How to Increase Your Domain Rating (DR)
Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' 0–100 measure of how strong a website's backlink profile is. Because it's built almost entirely on links, raising it comes down to earning the right ones — but the way DR is calculated means some tactics work and others barely move the needle. Here's how DR actually works and how to grow it without wasting effort.
How DR is calculated (the part that changes your strategy)
DR is driven mainly by the number of unique referring domains linking to your site — not the total number of links. Ten links from one website count roughly once; ten links from ten different websites count far more. Each linking domain is also weighted by its own DR, so a single link from a strong site can outweigh dozens from weak ones. And because the scale is logarithmic, every point gets harder as you climb. Understanding this shapes everything below. Check your current DR anytime with our DR Checker.
1. Earn links from new, unique domains
Since DR rewards unique referring domains, the highest-leverage move is winning links from sites that don't already link to you. One link each from twenty new domains will lift DR far more than twenty new links from a site that already links to you. Prioritize breadth of quality domains over piling up links from the same sources.
2. Prioritize high-DR, relevant sites
Because linking domains are weighted by their own strength, a link from a high-DR, topically relevant site is worth chasing hard. Before you invest outreach effort, screen prospects — our guide on evaluating a website before building a backlink walks through checking a prospect's authority, relevance, and trustworthiness so you spend time on links that genuinely count.
3. Create genuinely linkable assets
You can't reliably earn strong links without something worth linking to. The most link-attractive content tends to be:
- Original research or data — surveys, studies, and statistics get cited repeatedly.
- Free tools and calculators — useful utilities earn passive links over time.
- Definitive guides — the best resource on a topic becomes a natural reference.
- Strong visuals — infographics and diagrams others embed and credit.
4. Use proven link-building tactics
With a linkable asset in hand, earn links through legitimate methods: digital PR and journalist outreach, guest posts on reputable industry sites, broken-link building (offering your resource to replace a dead link), unlinked-mention reclamation, and genuine relationship-building in your space. Each new quality domain nudges DR upward.
5. Recover lost links
DR can slip when existing backlinks disappear — a linking page is deleted, redesigned, or the link is removed. Periodically audit for lost links and, where it makes sense, reach out to reinstate them or replace that authority with new links. Holding onto the links you've already earned is easier than winning new ones.
Why high DR gets so hard
The logarithmic scale means the jump from DR 20 to 30 might take a handful of good links, while DR 70 to 80 can demand a sustained campaign earning links from other high-DR sites. This isn't a flaw — it reflects how much harder genuine authority is to accumulate at the top. Set expectations accordingly and don't be discouraged when early quick wins slow down.
What to avoid
- Buying links — against Google's guidelines and a penalty risk; "DR boosting" packages are a red flag.
- Private blog networks (PBNs) — they can inflate DR temporarily but are risky and often unravel.
- Spammy mass links — low-quality domains add little and can hurt your profile.
- Treating DR as the goal — it's a proxy for link strength, not a Google ranking input. Build real authority and DR follows.
Track your DR over time
Check your Domain Rating periodically with our DR Checker — you can run your own domain and up to nine competitors in one bulk check to benchmark where you stand. If your team also follows Moz's metric, the Domain Authority Checker covers DA, and DR vs DA explains why the two numbers differ. For the broader context, see our guide to website authority.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to increase DR?
Early gains can come within weeks of earning your first quality links; higher jumps take months of sustained link-building. The higher your DR, the slower each point.
Do more links always increase DR?
No. New links from unique, quality domains raise DR; extra links from domains that already link to you, or from weak sites, add little.
Is a high DR worth chasing?
A strong backlink profile is worth building, and DR is a handy way to measure it — but don't chase the number for its own sake. Focus on real, relevant links.
Does DR affect Google rankings?
Not directly — DR is an Ahrefs metric, not a Google signal. But the link strength it reflects does help you rank, so the two correlate.
Check your Domain Rating now
Benchmark your DR against your competitors with our free DR Checker, then start earning the unique, quality links that move it.