1. What Is Domain Rating?
Domain Rating (DR) is a metric created by Ahrefs that scores the strength of a website's backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. It is one of the most widely used metrics in SEO for quickly assessing how authoritative a website is.
DR is not a Google metric - it is a third-party estimate based on Ahrefs' own analysis of the web. However, it correlates strongly with real-world ranking ability because it measures the same thing Google cares about: the quality and quantity of links pointing to a domain.
You will see DR referenced frequently in link building because it is the standard way to categorise and price backlinks. When you buy backlinks, you are typically choosing a DR tier (DR10+, DR20+, DR30+, etc.) that determines the minimum authority of the sites your links will appear on.
2. How Is DR Calculated?
Ahrefs calculates Domain Rating based on three factors:
- The number of unique domains linking to the site. More referring domains = higher DR.
- The DR of those linking domains. Links from high-DR sites contribute more to your score than links from low-DR sites.
- How many sites each linking domain links to. A link from a site that links to thousands of domains passes less value than one from a site that links to very few.
The scale is logarithmic, meaning it is much harder to increase from DR 70 to DR 80 than from DR 10 to DR 20. Each point higher on the scale requires exponentially more backlinks.
Important: DR measures the domain as a whole, not individual pages. A DR70 website can still have individual pages with weak backlink profiles. This is why reputable link building providers also check page-level metrics and traffic.
3. What Is a Good Domain Rating?
Here is a general guide to DR ranges:
| DR Range | Authority Level | Typical Sites |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Very Low | New websites, personal blogs |
| 10–20 | Low | Small business sites, niche blogs |
| 20–40 | Moderate | Established businesses, industry blogs |
| 40–60 | Strong | Large brands, popular publications |
| 60–80 | Very Strong | Major media outlets, government sites |
| 80–100 | Elite | Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, BBC |
For most SMEs, reaching DR 20–40 is a realistic and meaningful achievement. For link building purposes, getting backlinks from DR30+ sites with genuine traffic is considered the quality baseline.
4. Why DR Matters for Link Building
In link building, DR is the primary metric used to evaluate the quality of a potential link placement. Here is why it matters:
- Higher DR = more authority passed. A link from a DR50 site transfers significantly more authority to your page than a link from a DR10 site.
- Correlation with traffic. Higher DR sites generally have more organic traffic, meaning your link appears on a page that Google already trusts and visits frequently.
- Competitive advantage. If your competitors are building DR20 links and you are building DR40+ links, your site will accumulate authority faster.
However, DR alone is not enough. A reputable link building provider also verifies that the site has real organic traffic, publishes genuine content, and is relevant to your niche. At Rankmate, we enforce minimum traffic thresholds on all DR30+ placements to ensure quality.
5. DR Tiers and Pricing
Link building services, including Rankmate, typically price backlinks by DR tier. Here is how our link insertion pricing works:
| DR Tier | Min Traffic | Link Insertion | Guest Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR10+ | — | £60 | £75 |
| DR20+ | — | £80 | £95 |
| DR30+ | 1,000+ | £120 | £115 |
| DR40+ | 2,000+ | £180 | £185 |
| DR50+ | 5,000+ | £260 | £275 |
The price difference reflects the genuine difficulty of securing placements on higher-authority sites and the significantly greater SEO value these links provide.
For the best value, our monthly packages include a mix of DR tiers at discounted rates, starting from £389/month.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
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 DR, the stronger the site's backlink profile. It is one of the most widely used metrics in SEO for evaluating website authority.
What is a good Domain Rating?
A "good" DR depends on context. For most small to medium businesses, a DR of 20-40 is solid. DR 40-60 indicates a well-established site with a strong backlink profile. DR 60+ is typically reserved for large brands, news sites, and major publications. For link building, getting links from sites with DR30+ and genuine traffic is a good baseline.
Is Domain Rating the same as Domain Authority?
No. Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric, while Domain Authority (DA) is a Moz metric. Both measure the strength of a website's backlink profile on a 0-100 scale, but they use different methodologies and data sources. DR is generally considered more reliable by SEO professionals due to Ahrefs' larger link index.
Does a higher DR mean better rankings?
Not directly. DR measures the strength of a site's overall backlink profile, not individual page rankings. However, there is a strong correlation between higher DR and better rankings because sites with stronger backlink profiles tend to rank more easily for competitive keywords. Think of DR as an indicator of ranking potential.
Why do higher DR backlinks cost more?
Higher DR sites are harder to get links from because they are more selective about who they link to, have stricter editorial standards, and receive more outreach requests. The supply of genuine high-DR placements is limited while demand is high. A DR50+ link with 5,000+ traffic provides significantly more SEO value than a DR10+ link, which is reflected in the pricing.
Related Reading
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