What Is Domain Authority in SEO?

If you’ve ever used an SEO tool like Moz, SEMrush, or Ahrefs, you’ve probably seen something called Domain Authority (DA). But what does it actually mean? And how does it affect your website’s rankings?

Let’s break it down.

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It’s a metric created by Moz that ranges from 1 to 100 — the higher your score, the stronger your domain.

Although Google does not use Domain Authority as a ranking factor, SEO professionals use it as a helpful comparison tool.

How Is Domain Authority Calculated?

Moz calculates Domain Authority using many factors, including:

• The number of linking root domains (unique websites linking to you)
• The quality and authority of those backlinks
• Moz’s own index of web pages
• Spam score and site structure

It uses a machine learning model that compares your site to thousands of others.

Note: Ahrefs uses “Domain Rating (DR)”, while SEMrush uses “Authority Score” — these are similar concepts with different names and formulas.

Why Domain Authority Matters (Even If Google Ignores It)

Even though Google doesn’t directly use DA, it still matters because:

• It helps you evaluate your backlink strategy
• It’s a useful benchmark against competitors
• It correlates with higher keyword rankings over time
• It can indicate the trust level of a site

If your DA is increasing, chances are your site is earning better links, visibility, and authority.

What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?

• 1–20: New or low-trust websites
• 20–40: Decent authority; beginner blogs and small businesses
• 40–60: Established and growing websites
• 60+: High-authority websites (media, large brands)
• 80–100: Major players like Wikipedia, YouTube, etc.

Don’t chase perfection. Instead, aim to outperform your competitors’ DA.

How to Improve Domain Authority

Raising Domain Authority takes time, but here are some proven methods:

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Focus on getting links from authoritative, relevant websites.
Learn techniques here: Off-Page SEO Techniques

2. Create Link-Worthy Content

Publish detailed, valuable content that others naturally want to link to.

3. Remove Toxic Backlinks

Use Google’s disavow tool and audit links using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.

4. Improve Internal Linking

Connect your blog posts and pages strategically. This strengthens crawlability and user engagement.

5. Be Consistent with Content

Regular blogging, especially using clusters like Top SEO Tips, keeps your domain active in search engines.

Common Myths About Domain Authority

Myth 1: DA is a Google ranking factor
Reality: It’s a third-party metric, not part of Google’s algorithm.

Myth 2: High DA guarantees rankings
Reality: It helps, but content quality, relevance, and user signals still matter more.

Myth 3: Only backlinks affect DA
Reality: Technical SEO, content freshness, and spam score also influence it.

Read more: Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Tools to Check Domain Authority

Here are free tools to check your DA:

• Moz Link Explorer
• Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker
• Ubersuggest
• Small SEO Tools DA Checker

Explore more tools: Best Free SEO Tools

Final Thoughts

Domain Authority in SEO is not a direct ranking factor, but it’s still a powerful indicator of your website’s health, trust, and link profile. Use it to track your SEO progress, compare competitors, and refine your link-building strategy.

If you’re serious about SEO growth, learn everything from keyword research to backlink strategies in our complete
SEO Mastery Course

Also explore: How to Rank #1 on Google Fast