As AI continues to transform how search operates, approximately 90% of businesses fear losing organic visibility. This has led to many companies investing in SEO more than ever. Most brands check their rankings obsessively but ignore the one metric that predicts whether those rankings will actually improve.
Domain Authority tells you if your site has the link profile strength to compete in search results before you waste months chasing keywords you'll never rank for. Understanding what it means for your SEO strategy can transform how you approach link building, competitive analysis, and content partnerships.
Below, you’ll find the key information you need to know about checking DA, interpreting your score, and using this metric to make smarter decisions that actually improve your rankings.
Domain Authority is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. The metric uses a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank.
Moz calculates DA by evaluating multiple factors, including the number and quality of inbound links, root domains linking to your site, and the overall link profile strength. The score is comparative rather than absolute, meaning it's most useful when benchmarking your site against competitors in your niche.
DA is not a metric used by Google in its ranking algorithm, but it serves as a useful proxy for understanding your site's authority and competitive position. The score updates regularly as Moz's index crawls the web and discovers new links, so fluctuations are normal. A brand new website will start with a DA of 1, while established sites like Wikipedia or major news outlets typically score in the 90s. Building DA takes time and requires a consistent approach to earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources.
Domain Authority provides a quick snapshot of your site's competitive strength in search results. While Google doesn't use DA directly in its ranking algorithm, the factors that influence DA (quality backlinks, diverse linking domains, and strong link profiles) are the same signals Google evaluates when determining rankings.
A higher DA typically correlates with better organic visibility, making it a reliable indicator of whether your SEO efforts are moving in the right direction. Here's why it matters:
Sites with DA scores significantly higher than yours can pass more value, while links from low-DA sites may offer minimal benefit. DA benchmarking lets you measure whether your link-building campaigns are actually moving the needle or if you need to adjust your approach to target higher-authority domains.
Checking your Domain Authority is straightforward and takes just a few seconds with the right tools. The most direct method is to use Moz's Link Explorer, which displays your DA score along with other metrics, such as linking domains and top pages. Moz allows a limited number of free queries per month, which is sufficient for occasional checks.
You can also use browser extensions like MozBar, which displays DA scores directly in your search results as you browse, making it easy to check your own site and competitors simultaneously. SEMrush offers similar functionality through its browser extension and platform, showing DA alongside other authority metrics. Ahrefs displays Domain Authority scores as part of its analytics dashboards, giving you multiple perspectives on your site's strength.
For bulk checking multiple domains at once, Moz's Link Explorer includes a bulk analysis feature that lets you upload lists of URLs and get scores for all of them. If you regularly monitor DA as part of your SEO strategy, consider integrating one of these tools into your workflow to track changes over time and identify trends in your authority growth.
A good Domain Authority score depends entirely on your competitive landscape and industry. There's no universal "good" score because DA is a relative metric designed for comparison rather than an absolute measure of success. A DA of 40 might be excellent in a niche industry with limited competition, while that same score could be considered weak in highly competitive sectors like finance or healthcare.
The key is understanding where you stand compared to the sites you're actually competing against in search results. DA score ranges typically break down like this:
Instead of chasing an arbitrary number, focus on outpacing your direct competitors. Run a DA check on the top 10 sites ranking for your target keywords and use their scores as your benchmark. If most competitors fall between 35-45, then reaching 50 should be your goal. Remember that DA increases logarithmically, meaning it's much easier to go from 20 to 30 than from 70 to 80. Progress slows as you climb higher, so set incremental targets and celebrate improvements even if they seem small.
Improving your Domain Authority requires a strategic approach to building high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources. Focus on earning links from sites with higher DA scores than yours, as these pass the most value and signal credibility to search engines. Create linkable assets like original research, comprehensive guides, or data-driven content that naturally attract backlinks from industry publications and blogs.
Guest posting on relevant, authoritative sites in your niche helps build both links and brand recognition. "Fix technical SEO issues like broken links, reduce bounce rate by improving site speed and user experience, and ensure your internal linking structure distributes authority effectively across your pages." Consistency matters more than quick wins since DA reflects accumulated authority over time, so maintain a steady cadence of content creation and outreach rather than sporadic bursts of activity.
Ahrefs grew its DA from the mid-60s to over 90 by publishing in-depth SEO research studies and industry reports that earned thousands of backlinks from marketing blogs and news sites. Zapier increased its DA significantly by creating an extensive integration directory and publishing automation guides that became go-to resources, earning links from SaaS review sites and tech publications. Both companies demonstrate that combining valuable content with consistent promotion and outreach can drive measurable DA growth over 12-24 months.
Domain Authority updates whenever Moz recrawls the web and refreshes its link index, which typically happens every few weeks, and your score can fluctuate as new backlinks are discovered or outdated ones are removed.
No, Domain Authority improvements take time because the metric reflects accumulated link equity built over months or years, and most sites see meaningful DA gains over 6-12 months with consistent, high-quality link building efforts.
No, Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's metric, while Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' equivalent authority score, and they use different algorithms and data sources, so the scores won't match exactly.
No, Google does not use Domain Authority as a ranking factor since it's a third-party metric created by Moz, though the underlying signals that influence DA (quality backlinks and authoritative linking domains) are similar to what Google evaluates.
DA drops can happen because Moz updated its algorithm, your competitors gained more high-quality backlinks, you lost valuable backlinks, or technical issues affected your link profile.
Domain Authority gives you a clear, measurable way to understand your site's competitive position and track the impact of your link-building efforts. Use it to benchmark against competitors, evaluate potential backlink opportunities, and set realistic SEO goals based on where you actually stand in your niche. Check your DA regularly with tools like Moz's Link Explorer, focus on earning high-quality links from authoritative sources, and remember that meaningful improvements take consistent effort over 6-12 months.
Tracking and improving your Domain Authority requires the right tools, competitive analysis, and a strategic approach to link building. Book a call with Segment for help benchmarking your DA against competitors, identifying high-value backlink opportunities, and building authority through targeted outreach campaigns that drive measurable results.
