Domain Rating is a search engine optimization metric created by Ahrefs. It shows how strong a website’s backlink profile is on a scale from 0 to 100. A higher score means the site has more quality links from other websites. It is calculated using a logarithmic scale, so moving from 70 to 80 is harder than moving from 20 to 30.

Domain Rating is often used to check the authority of a website based on its incoming links. It helps people in SEO know if a site can rank well in search engines. Although Google does not use Domain Rating, it still gives a fair idea of how trusted a website may appear on the internet.

This metric is mostly used to:

• Compare websites before building links
• Study competitors’ link strength
• Choose where to publish content for better visibility

Along with Ahrefs’ Domain Rating, other platforms offer similar metrics like Domain Authority (Moz) and Authority Score (SEMrush). Each one uses different tools and rules, so the scores may not match across platforms.

While these scores do not affect Google rankings directly, they are useful for planning and checking SEO progress

How Domain Rating Is Calculated

Domain Rating is calculated using a proprietary method developed by Ahrefs. Although the exact formula is not public, the process is entirely based on backlink quantity and quality, similar in concept to Google’s original PageRank model. Unlike PageRank, which works at the page level, Domain Rating operates at the domain level, showing the cumulative strength of all inbound links to a domain.

Key Factors That Influence Domain Rating

Ahrefs uses multiple link-based signals to assign a Domain Rating. These include both the volume and quality of backlinks. The most influential factors are:

Referring Domains

A site receives a higher Domain Rating when it gains links from more unique domains. However, repeated links from the same domain do not carry extra weight. Only one dofollow link from each referring domain contributes toward the score.

Link Authority

The Domain Rating of the linking site also plays a big role. A backlink from a high-DR site (e.g. DR 80 or above) carries more weight than one from a low-DR site. This is often called link equity or link influence.

Outbound Link Dilution

If a referring domain links to too many websites, the value passed to any one of them is reduced. A site that links to fewer domains gives each one a larger share of DR value.

Link Attributes

Only dofollow backlinks are counted. Links with nofollow, UGC, or sponsored attributes are ignored in DR calculations. These tags block link equity from passing through.

Relative and Logarithmic Scale

Domain Rating is relative to all other websites in Ahrefs’ index. The scale is logarithmic, which means moving from DR 20 to 30 is much easier than going from DR 70 to 80. Each point gained at higher levels reflects a much bigger increase in link authority.

Link Equity Distribution

Ahrefs distributes link equity across the web by measuring the strength of all linking domains. For example:

• A DR 90 site linking to one domain passes nearly all of its link influence to that domain.
• A DR 90 site linking to 100 domains passes only a small share to each.

As high-DR sites gain more links, the DR scale adjusts. Since the scale caps at 100, growth at the top can push lower-rated sites down, even if their own links remain unchanged.

Why Domain Rating Changes Over Time

Domain Rating is dynamic. It shifts as websites:

• Gain or lose backlinks
• Link out to more or fewer domains
• Compete with other growing sites in the index

If your site receives links from domains that suddenly start linking to many others, your DR may drop even if your own link count stays the same.

Limits and Manipulation Concerns

Domain Rating only measures backlinks. It does not consider:- Website traffic, Content quality, Site reputation, Domain age

This narrow focus makes DR a useful, objective measure of link popularity, but also opens it to manipulation. In the past, some users inflated DR with low-quality link schemes. While Ahrefs has tried to limit abuse, the metric still does not filter link spam by default. A high DR does not always mean a site is trustworthy.

How Domain Rating Relates to SEO

Domain Rating is often used to estimate a website’s ranking potential, but it is not part of Google’s actual ranking algorithm. Google ranks individual pages, not entire domains, and it does not use Ahrefs’ proprietary metric as a factor in its search engine.

However, there is a clear correlation between Domain Rating and search performance. Websites with higher DR often have many authoritative backlinks, which help their pages rank better. The DR itself is not rewarded; it reflects the backlink strength that improves visibility.

Why Domain Rating Appears in SEO Analysis

Although DR is not used by Google, it serves as a practical tool in SEO because:

• It summarises link authority across an entire domain
• It can show whether a site has SEO strength compared to others
• It helps diagnose backlink growth or decline
• It gives a broad sense of how well a site might perform in search

Ahrefs has shown that websites with higher DR often rank for more organic keywords, mainly due to their strong link profiles. For example, studies have found that top-ranking pages on Google often come from domains with more backlinks.

Link Correlation and Search Rankings

One study revealed that pages ranked in position #1 had, on average, 3.8 times more backlinks than pages in positions 2 to 10. This does not prove that DR directly influences rank, but it shows that strong backlink networks support better page-level rankings. Domain Rating reflects this backlink advantage in a single score.

Google’s Site-Level Signals

In 2024, a leak from Google’s internal API mentioned a value called siteAuthority, suggesting the search engine may track domain-wide link signals. But experts note that even if Google does collect this data, it does not mean it is used to set rank positions directly.

So far, Google officially denies using any domain-wide authority metric for ranking. Instead, it emphasizes content quality, page relevance, and user experience.

Practical Use of Domain Rating in SEO

SEO professionals use DR to:

• Track overall link-building progress
• Compare domains during outreach or guest posting
• Estimate how hard it is to compete in a niche

Still, DR should not be treated as the final goal. A higher score usually means you are doing well with backlinks and content, but a low or falling DR may signal the need to review your backlink trends.

For best results, site owners should focus on:

• Earning high-quality backlinks
• Creating useful, relevant content
• Fixing technical SEO issues

When done right, both search performance and Domain Rating improve naturally.

Practical Uses of Domain Rating in SEO

Domain Rating is used by SEO professionals as a practical tool to guide strategy and measure progress. Although not part of Google’s algorithm, it helps assess a website’s link strength and serves as a reference for ranking potential, link building, and client reporting.

Competitive Analysis

SEO teams use Domain Rating to compare a site’s link authority against competitors. If your domain has a similar DR to a competing site that ranks well for a keyword, it suggests that you might also rank for that keyword.

On the other hand, if your DR is much lower than top-ranking sites for a topic, it may signal the need to target less competitive keywords or improve link-building efforts.

Domain Rating gives a quick sense of whether a keyword target is realistic based on your current backlink profile. It helps avoid overreaching into high-competition topics and guides you toward opportunities where your site can realistically compete.

Link Prospecting and Outreach

Link builders use Domain Rating to filter and prioritize outreach opportunities. Backlinks from high-DR domains usually pass more value to your website than those from lower-DR sites.

Tools like Ahrefs allow SEOs to sort prospects by DR when building outreach lists for guest posts, resource pages, or digital PR.

However, DR is not the only filter. Topical relevance and website traffic are also important. A link from a DR 25 website that is highly relevant to your niche may offer better context than a DR 70 site with unrelated content.

Still, all else being equal, a backlink from a DR 80 domain is likely to improve your page’s strength more than one from a DR 20 blog.

Monitoring SEO Progress

Many website owners track Domain Rating over time as a sign of SEO performance. A rising DR often reflects growing referring domains and stronger backlink profiles, which usually support better organic search rankings. If DR drops or flattens, it may prompt a review of your link loss, acquisition rate, or competitor gains.

Tracking DR alongside other indicators like traffic, keyword rankings, and engagement metrics gives a more complete view of overall SEO health. A sudden drop in DR might explain lost visibility, while an increase could support broader keyword growth.

Client Reporting and Sales Support

SEO agencies often include Domain Rating in client reports or sales pitches. While technical SEO concepts may confuse clients, showing that “your DR increased from 30 to 42” makes progress easier to understand. Some firms also use high-DR backlinks as proof of service value.

That said, Domain Rating is just one part of the picture. It should be presented as a signal of link growth, not a goal by itself. Clients should understand that DR is useful, but real results come from better rankings, not just from higher DR numbers.

Tool Availability and Industry Adoption

Domain Rating is available in most popular SEO tools. Ahrefs reports DR through its Site Explorer and Website Authority Checker, while other tools offer related metrics like Domain Authority (Moz) and Authority Score (SEMrush). Even without an Ahrefs account, marketers can access domain authority data through free or third-party platforms.

This broad availability has made Domain Rating a standard reference point in competitive research, link audits, and outreach planning.

Comparison of Domain Rating with Other Authority Metrics

Domain Rating is part of a group of third-party SEO metrics that attempt to estimate a site’s overall authority. Others in this category include Domain Authority (DA) by Moz, Authority Score (AS) by SEMrush, and Flow Metrics by Majestic. All aim to measure how strong a website appears, mainly based on backlink data, but each tool uses different methods and signals.

Domain Authority (Moz)

Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz that predicts how likely a domain is to rank in search results. Like DR, it uses a 0–100 scale and relies mostly on link data. However, Moz’s algorithm includes a broader set of signals:

• Link root domains
• Total backlinks
• Link quality
• Possibly domain age and other proprietary factors

DA is updated periodically and is meant for relative comparison rather than as an absolute score. For example, a site with DA 30 may outrank others in a local niche, even if the number sounds low. DA does not represent a universal score and should be read within the site’s competitive context.

Domain Rating (Ahrefs)

Unlike DA, Domain Rating focuses entirely on the strength of referring domains. It is calculated using a domain-level variation of PageRank, considering only dofollow backlinks and their quality. It does not include traffic, spam signals, or non-link factors.

DR is continuously updated as Ahrefs crawls the web. It reflects pure link popularity, not ranking ability. A high DR indicates strong backlinks, but not necessarily good rankings. DR is useful for measuring link-building progress and comparing backlink strength between domains.

Authority Score (SEMrush)

Authority Score is SEMrush’s metric, also on a 100-point scale. It combines link data with additional inputs like:

• Organic traffic
• Site performance
• Possibly spam risk

AS aims to be a broader domain quality score, not just a link strength index. It is useful for link prospecting, especially when SEOs want to filter out spammy domains. However, like all third-party metrics, AS is based on a unique web index and may not align with Google’s internal signals.

Majestic’s Flow Metrics

Majestic uses two main metrics:

• Trust Flow – Quality of backlinks
• Citation Flow – Quantity of backlinks

These do not follow a logarithmic scale. Trust Flow is similar to DR in that it indicates link trustworthiness, while Citation Flow measures how many links point to a domain. A mismatch between the two (e.g. high Citation Flow but low Trust Flow) may signal spam or low-quality link sources.

These metrics are often used together to verify if a high DR domain also has trustworthy backlinks. SEOs sometimes cross-check Majestic’s data to catch manipulated link profiles.

Other Metrics

Other tools offer alternative scores:

• SpyFu’s Domain Strength
• SE Ranking’s Domain Trust
• Formerly, Alexa Rank (now discontinued)

Each has a different focus, such as traffic, visibility, or combined indicators. While they aim to reflect domain-level prominence, none are interchangeable. A DR 50 does not equal a DA 50 or an AS 50, even if they point to similar authority levels.

Understanding the Limits of Domain Rating

Domain Rating and other third-party authority scores, like Domain Authority and Authority Score, are useful but not exact reflections of how Google views a website. These metrics are built on independent data, not on Google’s full index, which creates some key limitations.

Incomplete Link Data

Each SEO tool uses its own web crawler and link database, which covers only a portion of the internet. This means:

• Some backlinks that Google sees may be missing from Ahrefs or Moz.
• Some links counted by Ahrefs may be ignored or discounted by Google.
• Two sites with equal real-world authority may have different scores due to index size or focus.

No third-party tool can access Google’s full data or link evaluation rules.

Algorithm Guesswork

Each metric uses a unique scoring formula based on assumptions about how link value works. These are educated guesses, not exact models of Google’s system. For example:

• Some tools may give more weight to high-traffic domains.
• Others may emphasize dofollow links, domain age, or domain extension (.gov, .edu, etc.).

Because no one outside Google knows how the real ranking algorithm works, these metrics are always approximations.

Risk of Misuse

Over-relying on metrics like DR or DA can lead to poor decisions, such as:

• Ignoring a valuable link opportunity just because the DR looks low
• Chasing inflated scores that were boosted by spam or link schemes
• Misjudging a competitor’s success based only on a number

These tools help identify patterns and spot strong or weak link profiles, but they should not be used alone to judge SEO value.

Best Practices for Using Authority Metrics

To use DR and similar scores effectively:

• Treat them as rough guides, not fixed rules
• Compare metrics across similar domains, not across tools
• Investigate why a site has a high or low score (look at actual backlinks)
• Always check for content quality and topical relevance

For example, a DR 50 website could outrank a DR 70 site if its pages have better content and more relevant links.

How to Improve Domain Rating

Improving Domain Rating depends entirely on earning high-quality backlinks from other websites. It is not affected by on-site factors like traffic or content quality. The score reflects how strong your external link profile is, and the only way to raise it is by increasing the number and quality of referring domains over time. Growth in DR is not instant or linear. A few well-placed links from high-authority domains can have a bigger impact than hundreds from low-value sites.

Earn Backlinks from Authoritative Domains

The most effective way to improve Domain Rating is by attracting natural backlinks from trusted, relevant sources. These are links that are given because your content has genuine value, not because you paid for them or placed them manually.

Ways to earn these links include:

• Publishing original research or data that others reference
• Creating detailed guides, tools, or infographics
• Guest posting on respected websites in your niche
• Being featured in interviews, roundups, or podcasts
• Building relationships through industry partnerships or PR efforts

One link from a DR 90+ domain can influence your DR more than dozens from low-quality sites. In this context, quality of backlinks always outweighs quantity. Getting featured on a respected platform like a government or university site carries more weight than links from unrelated blogs or low-traffic directories.

Build a Diverse and Natural Link Profile

Ahrefs values referring to domain diversity. If many unique websites link to you, your DR will grow faster than if only a few domains link repeatedly.

To improve diversity:

• Get links from multiple types of domains – news, blogs, forums, directories, .edu, .org
• Mix your anchor texts naturally – avoid using the same phrase every time
• Include a healthy balance of dofollow and nofollow links

Although only dofollow backlinks directly count toward DR, having some nofollow links (from sources like Wikipedia or social media) makes your link profile look more natural to search engines. This reduces the risk of penalties or being flagged for unnatural link building.

Audit and Remove Harmful Backlinks

Some backlinks can raise your DR but still harm your SEO. This happens when links come from:

• Spammy directories
• Link farms
• Hacked websites
• Pages with irrelevant or low-quality content

Even if these links contribute technically to your DR score, they can lower your credibility with Google. Regularly review your backlink profile and look for signs of toxic links. If you find harmful patterns, use the Google Disavow Tool to prevent these links from affecting your rankings.

Keep in mind:

• Disavowing links may slightly reduce your DR (if they had DR value)
• But it strengthens your long-term SEO health and trustworthiness
• A clean profile makes it easier to gain links from reputable domains

Grow Naturally and Avoid Shortcuts

Steady, organic link growth is safer and more effective than rapid link spikes. Getting hundreds of links in a short time (especially from questionable sources) may look suspicious to Google. It can trigger manual reviews, algorithmic filters, or penalties.

Avoid tactics like:

• Buying bulk links
• Joining private blog networks (PBNs)
• Using link schemes or automated submissions

Instead, build links gradually by:

• Creating useful content others want to reference
• Forming real relationships in your industry
• Sharing resources that naturally earn citations

These efforts lead to sustainable authority and reflect real trust signals over time.

Improve On-Site Content to Attract Backlinks

Although Domain Rating does not consider on-site content, improving your pages can help attract more backlinks, which in turn increases DR.

Focus on:

• Publishing helpful, original content
• Updating content regularly
• Using a strong internal link structure to support backlink flow
• Making sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and crawlable

Good content earns editorial backlinks passively. When your site becomes a valuable resource, others are more likely to link to it. This is especially true for evergreen content, industry tools, or educational materials.

Ahrefs also measures URL Rating for individual pages. While DR is domain-level, improving page-level strength helps you attract links to different sections of your site.

Be Patient – Domain Rating Takes Time

Raising Domain Rating is a long-term process, especially for new websites. It is common for fresh domains to start with a DR of 0 to 10. Reaching DR 40 or 60 may take many months of effort. Very few sites ever reach DR 90 or more.

Due to the logarithmic scale, each step is harder than the last. For example:

• Moving from DR 10 to 20 is relatively easy
• Going from DR 60 to 70 is much harder
• Getting to DR 90+ requires links from major sites like Wikipedia, BBC, or Forbes

Instead of chasing a perfect score, aim to close the gap with your competitors. If top sites in your niche have DR 55–65, reaching DR 45–50 may be enough to compete effectively.