What is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric that measures the strength of a domain's backlink profile on a scale of 0 to 100.
How Domain Rating Works
Domain Rating is calculated based on the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to a domain. The metric considers the number of referring domains, their quality, and how link authority flows through your backlink profile. The key factors are:
- Number of referring domains: How many unique domains link to your site. For example, a domain with 500 referring domains typically has a higher DR than one with 50, assuming similar quality.
- Quality of referring domains: The DR of domains linking to you. A link from a DR 80 domain contributes significantly more to your DR than a link from a DR 10 domain. Ahrefs uses a logarithmic scale, meaning each point increase requires exponentially more authority.
- Link equity flow: How link authority passes through your backlink profile. Domains with diverse, natural link profiles receive more equity than those with concentrated links from similar sources.
- Link age and stability: Older, stable backlinks contribute more than new or frequently lost links. Ahrefs weighs link longevity in its calculations.
Real-world example: A domain with 200 referring domains averaging DR 45 will typically have a DR between 35-45. The same domain with 200 referring domains averaging DR 20 would likely have a DR between 20-30. This demonstrates how referring domain quality directly impacts your DR score.
Why Domain Rating Matters for SEO
Higher Domain Rating indicates:
- More powerful backlink profile: Domains with high DR have proven their authority through quality backlinks. Search engines view these as trusted sources, leading to better rankings.
- Greater domain authority: DR correlates strongly with search rankings. Studies show that domains in the top 10 search results have an average DR of 65+, while those ranking 20-30 have an average DR of 35-45.
- Better ability to pass link equity to your pages: High-DR domains can boost new pages faster. A page on a DR 60 domain can rank in weeks, while the same content on a DR 20 domain might take months.
- Higher potential for ranking in competitive niches: In competitive industries like finance, health, or legal, DR 40+ is often the minimum threshold for ranking on page 1. For highly competitive keywords, DR 60+ is typically required.
- Faster indexing and crawling: Search engines crawl and index high-DR domains more frequently, meaning your new content gets discovered faster.
Data point: According to Ahrefs' analysis of 2 billion pages, the average DR of pages ranking #1 in Google is 66.7. For positions 2-3, the average DR is 57.8. This demonstrates the strong correlation between DR and search rankings.
Understanding DR Scores
| DR Range | Description | SEO Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | New or low-authority domains | Minimal SEO value |
| 11-20 | Developing authority | Moderate SEO value |
| 21-40 | Established authority | Good SEO value for most niches |
| 41-60 | High authority | Strong SEO value, competitive niches |
| 61-80 | Very high authority | Excellent SEO value, premium domains |
| 81-100 | Top-tier authority | Maximum SEO value, rare domains |
How to Improve Domain Rating
To increase your domain's DR, follow these proven strategies:
- Build quality authority links: Focus on getting links from high-DR domains in relevant niches. Target domains with DR 40+ in your industry. For example, if you're in the finance niche, a link from Forbes (DR 91) is worth significantly more than a link from a DR 15 finance blog. Aim for 5-10 quality authority links per month rather than 50 low-quality links.
- Create linkable content: Develop valuable content that others want to link to. This includes original research, comprehensive guides, data visualizations, and tools. A study by Backlinko found that content over 3,000 words receives 77% more backlinks than shorter content. Create resources that solve real problems in your niche.
- Strategic outreach: Identify broken links on high-DR sites in your niche and offer your content as a replacement. Use tools like Ahrefs to find sites linking to dead pages, then reach out with your relevant content. This method has a 20-30% success rate according to industry data.
- Avoid toxic links: Disavow spammy or low-quality backlinks. Learn more about analyzing backlink profiles to identify and remove bad links. Google's algorithm penalizes domains with unnatural link profiles, which can cause DR to drop even if link count increases.
- Buy aged domains: Purchase domains with existing high DR and quality backlinks. At Brutal Domains, we source and sell premium aged domains with verified DR metrics, all thoroughly vetted for quality and SEO value. A domain with DR 50+ can provide immediate authority that would take 2-3 years to build organically. Learn about domain agehow to vet domains before purchase.
Timeline expectations: Building DR organically is a long-term process. Expect 6-12 months to see meaningful DR increases (5-10 points) with consistent quality link building. For faster results, purchasing aged domains with existing DR can provide immediate authority, then you can build upon that foundation.
Domain Rating vs Other Metrics
Domain Rating (DR) is specific to Ahrefs and focuses exclusively on backlink profile strength. We use Ahrefs DR because it provides the most accurate and reliable measurement of domain authority based on real backlink data. Learn more about the differences between Domain Authority vs Domain Rating.