Domain Authority is one of the most referenced metrics in SEO, yet it is also one of the most frequently misunderstood. Developed by Moz as a third-party score predicting a site’s ability to rank in search results, DA is not a Google metric - but it serves as a useful proxy for comparing the relative strength of websites based on their backlink profiles. Whether you are benchmarking your own site against competitors or evaluating potential link partners, understanding what DA means and how to improve it is a practical advantage.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways
- Domain Authority (DA) is a third-party metric by Moz predicting ranking potential on a 1-100 scale. It is NOT a Google ranking factor.
- DA is calculated primarily based on the quantity and quality of inbound links (backlinks) pointing to your domain.
- A DA of 40 to 50 is considered average. A DA above 60 is strong. Scores above 80 belong to very high-authority domains like Wikipedia or major news outlets.
- The most effective way to increase DA is earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites.
- DA is relative: what matters is how your score compares to competing sites, not the absolute number.
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). It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater probability of ranking well.
DA was created as a way for SEOs to benchmark the overall strength of a domain’s backlink profile. While it is not a metric used by Google itself, it serves as a useful third-party proxy for understanding the relative authority of websites in a competitive landscape.
This article is for website owners, SEO practitioners, and digital marketers who want to understand what domain authority means, how it is calculated, and what practical steps can meaningfully increase it.
How Is Domain Authority Calculated?
Moz calculates Domain Authority using a machine learning model that factors in dozens of signals from its link index. The primary inputs are:
- Linking root domains: The number of unique websites linking to your domain. More unique linking domains generally means higher DA.
- Quality of linking domains: Links from high-DA, authoritative websites carry more weight than links from low-quality or new sites.
- Total link count: The overall number of backlinks pointing to your domain.
- Spam score: Domains with many spammy or low-quality links are penalized.
- MozRank and MozTrust: Internal Moz metrics that evaluate link equity and trustworthiness of linking pages.
DA scores are calculated on a logarithmic scale. This means it is much easier to improve from DA 20 to DA 40 than from DA 60 to DA 80. As your score increases, each additional point requires significantly more link equity.
DA is recalculated regularly as Moz crawls the web and updates its link index. Your score can fluctuate even if you have not changed your link profile, because Moz’s reference data (and the overall average across all sites) changes over time.
What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?
Domain Authority is best interpreted in context rather than as an absolute number.
| DA Range | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | New or very low-authority domain |
| 11-20 | Low authority; limited backlink profile |
| 21-40 | Below average; some established links |
| 41-60 | Average to good; competitive for mid-tier keywords |
| 61-80 | High authority; competitive for most niches |
| 81-100 | Very high authority (Wikipedia, NYT, major government sites) |
Most established small to medium business websites fall in the 20 to 40 range. E-commerce sites and niche blogs with consistent content tend to land between 30 and 50. A DA of 60+ typically belongs to well-known brands or large publishers.
The key benchmark is always your direct competitors. If the top-ranking sites for your target keywords have DA scores of 35 to 45, a DA of 40 is competitive. If they average DA 70, you face a significant authority gap that requires sustained link building.
Domain Authority vs. Domain Rating vs. Google PageRank
Domain Authority is not the only link-authority metric you will encounter:
Domain Rating (DR): Ahrefs’ equivalent metric. Also measures backlink profile strength on a 0-100 scale, but uses Ahrefs’ own link index and different weighting methodology. DR and DA often differ significantly for the same site.
URL Rating (UR): Ahrefs’ page-level metric, analogous to Moz’s Page Authority (PA). Measures the link strength of a specific page rather than the whole domain.
Google PageRank: Google’s original link-authority algorithm, now integrated into its larger ranking system. Google no longer publicly exposes PageRank scores. It is not the same as DA or DR.
None of these metrics are used by Google to determine rankings. They are third-party estimates useful for benchmarking and competitor analysis, but should not be treated as direct ranking inputs.
Why Domain Authority Matters for SEO
While DA is not a Google signal, it correlates strongly with actual ranking performance. Sites with higher DA tend to rank for more keywords and for more competitive terms. This correlation exists because DA and Google’s ranking signals share a common input: the quality and quantity of backlinks.
Practical uses of Domain Authority include:
- Prospecting for backlinks: When identifying sites to pitch for guest posts or links, DA (or Ahrefs DR) helps you quickly filter for high-authority targets worth pursuing.
- Competitor benchmarking: Compare your DA to competing sites to understand your relative authority gap.
- Tracking progress: DA is a useful (if imperfect) indicator of whether your link building efforts are paying off over time.
- Qualifying partnerships: Evaluating the potential value of a link exchange or co-marketing arrangement.
The key caveat: a single DA number can be misleading. A site with DA 50 but poor content and no relevance to your industry is less valuable than a DA 30 site with a highly engaged audience in your niche.
How to Increase Your Domain Authority
Increasing Domain Authority comes down to one core activity: earning more high-quality backlinks from authoritative domains. Here are the most effective strategies in 2026:
1. Create Link-Worthy Content
The foundation of any link building strategy is content worth linking to. Original research, comprehensive guides, free tools, interactive data visualizations, and unique datasets attract natural links from bloggers, journalists, and other publishers.
Ask: “Would I link to this from my own site?” If the honest answer is no, invest more in the content before promoting it.
2. Pursue Guest Posting Opportunities
Writing expert articles for authoritative publications in your niche earns backlinks alongside brand exposure. Focus on publications with genuine editorial standards and relevant audiences. See our guide on SEO guest posting for a complete approach.
Target sites with DA higher than yours that serve the same or adjacent audience.
3. Fix Broken Backlinks
Find links pointing to pages on your site that now return 404 errors (broken links). Redirect those URLs to relevant live pages so the link equity is recovered. Use tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog to identify these.
4. Reclaim Unlinked Brand Mentions
Search for mentions of your brand or content that do not include a link. Reach out to the author or site owner and ask them to add one. This is a low-effort, high-conversion tactic because the person has already demonstrated interest in your brand.
5. Conduct Competitor Backlink Analysis
Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to export backlinks for your top-ranking competitors. Find domains linking to multiple competitors but not to you: these are strong targets. See our guide on competitor backlink analysis for a step-by-step process.
6. Remove or Disavow Toxic Links
A significant volume of spammy or low-quality backlinks can drag down your DA and create Google penalty risk. Use Moz’s Spam Score or Google Search Console to identify potentially harmful links, then disavow them using Google’s Disavow Tool.
7. Build Internal Authority
Strong internal linking from high-DA pages on your site to newer or lower-authority pages distributes link equity internally. While this does not directly increase domain-level DA, it improves the ranking potential of individual pages. See our guide on internal links for SEO.
8. Earn Editorial Links Through Digital PR
Pitching original research, unique angles, and expert commentary to journalists in your industry earns links from news publications and industry media, which carry some of the highest DA available.
Common Misconceptions About Domain Authority
“DA is a Google ranking factor”: It is not. Google uses its own internal signals. DA is a Moz estimate that correlates with ranking ability but is not read by Google’s algorithm.
“Buying backlinks will raise my DA”: Purchasing links violates Google’s guidelines and risks penalties. While it might temporarily inflate DA, Google can detect and discount paid links, and a manual penalty can tank your organic visibility.
“A high DA guarantees rankings”: Authority is just one dimension of ranking. Pages still need to be relevant, well-structured, technically sound, and aligned with search intent. A high-DA site with thin content will lose to a lower-DA site with excellent content for many queries.
“DA can only go up”: DA fluctuates as Moz updates its index. Losing high-quality backlinks, gaining spammy links, or shifts in Moz’s methodology can cause your score to drop even if you have not changed anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to increase Domain Authority?
Does publishing more content increase DA?
Can I increase DA without link building?
How do I check my Domain Authority?
Is a higher DA always better?
Conclusion
Domain Authority is a useful benchmark for understanding the relative strength of your backlink profile and predicting ranking potential. While it is not a Google ranking factor, it correlates strongly with the signals that actually drive rankings, primarily the quality and quantity of inbound links.
To increase your DA, focus on earning high-quality backlinks through content worth linking to, strategic outreach, guest posting, digital PR, and competitor gap analysis. Remove or disavow spammy links that dilute your profile. And track your progress relative to competitors rather than chasing an absolute DA number.
Authority is built over time. Consistent, quality-focused link acquisition is the most reliable path to a stronger domain in 2026 and beyond.
Related reading: SEO Rankings: How to Rank Your Website | Best Link Building Strategies | Competitor Backlinks Analysis | What Is SEO Link Building