Domain Authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100 that predicts how well a website is likely to rank in search results. It was created by the SEO software company Moz, and similar scores exist from other tools, such as Domain Rating from Ahrefs. The higher the score, the stronger the site is judged to be, based mostly on the quality and quantity of links pointing to it.
Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
No, and this is the single most important thing to understand about it. Domain Authority is a third-party estimate, not a number Google uses or recognises. Google has confirmed it does not have one single “domain authority” metric that works like Moz’s score. DA is useful as a rough comparative gauge, for example to compare two sites or track your own trend over time, but chasing a DA number is not the same as improving your rankings.
How to use it sensibly
Treat DA as a speedometer, not the engine. It can help you judge whether a site you might earn a link from is worth pursuing, or benchmark yourself against local competitors. What actually moves your rankings is the underlying work: earning relevant, authoritative links, sound technical foundations, and content that answers what your customers search for.
If a sales pitch promises to “raise your DA to 40” as though that were the goal, be cautious. The goal is traffic, leads and revenue, and DA is only a loose proxy for the authority that helps deliver them. Google sets out what it does and does not treat as part of ranking in its Search Essentials. Not sure where you stand? Start with a free SEO audit.
