What is Domain Authority?

f you’ve spent any time learning about SEO, you’ve probably come across the term Domain Authority (DA). It’s one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot—especially in SEO audits, reports, and agency pitches.

But what exactly is Domain Authority? Where does it come from, how is it calculated, and most importantly—why should you care?

At MyPageRank.com, we believe in breaking down complex SEO concepts into simple, actionable knowledge. So let’s dive deep into Domain Authority and see what it’s all about.

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). The score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of ranking well.

DA is a relative metric, meaning it doesn’t reflect a site’s inherent “goodness” or trust—but rather how it compares to other sites.

So, a site with DA 60 is likely to rank better than a site with DA 30 for similar content and keywords, all other factors being equal.

Important note: Domain Authority is not a Google metric. Google does not use DA in its algorithm. But DA is still a useful benchmark for understanding your site’s SEO strength compared to competitors.

Who Created Domain Authority?

DA was developed by Moz, a leading SEO software company. It was introduced as a way to estimate how strong a domain is, based on its backlink profile and a bunch of other signals.

Since then, other tools have created their own versions:

Ahrefs has Domain Rating (DR)
SEMrush has Authority Score
Majestic uses Trust Flow and Citation Flow

Each one uses its own methodology, but the idea is similar: stronger domains tend to rank higher.

How is Domain Authority Calculated?

Moz calculates DA using a machine learning algorithm that looks at:

Linking root domains (how many unique sites link to you)
Total backlinks (the number of links pointing to your domain)
Link quality (how authoritative those linking sites are)
Link profile diversity (a healthy mix of dofollow/nofollow, types of content, etc.)
Spam score
MozRank and MozTrust (Moz’s own link quality signals)

DA is calculated on a logarithmic scale, which means:

Going from DA 10 to 20 is way easier than going from 70 to 80.
High DA sites (think Wikipedia or Forbes) have a massive backlink profile.
Each additional “point” gets harder to earn.

Why Does Domain Authority Matter?

Even though DA isn’t used by Google, it’s still valuable. Here’s why:

1. It Helps You Benchmark

DA gives you a way to measure your site’s SEO strength over time. If your DA is growing, chances are your backlink profile is improving—and your visibility is increasing.

2. It Helps You Size Up the Competition

Looking to rank for a certain keyword? Check the DA of the pages currently ranking. If they all have DAs of 60+ and you’re sitting at 25, you’ll probably need a stronger content strategy or more links to compete.

3. It’s a Link Building Compass

When you’re doing outreach or guest posting, look at the DA of the sites you’re targeting. Getting backlinks from higher-DA sites will have more impact on your rankings.

4. It’s a Quality Signal for Partnerships

If you’re working with influencers, bloggers, or affiliates, DA can be a quick way to gauge how reputable their site is.

What’s a “Good” Domain Authority?

There’s no magic number, and DA varies by industry. That said, here’s a rough breakdown:

1–20: New or very small sites
20–40: Growing sites with some traction
40–60: Established sites with solid link profiles
60–80: Strong domains that rank well across topics
80+: Large publishers, authority sites, or major brands

Don’t get obsessed with chasing 100—it’s practically impossible unless you’re YouTube, Wikipedia, or Google itself.

Instead, focus on outperforming your competitors. If your main rival has a DA of 35, your goal should be to hit 40+, not 90.

How to Check Domain Authority

Checking your DA is easy. You can use:

Moz Link Explorer – Free up to 10 queries/month
MozBar (a free browser extension)
Tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, or SEMrush (they use different metrics but similar principles)

Just plug in your domain and look at:

Domain Authority
Linking Root Domains
Top Pages
Spam Score
Anchor Text

How to Increase Domain Authority

Here’s the part everyone wants to know—how do you actually grow your DA?

1. Earn High-Quality Backlinks

This is the single biggest factor. Focus on:

Guest posts on relevant, reputable blogs
Creating link-worthy content (guides, tools, studies)
Outreach to get links inserted or fix broken links
Digital PR or news mentions

2. Create Amazing Content

Content is what earns links. Invest in:

Long-form blog posts
Original research or data
Visual content (infographics, charts)
Tools and calculators

3. Internal Linking

A smart internal linking structure helps pass authority from strong pages to weaker ones—this improves crawlability and spreads link equity.

4. Remove Toxic Links

Use tools to audit your backlinks and disavow any spammy or low-quality ones. A high spam score can drag down your DA.

5. Be Patient

DA growth takes time. It’s a lagging indicator—so stay consistent, keep building links, and you’ll see results over months, not days.

Common Myths About Domain Authority

Let’s clear up a few misconceptions:

❌ “DA is a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm.”

Nope. Google doesn’t use DA. But it does consider similar signals like link quality, which DA tries to reflect.

❌ “A higher DA always means better rankings.”

Not always. Content quality, relevance, and on-page SEO still matter a lot.

❌ “All links build DA equally.”

Wrong. A backlink from a DA 70 site is much more powerful than 10 links from DA 10 sites.

Final Thoughts

Domain Authority isn’t the be-all and end-all of SEO—but it’s a useful compass.

Think of it as your site’s reputation score in the eyes of search engines. The higher it is, the more likely Google is to trust your content, rank your pages, and send traffic your way.

At MyPageRank.com, we help businesses grow their authority organically—through quality content, smart outreach, and technical excellence.

Whether you’re starting at DA 5 or trying to break past 50, we’ll help you get there.