How long does it take to increase Domain Rating?

For a brand new domain, expect 3–6 months of consistent link-building to move from DR 0 to DR 20. Moving from DR 30 to DR 50 typically takes 6–12 months because each DR point is logarithmically harder to earn.

Do nofollow links increase Domain Rating?

Ahrefs' DR calculation is based primarily on dofollow links from unique referring domains. Nofollow links can still drive referral traffic and brand awareness, but they have minimal direct impact on DR.

Can I increase DR without building links?

Not meaningfully. DR is a backlink-based metric, so earning links from new referring domains is the only reliable way to raise it. On-page SEO and content quality help you earn links naturally, but they do not directly raise DR.

How to Increase Domain Rating in Ahrefs: 9 Proven Tactics

Ahrefs' Domain Rating (DR) is a 0–100 logarithmic score based on the strength of your backlink profile. Raising it takes one thing: more dofollow links from more unique, high-DR referring domains. Here's how indie builders actually do it.

1. Baseline your current DR

Track your starting score so you can measure progress. Check it free at DR Studio — we record a daily snapshot so you can see the lift from each campaign.

2. Get listed in indie directories

Submitting to high-DR directories like Product Hunt, BetaList, Peerlist, Indie Hackers, and Startup Stash earns you dofollow links from DR 70+ domains in an afternoon. This is the fastest first push from DR 0 to DR 10.

3. Publish data-driven studies

Original research is the single highest-leverage content type for link acquisition. Survey 100 users in your niche, publish the numbers with clean charts, and pitch it to journalists covering your space. One viral study can earn 50+ referring domains.

4. Guest post on relevant blogs

Target blogs with DR 40+ in your niche. Pitch a specific, unwritten article idea — not a generic offer. Aim for one in-content dofollow link per post pointing to a deep page, not just your homepage.

5. Broken-link building

Find dead links on high-DR resource pages in your niche (Ahrefs' Site Explorer → Broken Backlinks does this), then email the editor a working replacement: yours. Conversion rate is 5–15% — far above cold outreach.

6. Build free tools

A genuinely useful free tool earns links passively for years. Think of how many sites link to TinyPNG, Squoosh, or PageSpeed Insights. Build something narrow and excellent for your audience, then submit it everywhere developers look for tools.

7. Digital PR and HARO-style platforms

Reply to journalist queries on platforms like Connectively, Qwoted, or SourceBottle. A single quote in a Forbes, TechCrunch, or trade publication delivers a DR 80–90 link that can lift your DR by 2–4 points overnight on a new domain.

8. Audit and disavow toxic links

Spammy referring domains drag your DR down. Run a quarterly audit in Ahrefs, export the list, and disavow obvious link-farm and PBN domains through Google Search Console. Clean profiles score higher.

9. Internal linking and link reclamation

Find unlinked brand mentions with Ahrefs' Content Explorer and ask the author to add a link. Reclaim broken inbound links by redirecting orphaned URLs. Both are pure-upside, zero-cost wins you can do in an hour.

Track your progress for free

Add your domain to DR Studio to get a daily snapshot and email alerts whenever your DR changes — so you can tie each new link to the lift it produced.

Check your Domain Rating