How to Improve Ahrefs Rank Without Wasting Money on Weak Backlinks

By Gavan Corry
Updated: June 2026

Ahrefs Rank has become a status symbol in the SEO industry.

Publishers quote it when selling guest posts. Agencies place it in client reports. Website owners monitor every change, hoping that a lower number will lead to higher Google rankings and more organic traffic.

The appeal is understandable. Ahrefs Rank appears to turn a complicated question into a single figure: how strong is my website compared with the rest of the web?

However, the number can mislead businesses that treat it as the final goal.

Ahrefs Rank is not a Google ranking factor. It does not measure the quality of your writing. It does not show whether readers trust your website. Nor does it guarantee that your pages will rank higher in search results.

It measures the relative strength of a website’s backlink profile inside the Ahrefs database.

That makes it useful. Yet it also makes it easy to misuse.

A website can improve its Ahrefs Rank while buying backlinks that send no customers and add little long-term value. Another site can build authority slowly through original research, expert comment and relevant backlinks from respected publications.

The second route usually takes more work.

It is also more likely to produce lasting results.

What Is Ahrefs Rank?

Ahrefs Rank, often shortened to AR, places websites in order based on the size and quality of their dofollow referring domains.

The website with the strongest backlink profile receives AR 1. Every other website sits below it.

A lower Ahrefs Rank is better.

For example, a website that moves from AR 900,000 to AR 400,000 has climbed higher in the Ahrefs database. Its backlink profile has become stronger relative to many other domains.

The word relative matters.

Ahrefs Rank is not a fixed score awarded after an exam. It is closer to a league table. Your position can drop because competitors have gained stronger links, even when your own site has not lost a single backlink.

Ahrefs Rank is closely connected to another widely used metric: Domain Rating.

Domain Rating, usually written as DR, measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100.

The higher the DR score, the stronger the backlink profile is likely to be.

These metrics tell different parts of the same story.

Domain Rating measures a website at domain level. URL Rating, often shortened to UR, measures the backlink strength of a specific page.

A website can have a high DR while an individual article has a low UR. That article may struggle to rank for competitive keywords because few quality backlinks point directly to it.

Is Domain Rating a Google Ranking Factor?

No.

Ahrefs Domain Rating is not a direct ranking factor used by Google. Ahrefs Rank is not a Google ranking factor either.

Ahrefs created both metrics to help website owners analyse backlinks, compare competitors and identify link-building opportunities.

Other SEO tools have their own scores. Moz uses Domain Authority. Semrush uses Authority Score. These figures can help with research, but search engines do not import them into their ranking systems.

Google uses its own signals.

Links still matter. Google says it uses links to find new pages and determine the relevance of pages. Its guidance also recommends descriptive anchor text so readers and search engines can understand where a link leads.

You can read Google’s link best practices for the official explanation.

However, not all backlinks are created equal.

A relevant backlink from a trusted trade publication may strengthen a page. A link from a website built mainly to sell guest posts may add little value.

This is where many businesses waste money.

They buy the metric rather than assessing the linking site.

How Does Ahrefs Calculate Domain Rating?

Ahrefs calculates Domain Rating by analysing the websites linking to a domain.

The calculation is not based on backlink volume alone.

According to Ahrefs, the main factors include:

• The number of unique domains linking to a website
• The DR of those linking domains
• The number of other websites each linking domain links to
• Whether the backlink is dofollow
• The distribution of link value across the backlink profile

A high DR website does not pass unlimited value.

Imagine two marketing publications.

The first links to 80 carefully selected sources. The second links to thousands of unrelated businesses through paid articles.

Both may display similar DR scores. Yet their backlinks do not carry the same editorial credibility or commercial value.

Ahrefs also uses a logarithmic scale.

Moving from DR 10 to DR 20 is easier than moving from DR 70 to DR 80. Each step becomes harder as the number rises.

This matters when setting targets.

A specialist business does not need to compete with Amazon, the BBC or major news sites. It needs a stronger backlink profile than the relevant websites competing for the same search terms.

Why Referring Domains Matter More Than Raw Backlink Numbers

A backlink is a link from one page to another.

A referring domain is the website sending that link.

The difference sounds technical, but it changes the strategy.

Suppose one blog links to your website 50 times. Ahrefs records 50 backlinks from one referring domain.

Now suppose 50 separate websites link to you once each. Ahrefs records 50 backlinks from 50 referring domains.

The second profile is usually stronger.

It shows that more websites have chosen to reference your work.

Repeated links from the same site can still help individual pages. They may also send referral traffic. However, gaining links from new authoritative domains often makes a greater difference to Domain Rating.

This is why link-building campaigns should focus on credible domains rather than chasing a large number of links.

Quality backlinks matter more than inflated totals.

Why Buying High DR Backlinks Can Waste Money

The guest-post market has made link building easier to buy and harder to judge.

A typical spreadsheet contains hundreds of websites. Each row includes the domain name, DR, estimated traffic, price and turnaround time.

The temptation is obvious.

Sort by Domain Rating. Choose the cheapest high DR sites. Submit an article. Wait for the Ahrefs score to rise.

But DR does not tell the full story.

A website may have earned high quality backlinks several years ago. It may still show a strong DR today. Yet its current editorial standards may have collapsed.

Visit the homepage and the warning signs become obvious.

A marketing article sits next to a guide to online casinos. Below that is a cryptocurrency post. The next page covers pet insurance, kitchen fittings and payday loans.

The website no longer serves a clear audience.

Its backlink profile may still look impressive inside an SEO tool. Its publishing strategy tells a different story.

Google has warned publishers about site reputation abuse. This refers to third-party content published mainly to benefit from the ranking signals of an established host website.

Not every guest post creates a problem.

A useful article placed on a relevant site can reach real readers and earn a natural backlink. A retail case study belongs on a retail publication. A software guide belongs on a technology website. A marketing survey belongs on a marketing blog.

The question is simple:

Would this article still belong on the website if nobody paid for the link?

What Does a High Quality Backlink Look Like?

A high quality backlink usually appears on a relevant website, inside a useful article, pointing to a page that gives the reader more information.

The linking site should have a reason to exist beyond selling links.

Before paying for a placement or pitching an editor, inspect the website manually.

Do not dismiss a low DR website automatically.

A smaller niche publication may have a loyal audience and real standing within its industry. It may also send customers.

Likewise, do not assume every high DR site is valuable.

Domain Rating is one clue. It is not a verdict.

Ahrefs provides a useful guide explaining what makes a high-quality backlink.

Use the Ahrefs Site Explorer Tool Properly

Many website owners open the Ahrefs Site Explorer tool, look at their DR score and stop there.

That misses most of the useful information.

The Ahrefs Site Explorer tool can show where a website earns backlinks, which pages attract links and where link value is being lost.

Start with:

Site Explorer → Backlink profile → Referring domains

Sort the report by Domain Rating. Then review the linking domains manually.

Ask:

• Which authoritative websites already link to the site?
• Which backlinks are dofollow?
• Which pages attract the highest number of links?
• Which topics attract links naturally?
• Have any quality backlinks disappeared?
• Are low quality links forming too large a share of the profile?
• Do important pages receive enough internal links?
• Are valuable links pointing towards old or deleted URLs?

Then open:

Site Explorer → Backlinks → Lost

This report can reveal broken pages, failed redirects and links removed during site updates.

Recovering an old link can take less time than earning a new one.

Website owners looking for a broader SEO plan may also find our guide to increasing organic traffic on a UK blog useful.

Recover Lost Links Before Chasing New Ones

Many businesses begin a new outreach campaign without checking what they have already lost.

That is a mistake.

Backlinks disappear for ordinary reasons. A publisher may update an article. A website redesign may change URLs. A page may be deleted. A redirect may point to the wrong destination.

Start with backlinks from authoritative websites and relevant domains.

If an old destination page returns a 404 error, add a 301 redirect to the closest matching live page.

If the original page should still exist, restore it.

If a publication removed the link during an update, send a polite email. Explain where the reference appeared and provide the correct URL.

Keep the email brief.

You should also search for unlinked brand mentions.

A journalist may quote your research, mention your company or reference one of your reports without linking to the source.

A short email can turn that mention into a valuable backlink.

Create Content People Want to Cite

The safest way to build links is to publish something other writers need to reference.

This sounds obvious. Yet much of the content published online gives journalists, bloggers and industry writers no reason to cite it.

A routine blog post often repeats information already available elsewhere.

It may be readable. It may even rank for a low-competition keyword.

But it is unlikely to attract many high quality backlinks.

Original research works better.

So do databases, industry surveys, pricing trackers, calculators and well-maintained reference pages.

A marketing website could create a database of commercial actors, a celebrity brand ambassador tracker or a report on advertising budgets.

A software website could publish current pricing tables, implementation cost surveys or buyer checklists.

The page should offer something competitors cannot copy in an hour.

Add sources. Explain the method. Include dates. Show when the page was last updated.

Google’s guidance on people-first content asks website owners to create useful pages for readers rather than content designed mainly to attract search visits.

Writers link to pages they trust.

Use Competitor Backlinks as Editorial Research

Competitor backlink analysis should not become a shopping list.

It should reveal why competing pages earned links.

Open:

Site Explorer → Enter competitor domain → Referring domains

Then use the dofollow filter.

Look for websites linking to competitors but not to your domain.

Review the linking articles one by one.

Ask why the writer added the link.

Was it an original statistic? A useful quote? A pricing table? A detailed guide? A news story? A podcast appearance?

The answer tells you what the market values.

Good link building starts with editorial judgment.

The target is not simply to gain backlinks.

The target is to become a source worth quoting.

Build Relevant Backlinks Through Digital PR

Digital PR gives businesses a better route to authoritative domains than mass guest-post buying.

The process starts with a story.

A journalist needs a reason to mention your website. That reason could be new data, a strong opinion, a timely comment or an unusual finding.

A software company might survey businesses about the hidden costs of replacing legacy systems.

A retail brand might publish data showing how Christmas shopping habits have changed.

A marketing publication could track the celebrities appearing in the year’s biggest advertising campaigns.

The strongest campaigns usually combine three things:

• A clear news angle
• Useful data or expert insight
• A page on your website that gives readers more detail

Send a short pitch. Explain the finding quickly. Add the source page. Avoid a long sales message.

The journalist should understand the story within a few seconds.

Use Internal Linking to Strengthen Important Pages

External backlinks attract most of the attention. Internal linking often gets treated as an afterthought.

That is a missed opportunity.

Internal links help search engines find pages and understand how topics connect. They also help readers move between related articles.

A strong internal linking strategy should start with pages that already have backlinks.

Identify the strongest pages on the site. Then link from those pages to related content you want to improve.

Use descriptive anchor text.

“Read our guide to SEO terms every website owner should know” is useful.

“Click here” is not.

Our guide to 26 SEO terms for every letter of the alphabet gives readers a useful introduction to backlinks, keywords, redirects and search engine results pages.

A website covering advertising campaigns could also create a main commercial actors guide. Individual articles about specific adverts should link back to that hub. The hub should point readers towards each detailed profile.

Internal linking does not increase Domain Rating directly. DR measures external links.

However, internal linking helps distribute authority towards the pages that matter.

Mark Paid Links Correctly

There is an important difference between earning editorial backlinks and paying for exposure.

Google asks publishers to mark paid links with rel="sponsored". The nofollow attribute is also acceptable, although Google says sponsored is preferred.

Google explains this in its guidance on qualifying outbound links.

This matters for publishers as much as advertisers.

Selling followed links may create a short-term income stream. However, a website that publishes large volumes of unrelated paid content can damage its reputation with readers and weaken its search visibility.

The safer approach is clear:

• Publish sponsored content only when it fits the site
• Label commercial placements honestly
• Use the correct link attribute
• Keep editorial oversight
• Reject low-quality articles
• Protect the website’s subject focus

A trusted website is worth more than a temporary rise in revenue.

A 90-Day Plan to Improve Ahrefs Rank

Improving Ahrefs Rank takes consistent work.

There is no reliable shortcut.

A sensible 90-day plan should focus on fixing lost value, publishing better content and earning relevant backlinks from new domains.

Days 1–30: Repair the backlink profile

Use the Ahrefs Site Explorer tool to review referring domains, lost backlinks and broken destination pages.

Fix failed redirects.

Restore useful deleted pages where appropriate.

Identify important pages with weak internal linking.

Review competitor backlinks and create a shortlist of realistic opportunities.

If your website receives traffic but fails to make progress, read our guide explaining why businesses fail to see SEO results.

Days 31–60: Publish something competitors lack

Choose one topic where your business has knowledge, data or access to useful information.

Create one strong resource rather than five thin blog posts.

Add original research, a useful table, clear sources and an update date.

Make the page valuable to journalists, bloggers, customers and other businesses.

Days 61–90: Contact the right publishers

Build a focused outreach list.

Prioritise relevant websites, trade publications, journalists and bloggers.

Avoid mass emails asking strangers to add a link.

Explain why your resource may help their readers.

Point to the useful section.

Keep the pitch short.

What Should You Measure?

Ahrefs Rank matters, but it should not dominate the SEO report.

Track the numbers that show whether the website is becoming more visible and useful.

Measure:

• New dofollow referring domains
• High quality backlinks
• Relevant backlinks
• Lost backlinks recovered
• Domain Rating
• URL Rating for important pages
• Organic traffic
• Search impressions
• Rankings for competitive keywords
• Referral traffic
• Leads and customers
• Pages attracting links naturally

A stronger backlink profile should support commercial results.

If Domain Rating rises but organic traffic remains flat, take a closer look.

If Ahrefs Rank improves but no important page moves higher in search results, review the relevance and quality of the links.

Metrics help.

They do not replace judgment.

For a wider view of SEO and its place in marketing, read our guide to using SEO to improve your overall marketing knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a lower Ahrefs Rank better?

Yes. Ahrefs Rank works like a league table. A lower number means a website has a stronger backlink profile compared with other domains in the Ahrefs database.

What is a good Domain Rating?

There is no universal target. DR is a relative metric. Compare your score with relevant competitors targeting the same niche and keywords.

Can a low DR website rank higher than a high DR website?

Yes. A lower DR website can rank higher when its page satisfies search intent more clearly, provides better information or earns stronger page-level links.

Is URL Rating the same as Domain Rating?

No. Domain Rating measures the backlink profile of a domain. URL Rating measures the backlink strength of a specific page.

Do internal links increase Domain Rating?

No. DR focuses on external backlinks. However, internal links help search engines find pages and distribute authority across a website.

Are guest posts bad for SEO?

Not automatically. A useful guest post on a relevant website can reach a real audience. Problems arise when links appear on unrelated sites mainly to influence rankings.

How many backlinks do I need each month?

There is no fixed answer. A few quality backlinks from authoritative websites may offer more value than hundreds of weak links.

Can Ahrefs Rank fall even when I have not lost backlinks?

Yes. Ahrefs Rank is relative. Other websites can gain stronger backlinks and move ahead of you.

Ahrefs Rank Is a Measurement, Not the Prize

Ahrefs Rank gives website owners a useful snapshot of backlink strength.

It can show whether a domain is moving in the right direction. It can also highlight weaknesses in a backlink profile.

But the number is not the prize.

The real target is a website people trust, read and reference.

Publish original research. Create resources worth citing. Earn backlinks from relevant websites. Recover the links you have already won. Use internal links to strengthen your most important pages.

Do that consistently and your Ahrefs Rank should improve.

More importantly, your website will build authority that lasts longer than a number on a dashboard.

Related SEO Guides

• How to increase organic traffic on a UK blog
• 26 SEO terms every website owner should know
• Why your business is not seeing SEO results
• How to use SEO to improve your marketing knowledge

About the Author

Gavan Corry leads SEO strategy, content development and site growth at The Marketing Blog. He brings more than 20 years of enterprise software and digital experience, with a focus on content architecture, internal linking and commercially useful search visibility. His work combines editorial judgment with practical SEO planning for businesses seeking sustainable organic growth.

Sources

• Ahrefs: What is Ahrefs Rank?
• Ahrefs: What is Domain Rating?
• Ahrefs: What makes a high-quality backlink?
• Google Search Central: Link best practices
• Google Search Central: Qualify outbound links
• Google Search Central: Site reputation abuse policy
• Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content