You cannot reliably improve Domain Rating by changing a meta tag or adding more pages to a site. DR is driven primarily by the backlink profile that Ahrefs discovers. The durable strategy is to publish assets that other people have a reason to cite, then make the right people aware of them.
1. Start with a link gap
Use Ahrefs to compare several close competitors. Look for referring domains that link to multiple competitors but not to you. Group the opportunities by topic and audience instead of treating every domain as equally valuable.
2. Create a useful linkable asset
Original research, clear templates, calculators, expert roundups, data visualizations, and genuinely comprehensive guides can attract links when they solve a real problem. Add a clear methodology and keep the asset updated so it remains worth citing.
3. Promote to relevant people
Outreach works best when the recipient has a reason to care. Write a concise, personal note that explains what is new, who it helps, and where it fits into an existing article. Avoid mass messages and paid link schemes that can create risk without creating value.
4. Reclaim what you already earned
Audit broken pages, unlinked brand mentions, redirects, and lost backlinks. A relevant redirect or a polite request to update an outdated URL can recover value from work you have already done.
5. Measure quality, not just DR
Track referring domains, links to priority pages, organic visibility, referral traffic, and conversions. Check your score occasionally with the Domain Rating Checker, but do not make it the only KPI.
Build for the reader first. A stronger backlink profile should follow from stronger work.
For definitions, read what DR means, and for a metric comparison see DR vs. DA.