Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority is a metric developed by the SEO software company Moz that estimates how likely a website is to rank in search results, expressed as a score from 0 to 100. It is calculated primarily based on the quantity and quality of external links pointing to a domain. Similar metrics exist from other tools; Ahrefs has Domain Rating and Semrush has Authority Score.

Domain Authority exists separately from Google ranking factors. Google refrains from using DA scores in its algorithm, as the concept of a single numeric domain authority score is Moz's proprietary model. However, the underlying factors that correlate with high DA, such as quality backlinks from credible, relevant sources, are genuine Google ranking signals. DA is useful as a comparative benchmark but should be treated as a comparative metric rather than a definitive measure of search performance.

For a new website, Domain Authority starts very low, typically below 10, and increases over time as the site accumulates backlinks from credible sources, content matures, and Google's assessment of the site's trustworthiness develops. This explains why new sites take months rather than weeks to rank for competitive queries: the domain represents a source that is yet to accumulate the external authority signals that help Google distinguish it from a less credible source.

Focusing on DA as a goal rather than a consequence is a common misdirection. The right focus is producing content credible enough that relevant sources want to link to it, and building relationships in the sector that lead to natural mentions and links. Domain Authority follows from those activities; it is an output, not a lever.