for B2B Funnels
Ahrefs has plenty of bells and whistles. Here’s what you can safely ignore—especially if you’re a small B2B team:
- Social metrics: Shares and likes don’t equal leads.
- “Domain Rating” obsession: It’s a rough guide, not a KPI.
- Removing every tiny SEO error: Get the basics right, then move on.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Ahrefs is powerful, but only if you use it to answer real questions: What are your buyers searching for? Where are you missing out? Which fixes and content will actually move the needle?
Don’t get lost in endless reports or chase every shiny feature. Set up a simple workflow: find the right keywords, fix what’s broken, spy on competitors, and track what matters. Then tweak, test, and repeat.
The best funnels aren’t built overnight, and no tool—Ahrefs included—will do the hard work for you. But if you use it smartly, you’ll spend less time guessing and more time actually moving prospects down the funnel.