How does SubmitWell improve my website's ranking (SEO)?

We manually submit your startup to 100+ high-authority directories, creating quality dofollow and nofollow backlinks. These backlinks improve your domain rating (DR) and help search engines recognize your site as more trustworthy, leading to better rankings.

Do you use bots to submit?

No, we use 100% manual submissions. Our team manually reviews each directory and submits your startup by hand to ensure quality and proper categorization. This approach results in higher acceptance rates compared to automated tools.

Do you guarantee coverage/acceptance?

We guarantee that all submissions will be completed manually and professionally. We cannot guarantee acceptance by every directory (as each has their own review process), but we ensure quality submissions to all directories in your package.

Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: What's the Difference?

Domain Rating (DR) — Ahrefs

Domain Rating is a metric created by Ahrefs. It measures the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale of 0–100. DR is calculated based on:

The number of unique referring domains (websites linking to you)
The DR of those referring domains
Whether the links are dofollow

DR is logarithmic — moving from DR 70 to 80 is much harder than moving from DR 0 to 10. You can check any website's DR for free using the Ahrefs Domain Rating Checker or SubmitWell's free DR tool.

Domain Authority (DA) — Moz

Domain Authority is Moz's equivalent metric, also on a scale of 0–100. It's calculated using Moz's own web crawler and link index. DA considers similar factors to DR — number of linking domains, quality of those domains, and link patterns.

Neither DR nor DA is a Google metric. Both are third-party approximations of how Google assesses domain strength. They're imperfect but highly correlated with actual Google rankings.

Which Should You Track?

Track whichever tool you're already using. If you use Ahrefs for keyword research, track DR. If you use Moz, track DA.

The free DR checker is widely accessible
Ahrefs has a larger link index than Moz
DR scores tend to correlate more closely with actual Google rankings in most studies

The important thing is consistency — pick one metric and track it over time to measure your backlink building progress.

Why the Numbers Often Differ Between Tools

Your DR on Ahrefs and DA on Moz are often different numbers — sometimes significantly. This is normal and expected. Each tool has its own web crawler with different coverage, and each uses a proprietary algorithm. Neither is "right" — they're both approximations.

Don't obsess over the absolute number. Focus on the trend: is your DR/DA going up over time as you build backlinks? That's the signal that matters.

How to Improve Both Metrics

The underlying driver of both DR and DA is the same: quality backlinks from high-authority domains.

The fastest way to build both metrics from zero:

1. Directory submissions — 50+ backlinks from DR 40–90 platforms in one submission run 2. HARO — High-DR editorial backlinks from media mentions 3. Guest posts — Targeted backlinks from industry-relevant, high-authority blogs 4. Linkable tools and content — Assets that naturally attract backlinks over time

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google use Domain Rating or Domain Authority?

Neither. Google has its own internal PageRank algorithm that it doesn't publish. DR and DA are third-party approximations that correlate with Google's signals but are not the same thing.

What DR/DA should I aim for?

For early-stage startups, DR 20–30 is a meaningful first milestone. This level of domain authority supports ranking for low-competition long-tail keywords. DR 40+ starts to give you an edge in more competitive niches.

My DR dropped — what happened?

DR can drop if links are removed, if Ahrefs updates its crawler and finds fewer live links, or if competing websites grew their DR faster than you. A small drop doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.