--- title: "URL Rating | Sales Glossary" description: "Strength of page's backlink profile. SEO metric. Learn key concepts, industry benchmarks, and best practices." canonical: "https://firstsales.io/sales/glossary/url-rating/" --- [Home](/)/[Glossary](/sales/glossary/)/URL Rating U, Sales Glossary # URL Rating Strength of page's backlink profile. SEO metric. [Back to glossary](/sales/glossary/) ## What is URL Rating? URL Rating (UR) is an SEO metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a specific page's backlink profile on a 0-100 logarithmic scale. Similar to Domain Rating (which measures overall domain strength), URL Rating focuses on individual pages. **Key Characteristics:** * **Scale:** 0-100, logarithmic (harder to increase as you go higher) * **Page-Level:** Measures individual pages, not entire domains * **Backlink-Focused:** Based primarily on quantity and quality of backlinks * **Relative:** UR is relative to other websites in Ahrefs' database --- ## How URL Rating Is Calculated URL Rating considers: **Backlink Quantity:** * Number of unique domains linking to the page * Total number of backlinks **Backlink Quality:** * URL Rating of linking pages * Domain Rating of linking domains * Relevance of linking sites **Dofollow vs Nofollow:** * Dofollow links pass full authority * Nofollow links have minimal impact on UR **Logarithmic Scale:** * Going from UR 10 to 20 is easier than 80 to 90 * Each point becomes harder to achieve as UR increases --- ## URL Rating vs Domain Rating | Aspect | URL Rating | Domain Rating | | ------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------ | | Scope | Single page | Entire domain | | Use Case | Page-level SEO decisions | Overall site authority | | Typical Value | Lower than DR (usually) | Higher (accumulates all pages) | | Example | Blog post ranking | Homepage authority | **Example Scenario:** A homepage might have DR 70 (accumulated authority from all backlinks), but a specific blog post might have UR 35 (only backlinks directly to that page). --- ## Why URL Rating Matters ### SEO Performance **Search Rankings:** Higher UR pages tend to rank better because they have stronger backlink profiles. Search engines interpret quality backlinks as endorsements. **Link Building:** When acquiring backlinks, getting links from high-UR pages passes more authority than links from low-UR pages. **Content Strategy:** UR helps identify which pages on your site have earned strong backlinks and can be leveraged for internal linking. ### Competitive Analysis **Benchmarking:** Compare your UR to competitors targeting the same keywords. If your UR is significantly lower, you may need more quality backlinks. **Gap Analysis:** Identify pages where you're competitive in UR and where you're disadvantaged. --- ## Typical URL Rating Values **Understanding the Scale:** | UR Range | Description | Ranking Potential | | -------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | 0-20 | New or few backlinks | Low competition keywords only | | 21-40 | Some authority building | Moderate competition possible | | 41-60 | Established authority | Competitive keywords achievable | | 61-80 | Strong authority | High competition keywords viable | | 81-100 | Exceptional authority | Can rank for very competitive terms | **Realistic Expectations:** * New pages start at UR 0 * Quality content + outreach can reach 20-40 UR in 6-12 months * Viral content or comprehensive guides can reach 40-60 UR * Pages linking to your site also boost your site's DR --- ## Improving URL Rating ### 1\. Create Link-Worthy Content **Content Types That Attract Links:** * Original research and studies * Comprehensive guides (3,000+ words) * Data visualizations and infographics * Free tools and calculators * Expert roundups and surveys ### 2\. Link Building Outreach **Effective Strategies:** * Guest posting on quality sites * HARO (Help a Reporter) responses * Broken link building * Resource page link building * Digital PR and newsworthy content ### 3\. Internal Linking **Leverage High-UR Pages:** * Identify your highest UR pages * Internally link from these to target pages * Pass authority strategically to important content ### 4\. Promote Your Content **Distribution Channels:** * Social media shares (don't directly impact UR but create visibility) * Email outreach to influencers * Content syndication (with canonical tags) * Community engagement in forums and groups --- ## Using URL Rating for SEO Strategy ### Content Planning **Opportunity Analysis:** 1. Find target keywords 2. Check UR of top-ranking pages 3. If their UR is significantly higher, the keyword may be difficult 4. Target keywords where top pages have similar or lower UR ### Internal Linking Structure **Best Practices:** * Link from high-UR pages to important commercial pages * Use descriptive anchor text * Keep internal links relevant and natural * Don't overdo it-link when genuinely helpful ### Link Building Prioritization **Focus Strategy:** * Target high-DR/UR sites for backlinks * One link from UR 70+ is worth dozens from UR 20 sites * Quality over quantity always wins in SEO --- ## Common Misconceptions ### "Higher UR Always Means Better Rankings" **Reality:** UR is one factor among hundreds. Content quality, relevance, on-page SEO, and user experience also matter significantly. ### "UR Is a Google Metric" **Reality:** UR is an Ahrefs proprietary metric. Google doesn't use it directly. However, the underlying factors (backlinks) ARE ranking factors. ### "I Should Only Build Links to High-UR Pages" **Reality:** Natural link profiles include links from various UR levels. Diversify your link sources for authenticity. --- ## Key Takeaways * URL Rating measures individual page backlink strength (0-100 scale) * Based on quantity and quality of backlinks to a specific page * Logarithmic scale: each point harder to achieve as UR increases * Higher UR correlates with better search rankings * Improve through: link-worthy content, outreach, internal linking * Use for: competitive analysis, content planning, link building strategy * Not a Google metric, but reflects actual ranking factors (backlinks) * Focus on quality over quantity when building backlinks ## Related Terms [UUnsubscribe LinkOne-click option to stop receiving emails. Legally required.View term](/sales/glossary/unsubscribe-link/)[UUnsubscribe RatePercentage of recipients opting out. Under 0.5% is good.View term](/sales/glossary/unsubscribe-rate/)[UUpsellSelling higher-tier product to existing customer.View term](/sales/glossary/upsell/)[UUser IntentPurpose behind user's search or action.View term](/sales/glossary/user-intent/) ## Put these terms to work, on autopilot FirstSales scrapes the web for your leads, writes every email, follows up automatically, and books meetings to your calendar. 87% inbox placement from $29/mo. [Start your AI SDR for $1](https://app.firstsales.io) Live in 8 minutes. Cancel anytime.