Using Ahrefs for Domain Authority Analysis

Ahrefs is one of the most trusted SEO tools on the market. While it doesn’t use Moz’s Domain Authority (DA) score, it provides a similar metric called Domain Rating (DR) - a reliable way to assess a website’s authority and backlink strength.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to use Ahrefs for analyzing domain-level authority, how DR compares with DA, and how to extract meaningful SEO insights using Ahrefs’ backlink data.

Understanding Domain Rating in Ahrefs

Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs’ proprietary metric that shows the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100.

DR is based on:

•   Number of unique domains linking to your site
•   Authority of those referring domains
•   DoFollow link ratio
•   Distribution of link equity across the link graph

While DR is not the same as Moz’s DA, it serves a similar purpose—measuring the authority potential of a domain.

Domain Rating vs. Domain Authority: Key Differences

DR updates more frequently and is widely used in link audits, especially for outreach and competitive analysis.

Where to Find Domain Rating in Ahrefs

You can view DR in multiple places within Ahrefs:

•   Site Explorer Overview – See DR along with backlink count and referring domains
•   Backlink Profile Tab – Analyze how DR trends over time
•   Content Explorer – Discover high-DR domains publishing similar content
•   Batch Analysis Tool – Compare DR for up to 200 domains at once

How to Use Ahrefs DR for Competitive Benchmarking

Start by entering your domain and your competitors’ domains into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. Then:

•   Compare DR scores side by side
•   Analyze referring domain gaps
•   Review their backlink sources and anchor text
•   Check link growth patterns (monthly/yearly)

This helps you identify whether authority—not just content—is driving their search visibility.

See How to Use DA to Evaluate Competitors for a related Moz-based approach.

Analyzing Backlink Quality in Ahrefs

Don’t focus only on DR. Check:

•   Referring domains – Are they industry-relevant?
•   Anchor text – Are they brand-safe and natural?
•   Link velocity – Is the growth organic?
•   Link type – How many are editorial vs. directory or user-generated?

Use filters to exclude NoFollow links if you want to measure only authority-passing backlinks.

Also refer to Google Disavow Tool: 2025 Guide for handling toxic links discovered in your audit.

Using Ahrefs for Link Intersect Opportunities

Ahrefs’ Link Intersect tool helps you find domains that link to your competitors but not to you. Steps:

•   Go to the “Link Intersect” tool
•   Add 2–3 competitor domains
•   Enter your own domain in the “But doesn’t link to” field
•   Filter by DR, traffic, or domain category

This helps you discover realistic outreach targets to build your own authority.

Tracking DR Progress Over Time

You can use the “Backlink Profile > Referring Domains” tab to:

•   See growth in linking domains
•   Track DR fluctuations
•   Compare organic traffic trends alongside DR

This helps connect backlink building efforts to authority shifts. Remember, DR is a proxy metric—pair it with actual SEO performance indicators like keyword growth and organic leads.

When to Use DR Over DA

Use Ahrefs DR when:

•   You want daily tracking of authority changes
•   You need deeper backlink data and traffic estimates
•   You focus on DoFollow-only link audits
•   You’re doing international SEO (Ahrefs crawls a larger global web)

However, don’t use DR as a substitute for ranking performance. For page-level targeting, consider using URL Rating (UR) in conjunction with DR.

DR + Content Analysis = Stronger Strategy

Ahrefs offers more than link data. Combine DR analysis with:

•   Top Pages by Links
•   Best Content by Shares
•   Content Gap analysis
•   Keyword ranking insights

This allows you to not only build authority but also convert it into SEO wins.

See Does Your Content Fill or Kill? to align content quality with link-worthiness.

Use DR as a Guide—Not a Goal

Like DA, Domain Rating is best used as a benchmark - not a KPI. It’s helpful to compare sites, monitor link growth, and guide outreach—but Google doesn’t use it to rank websites.

Focus on sustainable SEO practices that naturally improve DR over time:

•   Link-worthy content
•   Healthy backlink profiles
•   Clear internal linking (see Internal Linking Guide)
•   On-page optimization

Let Ahrefs Help You Build Real SEO Strength

Whether you're using Ahrefs to evaluate your DR, analyze competitors, or discover new backlink opportunities, it’s a powerful tool—if used with the right intent.

Need help turning data into action? Explore our SEO Services, review our Digital Marketing Services, or Contact us for a DR strategy that translates into results.

To continue building your SEO tool knowledge, revisit the full Domain Authority Guide or browse our Blog where tools meet tactics.