Ahrefs' metric (0-100) measuring the strength of a website's backlink profile relative to other sites.
Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' proprietary metric that evaluates the overall strength of a website's backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. Unlike absolute metrics, DR measures relative authority by comparing a site's link profile against all other websites in Ahrefs' database, making it a competitive rather than standalone measurement.
The metric considers both the quantity and quality of referring domains pointing to a website, with higher-DR sites passing more authority through their outbound links. A site with DR 70 doesn't necessarily have twice the authority of a DR 35 site—the logarithmic scale means each point becomes progressively harder to achieve as you move up the scale.
Why It Matters for AI SEO
Domain Rating serves as a crucial benchmark for understanding competitive landscapes in AI-driven SEO strategies. Modern AI tools like those integrated into Ahrefs increasingly use DR as a signal for content recommendation algorithms, competitor analysis, and link-building prioritization. When AI systems evaluate potential link prospects or assess content gaps, DR often functions as a primary authority filter. AI-powered SEO tools now incorporate DR thresholds into automated workflows—from identifying high-authority guest posting opportunities to setting realistic ranking expectations for new content. Understanding DR helps practitioners calibrate AI recommendations and avoid pursuing unrealistic targets that waste resources.
How It Works
Domain Rating calculation focuses on the linking root domains rather than individual links, preventing manipulation through link farms. Ahrefs' algorithm evaluates each referring domain's own authority, the total number of outbound links from that domain, and applies additional quality filters to determine the final DR score. In practice, use DR to benchmark against direct competitors rather than as an absolute measure of SEO success. Tools like Ahrefs' Site Explorer show DR alongside organic traffic growth, helping identify whether authority gaps correlate with ranking challenges. For link building, target domains with DR scores 10-20 points above your current level for realistic but impactful prospects. Many SEO professionals use DR 30+ as a baseline for valuable link opportunities, though this varies significantly by industry and niche competition.
Common Mistakes
The biggest misconception is treating DR as a Google ranking factor—it's purely an Ahrefs metric with no direct impact on search rankings. Many practitioners obsess over DR improvements without considering relevance, leading them to pursue high-DR links from completely unrelated industries that provide little SEO value. Additionally, DR doesn't account for link placement, anchor text, or topical relevance, so a lower-DR link from a highly relevant source often outperforms a high-DR link from an irrelevant site. Focus on DR as one data point among many, not as the ultimate SEO success metric.