To increase Domain Rating, focus on earning followed backlinks from new, relevant and trustworthy referring domains. The most effective methods include publishing link-worthy resources, digital PR, expert contributions, link reclamation and competitor backlink analysis.
Domain Rating should not be treated as the final objective of SEO. It is a third-party Ahrefs metric that measures backlink-profile strength, not a score used directly by Google. A higher DR can indicate a stronger backlink profile, but rankings still depend on page relevance, content quality, links, technical accessibility and search intent.
This guide explains how to increase the Domain Rating of a website naturally, how DR differs from Domain Authority and which link-building strategies produce meaningful improvements without relying on artificial score manipulation.
Quick Answer
The safest way to increase Domain Rating is to earn followed links from unique, relevant websites that have genuine authority and do not link indiscriminately to thousands of domains. Prioritise quality referring domains over the total number of backlinks.
Table of Contents
What Is Domain Rating?
Domain Rating, commonly called DR, is a proprietary metric created by Ahrefs . It measures the relative strength of a website’s backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100.
A website with a stronger collection of followed referring domains will generally have a higher DR. However, DR is relative to other websites in Ahrefs’ database. Your score can therefore change when Ahrefs discovers or loses links, updates its index or recalculates the relative strength of websites.
Because the scale is logarithmic, moving from DR 20 to DR 30 is normally easier than moving from DR 70 to DR 80. There is no universally good DR score. The most useful comparison is against genuine competitors operating in the same niche.
Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: What Is the Difference?
Metric | Domain Rating | Domain Authority |
Created by | Ahrefs | Moz |
Main purpose | Measures backlink-profile strength | Estimates the relative ranking strength of a domain |
Scale | 0 to 100 | 1 to 100 |
Google ranking factor | No | No |
Best use | Comparing backlink profiles | Comparing overall domain-level SEO strength |
DR and DA may move differently because Ahrefs and Moz use different databases and calculations. Do not combine them as though they were the same metric. Track one consistently and compare it with websites in the same market.
What Actually Affects Domain Rating?
Ahrefs primarily considers the strength of followed referring domains pointing to a website. Important elements include:
- The number of unique websites linking to your domain
- The Domain Rating of those referring websites
- Whether the links are followed or marked as nofollow
- How many other domains each referring website links to
- Changes in Ahrefs’ backlink database and calculations
Ten links from one website still represent one referring domain. In many cases, gaining links from several relevant websites is more useful for DR growth than collecting many additional links from a domain that already links to you.
How to Increase Domain Rating Naturally
1. Audit Your Existing Backlink Profile
Begin by reviewing your current DR, followed by referring domains, new backlinks and lost backlinks in Ahrefs Site Explorer. Compare your domain with three to five genuine search competitors rather than unrelated high-authority websites.
Identify which competitors have earned links from relevant websites that do not currently link to you. This creates a realistic list of publications, directories, associations and industry resources worth investigating.
2. Create Content That Deserves Backlinks
Commercial service and product pages are usually difficult to promote because other publishers have little reason to reference them. Create supporting assets that offer independent value.
Examples of link-worthy content include:
- Original research and industry surveys
- Statistics pages with clearly cited sources
- Free tools, calculators and templates
- Detailed comparison studies
- Technical glossaries and reference guides
- Expert interviews and market reports
- Case studies containing real processes and results
The strongest assets contain information that other writers cannot easily find elsewhere. Publishing another generic list of tips is unlikely to attract authoritative editorial links.
3. Earn Links Through Digital PR
Digital PR can generate relevant links by turning original information into a story journalists and industry publications can use.
Analyse company data, customer trends, market changes or public datasets to find a defensible insight. Present the methodology clearly and contact journalists who already cover that subject.
A successful campaign does not need hundreds of placements. A small number of relevant editorial links from respected publications can be more valuable than a large quantity of low-quality directory or guest-post links.
4. Reclaim Unlinked Mentions and Lost Backlinks
Link reclamation is often one of the fastest natural ways to increase Domain Rating because the website has already earned recognition.
Look for:
- Brand mentions that do not contain a link
- Mentions of company research, images or statistics
- Links pointing to outdated or deleted URLs
- Backlinks lost after a redesign or URL migration
- Incorrect links pointing to HTTP or old domain versions
Contact the publisher with the correct destination URL. Keep the request specific and explain how the link helps readers find the original source.
5. Use Competitor Link-Gap Analysis
Ahrefs Link Intersect can reveal websites that link to several competitors but not to your domain. Repeated competitor links often indicate a genuine industry relationship or resource opportunity.
Review each opportunity manually. Determine why the website linked to your competitors and whether you can offer a stronger resource, expert contribution, original dataset or relevant business listing.
Do not copy a competitor’s backlink profile blindly. Some links may be paid, outdated, irrelevant or created through strategies that do not match your website.
6. Contribute Genuine Expertise
Expert commentary, interviews, podcasts, association resources and carefully selected guest contributions can earn authoritative links while improving brand visibility.
Choose websites with a real audience and clear editorial standards. Contribute information based on genuine experience instead of submitting generic articles written only to obtain a backlink.
The link should be contextually relevant and editorially justified. Avoid keyword-heavy anchor text, sitewide footer links and websites that publish unrelated sponsored content at scale.
7. Build Industry Relationships
Suppliers, clients, professional associations, software partners, local organisations and event websites can provide relevant link opportunities.
Examples include partner directories, verified case studies, member profiles, conference speaker pages and collaborative research. These links are difficult for competitors to reproduce because they come from real business relationships.
8. Use Internal Links to Support Important Pages
Internal links do not directly increase Ahrefs Domain Rating because DR is based on external referring domains. However, they help distribute the authority earned through backlinks to important service, product and informational pages.
Link from strong, relevant pages using descriptive anchor text. This helps turn domain-level link acquisition into page-level search visibility.
How to Increase Domain Rating Fast Without Risky Shortcuts
There is no guaranteed safe method for increasing DR within a fixed number of days. The fastest legitimate opportunities usually come from assets and relationships that already exist.
- Recover valuable backlinks lost because of broken or redirected URLs.
- Convert existing brand mentions into links.
- Request links from genuine partners and professional associations.
- Promote original data through a focused digital PR campaign.
- Update an existing resource that already attracts backlinks.
Avoid purchasing bulk DR packages, private blog network links, automated backlinks or redirects from unrelated expired domains. These methods may change a third-party score without building sustainable rankings, traffic or trust.
Common Myths About Increasing Domain Rating
Myth 1: A Higher DR Automatically Produces Higher Rankings
Google does not use Ahrefs DR as a ranking factor. A high-DR website can still perform poorly when its pages do not satisfy search intent or lack relevant page-level links.
Myth 2: Every Backlink Increases DR
Repeated links from the same domain, nofollow links and links from weak websites may have little or no visible effect on DR.
Myth 3: More Backlinks Are Always Better
One editorial link from a relevant, trusted publication may be more valuable than hundreds of links from unrelated or heavily syndicated websites.
Myth 4: Publishing More Content Directly Raises DR
Content does not directly change DR. It increases DR only when it earns followed backlinks from new referring domains.
How to Track Domain Rating and Backlink Growth
Use Ahrefs Website Authority Checker or Site Explorer to monitor:
- Current Domain Rating
- Total and followed referring domains
- New and lost referring domains
- Backlink destination pages
- Domain Rating and traffic of referring websites
- URL Rating of important pages
Review changes monthly rather than reacting to daily fluctuations. Record which link-building activities generated each new referring domain.
DR should be measured alongside Google Search Console impressions, rankings, qualified organic traffic and conversions. A campaign that increases DR but produces no improvement in relevant visibility or business performance needs to be reassessed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to increase Domain Rating?
There is no fixed timeframe. Ahrefs must discover and process new followed backlinks before they can affect DR. The speed also depends on the strength and number of new referring domains and your current DR level.
How many backlinks are needed to increase DR?
There is no universal number. DR depends more on unique followed referring domains and their relative strength than on the total number of backlinks.
Can internal linking increase Domain Rating?
No. Internal links do not directly increase Domain Rating. They distribute authority between pages within the website and can support page-level rankings.
Do nofollow backlinks increase DR?
Ahrefs primarily uses the following links when calculating DR. Nofollow links may still generate referral traffic, brand visibility and natural secondary links, but they may not directly increase the score.
Does website age increase Domain Rating?
Website age does not directly increase DR. Older websites may have higher scores because they have had more time to earn backlinks, not simply because the domain has existed longer.
What is a good Domain Rating?
A good DR is relative to your industry and competitors. Compare your website with domains ranking for the same commercial topics rather than aiming for an arbitrary score such as DR 50 or DR 70.
Can removing bad backlinks increase Domain Rating?
A good DR is relative to your industry and competitors. Compare your website with domains ranking for the same commercial topics rather than aiming for an arbitrary score such as DR 50 or DR 70.
Final Domain Rating Growth Checklist
- Benchmark DR against relevant competitors.
- Prioritise new, followed referring domains.
- Create original linkable resources.
- Use digital PR and expert contributions.
- Reclaim lost links and unlinked mentions.
- Review every backlink opportunity manually.
- Track rankings, traffic and conversions alongside DR.
The best way to increase website Domain Rating is to build a backlink profile that reflects genuine industry relevance and editorial trust. Focus on links that could send qualified visitors and support important pages—not links created only to move a score.
Tarun Singh is an SEO & Digital Growth Strategist with 5+ years of experience driving organic traffic, search visibility, and revenue growth for eCommerce, SaaS, and enterprise brands. His expertise includes technical SEO, AI-driven marketing, keyword strategy, content optimization, and scalable growth campaigns focused on improving rankings, authority, and business performance.