Domain Authority: What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Improve

What Is Domain Authority (and Why Should You Care?)

You know how in high school, some kids just had an unshakable reputation? Maybe they were the straight-A students, the star athletes, or the ones everyone trusted for the best weekend plans. Their reputation wasn’t built overnight—it was a mix of who they knew, what they did, and how consistently they showed up. Well, in the world of SEO, Domain Authority (DA) is kind of like your website’s reputation score.

The Basics of Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website is likely to rank in search engines. The scale runs from 1 to 100—higher scores generally indicate stronger authority.

But let’s get something straight: Google does NOT use DA in its ranking algorithm.

That’s right. DA is a third-party metric, not an official Google ranking factor. However, websites with higher DA tend to rank well because DA is based on things Google actually does care about—like backlinks, content quality, and site trustworthiness.

Why Does DA Matter If Google Doesn’t Use It?

Here’s where DA is still useful:

• Competitive Benchmarking – It helps you compare your site’s authority against your competitors. If your top-ranking rival has a DA of 60 and yours is 25, you’ve got some work to do.
• Backlink Quality Indicator – A high DA usually means a strong backlink profile. Since backlinks are a real ranking factor, improving your DA (by earning quality links) can indirectly help your rankings.
• SEO Growth Tracker – While DA isn’t a magic bullet, it’s a helpful progress metric. If your DA is steadily increasing, it’s a sign that your SEO efforts are moving in the right direction.

The Most Common Misconception About DA

If you take nothing else from this section, remember this:

Domain Authority is NOT a direct ranking factor. 

A DA 70 site isn’t guaranteed to outrank a DA 50 site. Google doesn’t even know what your DA is! What matters is the actual strength of your backlinks, content, and overall SEO strategy.

So, should you obsess over your DA score? Nope. But should you track it and try to improve it? Absolutely.

Now that we’ve covered what DA is, let’s break down how it’s actually calculated (because there’s more to it than just a number).

How Is Domain Authority Calculated?

If Domain Authority were just a simple score, it wouldn’t be all that useful. But behind that number is a complex algorithm analyzing multiple factors to estimate a site’s ability to rank. Understanding how DA is calculated isn’t just for SEO nerds—it can actually help you build a stronger website.

Moz’s Domain Authority Formula: What We Know

Moz, the company behind Domain Authority, keeps the exact formula under wraps. But we do know that it considers over 40 ranking signals when determining a website’s DA score.

The biggest factors include:

1. Backlink Profile (Quality and Quantity Matter)

Backlinks are at the heart of Domain Authority. But not all backlinks are created equal.

• A single link from a high-authority site (like The New York Times or Forbes) carries far more weight than 50 low-quality links from unknown sites.
• Relevance matters. If a marketing blog links to your SEO guide, that’s far more valuable than a backlink from an unrelated cooking website.
• Diversity helps. A natural backlink profile includes links from a variety of sources—blogs, news sites, directories, and industry-specific sites.

2. Link Equity (How Much “Authority” Passes Through Your Links)

Not every backlink gives your site the same boost. The power of a link depends on how much authority the linking site has to pass.

If a high-DA site links to 500 different websites on a single page, the value of that link is diluted. On the other hand, if a high-DA site links only to a handful of high-quality sources, each of those links is worth more.

3. Site Structure and Technical SEO

If Google struggles to crawl and index your site properly, your rankings will suffer—even if you have a great backlink profile. Moz factors in:

• Internal linking: A well-structured website distributes link equity effectively across its pages.
• Site speed: Faster websites perform better in search rankings.
• Mobile-friendliness: Since Google’s mobile-first indexing update, sites that aren’t optimized for mobile are at a disadvantage.
• 404 errors and broken links: Too many broken pages can signal poor site maintenance.

4. Domain Age and Historical Trust Signals

Older domains with a long history of trust and authority tend to have higher DA scores. However, just being old isn’t enough—you need a consistent track record of valuable content and high-quality backlinks.

How DA’s Scoring System Works (And Why Climbing the Ranks Gets Harder Over Time)

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Domain Authority is that it follows a logarithmic scale.

• Going from DA 10 to 20 is relatively easy—a few decent backlinks can move the needle.
• Going from DA 40 to 50 requires significantly more effort—you need stronger, more authoritative links.
• Breaking into DA 70+ territory? That’s elite status. Only sites with extremely strong backlink profiles (think Wikipedia, Google, and Amazon) make it into this range.

This means that the higher your DA, the harder it becomes to increase it further. If your site is brand new, don’t compare yourself to industry giants. Instead, focus on outperforming competitors within your niche.

Why Your DA Score Might Fluctuate

Moz recalculates Domain Authority regularly. So, if your DA score drops or increases, it may not necessarily be because of something you did.

• If Moz updates its algorithm, scores across many sites can shift.
• If your competitors gain more high-quality backlinks, their DA might rise, making yours look lower by comparison.
• If Moz finds new links pointing to your site, your score may improve.

The key takeaway? Track DA over time, but don’t panic over short-term fluctuations.

Next, let’s look at what a “good” Domain Authority score actually means—because a high DA doesn’t automatically guarantee high rankings.

What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?

It’s easy to assume that a higher Domain Authority score is always better. After all, if DA measures a site’s ranking potential, wouldn’t a DA of 80 be ideal?

Not necessarily. The truth is, a “good” DA score is relative. A DA of 30 might be excellent for a small niche blog, while a DA of 50 could be weak for an established news site. The key is understanding how DA applies to your specific industry and competition.

How to Determine a Good DA Score for Your Website

Rather than aiming for an arbitrary number, the best way to evaluate your DA is to compare it to similar websites in your industry.

Here’s a general breakdown of how DA scores are typically interpreted:

• 1-20: New websites or small sites with little backlink activity.
• 20-40: Growing websites with some established authority.
• 40-60: Well-established businesses and content sites with a strong presence.
• 60-80: High-authority sites that dominate their niche.
• 80+: The elite (think Wikipedia, Amazon, and major news publications).

For most websites, a DA between 30-50 is solid, and 50+ puts you in a strong position compared to many competitors.

Why a High DA Doesn’t Always Mean High Rankings

Here’s an important reality check: DA is not a direct ranking factor. Google doesn’t look at your DA score when determining where to place your site in search results.

A high DA website can still lose to a lower DA competitor if:

• The lower DA site has better content that matches search intent.
• The higher DA site has poor user experience (slow load times, mobile issues, or high bounce rates).
• The lower DA site has a stronger internal linking structure, making it easier for search engines to crawl and rank its pages.

In other words, DA is just one piece of the SEO puzzle. It’s a good indicator of overall authority, but it won’t guarantee rankings without solid content and SEO fundamentals.

How to Check Your Domain Authority Score

If you’re curious about your DA, several SEO tools provide free checks:

• Moz’s Domain Authority Checker – The original source for DA scores.
• Ahrefs (Domain Rating – DR) – Similar to DA but uses Ahrefs’ proprietary formula.
• SEMrush (Authority Score) – Another alternative that factors in backlink quality and traffic.
• Ubersuggest & Small SEO Tools – Free tools for checking DA, though they rely on Moz’s data.

Checking your DA regularly can help you track SEO progress, but don’t overanalyze small fluctuations. Instead, focus on long-term growth and how your DA compares to competitors in your space.

Next, we’ll explore how to actually improve your Domain Authority—without resorting to spammy or ineffective tactics.

How to Improve Your Domain Authority (Without Spammy Tricks)

By now, you know that Domain Authority is not a direct ranking factor, but a higher DA usually correlates with stronger backlink profiles, better content, and improved search visibility.

So how do you increase your DA the right way? It all comes down to earning high-quality backlinks, optimizing your site’s technical SEO, and creating content that people actually want to link to. Let’s break it down.

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks (the Right Way)

If you take one thing away from this section, let it be this: Not all backlinks are created equal.

Some links will boost your authority, while others could get you penalized. Google has spent years cracking down on spammy, manipulative link-building tactics, so the days of buying backlinks or stuffing directory listings are long gone.

What Actually Works for Link Building?

• Earn links from authoritative, relevant sites – A single link from a DA 80 site can be worth more than 100 links from DA 10 sites. Prioritize links from reputable, niche-relevant sources.
• Guest posting (strategically) – Writing for high-quality blogs in your industry is still one of the best ways to earn backlinks. Just avoid low-quality “guest post farms” that exist purely for link-building.
• HARO (Help a Reporter Out) – Journalists are constantly looking for expert sources. If you provide valuable insights, you can earn links from top-tier media outlets.
• Digital PR and content marketing – Publishing unique research, case studies, and data-driven insights naturally attracts high-authority backlinks.
• Create link-worthy assets – Infographics, tools, and in-depth guides often get cited by other sites, earning you organic backlinks over time.

Learn more about the Top Link Building Strategies to boost your SEO

2. Optimize Your Site’s Technical SEO

A high DA won’t help much if your website is slow, unstructured, or difficult to navigate. Google prioritizes fast, well-optimized sites, and Moz’s DA algorithm factors in crawlability and site structure.

Key Technical SEO Fixes to Boost DA

• Improve site speed – Slow-loading pages increase bounce rates and hurt rankings. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to diagnose and fix speed issues.
• Fix broken links and redirects – Too many 404 errors and bad redirects can negatively impact crawlability and link equity. Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to audit your links.
• Use internal linking wisely – Strong internal links help distribute PageRank and link equity, boosting the authority of deeper pages.
• Ensure mobile-friendliness – With mobile-first indexing, a non-responsive site is a ranking killer. Run Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site.
• Secure your site (HTTPS) – If you’re still running on HTTP, switch to HTTPS immediately. Google has used security as a ranking signal since 2014.

3. Publish High-Quality, Linkable Content

If you want to attract backlinks naturally, you need content that’s actually worth linking to. A 500-word blog post on “SEO Tips” isn’t going to cut it anymore.

What Type of Content Earns Links?

• Ultimate Guides & Evergreen Content – Comprehensive, long-form content tends to rank well and attract links over time.
• Original Research & Data Studies – If you publish new insights, journalists, bloggers, and SEOs will cite your data, earning you organic backlinks.
• Infographics & Visual Content – Well-designed infographics get shared widely, often leading to high-quality links.
• Industry Case Studies – People love real-world examples and proof that strategies work. Case studies are a great way to showcase expertise while attracting links.

4. Promote Your Content (Because “Build It and They Will Come” Is a Lie)

Great content is worthless if no one sees it. The most successful link-building campaigns involve strategic promotion.

• Outreach to industry influencers – If you mention someone in your content, let them know. They may share or link back to it.
• Leverage social media & LinkedIn – Sharing content on the right platforms can lead to more visibility and organic links.
• Email your audience – If you have a newsletter, use it to drive traffic to your best content. More engagement can lead to higher shares and links.
• Repurpose content for different platforms – A blog post can become a Twitter thread, LinkedIn article, podcast topic, or YouTube video. The more exposure, the better your chances of earning links.

How Long Does It Take to Improve Domain Authority?

Increasing DA isn’t an overnight process. It typically takes several months to a year to see meaningful growth, especially if you’re starting with a low DA score.

However, if you consistently earn high-quality backlinks, fix technical issues, and publish great content, your DA will naturally increase over time.

What NOT to Do: Common Mistakes That Can Tank Your DA

🚫 Buying backlinks – This might give you a temporary boost, but once Google catches on (and it will), your rankings will tank.

🚫 Overloading your site with low-quality guest posts – If you’re publishing thin, low-value content just for links, it won’t help your DA—or your rankings.

🚫 Ignoring technical SEO – A strong backlink profile won’t save you if your site is slow, broken, or difficult to navigate.

🚫 Chasing DA instead of real SEO growth – DA is just a metric. Focus on building a strong, well-optimized site that attracts traffic, conversions, and engaged users.

Next, we’ll dive into why DA fluctuates and what other SEO metrics you should track alongside it.

Why Does Domain Authority Fluctuate?

One of the most frustrating things about tracking Domain Authority is seeing your score drop—even when you’ve done everything right. Before you panic, understand that DA fluctuations are completely normal and often have little to do with anything you did.

1. Moz Updates Its Algorithm

Just like Google regularly updates its search algorithms, Moz periodically updates its DA calculations. These changes can cause widespread shifts in DA scores across many websites.

If your DA dropped after an update but your backlink profile remained stable, it’s likely due to a recalibration of Moz’s scoring system, not a decline in your actual authority.

2. Your Competitors Improved Their DA

Domain Authority is a comparative metric, meaning your score is measured relative to other sites. If your competitors earn high-quality backlinks and boost their DA, it may cause a slight drop in your own score—even if your SEO strategy hasn’t changed.

This is why it’s important to track DA alongside competitor benchmarks. Instead of obsessing over the number, focus on improving your own backlink profile to stay competitive.

3. You Gained or Lost Backlinks

DA is heavily influenced by your backlink profile. If you’ve recently lost high-authority backlinks or gained a lot of low-quality links, your DA might decrease.

Common reasons for link loss include:

• A site that linked to you removed or updated content.
• The linking site deleted your backlink.
• A previously authoritative linking site declined in quality.

On the other hand, if you’ve recently acquired high-value backlinks, your DA may increase after Moz’s next update.

4. Your Backlink Profile Hasn’t Grown Enough

Since DA is a logarithmic scale, it gets harder to increase as your score climbs. A DA 10 site can improve its score quickly by gaining a few strong backlinks, but a DA 60 site will need significantly more authoritative links to see noticeable growth.

This is why many sites experience a plateau in DA growth after a certain point. The key is to continuously earn high-quality backlinks and improve overall SEO.

How to Respond to DA Fluctuations

If your DA drops, don’t panic. Instead, focus on:

• Checking your backlink profile for lost or spammy links using tools like Ahrefs or Moz’s Link Explorer.
• Comparing your DA with competitors to see if industry-wide shifts occurred.
• Focusing on long-term SEO growth instead of chasing DA as a standalone metric.

Next, let’s look at other important SEO metrics that matter just as much—if not more—than Domain Authority.

Beyond Domain Authority: Other SEO Metrics That Matter

Domain Authority is useful, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A high DA won’t guarantee higher rankings, more traffic, or better conversions. If you want a complete picture of your site’s SEO health, you need to track other key performance indicators.

1. Organic Traffic (The Metric That Really Matters)

Unlike DA, organic traffic directly reflects your SEO success. If your DA is increasing but your traffic isn’t, that’s a sign that you’re focusing too much on authority and not enough on content quality, search intent, and on-page optimization.

How to Track It

• Google Search Console – Provides insights into clicks, impressions, and ranking keywords.
• Google Analytics – Helps track user behavior, session duration, and engagement metrics.

A steady increase in organic traffic is a far better indicator of SEO growth than a DA boost alone.

2. Keyword Rankings (Are You Actually Showing Up in Search?)

A higher DA should, in theory, help your pages rank better. But if you’re not tracking keyword performance, you won’t know if your SEO efforts are actually working.

How to Track It

• Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console to monitor ranking positions.
• Focus on both primary and long-tail keywords.
• Watch for ranking fluctuations—a sudden drop could indicate an algorithm update or a technical issue.

3. Backlink Quality (Not Just the Quantity)

Since backlinks are a major factor in DA, tracking who links to you and how authoritative they are is essential.

How to Track It

• Use Moz’s Link Explorer, Ahrefs, or Majestic to analyze backlinks.
• Prioritize high-authority, relevant links over sheer volume.
• Identify and disavow toxic backlinks that might hurt your SEO.

4. Engagement Metrics (Do Visitors Actually Stay on Your Site?)

Even if your DA is high and your pages rank well, poor engagement metrics can signal bad user experience or weak content.

Key Metrics to Watch

• Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate may indicate that visitors aren’t finding what they need.
• Time on Page: Longer sessions suggest engaged readers.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): If your CTR is low, your title tags and meta descriptions might need improvement.

5. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google’s search quality guidelines emphasize E-E-A-T, which essentially measures how credible and authoritative your content is.

How to Improve E-E-A-T

• Showcase expertise by including author credentials.
• Cite reputable sources in your content.
• Secure backlinks from industry leaders.
• Maintain accuracy and update content regularly.

Final Thoughts: Should You Obsess Over Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a useful benchmark, but it shouldn’t be the ultimate goal. Instead of chasing a higher DA score, focus on building a well-optimized, content-rich website that naturally attracts links and ranks well in search engines.

If your DA increases as a result of high-quality SEO practices, great. But if it fluctuates, don’t stress—what truly matters is organic traffic, search visibility, and user engagement.

What’s Next?

• Check your DA score using Moz’s Free Domain Authority Checker.
• Track your keyword rankings and backlink profile to see where you can improve.
• Focus on long-term SEO strategies instead of just chasing a number.

By doing this, you’ll build real authority—not just a higher DA score, but a site that actually ranks, attracts visitors, and drives results.

Want to improve your search rankings? Our SEO consultants can boost your website’s visibility and authority. Get Started Today!