SEO Glossary · Off-Page SEO

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain authority is a third-party metric (Moz's DA, and Ahrefs' equivalent Domain Rating or DR) that predicts how well a website can rank, on a 0-100 logarithmic scale based largely on its backlink profile. It is not a Google metric, but a useful comparative benchmark.

How to improve domain authority

Since these scores are driven by backlinks, the way to raise them is to earn more high-quality, relevant links over time - through great content, digital PR, and linkable assets. Because the scale is logarithmic, moving from 20 to 30 is far easier than 70 to 80. Use authority scores to compare competitors and gauge keyword difficulty, not as a goal in themselves.

Pro tip
Use DA/DR to compare against competitors and gauge keyword difficulty, not as a goal. A higher score than the sites you compete with is what matters.
Key takeaways
Domain authority (DA/DR) is a third-party score from 0-100.
It predicts ranking ability based on backlinks.
Google does not use it - it is a comparative benchmark.
The scale is logarithmic, so early gains come faster.

Put it into practice with Soro

Understanding domain authority is one thing - applying it across every page is another. Soro automates SEO content end to end, researching keywords and publishing optimised articles so your site ranks on Google and gets cited by AI. See how Soro works.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google use domain authority?

No. DA and DR are third-party metrics from Moz and Ahrefs. Google has its own internal signals but does not publish a single authority score.

What is a good domain authority?

It is relative to your niche. Compare against the sites you compete with rather than chasing an absolute number; a higher score than your competitors is what matters.

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