URL Rating (UR) is a metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the backlink strength of an individual webpage on a 0–100 scale. It is designed to show how strong a page’s link profile is based on the links pointing to it and the way authority can flow through its internal and external links.
One important clarification: URL Rating is an Ahrefs proprietary metric, not a Google ranking factor. Google does not publish a metric called URL Rating, and there is no evidence that Google uses Ahrefs UR directly when ranking pages.
That distinction matters when using UR for SEO analysis. It can be useful for comparing pages and evaluating backlink strength, but it should not be treated as a score that Google uses to determine rankings.
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What Is URL Rating?
URL Rating is Ahrefs’ page-level metric for estimating the strength of a webpage’s backlink profile. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores generally indicating a stronger link profile.
UR focuses on an individual URL, rather than an entire website.
For example, a website may have a high Domain Rating while one of its newer blog posts has a relatively low URL Rating. The domain may have strong backlinks overall, but that authority does not automatically mean every page has an equally strong backlink profile.
UR is therefore useful when evaluating specific pages for:
- Backlink strength
- Competitor page analysis
- Link-building opportunities
- Internal linking decisions
- Content performance research
The metric should be viewed as an SEO analysis tool rather than a direct measure of Google ranking potential.
URL Rating vs. Domain Rating
UR and Domain Rating are both Ahrefs metrics, but they measure different levels of a website’s link profile.
A page can have a high UR on a low-DR domain, although this is less common. Likewise, a high-DR website can contain pages with relatively low UR.
This is why looking at both metrics can provide more context.
If you are researching why a competitor’s specific page ranks well, checking the page’s UR and its referring domains can be more useful than looking only at the website’s DR.
How Is URL Rating Calculated?
Ahrefs describes UR as a logarithmic score from 0 to 100 that reflects the strength of a page’s backlink profile.
The calculation considers links pointing to the page, including the way link authority can flow through the site’s internal and external links. Ahrefs has also explained that dofollow links pass UR, while nofollow links do not contribute in the same way.
However, Ahrefs does not publicly disclose every detail of the algorithm. That means it is better to avoid treating simplified UR formulas found online as the exact calculation used by Ahrefs.
Several principles are important when interpreting the metric.
Dofollow links matter. Ahrefs states that UR is based on dofollow backlinks, meaning not every link pointing to a page contributes equally to its score.
Internal links matter too. A page can receive authority through internal links from other pages on the same website. This makes site architecture relevant when analysing UR.
Link quality matters. Ten links from weak or low-quality pages should not automatically be considered stronger than a smaller number of links from authoritative pages.
The linking page matters. A backlink from a strong page can contribute more value than a backlink from a page with little link authority.
Because Ahrefs has not published the complete algorithm, the safest approach is to use these principles without assuming that every detail of UR’s calculation is publicly known.7
Why Is the URL Rating Scale Logarithmic?
UR uses a logarithmic scale, which means moving higher on the scale becomes progressively harder.
A simple way to understand this is to compare moving from 10 to 20 with moving from 70 to 80.
Both changes look like an increase of 10 points. However, they do not represent an equal increase in underlying link strength.
The higher the UR becomes, the more difficult it generally is to move the score further upward.
This prevents the metric from behaving like a simple percentage.
A UR of 80 is not simply “twice as strong” as a UR of 40. Treating the score that way can lead to misleading conclusions.
The logarithmic design is also why chasing a particular UR number is usually less useful than improving the actual quality of a page’s backlink profile.
What Can Affect or Lower URL Rating?
UR can change as a page gains, loses, or changes its backlink relationships.
Several situations can influence the metric.
Losing strong backlinks: If valuable referring pages remove their links, redirect, disappear, or stop passing value, the affected page’s link strength can change.
Weak internal linking: A page that receives little internal support may have fewer opportunities to benefit from authority flowing through the site’s architecture.
Low-quality backlinks: A large number of weak links does not automatically create a strong UR. Link quality and the authority of linking pages matter.
Heavy reliance on nofollow links: Nofollow links do not pass UR in the same way as dofollow links, so a backlink profile containing mostly nofollow links may not produce the same UR as one with relevant dofollow links.
Changes to linking pages: UR can change when the pages linking to your URL gain or lose authority themselves.
This is another reason not to judge SEO performance from UR alone. A change in the number can reflect changes elsewhere in the web’s link graph, not necessarily something you did directly to the page.
How to Check URL Rating
You can check UR using Ahrefs’ SEO tools.
One common approach is to use Site Explorer and enter the exact URL you want to analyse. Ahrefs can then provide page-level backlink information along with metrics such as UR.
You can use UR to investigate:
- Your most authoritative pages
- Competitor landing pages
- Pages with strong backlinks
- Pages that need internal links
- Potential link-building targets
When analysing a page, don’t stop at the UR number. Also examine its referring domains, backlink quality, anchor text, organic traffic, and relevance.
A page with UR 50 and strong relevant referring domains may be more useful to study than a page with UR 60 that has questionable or irrelevant links.
How to Improve URL Rating
There is no legitimate shortcut for increasing UR. The most useful approach is to improve the page’s overall link profile.
Earn backlinks to important pages
Instead of building links only to your homepage, identify pages that directly support your business goals. These might include detailed guides, research reports, product resources, or important service pages.
Strengthen internal linking
Link relevant pages to one another using descriptive, natural anchor text. A strong internal linking structure can help authority flow between related pages while making navigation easier for users.
Create pages worth referencing
Original research, useful tools, detailed resources, statistics, and genuinely helpful guides are more likely to attract editorial links.
Build relationships with relevant websites
Outreach works better when you focus on websites that have genuine topical relevance rather than simply chasing high metric scores.
Review your backlink profile regularly
Monitor new and lost backlinks so you can identify meaningful changes and investigate unexpected patterns.
The goal should not be “get UR 70.” The better goal is to build a page that deserves links from relevant, trustworthy websites.
Want an expert read on your backlink profile?
Brimcove can review your most important pages and flag what’s actually holding UR back.
Does URL Rating Correlate With Google Rankings?
Research and SEO industry analysis have found a positive relationship between backlink strength metrics such as UR and search rankings. However, correlation does not mean that UR directly causes higher rankings.
Google does not use Ahrefs’ UR score as a ranking factor.
The more reasonable interpretation is that strong UR can indicate that a page has a stronger backlink profile, and backlinks themselves can be relevant to search performance. This does not mean that increasing UR alone will improve rankings.
Rankings depend on many factors, including:
Use UR as a diagnostic metric rather than a ranking target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
URL Rating is a useful Ahrefs metric for understanding the backlink strength of an individual webpage. It can help SEO professionals compare pages, identify link-building opportunities, and evaluate internal linking structures.
However, UR should never be confused with a Google ranking factor. It is a third-party metric, and Ahrefs does not publish every detail of how its score is calculated.
The most effective approach is to use UR as one piece of a broader SEO analysis. Focus on earning relevant backlinks, improving internal linking, creating valuable content, and building pages that deserve to be referenced.
Want to build UR the right way — relevant, editorial links?
Brimcove manually vets every placement before outreach, not after delivery.
