Domain Rating vs URL Rating: Overview
Domain Rating (DR) measures your entire domain's backlink authority on a 0-100 scale. It reflects the strength of your overall backlink profile across all pages on your domain.
URL Rating (UR) measures individual page authority on a 0-100 scale. It reflects a specific page's backlink strength plus inherited authority from the domain's DR.
Key relationship: A page's UR depends on its own backlinks plus the domain's DR. High-DR domains typically have higher average UR across pages because pages inherit authority from the domain. Think of DR as the foundation—high DR makes it easier to achieve high UR for individual pages.
Key Differences Between DR and UR
Understanding the differences helps you use both metrics effectively:
Understanding the differences between DR and UR helps you optimize both domain and page-level SEO.
Detailed Comparison: DR vs UR
What Each Metric Measures
Domain Rating (DR)
- Measures all backlinks to your domain
- Reflects overall domain authority
- Single score for entire domain
- Based on referring domains count and quality
URL Rating (UR)
- Measures backlinks to specific page
- Reflects individual page authority
- Different score for each page
- Based on page backlinks + inherited DR
How They Work Together
DR and UR work together through authority inheritance. A page's UR is calculated based on:
- Direct backlinks: Links pointing directly to that specific page
- Inherited authority: Authority passed from the domain's DR through internal links
This means high-DR domains can have pages with high UR even if those pages don't have many direct backlinks. The pages inherit authority from the domain through internal linking. This is why high-DR domains can rank new pages faster—the pages inherit domain authority even before earning their own backlinks.
Which Should You Track: DR or UR?
Track both, but prioritize differently:
Track Domain Rating (DR) For:
- Overall domain health and authority
- Link building strategy and planning
- Competitor benchmarking
- Understanding your SEO foundation
- Long-term SEO strategy
Track URL Rating (UR) For:
- Individual page optimization
- Identifying pages needing more backlinks
- Target page ranking potential
- Internal linking optimization
- Specific page performance tracking
Best practice: Focus on improving DR first (which helps all pages), then target specific pages for UR improvement. High DR makes it easier to achieve high UR for individual pages, so DR improvement has broader impact.
Track both DR and UR to optimize both domain-level and page-level SEO performance.
How Domain Rating and URL Rating Work Together
Understanding how DR and UR work together helps you optimize both metrics effectively:
Authority Inheritance
Pages inherit authority from the domain's DR through internal links. This means:
- • High-DR domains pass more authority to individual pages
- • Pages on DR 60+ domains can achieve higher UR more easily
- • Internal linking from high-UR pages boosts other pages' UR
- • New pages benefit from domain authority even without direct backlinks
Example: How DR Affects UR
A page on a DR 70 domain might have UR 45 even with only a few direct backlinks, because it inherits significant authority from the domain. The same page on a DR 30 domain might only achieve UR 25 with the same backlinks, because it inherits less authority.
Internal Linking Impact
Internal links from high-UR pages to target pages can boost the target page's UR. This is why internal linking is crucial—it helps distribute authority across your site. Link from your highest-UR pages to pages you want to rank.
How to Improve Both Domain Rating and URL Rating
Since DR and UR work together, improving one helps the other. Here are strategies for both:
Improving Domain Rating (DR)
Focus on earning backlinks from high-DR domains (DR 60+) to your domain. This improves DR, which then helps all pages achieve higher UR:
- • Earn backlinks from DR 60-90 domains
- • Build diverse referring domains
- • Create linkable assets that attract backlinks
- • Focus on dofollow, editorial links
Improving DR has broader impact because it helps all pages on your domain achieve higher UR through authority inheritance.
Improving URL Rating (UR)
Focus on earning backlinks directly to specific pages and optimizing internal linking:
- • Earn backlinks directly to target pages
- • Link from high-UR pages to target pages internally
- • Create high-quality content that attracts page-level backlinks
- • Use descriptive anchor text in internal links
Improving UR helps specific pages rank better, but doesn't directly improve DR. However, high-UR pages can attract more backlinks, which may eventually improve DR.
Combined Strategy
Best approach: Start by improving DR (which helps all pages), then target specific pages for UR improvement. High DR makes it easier to achieve high UR, so DR improvement has the broadest impact. Once you have strong DR, focus on earning page-level backlinks to boost UR for your most important pages.
Use Ahrefs to track both DR and UR and optimize your SEO strategy accordingly.
Need Help Increasing Your Domain Rating?
Our team specializes in securing high-quality backlinks from DR 60–90 domains that deliver fast, sustainable DR improvements. We handle the entire process: research, outreach, content creation, and relationship building. When we confirm your DR boost via Ahrefs, you get a complete backlink report and ongoing monitoring.
Domain Rating vs URL Rating FAQ
What's the difference between Domain Rating and URL Rating?
Domain Rating (DR) measures domain-level authority on a 0-100 scale, while URL Rating (UR) measures individual page authority. DR reflects your entire domain's backlink strength, while UR reflects a specific page's backlink strength plus inherited authority from the domain. A page's UR depends on its own backlinks plus the domain's DR. High-DR domains typically have higher average UR across pages.
Which is more important: Domain Rating or URL Rating?
Both are important for different purposes. DR is more important for overall domain health, link building strategy, and understanding your site's authority foundation. UR is more important for individual page optimization and ranking potential. Think of DR as the foundation—high DR makes it easier to achieve high UR for individual pages. Most SEOs prioritize improving DR first, then focus on UR for specific target pages.
Can a page have high URL Rating with low Domain Rating?
Yes, but it's uncommon. A page can have high UR with low DR if it has many high-quality backlinks pointing directly to that page. However, high-DR domains typically have higher average UR across pages because pages inherit authority from the domain. It's easier to achieve high UR on a high-DR domain than on a low-DR domain, even with the same number of backlinks.
How do Domain Rating and URL Rating work together?
DR and UR work together through authority inheritance. A page's UR is calculated based on its own backlinks plus inherited authority from the domain's DR. High-DR domains pass more authority to individual pages through internal links, making it easier for pages to achieve high UR. This is why high-DR domains can rank new pages faster—the pages inherit domain authority even before earning their own backlinks.
Should I track Domain Rating or URL Rating?
Track both, but prioritize DR for overall strategy and UR for specific page optimization. Use DR to understand your domain's authority foundation and guide link building strategy. Use UR to identify which pages need more backlinks and optimize individual page performance. Most SEOs focus on improving DR first (which helps all pages), then target specific pages for UR improvement.
What's a good URL Rating for a page?
UR 20-30 is solid for most pages and allows ranking for low-competition keywords. UR 40-50 indicates strong page authority and enables targeting medium-competition keywords. UR 60+ is excellent and allows competing for competitive keywords. UR 70+ is exceptional. Your target UR depends on your DR (higher DR makes higher UR easier), your industry, and keyword competition level.
How can I improve both Domain Rating and URL Rating?
To improve DR: Focus on earning backlinks from high-DR domains (DR 60+), build diverse referring domains, and create linkable assets. To improve UR: Earn backlinks directly to target pages, optimize internal linking from high-UR pages, and create high-quality content. Improving DR helps all pages (including UR), while improving UR helps specific pages. Start with DR improvement for broader impact, then target specific pages for UR.