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 engine results pages (SERPs). Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater ranking potential.
Important clarification: Domain Authority is not a Google ranking factor. Google doesn't use Moz's DA score in its algorithm. However, DA is a useful proxy for understanding your site's overall strength relative to competitors, because it's calculated based on factors that do influence rankings — primarily your backlink profile.
How Domain Authority is Calculated
Moz calculates DA using a machine learning model that evaluates multiple factors:
- Linking root domains — The number of unique domains that link to your site. This is the most influential factor.
- Total number of links — The overall quantity of backlinks, though quality matters more than quantity.
- Quality of linking domains — Links from high-authority sites carry more weight than links from low-authority sites.
- Link diversity — A natural backlink profile includes links from many different sources and domains.
Other SEO companies have similar metrics: Ahrefs has Domain Rating (DR), SEMrush has Authority Score, and Majestic has Trust Flow.
What is a Good Domain Authority?
DA is best used as a relative metric — compare your score to competitors, not to an absolute standard. That said, here are general benchmarks:
- 1-20 — New or very small websites
- 21-40 — Growing websites with some link equity
- 41-60 — Established websites with solid backlink profiles
- 61-80 — Authoritative sites in their niche
- 81-100 — Major brands and highly authoritative domains (Google.com, Wikipedia, etc.)
A small business competing in local SEO might only need a DA of 20-30 to outrank local competitors. An e-commerce site competing nationally might need 40-60+.
How to Improve Domain Authority
1. Earn High-Quality Backlinks
The most direct way to increase DA is to earn links from authoritative domains. Focus on quality over quantity. Refer to our guide on backlink building strategies for actionable tactics.
2. Create Exceptional Content
Content that genuinely helps users attracts natural backlinks over time. Focus on content optimization — comprehensive guides, original research, and unique insights earn more links than generic content.
3. Improve Your Internal Linking
A strong internal linking structure distributes link equity throughout your site, strengthening the authority of all your pages — not just the ones that receive external links.
4. Remove or Disavow Toxic Links
Spammy or low-quality backlinks can drag down your authority. Regularly audit your backlink profile and disavow harmful links through Google's Disavow Tool.
5. Be Patient
DA increases slowly. It's a long-term metric that reflects sustained effort over months and years. Quick schemes to inflate DA (buying links, PBNs) will backfire with penalties.
Domain Authority Myths
- "Higher DA guarantees higher rankings" — False. DA predicts ranking probability but doesn't determine it. A page with lower DA can outrank a higher-DA page with better content and more relevant backlinks.
- "DA is a Google metric" — False. It's a third-party metric from Moz. Google has its own internal metrics that are not publicly shared.
- "You can quickly boost DA" — False. Legitimate DA growth takes months. Any service promising rapid DA increases is likely using manipulative tactics.
- "DA is the only authority metric that matters" — False. Page-level authority (individual page strength) matters as much as domain-level authority. A strong page on a weak domain can still rank well for the right keywords.
Beyond Domain Authority
While DA is useful, don't obsess over it. Focus on the underlying factors that DA measures:
- Build genuine relationships and earn real backlinks
- Create the best content in your niche
- Fix technical SEO issues that prevent crawling and indexing
- Monitor your keyword rankings — they're a more direct measure of SEO success
How AI SEO Powered by CGMIMM Helps
AI SEO powered by CGMIMM tracks your domain authority alongside your keyword rankings, backlink profile, and technical health. By monitoring all these metrics together, you get a holistic view of your site's SEO performance. The backlink analysis tool identifies opportunities to earn high-quality links from authoritative domains, while the AI audit ensures your technical foundation supports your authority-building efforts.