Domain rating

Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100.

If you work in digital marketing, you’ve likely used a tool to measure website authority, whether you call it Domain Authority, Domain Rating, or simply an authority checker. But what does this metric actually represent? Does an Ahrefs Domain Rating impact Google rankings? And what does it take to improve your DR score?

TRACK YOUR DOMAIN RATING WITH DASHTHIS!

2 ⁺

Templates using this KPI
1

Integration using this KPI

What is domain rating?

Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric that estimates a website’s ability to rank based on the strength of its backlink profile. It’s measured on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating stronger authority.

As a general benchmark:

DR 0–20 → New or low-authority websites
DR 20–40 → Growing websites building their backlink profile
DR 40–60 → Established websites with solid authority
DR 60+ → Highly authoritative sites with strong backlink networks

While Ahrefs doesn’t disclose its exact formula, DR is based on the quantity and quality of referring domains and backlinks. Similar metrics, like Moz’s Domain Authority, aim to measure website authority for competitive comparison.

Track your domain rating today

How to track your domain rating

Several SEO tools allow you to check and monitor your Domain Rating. Platforms like Moz, SEMrush, and Ahrefs each provide their own authority metrics and backlink analysis tools. Using one tool consistently is important, since each calculates authority differently.

With these tools, you can analyze your website’s backlink profile, referring domains, link quality, and overall authority score to understand how your site compares to competitors.

You can track Domain Rating automatically inside a DashThis SEO dashboard by connecting your Ahrefs account. This allows you to monitor DR alongside backlinks, referring domains, and organic traffic all in one clear, automated report.

What is a good domain rating score?

A good Domain Rating (DR) refers to a higher score assigned to a website based on factors like the strength of its backlink profile, the number of referring domains, and overall credibility. As mentioned earlier, DR 40+ is generally considered strong, while DR 60+ indicates high authority.

Websites with a high DR are more likely to rank well in search engine result pages. Achieving a good domain rating requires consistent efforts in content quality, content marketing, link building, and user engagement, ultimately enhancing the website's authority and reputation.

Monitor your DR in real-time

What is a bad domain rating score?

A bad Domain Rating indicates a weak backlink profile and low overall authority. Websites with a low DR struggle to rank well in organic search results, attract linking websites and generate significant organic search traffic. It's crucial for website owners to improve their domain rating through strategies such as enhancing content quality, building high-quality backlinks, and engaging with their target audience to bolster organic search performance and overall website authority.

Add DR to your SEO dashboard

Domain rating KPI Domain rating KPI examples & templates & templates

Your domain rating can (and should) be added to a few different reports.

See this KPI in action here!

See this KPI in action here!

SEO report template

Track all of your SEO metrics in this complete SEO strategy report template that is 100% customizable. Measure your digital marketing strategy with metrics like organic traffic, link profile, and root domain external links.

See this template live

Web Analytics report template

Track every key metric you want in an in-depth digital marketing reporting template, from SEO to social media and overall website performance. Gain insights into user behavior and learn how to better the user experience and attract potential customers.

See this template live

Google My Business Report Template

Almost half of all searches on Google are looking for local information. The accuracy and performance of your local business listing are crucial if you want to be found by your target audience when it matters most! Get essential insights on search traffic, keywords you rank for, and more.

See this template live

Get 10 free dashboards for 15 days

TRY DASHTHIS TODAY

How to improve your domain rating

Improving your Domain Rating (DR) requires a strong backlink and SEO strategy. Here are the key best practices:

Build a high-quality backlink strategy

Focus on earning dofollow links from reputable, high-authority websites. Publish valuable, well-researched content, explore guest posting opportunities, and prioritize acquiring links from unique domains to strengthen your backlink profile.

Focus on search engine optimization

Strong on-page SEO, mobile optimization, and strategic internal linking improve user experience and help attract natural backlinks. Technical SEO health also plays a role as a ranking factor in maintaining and improving your authority over time.

Keep an eye on your competitors

Monitor your competitors using an SEO tool to analyze their backlinks and keyword rankings. This helps you discover new link-building opportunities from relevant target websites in your niche. Focus on high-quality links, avoid spammy sources, and don’t rely solely on nofollow links, which have limited impact.

Want to track all your KPIs in one easy-to-use dashboard?

Try dashthis free

Why Domain Rating Matters for Agencies

For marketing agencies, Domain Rating (DR) is more than just a number, it helps demonstrate progress in link-building and overall SEO authority. Tracking DR over time shows clients how their backlink profile is strengthening.

However, DR is often misunderstood. A higher score doesn’t automatically mean better rankings or more traffic, since it measures backlink strength, and not actual search performance. That’s why DR should always be analyzed alongside organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions to provide meaningful context in SEO reports.

Track your domain rating

Domain Rating Synonyms

Although domain rating is widely used, multiple synonyms can be used. Here are a few :

Domain authority, Authority Score, Website authority, Domain Score, PageRank, DA score, DR score, URL rating.

Ressources about domain rating

Learn to use This KPI in our Help Center

Read about this KPI on our blog

KPIs you may also like

Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Rating

What is Domain Rating (DR)?

Domain Rating (DR) is a metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the stronger the website’s authority based on referring domains and backlinks.

Is Domain Rating important for SEO?

Domain Rating itself is not a Google ranking factor. However, it reflects the quality and quantity of backlinks, which do influence search rankings. A higher DR often correlates with stronger search performance.

What is the difference between Domain Rating and Domain Authority?

Domain Rating is calculated by Ahrefs, while Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by Moz. Both measure website authority on a 0–100 scale but use different algorithms and data sources.

What is considered a good Domain Rating?

A good DR depends on your industry and competitors. Generally, DR 40+ indicates solid authority, while DR 60+ represents highly authoritative websites.

How can I improve my Domain Rating?

You can improve DR by earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, increasing the number of unique referring domains, and maintaining strong technical and on-page SEO.

How can I track Domain Rating?

You can track Domain Rating using SEO tools like Ahrefs. You can also monitor DR automatically inside a DashThis SEO dashboard by connecting your Ahrefs account and tracking it alongside backlinks, referring domains, and organic traffic.

Get Started Today!

Try DashThis

Made in Canada

DashThis is a brand owned by Moment Zero inc