What don't we know about increasing DR?

I can not understand how DR grows.
Sometimes I look link profile sites and see there links from domains with DR>90. At the same time, this domain has its own DR < 10.
And there are domains that have most links with DR<50 and at the same time their DR>60.
It is clear that now here many will talk about some mythical and invisible quality of domains, which increases DR, based on the quality of the link. And link quality is a combination of factors, etc.
But there is no clear information anywhere. No studies. Tests.

I guess I need to start another one of my own tests on increasing domain DR. There will be at least some useful information for users here on this issue.

Absolutely! DR can feel confusing at first because it’s not just about how many links you have or the highest DR pointing at you, it’s about the relative strength and quality of your backlink profile. Think of DR like a popularity contest where votes (links) from stronger domains (like DR 90+) carry far more weight, but only if those links are contextually relevant and come from trustworthy and non-spammy sites. A few high-quality "votes" can boost DR more than dozens of weaker ones.

And about low-DR sites having high-DR backlinks, well, that happens! But those links alone might not lift DR much if the site lacks diverse, quality links overall. That means, a site with DR 60+ likely earned it through consistent, relevant links that collectively signal authority.

And your test idea is very good, try building links from:

• Diverse DR tiers
• Relevant vs. irrelevant niches
• Trusted vs. spammy sources

i looked on Google and it thought you where talking about Doctors lol

DR isn’t just about getting high quality DR backlinks, it’s about how many unique domains link to you, their authority, and how natural the link graph looks. You’ll often see low DR sites with DR90 links not growing much because the link value is diluted or not niche specific.

Yeah I’ve noticed the same weird patterns. DR seems to reward volume of unique domains more than just a few powerful ones. I had one project jump from DR 8 to 28 after getting a wave of mid-tier links (DR 30–50), but another site with a handful of DR80+ links barely moved.
Also wondering if nofollow/******** balance and anchor text variety matter more than we think for DR growth. Definitely down to follow your test if you share results.

I do not look at DR. I look at traffic the website is actually getting. When i look at if a domain has good links i sort for 5000 + organic traffic and do follow. Then a domain often goes from 1000 links to 5 or something. But if it has 50-100 incominng links with that much traffic. Then that is high "DR" for me.

Venom_F said:

I can not understand how DR grows.
Sometimes I look link profile sites and see there links from domains with DR>90. At the same time, this domain has its own DR < 10.
And there are domains that have most links with DR<50 and at the same time their DR>60.
It is clear that now here many will talk about some mythical and invisible quality of domains, which increases DR, based on the quality of the link. And link quality is a combination of factors, etc.
But there is no clear information anywhere. No studies. Tests.

I guess I need to start another one of my own tests on increasing domain DR. There will be at least some useful information for users here on this issue.

Click to expand...

you're not alone in feeling that .
DR growth often seems counterintuitive because it's about quality and relevance over sheer quantity or high-DR links alone.
Your observation about sites with low DR getting links from high DR domains, yet staying low themselves, highlights that the "mythical quality" isn't a myth
it's about the context, relevance, and authority of the linking page/site, plus the overall health of the receiving site's backlink profile. A few strong, relevant links from diverse, authoritative sources are far more impactful than many from less relevant or questionable sites, regardless of their stated DR. It's complex, but your own tests will definitely provide valuable, real-world insight

I do not focus on Domain Rating (DR). Instead, I concentrate on the actual traffic that the website receives. When assessing whether a domain possesses quality links, I filter for those with over 5000 organic visits and ******** links. Consequently, a domain frequently transitions from having 1000 links to just 5 or so. However, if it has between 50 to 100 incoming links while maintaining that level of traffic, I consider that to represent a high "DR" in my view.

Ahrefs’ DR isn’t just about snagging one big link—it’s a relative, logarithmic score based on the number of unique referring domains, how much link equity they each pass (diluted by their outbound links), and how well that equity flows into your root domain via internal linking. DR updates slowly as Ahrefs recrawls the web, so a one-off spike won’t move it as much as a steady stream of quality links.
If you want hard data, spin up a few fresh domains, give each a different mix of high-DR vs. mid-DR vs. low-DR links (root vs. subpages), then track their DR weekly for a few months. You’ll quickly see which link profile actually boosts your score.