The DA vs DR SEO metrics debate is a central topic in the world of search engine optimization. These scores, Domain Authority and Domain Rating, are used by marketers everywhere to gauge a website’s strength and to evaluate the quality of potential backlinks. They have become so ingrained in the industry that they are often treated as the ultimate measure of a site’s authority. However, many of the common beliefs about these metrics are based on dangerous misconceptions.
This guide reveals seven shocking truths about the DA vs DR SEO metrics. We will perform a deep dive into what these scores are, how they are calculated, and what they actually mean for your SEO strategy. Understanding these truths will allow you to use these powerful tools more effectively, avoid common pitfalls, and focus on the factors that truly impact your website’s performance. For anyone serious about SEO, a nuanced understanding of these metrics is not optional; it is essential.
What Are Domain Authority Metrics and Why Do They Exist?
Before comparing DA vs DR, it is crucial to understand what domain authority metrics are and why they were created. Search engines like Google use a vast and complex array of signals to rank websites. The original and most famous of these is PageRank, an algorithm that measures a page’s importance based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it.
Google’s PageRank score is a closely guarded secret. SEO professionals and marketers needed a way to estimate a website’s authority, so third-party software companies developed their own proprietary metrics. These “authority scores” are proxy metrics. They are not used by Google in any way. Instead, they are the software company’s best attempt to create a score that correlates with ranking potential, based on the data from their own link index. They are the core feature of most domain authority checkers available on the market.
Defining the Contenders: Domain Authority (DA) vs. Domain Rating (DR)
The two most popular and widely used authority metrics in the SEO industry are Domain Authority (DA) from Moz and Domain Rating (DR) from Ahrefs.
- Domain Authority (DA): Developed by Moz, DA is one of the original authority metrics. It is a score on a 100-point logarithmic scale that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages. Moz calculates this score by combining multiple factors, including the number of linking root domains and the total number of links, into a single score.
- Domain Rating (DR): Developed by Ahrefs, DR is a score that shows the strength of a website’s backlink profile compared to others in their database. It is also measured on a 100-point logarithmic scale. DR is calculated based primarily on the quantity and quality of unique websites that link to a domain.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two metrics:
Feature | Domain Authority (DA) | Domain Rating (DR) |
Creator | Moz | Ahrefs |
Scale | 0-100 (Logarithmic) | 0-100 (Logarithmic) |
Primary Calculation Factors | Linking root domains, total links, Spam Score, and other machine-learned factors. | The quantity and quality of dofollow links from unique referring domains. |
Link Index | Moz’s Link Index | Ahrefs’ Link Index (generally considered larger and fresher) |
Focus | A predictive ranking score. | A measure of backlink profile strength. |
Update Frequency | Slower; can take weeks to reflect major changes. | Faster; often reflects new links within days. |
Truth 1: Neither DA nor DR is a Google Ranking Factor
The Common Misconception: Many people believe that Google uses DA or DR as a direct signal in its ranking algorithm. They think that increasing their DA score from 30 to 40 will automatically cause Google to rank their site higher.
The Shocking Truth: This is completely false. Google does not see, use, or care about DA or DR. These are third-party metrics created by private companies. A Google representative has explicitly stated on multiple occasions that they do not use these proxy metrics.
Deep-Dive Explanation: Google’s ranking algorithm is one of the most valuable and secret corporate assets in the world. It is a “black box” that no outside company has access to. Moz and Ahrefs have built their own web crawlers and link indexes to try and replicate a small part of what Google does. Their metrics are their own invention, designed to correlate with ranking potential.
A high DA or DR score is often associated with high rankings, but this is a correlation, not a causation. A site with a strong backlink profile will rank well on Google and will have a high DA/DR score. The score itself is just a reflection of the underlying factors that Google does care about, namely the quality and quantity of backlinks. The ultimate test of your success is not a third-party score; it is your ability to check website rank on Google and see your pages at the top.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Stop treating your DA or DR score as a key performance indicator (KPI). It is a diagnostic metric, not a goal in itself. Your goal is not to “increase my DA.” Your goal is to “earn high-quality backlinks from relevant websites,” which in turn will cause your DA to increase as a byproduct.
Truth 2: You Cannot Directly Compare DA and DR Scores
The Common Misconception: It is common to see people treat DA and DR as interchangeable. They might say, “This site has a DA of 50, but its DR is only 45, so it must be weaker than I thought.”
The Shocking Truth: A DA score of 50 and a DR score of 50 are not measuring the same thing and cannot be directly compared. They are calculated using different link indexes, different methodologies, and different weighting systems. It is like comparing degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit; they are both measuring temperature, but on a completely different scale.
Deep-Dive Explanation:
- Different Link Indexes: Moz and Ahrefs have their own separate databases of links. Ahrefs’ index is generally considered to be larger and updated more frequently. This means Ahrefs may be aware of links that Moz is not, and vice versa.
- Different Calculation Methods: DR is calculated primarily based on the number of unique referring domains with dofollow links and the DR of those linking sites. DA uses a more complex machine-learning model that incorporates a wider range of factors, including total link counts and Moz’s “Spam Score.”
- Logarithmic Scale: Both metrics use a logarithmic scale. This means it is much easier to grow your score from 10 to 20 than it is to grow from 70 to 80. Each step up the scale represents a much larger increase in authority.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Use each metric within its own ecosystem. If you are using Moz, compare the DA of your site to the DA of your competitors. If you are using Ahrefs, compare the DR of your site to the DR of your competitors. Do not mix and match. The absolute number is less important than your score relative to the other sites in your specific niche.
Truth 3: Domain Rating (DR) is More Sensitive to Backlink Quantity
The Common Misconception: People often assume that both metrics weigh link quality and quantity in the same way.
The Shocking Truth: Domain Rating (DR) from Ahrefs is more directly and quickly influenced by the acquisition of new dofollow links from unique referring domains. Its formula places a heavy emphasis on the number of websites that link to you.
Deep-Dive Explanation: Ahrefs’ definition of DR focuses heavily on the concept of a site’s popularity based on links. The more unique websites that link to you with at least one dofollow link, the higher your DR will be. The DR of the linking sites also plays a major role. This makes DR a very dynamic metric. When you build a new high-quality link, you can often see your DR score increase in a relatively short period. It is a great measure of the momentum of a link building campaign.
This also means that DR can be more easily influenced by a large number of links, even if some of them are of medium quality. It is a strong measure of the overall size and strength of a domain’s link network.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Use DR as a good indicator of the progress of your link building campaigns. When you are actively building new links, monitoring your DR is a great way to see if your efforts are being recognized by Ahrefs’ crawler. It is an excellent tool for tracking the growth of your overall backlink profile.
Truth 4: Domain Authority (DA) Considers More Than Just Links
The Common Misconception: Both DA and DR are seen as purely backlink-based metrics.
The Shocking Truth: Domain Authority (DA) from Moz uses a more complex, “black box” machine learning model. While it is heavily influenced by link data, it also incorporates other signals that Moz’s algorithm has found to correlate with Google rankings.
Deep-Dive Explanation: Moz’s DA is designed to be a predictive score of ranking ability. To achieve this, their model looks at a wide range of factors. This includes the quantity and quality of linking root domains, but it also considers things like Moz’s “Spam Score” and other proprietary signals. This can make DA a more holistic, but also a more stable and slower-moving, metric.
A site might build several new high-quality links, and its DR might increase quickly. Its DA, however, might take longer to update as Moz’s crawler and machine learning model process the new signals. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it just means that DA is designed to be a more stable, long-term indicator of a site’s overall trust and authority. This is why understanding good domain authority important seo is about seeing it as a long-term health metric.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Use DA as a more stable, top-level metric for reporting on a site’s overall authority over time. It is less susceptible to short-term fluctuations. It is a good metric to use for a high-level overview of a site’s trustworthiness, especially when combined with a review of its Spam Score.
Truth 5: These Metrics Can Be Manipulated
The Common Misconception: A high DA or DR score is always a sign of a high-quality website.
The Shocking Truth: Both DA and DR can be artificially inflated by low-quality or spammy links. A high score is not a guarantee of quality. A manual review of a site’s backlink profile is always necessary.
Deep-Dive Explanation: Because these metrics are based on link data, they can be gamed. For example, a person could use spammy tactics to generate thousands of links from high DA/DR but otherwise worthless sources (like user-generated profiles on major domains). This can temporarily inflate the score of their website, making it look more authoritative than it actually is.
This is why relying solely on the DA or DR score when evaluating a potential link prospect is a huge mistake. You must always perform a manual review of their actual backlink profile. Look at where their links are coming from. Are they from relevant, high-quality websites, or from a network of spammy blogs? The best backlink checker tools allow you to perform this kind of deep dive.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Never trust DA or DR alone. Use it as a first-glance filter, but always click through to analyze the actual backlinks of a website before you decide to pursue a link from it. A high DA score combined with a spammy link profile is a major red flag.
Truth 6: The “Right” Score is Entirely Relative to Your Competition
The Common Misconception: There is a specific DA or DR score that is “good” or that a website needs to achieve to rank. People often ask, “What is a good DA score?”
The Shocking Truth: A “good” score is meaningless in a vacuum. A DA of 30 might be excellent for a local plumber, making them the most authoritative site in their city. That same DA of 30 would be extremely low for a national software company. The only thing that matters is how your score compares to the scores of the websites that are currently ranking for your target keywords.
Deep-Dive Explanation: SEO is a competitive activity. Your goal is not to reach an arbitrary score; it is to be more authoritative than your direct competitors. If the top-ranking sites for your main keyword all have a DR between 25 and 35, then your goal should be to build your DR to 40. In this context, a DR of 40 is an excellent, dominant score.
If, however, the top-ranking sites all have a DR between 70 and 80, then a DR of 40 is very weak. The score itself is just a number. The context of your competitive landscape is what gives it meaning.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Before you start a link building campaign, analyze the DA and DR scores of the top 5-10 sites ranking for your most important keywords. This will give you a realistic benchmark for the level of authority you need to achieve to compete. Your goal is to match and then surpass the authority level of your competition.
Truth 7: Focusing on Improving Your Score is the Wrong Goal
The Common Misconception: The primary goal of a link building campaign should be to increase the site’s DA or DR score.
The Shocking Truth: This is a classic case of confusing the symptom with the cause. Your goal should never be to increase a third-party score. Your goal should be to build a high-quality, relevant backlink profile. A higher DA or DR score will be the natural result of achieving that goal.
Deep-Dive Explanation: If you focus only on the score, you can be tempted to engage in low-quality tactics that might inflate the number but do not build real, sustainable authority. For example, you might acquire a large number of links from high DA but irrelevant websites. This might nudge your score up temporarily, but it will not help you rank because the links are not relevant.
A much better approach is to ignore the score as a primary goal. Instead, focus your efforts on earning high authority backlinks from websites that are topically aligned with your own. Focus on quality, relevance, and creating a natural, diverse link profile. If you do this consistently, your DA and DR scores will rise as a natural consequence of your good work.
Practical Implications for SEO Strategy: Shift your KPIs away from “Increase DA to 40” and toward “Acquire 5 new links from relevant industry blogs with a DR of 50+ this quarter.” This focuses your team on the activities that actually drive results, rather than on a vanity metric.
Conclusion
The DA vs DR debate is often framed as a competition to see which metric is better. The truth is that they are both useful tools that measure slightly different things. Domain Rating (DR) is an excellent, dynamic measure of the strength and momentum of a site’s link building efforts. Domain Authority (DA) is a more stable, holistic indicator of a site’s overall trustworthiness and predicted ranking ability.
The most important takeaway is that these metrics are tools for analysis, not the goal of your SEO campaign. They are a means to an end. Use them to evaluate prospects, to benchmark against your competition, and to track your progress at a high level. But never forget that the real work lies in building a high-quality profile of backlinks. A strong link profile will always be the true driver of success in the complex world of modern SEO.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Which is better, DA or DR?
Neither is inherently “better.” They measure different aspects of a backlink profile. DR is often preferred by technical SEOs for its freshness and direct correlation with link quantity from unique domains. DA is often used for a more stable, long-term view of authority. The best approach is to use both and understand what each is telling you.
Q2: How can I increase my DA and DR?
You increase your scores by earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites. The more unique, high-authority domains that link to you with dofollow links, the higher your scores will become over time.
Q3: Why did my DA/DR score drop?
A score can drop for several reasons. You may have lost some high-quality backlinks. The tool may have updated its algorithm for calculating the score. Or, the authority of the sites linking to you may have decreased. A competitor gaining a lot of links can also make the logarithmic scale shift, slightly lowering your score in comparison.
Q4: Do SEO agencies still use DA and DR?
Yes, virtually all SEO agencies use DA, DR, or similar metrics (like SEMrush’s Authority Score) for competitive analysis, link prospecting, and reporting. However, a good agency will use them as diagnostic tools and will focus their strategy on earning quality links, not just on increasing the score.
Q5: What other authority metrics exist besides DA and DR?
Other popular metrics include Majestic’s Trust Flow (TF) and Citation Flow (CF), which measure link quality and quantity respectively, and SEMrush’s Authority Score (AS), which is their all-in-one authority metric.