Domain Rating
Domain Rating (DR), URL Rating (UR), and Authority Rank are the core authority metrics in Site Explorer.
Domain Rating (DR)
What is it?
Domain Rating is a score from 0 to 100 that represents the overall strength of a website's backlink profile. It considers the quantity and quality of external links pointing to the entire domain.
Why it matters
Higher DR generally correlates with better ability to rank in search results. It's a useful benchmark for comparing your site against competitors and evaluating potential link partners.
How to interpret
| DR Range | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0-20 | New or very small sites with few backlinks |
| 20-40 | Growing sites with a modest backlink profile |
| 40-60 | Established sites with a solid link profile |
| 60-80 | Authoritative sites with strong link profiles |
| 80-100 | Top-tier domains (major brands, news sites, etc.) |
DR is logarithmic
URL Rating (UR)
What is it?
URL Rating measures the backlink strength of a specific page, not the entire domain. It also uses a 0-100 scale and considers both internal and external links pointing to that URL.
Why it matters
While DR tells you about the overall domain authority, UR helps you understand which specific pages have the most link equity. This is useful for identifying your strongest pages and finding pages that need more internal or external links.
Authority Rank
What is it?
Authority Rank is a global ranking of all websites based on the size and quality of their backlink profiles. A lower number means a stronger site — rank #1 is the strongest website in the index.
Why it matters
It provides a quick way to benchmark a website against all other sites globally. Unlike DR, which is a relative score, Authority Rank gives you an absolute position.
How to Improve These Metrics
- 1.Build quality backlinks — Focus on earning links from high-DR sites in your niche through great content and outreach.
- 2.Create link-worthy content — Original research, data studies, and comprehensive guides naturally attract links.
- 3.Internal linking — Distribute link equity across your site with a strong internal linking structure.
- 4.Remove toxic links — Disavow spammy or harmful backlinks that could dilute your profile quality.