What Is Domain Authority?
Definition
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores meaning greater ranking potential.
How DA is calculated
DA is based on multiple factors: the number and quality of backlinks pointing to a domain, the diversity of referring domains, and link quality signals.
DA is a comparative metric. It's most useful for measuring yourself against competitors, not as an absolute measure of SEO strength. It also factors into keyword difficulty calculations — higher-DA sites can compete for harder keywords.
DA vs. DR vs. PageRank
| Metric | Provider | Scale | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority (DA) | Moz | 1–100 | Active, publicly available |
| Domain Rating (DR) | Ahrefs | 0–100 | Active, publicly available |
| PageRank | 0–10 | Still used internally, no longer public |
What is a good DA score?
There's no universal "good" score. It depends on your niche and competitors.
| Score range | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1–20 | New or very small websites |
| 21–40 | Growing sites with some backlink traction |
| 41–60 | Established sites with solid authority |
| 61–80 | Very authoritative domains |
| 81–100 | Top-tier sites (Google, Wikipedia, Facebook) |
What's the most reliable way to use Domain Authority?
Exactly. DA is best used for comparing your site against competitors. It's not a Google ranking factor itself, but it correlates with ranking ability.
DA is a comparative metric, not an absolute one. Google doesn't use Moz's DA score directly. Its best use is benchmarking yourself against competitors in your niche.
How to improve your DA
- Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites through link building and digital PR. Tools like Pitchbox integrate DA metrics directly into the outreach workflow. Many enterprise SEO agencies focus heavily on DA growth as a core KPI for their clients.
- Create exceptional content that naturally attracts editorial links.
- Improve internal linking to distribute link equity throughout your site.
- Remove toxic links using a disavow file.
- Be patient. DA grows slowly as your backlink profile matures. No shortcuts.
As a bonus, the same backlinks that grow your DA also increase your visibility in AI-powered search through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Check any domain's authority for free
Use our free Domain Authority Checker to instantly look up any website's PageRank score.
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