What is Domain Authority (DA)?

Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority (DA) is a proprietary search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater probability of ranking well. It's calculated by evaluating numerous factors, including linking root domains and the number of total links, effectively modeling the overall credibility and authority of a website across the internet. Why it matters: For PR and SEO professionals, a high DA indicates a website's strong influence and trustworthiness. Securing backlinks from sites with high DA can significantly boost your own site's authority and search performance, making it a critical metric not only for SEO strategy but also for evaluating the impact and value of earned media placements.

Why Domain Authority (DA) matters

This logarithmic scale provides a standardized shorthand for evaluating the competitive power of a domain before investing in costly link-building campaigns. It allows marketing teams to prioritize high-impact media placements that move the needle on organic visibility by funneling link equity back to their own infrastructure.

In practice

An outreach specialist at Smart Money Media might use the MozBar extension to filter out sites with a score below 40 when building a guest post prospect list.

Common mistake

Treating the metric as an absolute Google ranking factor rather than a comparative benchmark for measuring relative strength against direct industry competitors.

How it connects

This metric functions as a proxy for PageRank and is heavily influenced by backlink profiles and referring domains.

Frequently Asked Questions

In short: Domain Authority (DA) is domain Authority (DA) is a proprietary search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). See the full definition above for context.

What constitutes a good score for a new website?

A good score is entirely relative to your specific niche; a local bakery might dominate with a score of 25, while a national news site requires a 90 to compete. Compare your site against direct rivals rather than aiming for a perfect 100.

Why did my score drop if I didn't lose any links?

Scores fluctuate when Google removes spam indexes or when high-authority sites in the database gain massive surges in links, shifting the entire 100-point scale. Your score might drop even if you have not lost any backlinks because other sites significantly improved theirs.

How can a brand systematically improve its rating?

Focus on securing high-quality editorial placements and removing broken outbound links that drain your site equity. Consistency in publishing original research that earns natural citations from reputable organizations is the most sustainable path to growth.

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