For a long time, SEOs lived by the rhythm of Trust Flow (TF) and Citation Flow (CF). These two Majestic indicators were the compass of link building, supposedly reflecting the quality and strength of a backlink profile. But in 2025, let’s be honest: these metrics no longer rule the game.
The decline of Trust Flow: when the metic no longer reflects reality
Majestic was once the favorite tool of SEO experts. Its approach—based on the reliability of links (Trust Flow) and their volume (Citation Flow)—made it easy to quickly assess a domain’s strength.
The problem? These scores eventually became disconnected from real-world performance.
A site with a high TF no longer guarantees strong rankings or stable organic traffic. The correlation between these metrics and Google visibility has collapsed. Even worse: these scores are easy to manipulate. Buying links on well-optimized site networks is enough to inflate Trust Flow—without any real SEO impact.
The Rise of Ahrefs and SEMrush
While Majestic stagnated, Ahrefs and SEMrush pulled ahead. Their strength lies in richer databases, better link freshness, and metrics that more closely reflect real SEO performance.
- Ahrefs has emerged as the new standard with its Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR). These indicators rely on the real popularity of the site (number and quality of links, plus internal linking structure). DR, for example, provides a more stable measurement that correlates better with overall SEO performance.
- SEMrush, on the other hand, brings a broader marketing-driven approach by integrating estimated traffic, organic keywords, and domain value into its Authority Score. A more holistic vision—less dependent on raw link volume.
Useful Metrics… but always contextualized
Should we throw Trust Flow in the trash? Not necessarily.
Majestic remains relevant for very specific purposes: topological link analysis, thematic backlink categorization, and link-network mapping. For technical SEOs, these insights still hold real value—especially when analyzing complex link building structures.
But when evaluating a domain’s “SEO value,” multiple data sources must now be cross-checked.
A high DR without traffic or growth makes no more sense than a TF inflated by artificial links.
In 2025, reliability comes from data convergence, not from a single score.
Toward a New Generation of SEO Indicators
SEO tools are evolving toward smarter, more contextual models. The metrics of tomorrow will no longer focus solely on link strength—they’ll also consider:
- thematic relevance between domains
- freshness of backlinks
- real organic traffic from referring sites
- user behavior (clicks, engagement, bounce rate…)
Signals such as Google Discover presence, unlinked mentions, or visibility in enriched SERPs are becoming more reliable indicators of a brand’s true authority.
What to Remember in 2025
- Trust Flow and Citation Flow are outdated as central metrics: still useful structurally, but no longer predictive.
- Domain Rating (Ahrefs) and Authority Score (SEMrush) offer insights that align more closely with real performance.
- Modern SEO requires cross-checking and contextualizing data, not relying on a single number.
- And above all: the best link isn’t the one that boosts your DR—it’s the one that drives qualified traffic and makes thematic sense.
Today, classic SEO metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow have lost their shine. They remain historical benchmarks, but the winning strategy now relies on cross-analysis, data-driven insights, and relevance.
Link building is no longer about a score—it’s about building real, sustainable authority. And that may be the best evolution SEO has seen in years.
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