Domain Authority Score : A Complete Guide to Understanding and Checking

Domain authority is an SEO metric developed by Moz that predicts a website’s ability to rank in search engine results. Scored from 1 to 100, domain authority is not a direct Google ranking factor but is widely used to compare competitors and track SEO performance over time.

What is domain authority score? (The essentials)

Before exploring strategies and tools, it’s important to understand the basics of domain authority score and why it is a valuable metric within the broader SEO landscape.

Definition & key characteristics

Domain authority is a predictive metric that estimates how well a website will perform in search engine rankings. Developed by Moz, this score operates on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100, meaning that it’s significantly easier to grow your score from 20 to 30 than from 70 to 80. This logarithmic nature is one of the most important characteristics to understand when working with DA.

The metric is relative rather than absolute, which means your domain authority score should always be compared against competitors in your niche rather than viewed in isolation. A score of 40 might be excellent in a local service industry but modest in the highly competitive technology sector. The key characteristics that define domain authority include its predictive nature, comparative framework, and dependency on link quality and quantity.

 

Domain authority predicts ranking potential based on backlinks

Unlike metrics that measure direct user engagement or traffic, website domain authority specifically focuses on your site’s potential to rank based on its backlink profile and overall link equity. It’s recalculated regularly as Moz’s index is updated, which means your score can fluctuate even if you haven’t made recent changes to your site. Understanding these characteristics helps set realistic expectations and prevents frustration when tracking your progress.

How domain authority is calculated

The calculation behind domain authority involves a complex machine learning algorithm developed by Moz. At its core, this algorithm evaluates multiple factors related to your site’s link profile to generate your specific domain authority score. The primary components include the total number of links pointing to your domain, the quality and authority of those linking domains, and the diversity of your backlink sources.

Moz’s algorithm focuses heavily on two fundamental concepts:

• Link Equity: This refers to the value passed from one site to another through hyperlinks—essentially the “voting power” that quality backlinks provide to your site.
• Ranking Potential: This measures how likely your domain is to appear in search results based on historical data and predictive modeling.

When you are researching how to find domain authority or looking into what influences it, remember that the algorithm analyzes billions of links in Moz’s web index. It uses machine learning to find correlations between link data and actual rankings. The foundational elements include:

• Total Link Count: The sheer volume of backlinks tring to your site.
• Linking Root Domains: The number of unique domains linking to you (often more important than total links).
• Link Quality: The authority and trustworthiness of the sites that link to you.
• Spam Score & Link Diversity: Moz evaluates the health of your link profile and the variety of sources to ensure authority is earned naturally.

 

Domain authority is calculated mainly from backlink quality and quantity

Importantly, this calculation is domain-wide. This means the algorithm assesses the authority of your entire website as a single entity rather than evaluating individual pages in isolation.

Domain authority vs. page authority

While domain authority measures the ranking strength of entire domains, Page Authority (PA) predicts the ranking potential of individual pages. This distinction is crucial for understanding how to check website domain authority effectively and interpreting what those scores mean for your overall SEO strategy.

• Domain Authority: Provides a holistic view of your website’s credibility and link profile across all pages. It is particularly useful when evaluating a site’s overall competitive position or deciding whether to pursue a backlink opportunity from a particular domain.
• Page Authority: Helps you understand which specific pages on your site (or a competitor’s) have the strongest ranking potential.

Example: 

A news website might have a high website domain authority of 85, but an individual article published yesterday might only have a PA of 30. Conversely, a smaller blog with a DA of 40 could have a pillar content piece with a PA of 55 due to numerous quality backlinks pointing specifically to that page.

When conducting competitive research or planning your content strategy, considering both metrics together provides a more complete picture than relying on either one alone.

What is a good domain authority score?

A “good” domain authority score depends on context, as it is a relative metric that should be evaluated based on your industry, niche, and competitors rather than in isolation.

The context of your niche

Understanding what is domain authority in relation to your specific niche is essential for setting realistic goals. A domain authority score that seems modest in one industry might be highly competitive in another. For instance, a local plumbing business with a DA of 25 might dominate its market, while a national technology publication would struggle to compete with the same score.

In highly competitive industries like finance, healthcare, or technology, you’ll find that top-ranking sites often have DA scores of 70 or higher. These industries have well-established players with years of link-building history and substantial content libraries. Conversely, in local service industries or specialized B2B niches, sites with DA scores between 20 and 40 can achieve excellent visibility and rankings.

 

Domain authority should be evaluated within your niche and competitor landscape

When evaluating your website domain authority, consider the average DA of the top 10 ranking sites for your target keywords. If you’re in e-commerce selling handmade jewelry, competing against sites with DA scores of 30-50 is vastly different from trying to rank in the insurance industry where competitors might have DA scores exceeding 80. The context of your niche determines what “good” actually means, making competitor analysis an essential part of your DA strategy.

Benchmarking against competitors

Rather than chasing an arbitrary number, the most effective approach to domain authority is benchmarking against your direct competitors. This strategy provides actionable insights and realistic goals based on your actual competitive landscape. Start by identifying 5-10 websites that compete for the same keywords and audience as your site.

Use tools to check domain authority for each competitor and calculate the average DA score within your competitive set. This average becomes your baseline benchmark. If your competitors average a DA of 35 and you’re currently at 28, you have a clear, achievable target. Conversely, if you’re at 45 and your competitors average 32, you’re in a strong position and can focus on maintaining your advantage while pursuing more competitive keywords.

Track how your domain authority score compares to these benchmarks over time. Quarterly reviews help you understand whether you’re gaining ground or falling behind. Remember that everyone’s DA can fluctuate when Moz updates its algorithm, so focus on relative positioning rather than absolute numbers. If you and your competitors all drop by 5 points, your competitive position hasn’t actually changed. This benchmarking approach transforms DA from an abstract number into a practical strategic tool that directly informs your SEO priorities and link-building efforts.

How to check domain authority of a website

Understanding how to check domain authority is essential for building an effective DA strategy, and reliable tools make it easy to analyze both your website and competitors while accurately interpreting the results.

Top trusted tools for checking DA

The most authoritative way to check website domain authority is through Moz’s own tools. 

• Moz Link Explorer: Provides in-depth domain authority analysis, including domain authority score, linking domains, spam score, and top-performing pages. As the creator of DA, Moz is the most reliable source, with limited free access and full features available via Moz Pro.
• MozBar: A browser extension that displays domain authority and Page Authority directly in search results and on websites, making quick competitor analysis fast and efficient.
• Third-Party SEO Tools: Platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest often display their own proprietary authority metrics (such as Ahrefs’ Domain Rating or SEMrush’s Authority Score). While these are useful for those learning how to find domain authority of a website, it is important to note that they are distinct from Moz’s metric. While some platforms may integrate Moz’s DA data via API, Moz tools remain the gold standard for viewing the official DA metric.

 

Moz tools are the most trusted sources for checking website domain authority accurately

Interpreting your results

Once you’ve learned how to find domain authority, understanding what those numbers actually mean is the next critical step. Your domain authority score provides a snapshot of your site’s competitive strength, but several factors influence how you should interpret this data for actionable insights.

First, recognize that DA is predictive and comparative—it estimates ranking potential relative to other sites. If your score is 45, it doesn’t mean you’re “45% optimized” or that you’ve achieved 45% of your potential. Instead, it indicates you should theoretically outrank sites with lower scores and struggle against sites with higher scores, all else being equal. This relative nature makes competitor comparison more valuable than obsessing over your absolute number.

Your website domain authority may fluctuate even when your SEO efforts remain consistent. Moz regularly updates its index and refines its algorithm, which can cause shifts across all sites. If your DA drops from 42 to 38 but your competitors experienced similar decreases, your relative position hasn’t changed. Additionally, when high-authority sites gain links, it can affect the overall scale, potentially lowering your score without any negative action on your part.

Pay attention to the trend over time rather than fixating on monthly variations. A gradual upward trajectory over 6-12 months indicates your link-building and content strategies are working, even if you experience occasional dips. Conversely, a steadily declining DA despite active SEO efforts suggests you need to audit your backlink profile for toxic links or reassess your content quality. Context matters immensely—interpret your score alongside metrics like organic traffic, rankings for target keywords, and conversion rates for a complete picture of your SEO health.

How to improve your website’s domain authority (The core strategy)

Improving domain authority requires a strategic, long-term approach focused on building genuine authority and trust. While there’s no shortcut to dramatically increasing your DA overnight, implementing these core strategies consistently will gradually strengthen your domain authority score and improve your site’s overall SEO performance.

Build a high-quality backlink profile

The foundation of improving your website domain authority lies in acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites.

• Focus on “Linkable Assets”: Rather than pursuing quantity, create content so valuable that other sites naturally want to reference it. This includes original research, comprehensive guides, interactive tools, infographics, or industry surveys.
• Quality Over Quantity: A single backlink from a respected industry publication with a DA of 70+ impacts your website domain authority more than 50 links from newly created, low-authority blogs. Target sites with strong authority and strict editorial standards.
• Deep Linking Strategy: Earn backlinks to various internal pages (blog posts, resources) rather than just your homepage. This demonstrates that your entire domain provides value, strengthening your overall profile.
• Natural Diversification: Diversify your anchor text naturally and ensure links come from varied domains rather than the same few sources repeatedly. Prioritize relevance over raw authority.

 

High-quality, relevant backlinks are the foundation of improving website domain authority

Audit and clean up toxic backlinks

While building quality links improves your domain authority score, toxic backlinks can undermine your efforts and damage your site’s credibility.

• Use Analysis Tools: Utilize Moz Link Explorer, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to analyze your profile. Watch for red flags: sudden spikes from unrelated sites, high spam scores, or irrelevant anchor text in foreign languages.
• Manual Removal: Contact site owners directly to request the removal of problematic links. Many webmasters will comply if you explain the situation clearly.
• Disavow Tool: For links you cannot remove manually, compile them into a disavow file and submit it through Google Search Console. While this primarily impacts Google rankings, maintaining a clean link profile helps tools like Moz better evaluate your site’s true authority.

Be cautious—only target genuinely spammy or manipulative links. Small, natural links are harmless. Conduct audits quarterly to protect your website domain authority from erosion.

Optimize internal linking & technical SEO

Internal linking and technical SEO create the foundation that allows link equity to flow effectively, amplifying the growth of your domain authority score.

• Logical Site Architecture: Implement clear hierarchies where your most important pages are no more than three clicks from the homepage.
• Pillar – Cluster Model: Create comprehensive pillar pages that link to related cluster content (and vice-versa) to build a robust internal content network.
• Strong Technical Foundations:
  • Page Speed: Ensure fast loading times across all devices.
  • Mobile-Responsive: Optimize for mobile-first indexing.
  • XML Sitemap: Maintain an updated sitemap to help search engines index your pages.
  • HTTPS: Establish a secure connection as a standard trust signal.
  • Fix Errors: Promptly repair broken links (404 errors) and manage redirects (301) to prevent the waste of valuable link equity.

 

Strong internal linking and technical SEO help maximize domain authority growth

Content consistency & brand signals

Sustainable growth in your domain authority score demands establishing genuine expertise and trustworthiness in your niche.

• E-E-A-T Framework: Focus on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Demonstrating these qualities naturally attracts the high-quality signals that improve your website domain authority.
• In-depth Content: Publish comprehensive resources consistently. Include author bios with credentials, cite reputable sources, and update content regularly to maintain accuracy.
• Off-site Brand Signals: Maintain active social media profiles, secure mentions in industry podcasts or conferences, and respond to reviews. These signals establish your domain as a recognized entity.
• Natural Citations: Aim to become the “go-to” resource. When industry professionals or journalists quote your unique analysis, your domain authority benefits from organic endorsements, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.

View domain authority as a “health metric” rather than the ultimate goal. When you focus on user value and content quality, your domain authority score will naturally improve as an inevitable result.

How to use DA effectively in your SEO strategy

Understanding domain authority is valuable, but leveraging it strategically within your broader SEO efforts is where this metric truly shines. By incorporating DA analysis into your decision-making process, you can make smarter choices about keyword targeting, content priorities, and link-building opportunities that align with your current competitive position.

Selecting target keywords based on DA

One of the most practical applications of domain authority is matching your keyword strategy to your current competitive strength. Keyword difficulty tools often incorporate DA into their calculations, helping you identify which terms you have a realistic chance of ranking for versus which ones require building more authority first.

• Feasibility Assessment: If your domain authority score is 25, targeting keywords where the top 10 results have an average DA of 60+ is likely an inefficient use of resources.
• “Quick Win” Strategy: Identify keywords where ranking sites have domain authority scores within 10-15 points of your own. These represent your best opportunities for relatively quick wins that can drive traffic while you work on building authority for more competitive terms.
• Create a tiered keyword strategy:
  • Priority Keywords: Those where your current website domain authority puts you within striking distance of ranking sites.
  • Growth Keywords: Target terms where you’ll need 10-20 more DA points to compete effectively, serving as medium-term goals.
  • Aspirational Keywords: A list of high-volume, highly competitive keywords you’ll target once your authority increases sufficiently.

 

Match keyword targets to your domain authority to find realistic ranking opportunities

Using DA for strategic link building

Domain authority serves as an excellent filtering mechanism when evaluating link-building opportunities. Whether you’re considering guest post placements, partnership opportunities, or outreach targets, DA provides a quick assessment of whether pursuing that opportunity aligns with your authority-building goals.

• Prioritize higher authority sites: When prospecting for guest posting opportunities, prioritize sites with domain authority scores higher than your own—ideally at least 10 points higher. A guest post on a site with significantly lower DA than yours provides minimal benefit in terms of link equity.
• Filter outreach opportunities: Use DA as your first-pass filter: compile a list of potential sites in your niche, check domain authority for each, then focus your efforts on the highest-quality opportunities to maximize impact.
• Balance DA and Relevance: While DA is important, you must balance it with content relevance. A highly relevant site with moderate DA is often more valuable than a tangentially related site with higher authority.
• The Ideal Link: This comes from a site that is both authoritative (high website domain authority) and topically relevant with your content.

Frequently asked questions about domain authority

Despite widespread use of domain authority in SEO discussions, several common questions and misconceptions persist. Addressing these frequently asked questions helps clarify how DA works and how to interpret changes in your score over time.

Why is my DA not increasing?

If your domain authority isn’t increasing despite ongoing efforts, it’s often due to how the domain authority score works. DA grows on a logarithmic scale, so higher scores require far more high-quality links, especially beyond 50. Because domain authority is relative, your score may also stay flat if competitors are gaining links at the same pace. In addition, algorithm updates can rebalance scores, and links from low-authority sites have little impact—making quality, relevance, and authority far more important than link volume.

Can a website rank on Google with low DA?

Yes, domain authority is correlated with rankings but is not a direct factor used by Google. Many websites with a lower website domain authority still rank very well, especially for long-tail or niche keywords, because Google evaluates content quality, relevance, user experience, and technical SEO. A site with domain authority 30 can outperform one with 50 if it better matches search intent, delivers stronger content, and provides a smoother user experience, making DA a helpful reference point rather than a limitation.

How often does Moz update the DA score?

Moz frequently updates its link index and recalculates domain authority, often on a daily or weekly basis in their live index, though significant shifts may be noticed monthly. Your domain authority score can change even without direct action as new links are discovered and evaluated. When tracking website domain authority, small fluctuations of 2 to 3 points are normal and not a sign of poor SEO. Instead of reacting to each update, focus on long term trends over several months, as improvements from high quality backlinks often appear after future index updates and consistent SEO efforts.

Conclusion

Domain authority is a helpful compass in your SEO journey, guiding competitive analysis, goal setting, and performance tracking, but it should never be the final goal. Learning what domain authority is, how to check it, and how to improve your domain authority score matters most when these efforts support a bigger mission: building a website that truly serves users and becomes a trusted resource in its niche.

The most sustainable way to improve website domain authority is to focus on doing SEO right. Create high value content, maintain strong technical foundations, earn relevant and authoritative backlinks, and demonstrate clear E-E-A-T signals. When expertise, trust, and user satisfaction come first, domain authority growth follows naturally as a result of consistent, quality driven SEO efforts.

If you want to boost your Domain Authority and build a sustainable SEO strategy, On Digitals is the place to start. Visit On Digitals to stay updated with the latest marketing insights, in-depth SEO and advertising analysis, and practical digital growth strategies that drive real results. 

Whether you’re looking for professional marketing services or simply want to sharpen your digital knowledge, the On Digitals team is ready to support your growth journey.