Domain Authority is one of the most misunderstood metrics in SEO. Moz developed this ranking score to predict how likely a website is to appear in search engine results. Understanding what Domain Authority measures—and what it doesn’t—can save you from chasing the wrong optimization goals. This guide covers everything you need to know about the metric, how it’s calculated, and how to use it effectively.
What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will perform in search results. The scale ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank. Moz created it in 2005, and it has since become a widely used benchmark, though it’s just one of many SEO metrics available.
The key thing to understand is that Domain Authority is not a metric used by Google. Moz built it as a comparative tool—one that helps you understand your website’s link profile strength relative to competitors. A DA score of 40 doesn’t mean Google assigns some hidden “authority” value to your domain. Instead, it means your site likely has a stronger backlink profile than sites scoring 30, making it more competitive for ranking.
Moz explicitly states that Domain Authority is not a Google ranking factor. The metric exists to help marketers evaluate their SEO efforts and benchmark against competitors. It measures the quantity and quality of inbound links, the diversity of linking domains, and other link-related signals that collectively indicate how established your site is in the digital space.
How is Domain Authority calculated?
The calculation involves multiple factors, though Moz has never released the exact algorithm. What we know comes from Moz’s documentation and reverse-engineering by SEO professionals.
The primary factors include the number of unique linking domains pointing to your site, the total number of backlinks, and the authority of those linking domains. A site with 50 different domains linking to it will typically have a higher DA than a site with 50 links from a single domain. This reflects how Google itself values link diversity—a signal that suggests broader endorsement of your content.
Moz uses a machine learning model to calculate scores. The algorithm was trained on millions of search results to identify patterns that correlate with ranking ability. The model considers factors like linking root domains, the relevance of linking sites, and the quality signals of the link profile. It also incorporates domain age to some degree, though newer sites can absolutely achieve high scores if they build quality links.
One important limitation: DA scores are relative, not absolute. The scale is logarithmic, meaning it becomes progressively harder to move from 70 to 80 than from 20 to 30. This is by design—distinguishing between highly authoritative sites requires finer gradations than differentiating between newer, less established domains.
What is a good Domain Authority score?
There’s no universal “good” score because context matters enormously. A DA of 40 would be exceptional for a local bakery but modest for a major news publication.
Industry benchmarks provide useful reference points. New websites typically start with a DA around 10 to 20. Sites actively building links might reach 30 to 50 within a year or two. Achieving 60+ generally requires significant SEO investment and a diverse, quality backlink profile. The top 1% of websites—major publishers, established brands, and dominant platforms—score above 80.
Rather than fixating on a specific number, compare your score to direct competitors in your niche. If you’re competing against sites with DA scores in the 50s, reaching 60 would represent a meaningful competitive advantage. Chasing scores in the 80s when your industry peers sit in the 30s wastes resources on targets that may not meaningfully improve your actual rankings.
Moz’s own tool provides distribution data showing that most websites score below 50. Roughly 80% of sites have a DA below 50, which means reaching that threshold already puts you ahead of most of the web.
Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
This question generates more confusion than almost any other aspect of the metric. Let me be direct: no, Domain Authority is not a Google ranking factor.
Google has repeatedly confirmed that it does not use Domain Authority or any equivalent proprietary score. Google’s algorithm evaluates individual pages, not entire domains, using its own complex signals that include link profiles, content quality, user experience, and hundreds of other factors.
The misconception persists because DA often correlates with rankings. Sites with strong backlink profiles tend to rank well because those same signals influence Google’s algorithm. But the relationship is correlation, not causation. Improving your DA score doesn’t automatically improve your rankings—the improvement comes from the underlying link-building work that boosts both.
This distinction matters practically. If you focus solely on raising your DA number, you might chase metrics that don’t translate to actual search performance. The goal should be building genuine authority through quality content and legitimate link acquisition—the work that actually moves both DA and rankings in the same direction.
How to check your Domain Authority
Multiple tools offer Domain Authority checks, each using slightly different algorithms.
Moz’s own Link Explorer remains the authoritative source since it’s the metric’s origin. The free version provides basic checks, while paid plans offer more comprehensive data including competitor analysis and link tracking. You’ll find the tool at linkscape.moz.com.
Ahrefs offers Domain Rating (DR), which serves a similar purpose but calculates differently. Their metric focuses on the strength of a site’s backlink profile specifically, without incorporating some of Moz’s additional signals. Many SEO professionals use both DA and DR to get a more complete picture.
Semrush provides an Authority Score that combines backlink data with website traffic and engagement metrics. This gives you a more holistic view of overall domain quality rather than focusing purely on links.
For quick checks without subscriptions, you can use MozBar (a browser extension) or the free version of Link Explorer. These provide sufficient data for basic competitive analysis.
Be consistent with your tool choice when tracking progress. Comparing your DA score from Moz against your DR score from Ahrefs isn’t meaningful—stick with one tool for longitudinal tracking.
How to improve your Domain Authority
Improving Domain Authority requires the same work that improves actual search rankings: building a stronger, more diverse backlink profile.
Focus first on acquiring links from reputable, relevant websites in your industry. A single link from a major industry publication or respected news outlet will typically contribute more to your DA than dozens of links from low-quality directories. Guest posting on authoritative sites, creating linkable assets like original research or comprehensive guides, and earning press coverage through PR efforts all contribute meaningfully.
Technical improvements can support your efforts. Ensure your site uses HTTPS (Google considers security signals), maintain a clean site architecture that distributes link equity effectively, and remove or disavow toxic links that might drag down your profile. Moz offers a Link Explorer tool that identifies potentially harmful links—you can use Google’s Disavow Tool to address serious issues.
Patience matters significantly. DA scores update approximately monthly, and meaningful improvements typically require sustained effort over months or years. The logarithmic scale means building from 30 to 40 happens faster than climbing from 70 to 80. Set realistic expectations and track progress quarterly rather than daily.
One counterintuitive point: obsessing over DA specifically can distract from more impactful work. Your actual rankings depend on page-level factors, content quality, and the relevance of individual pages to specific queries. Building high-DA domain-wide authority helps, but ensure you’re also investing in on-page SEO and content that targets specific keywords.
Domain Authority vs other metrics
Several related metrics exist, each measuring slightly different aspects of site authority.
Page Authority (also from Moz) predicts ranking potential for individual pages rather than entire domains. A page with minimal links might have low PA even if the overall domain scores well. Use PA when evaluating specific landing pages or blog posts.
Trust Flow and Citation Flow come from Majestic. Trust Flow measures the quality of sites linking to you, while Citation Flow measures link quantity. The relationship between the two indicates whether your link profile is balanced or skewed toward either quality or volume.
Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) focuses specifically on backlink profile strength. It tends to be more responsive to link changes than Moz’s DA, making it useful for tracking more immediate impacts of link-building campaigns.
Spam Score, also from Moz, indicates the percentage of sites linking to you that exhibit potentially spammy characteristics. A high Spam Score alongside a high DA suggests your link profile contains problematic links that need addressing.
Understanding which metric matters most for your specific situation helps you prioritize optimization efforts appropriately.
Moving forward
Domain Authority remains a useful comparative metric despite its limitations. It provides a quick way to assess competitive landscapes, track link-building progress, and identify sites worth targeting for outreach. Just remember that the score itself doesn’t influence Google—it’s a diagnostic tool, not a ranking factor.
The real work of building authority hasn’t changed: create valuable content that earns links, build relationships in your industry, and maintain a clean link profile. Do this consistently, and both your DA score and your actual search rankings will improve over time.
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