What Is Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority (DA) is a search-engine-ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results, on a scale from 1 to 100. A higher DA suggests a stronger ability to rank.
Why it matters
Domain Authority is a third-party metric — Google does not use it directly — but it’s a useful comparative benchmark. Because it’s calculated largely from the quantity and quality of backlinks, DA helps you gauge your site’s competitive standing and vet potential link partners. Similar scores include Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) and Semrush’s Authority Score.
Example
A brand-new website typically starts near DA 1. Established niche blogs might sit at DA 30–50, while major publications exceed DA 90. If a competitor ranking above you has a much higher DA, closing the backlink gap is usually part of the path to catching up.
How to improve Domain Authority
Because DA is driven largely by your backlink profile, raising it comes down to earning quality links and strengthening your site:
- Earn editorial backlinks from authoritative, topically relevant websites.
- Identify and disavow toxic or spammy links dragging your profile down.
- Publish link-worthy content that others naturally cite.
- Strengthen internal linking so authority flows through the site.
- Be patient — DA moves slowly and compounds over months, not days.
Ready to put this into practice?
Benchmarking your authority against competitors is part of our SEO audit services — let’s talk about your goals.