SEO Term Definition
Domain Authority (DA)
Domain Authority (DA) is a third-party SEO metric created by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results, scored from 0 to 100. It is not a Google ranking factor.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-06-22
What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a search 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 — higher scores correlate with greater ranking potential. DA is calculated using multiple factors including linking root domains and total number of links.
Important: DA is a Moz metric — not a Google metric. Google does not use DA in its ranking algorithm. It is a useful benchmark for comparing sites, not an absolute measure of SEO success.
DA vs DR vs PA
| Metric | Creator | Measures |
|---|---|---|
| DA (Domain Authority) | Moz | Overall domain ranking potential |
| DR (Domain Rating) | Ahrefs | Strength of a domain's backlink profile |
| PA (Page Authority) | Moz | Ranking potential of a specific page |
| TF (Trust Flow) | Majestic | Quality of backlinks (trustworthiness) |
What Actually Determines DA
- Number of unique linking root domains (most important)
- Quality and authority of those linking domains
- Total number of inbound links
- MozRank and MozTrust scores
How to Increase Domain Authority
- Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites
- Publish link-worthy content (original research, comprehensive guides)
- Remove or disavow spammy backlinks
- Fix technical issues that prevent proper crawling
- Improve internal linking structure
Note: DA changes slowly and is a lagging indicator. Focus on real SEO improvements rather than chasing DA directly.