Domain Authority is one of the most misunderstood metrics in SEO. If you have spent any time reading about SEO, you have almost certainly come across the term — it gets mentioned in blog posts, agency reports, and competitor analyses constantly. But there is a lot of confusion about what domain authority actually is, who created it, and whether you should care about it at all. This guide clears up every common misconception.
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100 developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages. The higher the score, the more likely the site is to rank for competitive keywords.
Key things to understand from the start:
- Domain Authority is not a Google metric — Google does not use DA in its algorithm
- It was created by Moz as a third-party tool for SEO research
- It is a comparative metric — it is most useful for comparing your site against competitors
- A DA of 1 is the lowest, 100 is the highest (Wikipedia, Google, YouTube sit at 90+)
How Is Domain Authority Calculated?
Moz calculates Domain Authority using a machine learning model that factors in dozens of signals, but the most important are:
- Number of backlinks — how many external websites link to your domain
- Quality of backlinks — links from high-DA sites carry more weight than links from low-DA sites
- Linking root domains — the number of unique websites linking to you (1,000 links from 10 sites is worth less than 100 links from 100 different sites)
- Spam score — links from spammy or penalised sites can reduce your DA
DA is calculated on a logarithmic scale — which means going from DA 10 to DA 20 is much easier than going from DA 60 to DA 70.
What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?
DA is relative, not absolute. What counts as "good" depends entirely on your niche and your competitors:
- DA 1–20: New or very small sites — most new websites start here
- DA 21–40: Established sites with some backlinks — can rank for less competitive keywords
- DA 41–60: Strong sites in their niche — competitive for medium difficulty keywords
- DA 61–80: High authority — well-established brands and publications
- DA 81–100: Elite — major news sites, government domains, platforms like Reddit and Wikipedia
If your competitors have a DA of 30 and you have a DA of 25, you are competitive. If they have a DA of 70, you have a longer road ahead.
Domain Authority vs Page Authority vs Domain Rating
These three terms are often confused:
- Domain Authority (DA) — Moz metric for the overall domain
- Page Authority (PA) — Moz metric for a specific page, not the whole domain
- Domain Rating (DR) — Ahrefs equivalent of Domain Authority — calculated differently but similar purpose
DR and DA will rarely give you the same score for the same site. Both are useful for research but neither is a Google ranking signal.
Does Google Use Domain Authority?
No. Google has confirmed multiple times that it does not use Moz DA as a ranking factor. Google has its own internal signals — PageRank being the most well-known — which are not publicly available.
However, the things that improve your Domain Authority — quality backlinks, strong content, trusted links — are also things that improve your actual Google rankings. So improving DA and improving Google rankings tend to go hand in hand, even though DA itself is not the cause.
How to Check Your Domain Authority
You can check your DA for free using:
- Moz Link Explorer — moz.com/link-explorer (free with limited searches)
- MozBar — free Chrome extension that shows DA on any page
- Ahrefs free tools — shows Domain Rating with limited data
Before focusing on improving DA, make sure your on-page SEO is solid. Use our free Meta Tag Generator to optimise your title tags and meta descriptions — these affect how Google reads your pages regardless of your DA score.
How to Improve Domain Authority
Since DA is driven primarily by backlinks, improving it means building a strong backlink profile. Here is what actually works:
1. Create Content That Earns Natural Links
The most reliable way to build backlinks is to publish content that other sites want to reference. This includes:
- Original research and data (surveys, studies, statistics)
- Comprehensive guides on topics in your niche
- Free tools that solve a real problem
- Infographics and visual content
2. Guest Posting
Write articles for other websites in your niche in exchange for a link back to your site. Target sites with a DA higher than yours. The link from their site passes authority to yours.
3. Directory and Listing Submissions
Submit your site to relevant, reputable directories. For a tool site, this means listing on sites like Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, and niche-specific directories. Each listing is a backlink.
4. Fix Broken Links on Other Sites
Find pages in your niche that link to broken URLs (404 pages). Contact the site owner and suggest your relevant content as a replacement. This is called broken link building.
5. Remove Toxic Backlinks
Links from spam sites, link farms, or penalised domains can drag your DA down. Use Moz or Google Search Console to identify and disavow these links.
How Long Does It Take to Improve Domain Authority?
DA improvement is slow. For a new site starting at DA 1, realistic expectations are:
- 3 months of consistent link building: DA 5–15
- 6 months: DA 15–25
- 12 months: DA 25–40 (with strong content and backlinks)
The best approach is to stop obsessing over the number and focus on what drives it — great content and genuine backlinks. The DA score will follow.
Quick Wins to Start Today
- Check your current DA at moz.com/link-explorer
- Check your top 3 competitors DA — know what you are aiming for
- Submit your site to 5 free directories this week
- Write one piece of genuinely useful content that other sites in your niche would want to link to
- Make sure your on-page SEO is solid first — use our free Readability Checker and Keyword Density Checker before publishing anything
Why DA Fluctuates (And When to Worry)
Many site owners panic when their Domain Authority drops unexpectedly. In most cases, DA fluctuations are normal and not a cause for concern. Moz recalculates DA regularly — when it does, your score is benchmarked against the entire web. If many sites gained backlinks faster than yours, your relative score can drop even if your absolute link count stayed the same.
Genuine reasons to investigate a DA drop:
- You lost high-authority backlinks — a site that linked to you removed the link or went offline
- You received a Google penalty — check Search Console for manual actions
- Your spam score increased — low-quality sites linked to you in bulk
The best response to a DA drop is to continue publishing quality content and earning genuine links. Do not chase the number itself — chase the activities that build it.
Domain Authority and Your Content Strategy
Understanding your DA helps you set realistic content and keyword targeting goals. A site with DA 15 should not be targeting head keywords like "SEO tools" — instead, focus on long-tail variations where lower DA sites can realistically compete.
As your DA grows through backlink acquisition, you can gradually target more competitive keywords. This is why the best SEO strategy is to start narrow (very specific, low-competition keywords) and expand as your authority grows. Use our Keyword Density Checker to ensure your targeted keywords appear at the right density in each piece of content you publish.
According to Moz's Domain Authority documentation, the metric is specifically designed to be used as a comparative tool — it is most useful when comparing your site against the sites currently ranking for your target keywords, not as an absolute quality measure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Authority
Does Domain Authority directly affect Google rankings?
No. Domain Authority is a Moz metric, not a Google metric. Google does not use DA in its algorithm. However, the things that improve DA — quality backlinks, strong content, trusted links — are the same things that improve Google rankings. Improving DA and improving rankings tend to go hand in hand, even though DA is not the direct cause.
What is a good Domain Authority score?
It depends entirely on your competition. If your competitors have DA 20–30 and you are at DA 15–25, you are competitive. DA is a relative metric — focus on being higher than your direct competitors, not on achieving a specific absolute number.
How long does it take to improve Domain Authority?
DA improvement is slow by nature. Starting from DA 1: expect DA 5–15 after 3 months of consistent link building, DA 15–25 after 6 months, and DA 25–40 after 12 months with strong content and genuine backlinks. The logarithmic scale means early gains are easier than later ones.
What is the difference between Domain Authority and Domain Rating?
Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's metric. Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs's equivalent metric. They use different methodologies and will rarely give the same score for the same site. Both are useful comparative tools for SEO research, but neither is a Google ranking signal.
Can I improve Domain Authority quickly?
Not sustainably. Rapid DA gains often come from low-quality link schemes that can trigger Google penalties. The most reliable approach is publishing link-worthy content and earning backlinks from genuine sources over time. Consistency over months beats shortcuts every time.