DR is an SEO metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the overall strength of a website’s backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. A higher DR indicates a stronger domain with high-quality backlinks, while a lower DR suggests a weaker backlink profile.
How is DR Calculated?
Ahrefs determines Domain Rating based on several factors:
- The Number of Unique Referring Domains: The more unique websites linking to a domain, the higher its potential DR.
- The Quality of Referring Domains: Links from high-DR sites carry more weight than links from low-DR sites.
- Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links: Only dofollow links contribute to DR, while nofollow links do not pass link equity.
- Link Equity Distribution: A website that links to numerous other sites dilutes its link equity, reducing its impact on DR.
Why is DR Important?
Domain Rating is widely used by SEO professionals, marketers, and website owners to:
- Assess Website Authority: A high DR often correlates with strong organic rankings.
- Evaluate Competitors: Comparing DR scores helps in competitive analysis.
- Identify Link-Building Opportunities: Websites with high DR are valuable targets for backlinks.
- Filter Outreach Targets: When running guest posting or digital PR campaigns, DR helps prioritize high-authority websites.
How is DR Different from Other Metrics?
- DR vs. DA (Domain Authority by Moz): Both measure website strength, but DA relies on Moz’s link index, while DR is based on Ahrefs’ database.
- DR vs. Trust Flow (Majestic SEO): Trust Flow prioritizes link quality, while DR focuses on the overall strength of the backlink profile.
- DR vs. PageRank (Google’s Algorithm): PageRank is a proprietary Google metric that evaluates individual pages, whereas DR assesses an entire domain.
What is a Good DR Score?
A high DR score (60-100) typically indicates a well-established site with many high-quality backlinks, while low DR scores (0-30) are common for new or low-authority websites. However, DR should be compared within an industry context—what is considered a good DR in finance may differ from that in niche blogging.
How to Improve Domain Rating
To increase DR, focus on:
- Earning High-Quality Backlinks: Secure backlinks from authoritative sites in your niche.
- Building a Strong Content Strategy: High-value content attracts natural links.
- Guest Posting & Digital PR: Outreach to high-DR websites for collaborations.
- Fixing Broken Backlinks: Recover lost backlinks to maintain DR.
Domain Rating (DR) is a valuable SEO metric for understanding the strength of a website’s backlink profile. While it doesn’t directly impact Google rankings, it serves as a benchmark for domain authority and can guide link-building strategies. Tracking and improving DR over time can contribute to better search engine visibility and stronger organic performance.