What it means
Domain Authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100 invented by Moz to predict how well a website will rank in search engines. Ahrefs has an equivalent metric called Domain Rating (DR), and Semrush has Authority Score. All three are calculated primarily from the size and quality of the site's backlink profile.
These scores are third-party estimates. Google does not use Domain Authority and has stated it does not have a single domain-wide authority score in its algorithm.
Why it matters
Domain Authority is useful as a relative benchmark. Comparing your DA to your competitors' DAs gives a rough sense of who has stronger inbound link signals. Tracking DA over time shows whether your authority is growing.
Where it goes wrong is when teams treat DA as a goal rather than a proxy. A high DA built on irrelevant or spammy links does not translate to rankings. Focused, topical authority on the subjects that matter to your business will outrank a higher-DA generalist site.
How it's used
Best practice:
- Use DA or DR to benchmark relative to competitors, not as an absolute target
- Focus on building backlinks from topically relevant, trusted sources
- Pair link building with topical authority and E-E-A-T signals
- Do not buy links to inflate DA - Google penalizes link schemes
DA is a thermometer, not a thermostat. Move the underlying signals and the score follows.