In the world of SEO, not all links are created equal. While link building remains a cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy, the quality of those links is just as important as their quantity. This is where link metrics like Domain Authority (DA), Domain Rating (DR), and Trust Flow (TF) come into play. These metrics help SEO professionals evaluate the strength and trustworthiness of a website’s backlink profile. But with so many metrics available—and each provided by different SEO tools—it’s natural to ask: Which one matters most?
This comprehensive guide will dive deep into the nuances of DA, DR, and TF—what they are, how they’re calculated, their limitations, and how to use them effectively for your link building strategy in 2025.
What Are Link Building Metrics?
Link building metrics are third-party indicators used to assess the authority, trustworthiness, and strength of a website based on its backlink profile. Since Google’s actual algorithm is proprietary and not publicly disclosed, SEO tools create their own scoring systems to estimate how likely a website is to rank well based on backlinks.
The three most commonly used metrics in link building are:
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Domain Authority (DA) – from Moz
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Domain Rating (DR) – from Ahrefs
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Trust Flow (TF) – from Majestic
Each of these scores reflects a different methodology and data set. Let’s examine them one by one.
Domain Authority (DA) – Moz
What Is DA?
Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz to predict how well a website is likely to rank on search engines. It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher numbers indicating stronger ranking potential.
How DA Is Calculated
Moz uses over 40 signals to calculate DA, including:
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Quality and quantity of inbound links
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Linking root domains
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Moz’s proprietary MozRank and MozTrust metrics
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Link profile patterns
Importantly, DA is a relative metric. It doesn’t measure your site in isolation but compares it to others in Moz’s index.
Pros of DA
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Widely recognized in the SEO community
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Updated regularly
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Helps gauge link-building progress over time
Cons of DA
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Easily manipulated with spammy backlinks
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Doesn’t always reflect link relevance or trustworthiness
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Heavily based on quantity, not just quality
Domain Rating (DR) – Ahrefs
What Is DR?
Domain Rating is Ahrefs’ metric that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. It focuses solely on backlinks and the authority of referring domains.
How DR Is Calculated
Ahrefs calculates DR based on:
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Quantity and quality of unique referring domains
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Strength of referring domains (based on their DR)
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How many do-follow backlinks a domain receives
Like DA, DR is also a relative measure, meaning your DR can change even if your backlink profile remains the same—depending on the link landscape around you.
Pros of DR
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Reflects backlink strength accurately
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Harder to game than DA
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Provides context through backlink growth and referring domains
Cons of DR
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Doesn’t consider on-page or technical SEO factors
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Can sometimes overvalue links from link farms or PBNs
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Doesn’t assess link relevance
Trust Flow (TF) – Majestic
What Is TF?
Trust Flow is Majestic’s metric that measures how trustworthy a site is based on the quality of its backlinks. It is scored between 0 and 100 and often used in combination with Citation Flow (CF).
How TF Is Calculated
Majestic calculates TF by analyzing:
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The quality of referring domains, based on a manually reviewed seed set of trusted websites (e.g., BBC, NASA, Wikipedia)
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The proximity of a domain to those trusted sources
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The flow of trust through the link graph
Pros of TF
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Emphasizes trust over raw link volume
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Helps detect spammy sites
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Great for filtering out low-quality link opportunities
Cons of TF
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Less commonly used than DA or DR
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Not updated as frequently
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Can produce wide variations in data compared to other tools
Comparative Analysis: DA vs DR vs TF
| Metric | Provider | Focus | Scoring Scale | Key Strengths | Common Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority (DA) | Moz | Ranking potential (general) | 1–100 | Industry standard, easy to use | Initial vetting of prospects |
| Domain Rating (DR) | Ahrefs | Backlink profile strength | 0–100 | Link-specific, harder to manipulate | Competitive backlink analysis |
| Trust Flow (TF) | Majestic | Link trustworthiness | 0–100 | Spam detection, link quality filters | Cleaning backlink profiles |
Which Metric Should You Trust?
There’s no single “best” metric—each serves a different purpose. Here’s when to use which:
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Use DA if you’re doing broad-level outreach or pitching to clients unfamiliar with SEO. It’s well-known and widely used.
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Use DR when you want a detailed view of a domain’s backlink strength, especially when assessing competitive gaps or link building ROI.
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Use TF when you’re screening for spam or low-trust domains. It’s particularly useful when evaluating PBNs, expired domains, or for disavow work.
The smartest SEOs often combine all three metrics—along with manual checks—to build a more complete picture of a website’s authority.
Metric Manipulation: A Cautionary Note
It’s possible to artificially inflate DA and DR using spammy link tactics like:
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Buying bulk links from low-quality directories
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Creating massive blog comment campaigns
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Using private blog networks (PBNs)
These links might boost metrics temporarily but can harm SEO long-term. TF is better at spotting manipulation because it focuses on trust signals, but it’s not immune either.
Don’t chase numbers—chase real value. A backlink from a DR 30 website in your niche can be far more powerful than one from a DR 70 irrelevant domain.
Beyond Metrics: What Else Matters in Link Building?
Relying only on DA, DR, or TF is risky. Other crucial factors to evaluate include:
1. Relevance
A backlink from a highly relevant site in your niche is more valuable than a random high-authority domain.
2. Anchor Text
Natural and diverse anchor text is essential for a healthy backlink profile.
3. Traffic
Links from sites with real, organic traffic (especially from your target audience) often have greater SEO and referral value.
4. Indexation
Ensure the linking page is indexed in Google. A powerful domain means little if the specific URL isn’t indexed.
5. Link Placement
Contextual in-content links carry more weight than footer or sidebar links.
6. Link Type
Do-follow links pass equity; no-follow and sponsored links often don’t (with exceptions). Use a mix for natural link profiles.
How to Use Link Metrics Strategically
Here are some tips for integrating DA, DR, and TF into your outreach and link-building process:
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Set minimum benchmarks: For example, target sites with DA > 30, DR > 40, and TF > 15.
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Use filters: When scraping sites or using platforms like Hunter, Pitchbox, or BuzzStream, use these metrics to refine your prospect list.
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Combine with manual vetting: Check for content quality, audience engagement, link profile health, and traffic before reaching out.
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Monitor changes: Metrics fluctuate. Use tools like Moz Link Explorer, Ahrefs Site Explorer, and Majestic regularly to track variations.
Tools That Show Multiple Metrics
Several tools help combine and display DA, DR, and TF together:
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SEOquake (browser plugin): Shows DA, TF, CF, and more at a glance.
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NinjaOutreach: Displays multiple domain metrics for outreach.
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LinkResearchTools: Offers deep link analysis using multiple data sources.
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BuzzStream / Respona: Allows filtering link opportunities based on DA, DR, etc.
Final Verdict: Which Link Metric Matters Most?
If you had to choose one metric to prioritize, Domain Rating (DR) tends to be the most reliable for link builders because it focuses purely on backlinks—the core of off-page SEO.
However, the best approach is to use DR for strength, TF for trust, and DA for communication and familiarity.
Don’t get caught in the metrics trap. A well-placed, niche-relevant link on a trusted site will always trump inflated numbers on a generic, irrelevant blog.
Conclusion
Understanding link metrics is critical for running successful, scalable link building campaigns. While DA, DR, and TF offer valuable insights, none are perfect on their own. Use them in combination, along with qualitative analysis, to guide your outreach, vet backlink sources, and build a portfolio of high-value, trustworthy links that drive long-term SEO growth.
Remember: Metrics are indicators, not goals. Focus on value, relevance, and user experience—and the rankings will follow.