Ahrefs Site Explorer is the fastest way to understand a website's SEO "shape": traffic trend, keyword footprint, and link profile. I use it as a diagnostic dashboard before I decide what to do next (content, internal links, or authority).

This guide focuses on how to read the data and turn it into actions, not just what the buttons do.

What Site Explorer is good for (and what it is not)

Use Site Explorer for:

Do not use it as a replacement for:

Ahrefs is an external tool. Treat numbers as estimates. Trends and comparisons are where it shines.

Step 0 - Pick the right target (scope matters)

Choose the scope first, otherwise you will draw the wrong conclusion:

Rule of thumb:

Step 1 - Set the right market (country + device + timeframe)

Most mistakes come from wrong market settings.

If the graph is noisy, switch to weekly or monthly smoothing.

Step 2 - Read the overview like an analyst (not like a scoreboard)

DR and UR (Ahrefs metrics)

Use DR/UR to compare within the same niche, not as a KPI.

Referring domains > backlinks

In most cases, 10 strong referring domains beat 1,000 low quality backlinks.

What I check:

Organic keywords and traffic (estimates)

Traffic will not match GA4. Use it to compare:

Traffic value and paid search (competitor signal)

Traffic value and paid keywords are directional signals:

Step 3 - Turn "Organic keywords" into a quick win list

This is where Site Explorer becomes a to-do list.

Workflow:

1. Open Organic keywords.

2. Filter by position 4-10 (page 1 is close).

3. Sort by traffic or volume.

4. Check the ranking URL and the intent.

5. Improve the page.

What usually moves positions 4-10:

Pro tip: validate in Search Console before you invest. If a keyword has impressions but low clicks, snippet work can be a fast win.

Step 4 - Use Top pages to find what already works

Top pages answers: which URLs drive the site.

Use it to:

Action:

Step 5 - Competitors: clean the list before you analyze

Organic competitors is based on keyword overlap, not on business overlap.

Do this:

Then use the cleaned list to:

Step 6 - Link workflows that actually help SEO

Site Explorer is great for link diagnostics and linkbuilding planning.

New vs lost links

Protect link magnets (Best by links)

If a page has many referring domains:

Find easy link reclamation

Look for:

Step 7 - Pages with low or zero traffic (prune carefully)

Ahrefs can highlight pages with little estimated traffic. Use this as a signal, not a verdict.

Per page decide:

Always check Search Console and conversions before you delete anything.

Step 8 - Simple monthly reporting template

If you report to a client or team, keep it consistent.

I include:

My 15-minute Site Explorer checklist