Domain Authority Explained: What It Means and How to Improve It
Domain Authority is a third-party score, not a Google ranking factor. Here's what DA and similar metrics measure, how to use them sensibly, and what really builds authority.
Key takeaways
- Domain Authority (Moz), Domain Rating (Ahrefs) and Authority Score (Semrush) are third-party estimates.
- Google doesn't use these scores; it has its own systems for evaluating sites and pages.
- They're useful for comparing sites and judging link opportunities, not as goals.
- Real authority comes from quality links, helpful content and a recognised brand.
Domain Authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100 created by Moz to predict how likely a website is to rank. Ahrefs has Domain Rating (DR) and Semrush has Authority Score. They’re widely used, and widely misunderstood.
What they measure
These scores mainly measure the quantity and quality of links pointing to a domain, using each company’s own crawl data and formula. That’s why one site can have DA 35, DR 50 and Authority Score 28 at the same time.
Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
No. Google doesn’t use DA, DR or any third-party score. Google evaluates pages and sites using its own systems, which consider links but also relevance, content quality, user signals and much more. A high-DA site can lose to a focused, lower-DA site with a better page.
How to use authority scores sensibly
- Compare competitors: are the sites ranking for your keywords much stronger in links?
- Evaluate link opportunities: a quick filter for outreach and PR targets (always check relevance and real traffic too)
- Track trends: your score rising over months suggests your link profile is growing
- Spot manipulation: a high score with no real traffic can indicate link schemes
What not to do
- Don’t buy links or “DA boost” packages; they target the score, not your rankings
- Don’t reject a relevant, real local site because its score is low
- Don’t report DA to clients as a success metric on its own
How to build real authority
- Earn links from relevant, trusted sites (backlink profile guide)
- Publish genuinely helpful, expert content in a focused topic area
- Build topical depth: many related, interlinked pages on your core subjects (internal linking)
- Grow your brand: branded searches, mentions, reviews and press coverage
- Show expertise: clear authors, credentials and real experience (E-E-A-T)
Website value
Domain metrics are often used to estimate what a website is “worth,” but buyers value revenue, profit, traffic quality and brand far more than any authority score.
Authority and links are reviewed in the SEO audit and competitor marketing audit.