Domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. Scores range from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate stronger ranking potential. DA is not a Google metric but it correlates with actual search performance.
What Domain Authority Actually Measures
Moz created Domain Authority as a comparative metric for evaluating the relative strength of a website’s backlink profile. The score uses a machine learning model trained on Google search results to predict ranking likelihood. It factors in the total number of linking root domains, the quality of those links, the diversity of linking sources and several other signals from Moz’s Link Explorer index.
DA operates on a logarithmic scale. Moving from DA 20 to DA 30 requires significantly less effort than moving from DA 50 to DA 60. The higher your score the harder it becomes to increase because you need exponentially more high-quality links to move the needle.
DA vs. Page Authority
Domain Authority measures the strength of your entire domain. Page Authority (PA) measures the ranking strength of a single page. Both use the same scoring methodology but at different levels. A page on a high-DA domain does not automatically have high PA. Individual pages need their own backlinks and optimization to rank.
Other Authority Metrics
Moz is not the only company offering authority scores. Ahrefs uses Domain Rating (DR), SEMrush uses Authority Score and Majestic uses Trust Flow and Citation Flow. Each uses different data sources and algorithms. None of them are used by Google directly. They all serve the same purpose: giving SEO practitioners a quick way to compare the relative strength of different domains.
Why Domain Authority Matters for SEO
Google has repeatedly stated that it does not use any third-party authority score in its algorithm. This is true. However DA correlates strongly with factors Google does use. Understanding DA helps you make better SEO decisions even though Google does not look at the number itself.
Competitive Analysis
DA gives you a quick way to assess the competition for any keyword. If the top 10 results for your target keyword all have DA scores above 70 and your site has a DA of 15 you know you need a different strategy. You might target longer-tail variations, focus on local modifiers or build more links before competing for that term.
Link Prospecting
When building backlinks DA helps you evaluate potential link sources. A link from a DA 60 site carries more weight than a link from a DA 10 site (assuming both are relevant and legitimate). DA provides a fast screening metric when you are evaluating hundreds of potential link targets.
Progress Tracking
DA serves as a directional indicator of your link building progress over time. A steadily increasing DA suggests your link building efforts are working. A declining DA signals you are losing links faster than you are gaining them or that your competitors are outpacing you.
The Important Caveat
DA is a proxy metric. It predicts rankings but does not determine them. A site with DA 30 can outrank a site with DA 70 for specific queries if the lower-DA site has better content, more relevant topical authority and stronger on-page optimization. Never chase DA as a goal in itself. Chase the factors that DA reflects: quality backlinks, relevant content and a technically sound website.
How to Improve Your Domain Authority
Build High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are the primary driver of DA. Not all backlinks are equal. One link from a reputable industry publication outweighs hundreds of links from low-quality directories or blog comment spam.
Effective link building strategies include:
- Creating linkable assets like original research, comprehensive guides, free tools and data-driven studies that other sites want to reference
- Guest posting on relevant industry blogs where you contribute genuine expertise (not thinly veiled promotional content)
- Digital PR by pitching newsworthy data, expert commentary and original insights to journalists and publications
- Broken link building where you find broken outbound links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement
- HARO and quoted sources by responding to journalist queries on platforms like Help A Reporter Out, Connectively and Qwoted
Earn Links from Diverse Domains
Link diversity matters. Ten links from ten different domains strengthen your DA more than ten links from the same domain. Focus on expanding the number of unique referring domains rather than accumulating multiple links from sites that already link to you.
Remove or Disavow Toxic Links
Spammy backlinks from link farms, irrelevant foreign-language sites and known penalty-associated domains can drag down your authority metrics and potentially trigger a manual action from Google. Audit your backlink profile quarterly using Moz Link Explorer, Ahrefs or Google Search Console. Disavow links you cannot get removed manually.
Publish Authoritative Content Consistently
Content attracts backlinks. Sites that publish consistently build larger link profiles over time because every new piece of content is another opportunity for other sites to reference and link to. Quality matters more than quantity. One well-researched, comprehensive guide earns more links than ten shallow posts.
Strengthen Your Internal Link Structure
Internal links distribute authority across your site. When a high-authority page links to a newer or weaker page it passes some of its strength. Build a logical internal linking structure where your most authoritative pages link to related content deeper in your site. This does not directly increase DA but it improves individual page rankings which can lead to more external links.
Fix Technical SEO Issues
While technical SEO does not directly impact DA it affects your ability to rank which influences whether you attract backlinks. Ensure your site loads fast, has no crawl errors, uses proper canonical tags and maintains a clean URL structure. A technically broken site discourages other webmasters from linking to it.
Domain Authority Benchmarks by Industry
DA is relative. Here are general ranges to contextualize your score:
| DA Range | Typical Sites |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | New websites, personal blogs, recently launched businesses |
| 11-20 | Small local businesses, new startups with some initial link building |
| 21-30 | Established small businesses, niche industry sites with active content marketing |
| 31-40 | Growing businesses with consistent SEO efforts and a solid backlink profile |
| 41-50 | Well-established businesses, popular industry blogs, regional news sites |
| 51-60 | Large companies, authoritative industry resources, established publications |
| 61-80 | Major brands, national news outlets, government and educational institutions |
| 81-100 | Global brands (Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, BBC, government domains) |
The most important comparison is against your direct competitors. If your top three competitors have DA scores of 25, 30 and 35 and your site sits at 20 you are within striking distance. If they are all above 60 you need a longer-term strategy with aggressive content marketing and data-driven link building.
Common Domain Authority Myths
Myth: Google Uses Domain Authority
Google does not use Moz’s DA, Ahrefs’ DR or any third-party metric. Google has its own internal signals (many of which are not public) for evaluating site authority. DA is an approximation created by an outside company. It is useful for SEO practitioners but it is not a Google ranking factor.
Myth: Higher DA Always Means Higher Rankings
DA predicts ranking probability across all keywords. For any specific query content relevance, topical authority, user intent alignment and on-page optimization can all override raw domain strength. A focused niche site with DA 25 can dominate its specific topic against generalist sites with much higher scores.
Myth: You Can Buy Domain Authority
Services that promise to increase your DA for a fee almost always use spammy link building tactics. Purchased links from private blog networks (PBNs), link farms and low-quality directories may temporarily inflate DA but they put your site at risk of a Google manual action. The penalty wipes out any short-term gains and can take months to recover from.
Myth: DA Drops Mean Your SEO Is Failing
DA fluctuates for many reasons unrelated to your SEO performance. Moz periodically updates its index and algorithm which can cause score changes across the board. Competitor link growth can also cause your relative score to shift. Always check your actual organic traffic and keyword rankings before reacting to a DA change.
Building Authority the Right Way
Real authority comes from being genuinely useful and authoritative in your space. The sites with the highest DA earned it by creating content people want to reference, building relationships with industry peers and maintaining technical excellence over years.
There are no shortcuts. Link schemes get penalized. Purchased links get devalued. Manipulative tactics carry risk that outweighs any temporary benefit.
Focus on three things: create content worth linking to, promote that content to the right audiences and maintain a technically sound website. DA follows naturally.
If you want to know where your domain authority stands and what specific actions will improve it, request a free SEO audit from our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good domain authority score?
Domain authority is relative to your competitors not an absolute benchmark. A DA of 30 might be excellent in a niche local market but low in a competitive national industry. Compare your DA to sites that rank for your target keywords rather than aiming for an arbitrary number.
Does Google use domain authority as a ranking factor?
No. Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz not Google. Google does not use DA in its algorithm. However DA correlates with factors Google does use, particularly backlink quality and quantity. A high DA generally indicates strong backlink signals which do influence Google rankings.
How long does it take to increase domain authority?
Building domain authority is a long-term process. Most sites see meaningful DA increases over 6 to 12 months of consistent link building and content publishing. Quick gains are rare and often indicate manipulative tactics that risk penalties. Focus on steady progress through quality content and earned backlinks.
Can domain authority go down?
Yes. DA can decrease when you lose backlinks, when Moz updates its index and recalculates scores or when other sites gain links faster than yours. A DA drop does not necessarily mean your SEO performance declined. Check your actual rankings and organic traffic before reacting to DA fluctuations.
Related: what link building is
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