Guide
DA vs DR explained: what the numbers mean and what they do not
Two scores that everyone quotes. Here is what they are, and how to use them sensibly.
What they are
DA (Domain Authority) is a score from the SEO company Moz. DR (Domain Rating) is a score from Ahrefs. Both try to estimate how strong a website's link profile is, mostly by looking at the links pointing to it. Both run from 0 to 100, and both are calculated by the company that makes them, with their own data and their own method.
What they are not
Neither is a Google metric. Google does not use DA or DR to rank anything. They are third-party estimates, so a site can have a high DR and still be a poor place to publish, or a modest DR and be an excellent one.
Why the two numbers differ
Each company crawls the web differently and weights links differently, so the same site often gets two different scores. That is normal. It is one reason we name the source next to every figure we show.
How to use them well
- As a filter. Use a minimum score to exclude the weakest sites, not to rank the rest.
- With traffic. A high score with almost no traffic is a red flag. A site with real readers is worth more than a number.
- With relevance. A link from a relevant site usually does more for you than one from a stronger but unrelated site.
- Over time. Watch the trend. A score that has jumped suddenly may have been pushed up artificially.
How they can mislead
Scores can be inflated by networks of sites linking to each other. That is why we never judge a site by one number: we look at relevance, readership and the site itself as well. Our full checklist is in how to judge a guest post site.
The practical rule
Decide your minimum, then choose between the sites that clear it using relevance and traffic. On your Revntra shortlist you will see authority and traffic with the tool named, so you can check them yourself. Order a guest post to see the format.
Order a guest post
Send your website and niche. We reply with a shortlist you can check yourself.