What Is Domain Authority? How It Works and Why It Matters
Domain Authority is one of the most referenced SEO metrics, but it's widely misunderstood. Learn what DA actually measures, how it's calculated, what's a good score, and how to improve it.
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. It runs from 0 to 100, with higher scores meaning greater likelihood of ranking.
Here is the thing most people get wrong about DA: it is not a Google metric. Google does not use Domain Authority in its ranking algorithm. DA is Moz's own prediction based on their analysis of link data and other factors.
That said, DA correlates with rankings because it measures many of the same signals Google cares about. Sites with high DA tend to have strong backlink profiles, quality content, and solid technical foundations. Those are exactly the things that help you rank.
Think of DA as a useful benchmark, not a scoreboard. It helps you gauge where your site stands relative to competitors, but chasing the number itself is the wrong goal. Focus on the underlying signals and DA takes care of itself.
How Domain Authority Is Calculated
Moz calculates DA using a machine learning model that evaluates several factors:
Link Profile
This is the biggest factor. Moz looks at:
Moz's Link Index
Moz crawls the web and maintains its own index of links. DA is only as accurate as this index. If Moz has not crawled a site that links to you, that link will not be reflected in your DA.
This is why your DA can fluctuate even when you have not done anything. Moz periodically updates its index and recalibrates the model, which can shift scores up or down.
The Logarithmic Scale
DA uses a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. This is important to understand:
A new website starts at DA 1. Most small businesses land somewhere between 20 and 40. Large established brands typically sit between 60 and 90. Only the biggest websites in the world (Wikipedia, Google, Facebook) have DA above 95.
Domain Authority vs Page Authority
These two metrics are related but measure different things:
Domain Authority looks at the entire domain. It reflects the cumulative strength of all pages, all backlinks, and all signals across your whole website.
Page Authority looks at a single URL. It reflects the strength of one specific page based on the links and signals pointing directly to it.
Here is a practical example: a new blog post on the New York Times (DA 95) might have a Page Authority of only 20 because nobody has linked to it yet. But it still has a ranking advantage over a similar post on a DA 30 blog because the domain-level authority gives it a head start.
For most SEO work, DA is better for evaluating overall site competitiveness, while PA is better for evaluating specific keyword matchups.
What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?
There is no universal "good" DA score because authority is relative to your competitive landscape.
Here is a general framework:
The right way to use DA is comparative. Look at the DA of sites currently ranking for your target keywords. If the top 10 results all have DA 50+, you know you need to build significant authority to compete for those terms. If the top results have DA 20-30, you can compete sooner.
Why Domain Authority Fluctuates
Your DA score can change even when you have not done anything. This confuses a lot of people. Here is why it happens:
Moz Updates Their Index
Every time Moz recrawls the web and updates their link index, scores get recalculated. They might discover new links they missed before, or find that links they previously counted no longer exist.
The Scale Is Relative
DA is not an absolute score. It is a ranking relative to all other sites. When a big site like Wikipedia gains millions of new links, it can push everyone else's relative score down slightly.
Your Competitors Are Not Standing Still
If competitors in your niche are building links faster than you, the bar moves. Your DA might stay flat or even drop while your competitors climb, even if you are still earning links.
Link Decay
Links disappear over time. Pages get deleted, sites go offline, content gets restructured. Losing backlinks naturally erodes your DA.
The takeaway: do not panic over small DA fluctuations. Look at the trend over 6-12 months, not day-to-day changes.
How to Improve Domain Authority
1. Build Quality Backlinks
This is the most impactful thing you can do. Focus on earning links from relevant, authoritative websites in your industry.
Effective tactics:
Avoid buying links, participating in link schemes, or using private blog networks. These tactics might work short-term but carry serious risk of penalties.
2. Create Link-Worthy Content
Not all content attracts links. The types that earn links most reliably:
3. Fix Your Technical Foundation
A healthy technical foundation supports everything else. If Google cannot crawl, index, and render your pages efficiently, your authority ceiling is lower.
Run regular site audits. Use BulkAudit to check Performance, SEO, Accessibility, and Best Practices scores across your pages. Fix critical issues first: broken pages, slow loading, missing meta tags, crawl errors.
4. Remove or Disavow Toxic Links
Audit your backlink profile periodically. If you find links from spammy, irrelevant, or penalized domains, take action:
Be conservative with disavowing. Only disavow links that are clearly spammy or harmful. A few low-quality links are normal and will not hurt you.
5. Improve Your Internal Linking
Internal links distribute authority across your site. A strong internal linking structure ensures that authority from your most linked-to pages flows to pages that need it.
Build topical clusters with pillar pages linking to subtopic pages and vice versa. Make sure every important page is reachable within 3 clicks from the homepage.
6. Be Patient and Consistent
DA does not change overnight. It reflects the accumulated authority of your entire domain. Expect meaningful changes to take 3-6 months of consistent effort.
The sites with the highest DA got there through years of publishing quality content, earning links, and maintaining technical excellence. There are no shortcuts.
Domain Authority Myths
Myth: Google Uses Domain Authority
Google has its own internal metrics. DA is a Moz product. That said, improving the signals DA measures (links, content, technical health) does improve your Google rankings.
Myth: A Higher DA Guarantees Higher Rankings
DA is one factor among hundreds. A DA 30 site with perfectly targeted content can outrank a DA 60 site with mediocre content for specific queries. Relevance, content quality, and user intent all matter.
Myth: You Should Aim for DA 100
DA 100 is practically unattainable. Even massive sites like Amazon and Google fluctuate in the 90s. Set realistic goals based on your competitive landscape. Moving from DA 25 to DA 40 might be exactly what you need to compete.
Myth: DA Is the Same Across All Tools
Different tools have different metrics. Moz has DA, Ahrefs has Domain Rating (DR), SEMrush has Authority Score. They use different data sources and algorithms. A DA 50 in Moz does not equal a DR 50 in Ahrefs. Pick one tool and use it consistently.
Myth: You Can Buy Domain Authority
You can buy links, but buying links violates Google's guidelines and risks penalties. Genuine DA growth comes from earning real links through valuable content and outreach. Anyone selling "guaranteed DA increase" is probably using tactics that will backfire.
How to Use Domain Authority Effectively
DA is most useful as a comparative and diagnostic tool:
Do not use DA as your primary KPI. Track organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions instead. DA is an input metric, not an output metric.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat is a good Domain Authority score for a new website?
A new website typically starts at DA 1 and might reach DA 10-15 within the first year with consistent content creation and link building. Reaching DA 30+ usually takes 2-3 years of sustained effort. Compare your DA against direct competitors rather than arbitrary benchmarks.
QHow long does it take to increase Domain Authority?
DA changes slowly because it reflects domain-wide authority. Expect 3-6 months of consistent link building and content creation before seeing meaningful movement. The pace depends on your starting point, industry competitiveness, and the quality of links you earn.
QIs Domain Authority the same as Domain Rating?
No. Domain Authority is a Moz metric. Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric. They measure similar concepts but use different data and algorithms, so the scores are not directly comparable. A DA 40 and DR 40 do not mean the same thing.
QCan Domain Authority go down?
Yes. DA can decrease if you lose backlinks, if Moz updates their index and removes links they previously counted, or if other sites are building authority faster than you (since DA is relative). Small fluctuations are normal and not cause for alarm.
QDoes hosting affect Domain Authority?
Hosting does not directly affect DA. However, if your hosting is slow or unreliable, it can indirectly hurt DA by causing poor user experience (higher bounce rates, fewer returning visitors) and making it harder to earn links. Fast, reliable hosting supports the signals that build DA.
QShould I check Domain Authority or Page Authority?
Check both, but for different purposes. Use DA when evaluating overall site competitiveness and comparing against competitors. Use PA when analyzing specific pages for specific keyword rankings. Together they give you a complete picture of your site's authority landscape.
Related Resources
Ready to audit your website?
Use BulkAudit to check up to 25 URLs at once. Get instant Lighthouse scores for Performance, SEO, Accessibility, and Best Practices.
Start Free Audit