
In the world of SEO, understanding the credibility and ranking power of a website is essential — especially when analysing your own site or evaluating competitors. Two widely used metrics for this purpose are Domain Rating (DR) and Domain Authority (DA). While they may seem similar on the surface, they differ significantly in how they’re calculated, what they measure, and how they should be used.
In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between these two SEO metrics, when to use each, and why neither should be viewed as a standalone measure of success.
What Is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating is a proprietary metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile relative to all other websites in their database. It focuses exclusively on the quality and quantity of backlinks, with a scale ranging from 0 to 100 — the higher the score, the stronger the backlink profile.
How DR Is Calculated
- Number of unique referring domains.
- Authority of those linking domains.
- How many websites they link to (link dilution).
- DR is updated daily, making it a responsive metric for link-building efforts.
⚠️ Note: DR does not consider traffic, on-page content, or keyword rankings.
What Is Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz to estimate how likely a domain is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). It also uses a 0 to 100 scale and evaluates various signals beyond just links.
How DA Is Calculated
- Quantity and quality of linking root domains.
- Number of total inbound links.
- Spam score, domain age, and other historical SEO factors.
- DA is updated monthly and uses a machine learning model to predict performance.
🧠 Insight: DA attempts to model Google’s ranking algorithm more holistically than DR.
Key Differences Between DR and DA
Feature | Domain Rating (DR) | Domain Authority (DA) |
Created By | Ahrefs | Moz |
Purpose | Backlink strength analysis | SERP ranking potential |
Focus | Backlink profile only | Multiple ranking factors |
Update Frequency | Daily | Monthly |
Best For | Link-building & outreach | Keyword ranking strategy |
Scale | 0–100 (logarithmic) | 0–100 (logarithmic) |
Used In | Ahrefs toolset | Moz toolset |
When Should You Use DR or DA?
✅ Use DR when:
- Analyzing the backlink strength of a domain.
- Comparing link profiles of competitors.
- Tracking link-building progress.
- Evaluating link opportunities for outreach.
✅ Use DA when:
- Estimating a domain’s ability to rank.
- Planning content strategies based on keyword difficulty.
- Performing broad SEO audits that account for multiple factors.
Should You Trust These Scores?
While both DR and DA are helpful, it’s important to understand that Google does not use either in its algorithm. They are third-party approximations based on each company’s interpretation of how authority works in SEO.
Relying solely on DR or DA can lead to misleading conclusions. For example:
- A site with high DA but thin content may still perform poorly.
- A site with high DR but toxic backlinks may be penalized or ignored by Google.
The best practice is to use these metrics alongside other indicators, such as:
- Organic traffic trends.
- Page-level metrics (like URL Rating or Page Authority).
- Keyword rankings.
- AI citations and structured data.
- Core Web Vitals and on-site SEO health.
Final Thoughts
Both Domain Rating and Domain Authority offer valuable insights — but they serve different purposes in your SEO toolbox. Think of DR as your link strength lens, while DA offers a broader visibility snapshot. Use them strategically, not blindly, and always in the context of a well-rounded SEO strategy.
📊 Need help evaluating your domain’s authority or developing a link-building strategy? Get in touch with our SEO experts today.