Understanding What Increases Domain Rating
Domain Rating increases when you earn new referring domains—unique websites that link to your site. However, not all backlinks are equal. Ahrefs weights each link by the source domain's own DR, creating a compounding effect. A single link from a DR 80 site can boost your score more than 50 links from DR 20 sites.
The key factors that increase DR are: the number of unique referring domains, the DR of those linking domains, and the quality signals of the links (dofollow vs. nofollow, editorial context, anchor text diversity). Focus on earning high-quality, editorial backlinks from authoritative domains in your niche for maximum impact.
Step-by-Step Strategy to Increase Domain Rating
Follow this proven framework to systematically increase your Domain Rating. Each step builds on the previous one, creating a compounding effect over time.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Backlink Profile
Start by analyzing your existing backlink profile in Ahrefs. Identify:
- Current DR score and referring domains count
- DR distribution of linking domains (how many are DR 60+?)
- Toxic or low-quality links that need disavowing
- Nofollow vs. dofollow ratio (aim for 70%+ dofollow)
- Anchor text patterns (avoid over-optimization)
This baseline helps you set realistic goals and identify quick wins. Export your backlink data and create a spreadsheet to track progress.
Step 2: Create Linkable Assets
Develop content that naturally attracts backlinks. These assets should be valuable, unique, and shareable:
- Original research: Industry surveys, data studies, trend reports
- Comprehensive guides: 5,000+ word resources that become go-to references
- Visual content: Infographics, interactive tools, calculators
- Expert roundups: Curated insights from industry leaders
- Case studies: Detailed success stories with metrics and results
Promote these assets through email outreach, social media, and industry communities. The goal is earning natural editorial links, not buying placements.
Step 3: Target High-DR Domains for Backlinks
Prioritize earning backlinks from DR 60–90 domains. These high-authority placements provide maximum impact for your DR improvement. Research shows that one DR 80 link can increase your score more than 50 DR 20 links.
Identify high-DR link opportunities by:
- Analyzing competitor backlinks in Ahrefs
- Finding resource pages in your niche ("Best Tools for X", "Top Resources")
- Identifying industry publications and blogs that accept guest posts
- Using broken link building techniques on high-DR sites
- Pitching journalists and editors with newsworthy angles
This is why IncreaseDomainRating.com focuses exclusively on securing backlinks from DR 60–90 domains—they deliver the fastest and most sustainable DR improvements.
Step 4: Build Relationships, Not Just Links
Long-term DR growth comes from relationships, not transactions. Engage with industry communities, contribute valuable insights, and collaborate with other sites. These relationships lead to natural, recurring backlinks.
- Participate in industry forums and communities
- Comment thoughtfully on relevant blogs and publications
- Share others' content and tag them on social media
- Offer to contribute expert quotes or insights
- Collaborate on joint research or content projects
Relationship-based link building is more sustainable and less likely to trigger penalties than transactional link exchanges.
Step 5: Optimize Internal Linking
Internal links distribute DR equity across your site, helping lower-authority pages rank. While internal links don't directly increase DR, they maximize the value of your existing backlinks by spreading authority throughout your domain.
- Link from high-UR pages to target pages using descriptive anchor text
- Create topic clusters where pillar pages link to supporting content
- Add contextual links in body content (not just footers/sidebars)
- Use breadcrumbs for navigation and crawlability
- Update old content with links to new pages to refresh authority flow
Tools like Ahrefs Site Audit can identify internal linking opportunities and orphaned pages.
Step 6: Monitor and Protect Your Profile
Regularly audit your backlink profile to catch toxic links early. Set up alerts in Ahrefs to notify you of new backlinks so you can review them quickly.
- Review new referring domains monthly for spam patterns
- Disavow toxic links (PBNs, link farms, paid placements) via Google Search Console
- Remove or nofollow low-quality links you control (footer links, directory submissions)
- Monitor anchor text distribution to avoid over-optimization penalties
- Track DR changes monthly to measure progress
Protecting your profile is just as important as building new links. A clean, natural backlink profile signals trust to search engines.
Quick Wins to Increase Domain Rating
While sustainable DR growth takes time, these tactics can deliver faster results:
Common Mistakes That Slow DR Growth
Avoid these mistakes that can prevent or slow your Domain Rating increase:
Focusing on quantity over quality: Earning 100 links from DR 10 sites won't move your DR as much as 10 links from DR 70 sites. Always prioritize high-DR domains.
Buying links from PBNs or link farms: These manipulative tactics can trigger penalties and tank your DR. Google penalizes obvious link schemes, and Ahrefs devalues toxic links.
Ignoring link velocity: Sudden spikes in backlinks look unnatural. Aim for gradual, consistent growth—5–10 quality links per month is better than 50 links in one week.
Not monitoring your profile: Toxic links can accumulate over time. Regular audits help you catch and disavow bad links before they hurt your DR.
Over-optimizing anchor text: Too many exact-match anchor texts can trigger penalties. Use natural, varied anchor text that matches the context of the linking page.
How Long Does It Take to Increase Domain Rating?
DR increases gradually over 3–6 months with consistent link building. The exact timeline depends on several factors:
- Your starting DR: Lower DR sites (0–20) can see faster initial growth than higher DR sites (60+)
- Quality of backlinks: High-DR links (70+) deliver faster results than low-DR links (20–30)
- Link velocity: Earning 10 quality links per month is better than 50 links in one month
- DR update cycle: Ahrefs updates DR every 3–4 weeks, so you won't see immediate changes
Realistic expectations: Expect 3–6 months to see meaningful changes (5+ point lifts) with consistent effort. Rapid spikes are often red flags for manipulative tactics. Focus on sustainable, gradual growth.
Measuring Your Domain Rating Progress
Track your DR improvement using these metrics in Ahrefs:
Domain Rating score: Your main KPI, but it updates slowly (every 3–4 weeks). Use this as a lagging indicator.
Referring domains count: A leading indicator that updates faster. If referring domains increase but DR doesn't, you may be earning links from low-DR sources.
DR distribution of linking domains: Track how many of your backlinks come from high-DR domains (60+). Aim to increase this percentage over time.
Historical DR chart: View your DR trend over time in Ahrefs to identify growth patterns and measure long-term progress.
Pro tip: Set up monthly reports in Ahrefs to track your DR progress automatically. Compare your metrics to competitors to benchmark your performance and identify improvement opportunities.
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.
How to Increase Domain Rating FAQ
How long does it take to increase Domain Rating?
Typically 3–6 months to see meaningful DR increases (5+ points) with consistent link building. DR updates every 3–4 weeks in Ahrefs, so patience is required. Focus on earning 5–10 quality backlinks per month from high-DR domains for steady growth.
What's the fastest way to increase Domain Rating?
Focus on earning backlinks from DR 60–90 domains in your niche. One high-DR link can boost your score more than dozens of low-DR links. Create linkable assets (research, guides, tools) and reach out to relevant publications. Avoid quick-fix schemes like PBNs or link farms.
How many backlinks do I need to increase DR?
There's no fixed number—quality matters more than quantity. Earning 10–20 backlinks from DR 70+ domains can increase your DR more than 100 links from DR 10 domains. Focus on referring domains with high DR rather than total link count.
Can I increase Domain Rating without spending money?
Yes, through content marketing, relationship building, and organic outreach. Create valuable content that naturally attracts links, engage with industry communities, and build relationships with other site owners. However, paid link building services can accelerate results significantly.
Will increasing Domain Rating improve my rankings?
Yes, higher DR typically correlates with better rankings because it signals strong backlink authority to search engines. However, DR is one factor—you also need quality content, technical SEO, and user signals. High DR helps new pages rank faster by inheriting domain authority.
What's the best Domain Rating to aim for?
DR 30–40 is competitive for most businesses. DR 50+ is excellent and puts you ahead of most competitors. DR 60+ is exceptional and typically reserved for established brands. Set goals based on your industry benchmarks and competitor analysis.