---
title: "Domain Authority vs. Domain Rating - Which Metric Matters"
description: "Understand the real difference between domain authority vs domain rating, how each score works, and which one to use when evaluating backlink prospects."
url: "https://link-buildingservices.com/domain-authority-vs-rating/"
---

# Domain Authority vs. Domain Rating - Which Backlink Metric Matters More

Two numbers show up constantly when SEO professionals evaluate backlink prospects: Domain Authority and Domain Rating. They sound interchangeable, but they come from different companies, use different data, and can produce noticeably different scores for the same website. Knowing what each one actually measures helps you make smarter decisions about which links are worth pursuing.

## What Domain Authority and Domain Rating Actually Measure

Domain Authority (DA) is a score created by Moz, running on a scale of 1 to 100. It models the likelihood that a domain will rank in search engine results, drawing on factors like the number of linking root domains and the overall quality of a site's backlink profile. Links from sites with DA 40 or above are broadly considered meaningful by most practitioners.

Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' equivalent metric, also scored 1 to 100. DR focuses specifically on the strength of a domain's backlink profile relative to all other sites in the Ahrefs index. A site with many high-DR links pointing at it will earn a high DR score, even if it's relatively new or niche.

Both scores are third-party proxies. Neither DA nor DR is a Google metric, and Google has confirmed it does not use either figure in its ranking algorithm.

## How the Scores Differ in Practice

Because Moz and Ahrefs crawl different portions of the web and update their indexes at different intervals, the same domain can show meaningfully different numbers on each platform. A regional news site might carry a DA of 55 but a DR of 38, simply because Ahrefs and Moz have indexed different subsets of its backlink profile.

Ahrefs tends to update DR more frequently and maintains one of the largest known link indexes, which can make DR more sensitive to recent link gains or losses. Moz's DA update cycle is slower, so it may lag behind a site's actual current link profile by several weeks.

One practical difference is scale behavior. DR inflates sharply at the top end because it's measured relative to the entire Ahrefs index. A site moving from DR 70 to DR 80 has cleared a much higher bar than a site moving from DR 20 to DR 30. DA uses a different curve, so direct numerical comparisons between the two scores are unreliable.

## Which Metric Should You Use for Evaluating Backlinks

**Use both, but treat them as supporting evidence rather than pass/fail gates.** A site that scores well on both scales is a stronger prospect than one that scores well on only one. When the two scores diverge sharply, that's a signal to look closer, not to reject the site outright.

### What a Good Score Actually Looks Like

For DA, sites scoring DA 40 or above are broadly regarded as meaningful link sources. Below that threshold, the site may still be valuable depending on its topical relevance and real traffic, but the bar for scrutiny rises.

For DR, sites at DR 50 or above are widely considered high-quality prospects. Again, a lower DR doesn't automatically disqualify a site. A niche industry blog with DR 35 but highly targeted readership can outperform a DR 60 general directory in terms of actual SEO impact.

### Why Topical Relevance Can Outweigh a High Score

A backlink from a DA 70 lifestyle blog to a B2B cybersecurity product carries less weight than a link from a DA 45 information security publication. Google's guidelines prohibit manipulative link schemes, and all recommended strategies on this site are white-hat. The goal is earning contextually relevant links, not just chasing the highest number on either scale.

Spam scores matter here too. Sites with a Moz Spam Score at or above 30% are commonly flagged for disavow consideration, regardless of their DA.

## How Agencies and Freelancers Use These Metrics in Campaigns

Link building services use DA and DR to tier their offerings and set pricing. Entry-level packages typically run $500–$1,000 per month and include links from lower-to-mid authority sites. Mid-tier packages, priced at $1,500–$3,000 per month, target placements on mid-to-high authority domains. Premium packages at $3,000–$8,000 or more per month focus on high-authority publications with correspondingly strong DA and DR scores.

Per-link pricing follows a similar logic. Individual placements range from $100–$1,500 per link depending on the domain's authority metrics and the competitiveness of the niche.

Agencies running White Label Link Building programs, where one agency sources links on behalf of another, typically apply a markup of 20–50% above their base cost. Their internal vetting processes almost always include both DA and DR checks alongside traffic verification.

## Realistic Timelines for Seeing Results

Acquiring links from high-DA or high-DR sites does not produce overnight ranking changes. The generally accepted window before newly acquired backlinks produce measurable ranking movement is 3–6 months. Campaigns built on consistently strong metrics are more likely to hold gains long-term than those relying on a single high-score placement.

Outreach methods like guest posting, which sees an acceptance rate of roughly 10–20% of pitches, and Help a Reporter Out (HARO) link building, where HARO pitches convert at approximately 5–15%, often target mid-to-high DA and DR sites. Broken link building outreach, which yields positive responses from about 5–20% of contacts, uses DA and DR to prioritize which broken pages are worth replacing.

## Do Nofollow Links Still Count

**Nofollow links can still drive referral traffic and contribute to a natural backlink profile, even without passing direct PageRank.** A nofollow link from a high-DA or high-DR publication can send qualified visitors to your site and signals a diverse, credible link profile to search engines reviewing your overall footprint.

Over-indexing on followed links from high-scoring domains while ignoring the rest of the web can make a link profile look artificially constructed. A mix of followed and nofollow links across a range of DA and DR scores is more defensible over time.

## Choosing the Right Tool for Your Workflow

If your team already subscribes to Ahrefs, DR is the faster and more frequently updated signal to lean on for prospecting. If you're working primarily in Moz, DA gives you the same directional guidance without requiring a second subscription. Neither tool is universally superior for this purpose.

For clients who ask which number to trust, a practical answer is to check both and note where they agree. Consistent agreement across Moz and Ahrefs is a reliable indicator of a genuinely authoritative domain. Disagreement is a prompt to verify traffic data in a tool like Semrush or SimilarWeb before committing to outreach.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What Is the Difference Between Domain Authority and Domain Rating?

**Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by Moz that models a site's likelihood to rank in search results based on its backlink profile.** Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' metric that scores a domain's backlink strength relative to all other sites in the Ahrefs index. Both run on a 1–100 scale but use different data sources and update at different frequencies, so the same site can show noticeably different numbers on each platform.

### Which Is More Important, Domain Authority or Domain Rating?

**Neither is objectively more important.** DA and DR are both useful proxies, and using both together gives a more reliable picture of a site's link authority than relying on one alone. If you use Ahrefs as your primary SEO tool, DR will be more convenient and updates more frequently. If you work primarily in Moz, DA is equally valid. When both scores agree, that's a stronger signal of genuine authority than either number on its own.

### What Is a Good DA or DR Score for a Backlink Prospect?

**For Domain Authority, links from sites scoring DA 40 or above are broadly considered meaningful.** For Domain Rating, DR 50 or above is the widely accepted threshold for high-quality prospects. Sites below these thresholds are not automatically poor choices. Topical relevance and real organic traffic can make a lower-scoring site more valuable than a high-scoring but unrelated domain.

### Do Google Rankings Actually Use DA or DR?

**No.** Google has confirmed it does not use DA, DR, or any third-party authority metric in its ranking algorithm. Both scores are created by private companies to help SEO practitioners estimate a domain's backlink strength. They are useful for prospecting and benchmarking, but they are proxies, not direct ranking signals.

### Can a low-DA or low-DR Site Still Provide a Valuable Backlink?

**Yes.** A niche publication with a highly targeted audience and genuine organic traffic can deliver strong referral value and topical relevance even with a relatively modest DA or DR score. Spam score is a more disqualifying signal than a low authority score. Sites with a Moz Spam Score at or above 30% are commonly flagged for disavow consideration, regardless of their DA or DR.