Domain authority
A metric predicting how likely a domain is to rank in search results.
What is Domain authority?
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, with higher scores corresponding to greater ranking ability.
While DA isn't a Google ranking factor, it correlates with ranking success and serves as a useful comparative metric. Other SEO tools have similar metrics: Ahrefs' Domain Rating (DR) and SEMrush's Authority Score.
Why Domain authority matters
Domain authority helps you understand your site's competitive position and track authority growth over time. It's useful for link building (evaluating link opportunities) and competitive analysis.
How to implement
Build high-quality backlinks over time
Remove or disavow toxic links
Create linkable content assets
Improve internal linking structure
Maintain consistent publishing schedule
Focus on authority in your niche
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating DA as an official Google metric
- Expecting DA to increase quickly
- Comparing DA across different industries
- Buying links to artificially inflate DA
Examples
New sites typically start at DA 1-10
Established businesses often have DA 30-50
Major publications have DA 80-90+
Frequently asked questions
No, DA is a third-party metric created by Moz. Google has confirmed they don't use it. However, DA correlates with factors Google does consider, like backlink quality.
DA growth is gradual. Legitimate growth of 5-10 points per year is good for most sites. Rapid increases often indicate manipulation or measurement changes.