DA vs DR: Which Metric Actually Matters for Link Building?

Two metrics dominate link building conversations: Moz Domain Authority (DA) and Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR).

Domain Authority (DA)

Developed by Moz, scored 0–100. Predicts how well a domain will rank based on link profile quality and hundreds of correlated factors.

Domain Rating (DR)

Ahrefs metric, also 0–100, measuring backlink profile strength on a logarithmic scale. Moving from DR 70 to 80 is significantly harder than 20 to 30.

Which to Use?

Use both. A site with DA 40, DR 35, and real organic traffic is a strong prospect. At Adbell Media we report both alongside traffic estimates for every link placed.