Definition
Domain Authority is a third-party score from Moz, with similar scores from other SEO tools, estimating how likely a domain is to rank based on its links.
Domain Authority explained
Moz's Domain Authority, Ahrefs' Domain Rating and similar metrics from other tools score websites on a scale up to 100, mainly from the number and quality of links pointing to them. They are useful shorthand for comparing sites and qualifying link opportunities.
They are not Google metrics. Google doesn't use Domain Authority or any tool's score in its rankings, and each tool calculates its own number differently, so the same site can score quite differently across tools. The scores can also be inflated with low-quality links, which is why sellers of links often advertise high numbers.
Use authority scores as one input among several:
- Compare against direct competitors rather than chasing an absolute number.
- Check real signals: organic traffic, topical relevance and editorial standards.
- Look at trends over time rather than month-to-month movements.
Example
A link seller promises placements on sites with a high Domain Authority. One of them has almost no search traffic and publishes on every topic. A smaller industry blog with a lower score but real readers in your market is the better link for your brand.
Why it matters
Authority scores are handy for comparison, but treating them as targets leads to buying low-value links. Real relevance and traffic matter more.
Related service
Link Building
Editorial links and mentions from relevant publications, earned with research and digital PR.
White-hat link building servicesPublished by Vidern, founded and led by Malhar Shah. Updated .
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Related terms
- Referring domainA referring domain is a unique website linking to yours, so ten links from one site count as ten backlinks but only one referring domain.
- BacklinkA backlink is a link from another site to yours; relevant, editorial backlinks tell search engines that others vouch for your content.
- PBN (Private Blog Network)A PBN (private blog network) is a group of websites controlled by one party and used to create links to other sites to manipulate search rankings.
- Link equityLink equity is the ranking value that links pass from one page to another, which redirects and internal links can preserve or waste.