How Digital PR Increases Online Authority (and How to Measure It)

Digital PR is one of the most reliable ways to strengthen online authority, but most teams are unsure how to measure progress or set realistic expectations. This guide breaks down what actually impacts authority, what Domain Rating really means, and the patterns we see across long-term digital PR programs.

Most marketers know that links from reputable editorial sites help increase trust and rankings. What is less obvious is how authority actually grows over time, and the nuances associated with evaluating a backlink profile. Competitors may have thousands more (or less) backlinks than you, but link totals alone do not tell the full story.

Search engines look at far more than volume. They evaluate the number of unique referring domains, the quality and relevance of linking sites, and the pace at which new backlinks appear. Authority grows when these signals strengthen together.

We analyzed the authority growth of more than twenty client websites with over one hundred combined years of digital PR behind them. Here is what the numbers show.

What Is Domain Rating?

Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile on a scale of 0 to 100.

A “good” DR depends on your industry and competitor set. As a general benchmark:

How to Increase Domain Rating

Growing DR requires earning authoritative backlinks from reputable sites. Digital PR is one of the most effective ways to build these signals.

Most successful digital PR content falls into one of several formats:

The content should be relevant to your industry without acting as a direct advertisement. Journalists cite content that helps them tell a story, not content that sells a product.

What Drives Meaningful DR Growth

Not all backlinks help authority. These are the signals that matter most:

Referring domains.
Search engines value the number of unique websites linking to you more than the total number of links. Ten links from one site are not as impactful as ten links from ten different sites.

Authority of the linking site.
A link from a trusted publisher passes more credibility than a link from an unknown or low-authority site.

Topical relevance.
Links from sites that align with your subject matter carry more trust than unrelated placements.

Consistency.
Authority grows when backlinks are earned steadily over time, not in short bursts.

These patterns show up clearly in long-term digital PR data.

How Soon Can You Expect Results

DR moves slowly, particularly for sites that already have strong authority. Some websites grow by several points per year, while others stay flat for longer stretches.

The biggest factor is your starting point:

This is why consistency matters more than individual campaign performance.

Our Analysis of 20+ Sites Running Digital PR

We analyzed twenty-four client sites that have partnered with us for at least two years of digital PR. These programs span multiple industries and authority levels.

Here is what the data shows:

Campaign frequency also influences growth:

What this means for you

Low authority sites see meaningful progress quickly. Mid-range sites grow steadily with consistent PR. High authority sites can still grow, but the percentage lift is smaller because the bar is higher.

Keep in mind that the impact of DR growth is all relative to your competitors. If you increase one point within a year, while other competitors stay stagnant or even drop in authority, you’ll begin to see your authority surpass theirs in the SERPs.

Example: +8 DR Points in Under Two Years

A dating website partnered with us shortly after launching.
Starting point:

With one DPR campaign each quarter, they reached DR 10 in under two years and added nearly 240 referring domains. The site went from ranking for 20 keywords to 1,200+, increasing organic traffic by 155% and conversions by 273%. 

Example: Breaking Through a DR of 60

United Way NCA began working with Go Fish with a strong DR of 60. Over six years and one DPR campaign each quarter, they gained an additional 5 DR points, which is significant at that authority level. The total number of ranking keywords went from 628 to 15,300+ during that time periodand organic traffic increased by more than 11,500%. 

FAQ: Digital PR, Domain Rating, and Authority Signals

How long does it take to increase Domain Rating?

Most sites see DR move gradually. On average, clients gain about 3 points per year, with faster growth for lower DR sites and slower movement for high-authority sites.

Is Domain Rating the same as Domain Authority?

No. DR is an Ahrefs metric and DA is a Moz metric. Both estimate backlink authority but are not used by Google.

Do all backlinks increase DR?

No. DR increases primarily when reputable, authoritative, and unique referring domains link to your site.

Can rankings improve even if DR does not?

Yes. DR updates slowly. SEO performance often improves before DR reflects the authority gains.

How many Digital PR campaigns should I run each year?

Our data shows that a minimum of 4 to 6 campaigns per year creates the strongest and most consistent DR growth.

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If you want to strengthen your authority and increase visibility across your most important keywords, Go Fish can help you build a Digital PR strategy tailored to your goals.