Top Features of Ahrefs Every Beginner Should Know

Navigating the right tools and strategies can feel overwhelming for anyone new to search engine optimization (SEO). Among the myriad SEO tools available, Ahrefs stands out as a powerhouse platform that can simplify and supercharge your efforts.

Let’s explore the essential tools and features Ahrefs offers that every beginner should know to kickstart a winning SEO strategy.

Site Explorer: Unearth Competitor Insights

One of Ahrefs’ flagship tools, Site Explorer, is perfect for beginners aiming to analyze competitors or evaluate their website’s performance. This feature provides an in-depth view of any website’s organic traffic and backlink profile.

Key Functions:

• Organic Search: Discover which keywords drive traffic to a site and estimate monthly search volume.
• Backlink Analysis: Identify websites linking to your competitors and pinpoint link-building opportunities.
• Top Pages: See which pages generate the most traffic and why they rank well.

Beginner Tip:

Start with your top competitors. Plug their URLs into Site Explorer to identify high-performing keywords and backlinks, then use this information to build a strategy to outperform them.

Keywords Explorer: Master Your Keyword Research

SEO success starts with the right keywords, and Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer makes this process seamless. It provides a comprehensive database of keyword suggestions with essential metrics like search volume, difficulty, and traffic potential.

Key Functions:

• Search Volume Trends: Understand how keyword popularity fluctuates over time.
• Keyword Difficulty (KD): Gauge how challenging it would be to rank for a specific keyword.
• Click Potential: Predict how many clicks a keyword might realistically attract.

Beginner Tip:

Focus on long-tail keywords with lower difficulty scores. These often have less competition but can drive targeted traffic to your site.

Site Audit: Evaluate and Improve Your Website Health

Technical SEO can be daunting for beginners, but Ahrefs’ Site Audit tool breaks it down into manageable tasks. This feature scans your website for common SEO issues and provides actionable recommendations to fix them.

Key Functions:

• Crawl Errors: Detect broken links, duplicate content, and slow-loading pages.
• Health Score: Receive a comprehensive health rating for your website.
• Actionable Insights: Get specific advice on how to fix issues affecting your site’s performance.

Beginner Tip:

Run a site audit as soon as you begin using Ahrefs. Prioritize fixing errors that have the greatest impact on your site’s performance, such as broken links or pages with missing meta tags.

Rank Tracker: Monitor Keyword Performance Over Time

Tracking the progress of your SEO efforts is vital, and the Rank Tracker tool allows you to do just that. You can monitor how your targeted keywords rank over time and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Key Functions:

• Position Tracking: See where your website ranks for specific keywords.
• Competitor Comparison: Monitor how your competitors perform for the same keywords.
• Scheduled Reports: Receive automatic updates to track progress effortlessly.

Beginner Tip:

Add your primary keywords to Rank Tracker and review performance weekly. Use the insights to tweak your content and targeting strategies.

Content Explorer: Generate Ideas and Analyze Competitors’ Content

Ahrefs’ Content Explorer is a game-changer for beginners needing inspiration for blog posts, articles, or other content types. This tool helps you discover high-performing content in your niche and analyze what makes it successful.

Key Functions:

• Search by Topic: Identify trending topics in your industry.
• Performance Metrics: View data like social shares, organic traffic, and backlinks for each piece of content.
• Competitor Analysis: Study your competitors’ most shared and linked content.

Beginner Tip:

Use Content Explorer to find topics with high engagement and craft content that fills gaps or improves on existing resources.

Backlink Checker: Build a Strong Link Profile

Backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors, and Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker ensures you stay on top of your link-building game. This tool can help beginners identify opportunities for acquiring quality backlinks.

Key Functions:

• Backlink Overview: View all links pointing to a website, including anchor texts and referring domains.
• Domain Rating (DR): Assess the strength of a website’s backlink profile.
• New and Lost Links: Monitor changes in your backlink profile over time.

Beginner Tip:

Review your website’s backlinks regularly and identify opportunities to build links by contacting high-authority sites in your niche.

Alerts: Stay Updated Automatically

SEO is an ongoing process, and Ahrefs’ Alerts feature ensures you never miss an important development. Whether it’s new backlinks or lost rankings, this tool sends timely updates to your inbox.

Key Functions:

• Backlink Alerts: Get notified whenever you gain or lose backlinks.
• Mention Alerts: Monitor when your brand or competitors are mentioned online.
• Ranking Alerts: Stay informed about significant shifts in your keyword rankings.

Beginner Tip:

Set up alerts for your competitor’s backlinks. This will give you insights into their link-building strategies and help you identify potential opportunities.

Link Intersect: Discover Where You’re Missing Out

Ahrefs’ Link Intersect tool allows you to identify websites that link to your competitors but not to you. This feature can help you uncover high-value link-building opportunities.

Key Functions:

• Competitor Comparison: See which domains link to your competitors but skip your site.
• Prioritize Outreach: Focus on websites already linking to similar content.

Beginner Tip:

Run a Link Intersect report with two or three top competitors. Send a pitch to the sites identified showcasing why they should link to your content, too.

Batch Analysis: Compare Multiple Sites at Once

For beginners handling multiple domains, the Batch Analysis tool is a time-saver. It allows you to compare key SEO metrics for multiple websites simultaneously.

Key Functions:

• Domain Overview: Assess metrics like traffic, backlinks, and domain rating for multiple sites.
• Quick Comparisons: Analyze competitor performance at scale.

Beginner Tip:

Use this tool to benchmark your site against several competitors and identify areas where you need to improve.

Ahrefs Academy: Learn SEO at Your Own Pace

To maximize your use of Ahrefs, take advantage of the Ahrefs Academy. This free resource offers a wealth of tutorials and guides to help you understand the platform and SEO fundamentals.

Key Functions:

• Step-by-Step Videos: Learn how to use each feature effectively.
• SEO Fundamentals: Build your knowledge on topics like link building and keyword research.
• Case Studies: See real-world examples of SEO success using Ahrefs.

Beginner Tip:

Set aside time to complete the introductory courses in the Ahrefs Academy. This foundational knowledge will set you up for success.

Why Ahrefs Is Perfect for Beginners

Ahrefs is designed to be user-friendly, making it an excellent choice for beginners looking to build their SEO strategy. Its intuitive interface, comprehensive database, and actionable insights ensure that even those new to SEO can make a measurable impact on their website’s performance.

Let BizIQ Help You Get Started

While Ahrefs is an invaluable tool for beginners, effectively leveraging its features takes time and strategy. That’s where BizIQ can help. Whether you’re focusing on local SEO, organic SEO, PPC, social media management, website design, or development, BizIQ is your trusted partner in digital marketing. Our team of experts will help you grow your business, attract more customers, and achieve measurable results.

Contact us today for a comprehensive analysis and a customized strategy tailored to your goals. Let’s take your online presence to the next level!