Domain Authority and SEO: What You Need to Know

How Domain Authority Affects Your SEO Rankings

If you’re trying to improve how well your website performs in search, you’ll likely come across the term “domain authority.” It’s a metric used by SEO professionals to estimate the potential of a domain to rank on Google.

While not a direct Google ranking factor, it’s still one of the most referenced indicators of SEO strength.

This article breaks down what domain authority is, why it matters, and how to use it to guide your SEO strategy.

Article Outline

1. What Is Domain Authority and Why Does It Matter?

2. How Is Domain Authority Calculated?

3. Is Domain Authority a Google Ranking Factor?

4. What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?

5. How Can I Check My Domain Authority?

6. How to Increase Your Domain Authority

7. The Role of Backlinks and Linking Root Domains

8. What’s the Difference Between Domain Authority and Page Authority?

9. How Does Domain Authority Affect SEO Performance?

10. Should You Rely on Domain Authority for SEO Decisions?

1. What Is Domain Authority and Why Does It Matter?

Domain authority is a score that predicts how well a domain will perform in search engine results. Developed by Moz, this metric uses multiple factors - such as backlinks and overall link profile strength - to provide a score between 1 and 100.

The higher your domain authority, the more likely your domain is to rank above competitors with a lower DA score.

You’ll also find domain authority discussed frequently in SEO circles, but it’s important to note that it is not a Google ranking factor.

Still, it’s commonly used to benchmark SEO progress and evaluate link quality from other sites. High domain authority suggests a strong, trustworthy domain with solid SEO foundations.

It’s important to use domain authority as a directional metric - something that reflects your site’s authority within a competitive landscape.

2. How Is Domain Authority Calculated?

Domain authority is calculated using a mix of signals. The most influential is the quality and quantity of inbound links, also called backlinks. Moz’s algorithm - now referred to as Domain Authority 2.0 - includes:

• The number of unique linking root domains

• Spam score of linking domains

• Link profile growth over time

• Moz’s own Page Authority score

Each of these feeds into the domain authority metric. While the formula is proprietary, it behaves much like a search engine ranking score - measuring relative strength rather than absolute quality.

Domain authority is not fixed. It can increase or decrease depending on how your link profile develops compared to the wider internet.

As more domains emerge or strengthen, your score might shift even if nothing changes on your own site.

3. Is Domain Authority a Google Ranking Factor?

No, domain authority is not a Google ranking factor. It’s a third-party metric developed by Moz. Google does not use domain authority in its algorithm. However, many SEO tools and professionals use domain authority as a proxy to estimate a website’s potential ranking ability.

It’s easy to assume that a higher DA score directly affects your search engine results, but that’s a misunderstanding.

What domain authority does do is offer a useful benchmark to compare your domain to others in your space.

For example, if Domain A’s DA is 62 and Domain B’s DA is 21, Domain A is more likely to rank higher - assuming all other SEO factors are equal.

That said, authority is not a magic bullet. Content relevance, on-page SEO, and user intent still play a big role.

4. What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?

A good domain authority score depends on your industry, your competition, and your goals. For small businesses or niche sites, a DA score in the 20–30 range can be strong. For more competitive markets, anything below 50 might be considered weak.

Here’s a rough guide:

• 1–20: New or very small websites

• 21–40: Growing websites with moderate link profiles

• 41–60: Well-established websites with solid SEO

• 61–80: Strong domains with broad backlink profiles

• 81–100: Top-tier authority sites (e.g. large media outlets)

The average domain authority will vary by sector. It’s not useful to compare your score to Amazon or Wikipedia. Instead, check the domain authority scores of sites actually ranking in your niche.

A good domain authority score isn’t about hitting a magic number - it’s about outperforming the competition where it counts.

5. How Can I Check My Domain Authority?

You can check your domain authority using tools developed by Moz. Their free domain authority checker allows you to enter any domain and receive its current DA score, along with other metrics like page authority and linking domains.

Other SEO tools - such as Ahrefs and SEMrush - use similar metrics. SEMrush, for example, has an authority score that measures backlink strength. These tools differ slightly in how they calculate scores, but the concept is the same.

If you’re actively working on SEO, you should check your domain authority regularly to track improvements and see how changes affect your DA score.

6. How to Increase Your Domain Authority

If your goal is to increase domain authority, you’ll need to focus on the long-term. There’s no quick fix. It involves improving your overall SEO, building a better backlink profile, and creating content that earns links naturally.

Some ways to improve your domain authority include:

• Building high-quality backlinks from trusted sources

• Removing or disavowing toxic backlinks

• Improving your on-page SEO and site structure

• Publishing original content that earns citations

• Boosting internal linking and page authority

It’s also a good idea to audit your site’s overall SEO regularly. Technical SEO, crawlability, and site speed can all affect how search engines interpret your domain.

While increasing your DA score takes time, consistent effort will help. The more high authority links you acquire, the more your domain authority can rise.

7. The Role of Backlinks and Linking Root Domains

Backlinks are the most important factor that makes up your domain authority score. But not all links are equal. One link from a high authority domain will carry more weight than hundreds of low-quality links.

Moz looks closely at the number of linking root domains - unique domains linking to your site. Multiple links from the same site don’t carry as much value as links from a range of different domains.

That’s why link diversity matters. If 100 domains each link to you once, that’s a stronger signal than getting 1000 links from one domain.

To increase your website’s domain authority:

• Focus on earning links from authoritative, trusted domains

• Avoid link schemes or low-quality directories

• Reach out to relevant sites in your niche for genuine placements

Backlinks remain central to how domain authority is calculated, and they’re still a major part of any SEO strategy.

8. What’s the Difference Between Domain Authority and Page Authority?

Domain authority refers to the strength of an entire domain, while page authority is specific to a single page. Both metrics are developed by Moz and use similar signals, but the scope is different.

A domain might have a high domain authority but still have individual pages with low page authority - especially if those pages are new or lack inbound links.

Page authority is also useful when evaluating the link strength of internal pages or external pages linking to you. If a page with high page authority links to you, that link will likely carry more value.

In general:

• Use domain authority to assess overall site trust

• Use page authority to evaluate individual pages or URLs

Both metrics can guide your SEO decisions, particularly when analysing competitors or planning outreach campaigns.

9. How Does Domain Authority Affect SEO Performance?

Although domain authority is not a direct ranking factor, it’s still useful for understanding your site’s SEO performance in context. A higher DA score often correlates with better rankings, as it reflects stronger backlinks and a healthier site profile.

Here’s how it can affect your SEO:

• Helps identify link building opportunities

• Offers a way to benchmark against competitors

• Signals the strength of your site to potential partners or clients

• Affects the perceived authority of your content in your niche

Improving domain authority can help your SEO efforts indirectly. As your DA score rises, your site becomes more likely to attract links, rank for harder keywords, and be seen as a reliable source.

That said, don’t obsess over the number. Focus instead on the work behind it - technical SEO, content quality, and natural links.

10. Should You Rely on Domain Authority for SEO Decisions?

Domain authority is a helpful metric, but it shouldn’t drive your whole SEO strategy. It’s one of many indicators, and it has limits. The DA score is relative, fluctuates, and is affected by global changes on the web.

You should:

• Use domain authority as a comparative metric, not an absolute target

• Focus on actions that also support SEO directly, like earning backlinks and creating quality content

• Avoid chasing a higher DA score at the expense of relevance or user experience

Authority is a good indicator of site strength, but not the only one. Metrics like traffic, conversions, and ranking improvements often tell you more about actual SEO performance.

If you’re making SEO decisions, base them on data - not just domain authority scores.

Summary: What You Need to Know About Domain Authority

• Domain authority is a metric developed by Moz to estimate ranking strength.

• It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater authority.

• DA is not a Google ranking factor but helps guide SEO strategy.

• Key elements include backlinks, linking root domains, and site health.

• A good domain authority score depends on your industry and goals.

• You can check your DA using Moz and other SEO tools.

• Improving DA takes time - focus on backlinks, content, and technical SEO.

• Page authority is a related metric but applies to individual pages.

• Use domain authority as a benchmark, not a target.

• Good SEO comes from consistent action, not chasing scores.

If you’re looking to improve your domain’s SEO strength through data-driven strategies, talk to SEOJet. We work on the fundamentals that build lasting performance.