Domain Authority

A search engine ranking score from 1 to 100 that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results, developed by Moz.

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by Moz that estimates a website's ranking potential. A similar metric, Domain Rating (DR), is provided by Ahrefs. These scores are not used by Google directly but correlate with search performance.

How DA Is Calculated

  • Number and quality of backlinks pointing to the domain
  • Linking root domains (unique websites linking to you)
  • Overall link profile strength compared to competitors
  • Score is logarithmic — going from 20 to 30 is much easier than 70 to 80

What's a Good DA?

  • 0-20: New or very small sites
  • 20-40: Small businesses, niche blogs
  • 40-60: Established sites with solid authority
  • 60-80: Very authoritative, often large brands
  • 80-100: Major publications and tech giants

FAQ

Does Google use Domain Authority?

No. DA is a third-party metric from Moz, not a Google ranking factor. However, it correlates well with search rankings because it measures signals (backlinks) that Google does consider.

How do I increase my Domain Authority?

Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites, create valuable content, remove toxic links, and be patient — DA grows slowly over months and years.