What Is Domain Authority (DA)? Complete Guide to Moz DA Score
Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's metric for ranking potential. Learn what DA is, how it's calculated, what a good DA score is, how to increase it, and how it differs from DR and TF.
What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is an SEO metric developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). It's scored on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100 — higher scores indicate greater ranking potential.
DA is calculated by evaluating multiple factors in Moz's link index, including the number and quality of linking root domains, total inbound links, and Moz's own MozRank and MozTrust scores. It's not a Google ranking factor, but it correlates with actual rankings because it measures similar underlying signals.
Check your Domain Authority for free →
How is DA Calculated?
Moz uses a machine-learning model to calculate DA. The exact algorithm is proprietary, but Moz has disclosed the key inputs:
- Linking root domains — The number of unique domains linking to your site.
- MozRank — A measure of link popularity based on the quantity and quality of inbound links.
- MozTrust — A measure of link trustworthiness based on how closely linked your site is to trusted seed sites.
- Link diversity — Having links from many different domains is better than many links from the same domain.
DA is logarithmic, meaning it's easier to grow from 20 to 30 than from 70 to 80. The scale is also relative — your DA can fluctuate even if your link profile hasn't changed, because Moz periodically recalibrates the algorithm.
What is a Good DA Score?
"Good" is relative to your competition. Use these benchmarks as a rough guide:
| DA Range | Level | Typical Sites |
|---|---|---|
| 1–20 | Low / New | New websites, personal blogs, small local businesses |
| 20–40 | Below Average | Small business sites, niche blogs |
| 40–60 | Average | Established blogs, mid-size SaaS, regional media |
| 60–80 | Strong | Major brands, large publications, well-known SaaS |
| 80–100 | Top-Tier | The most authoritative sites globally |
The right question isn't "is my DA good?" — it's "is my DA competitive with the sites I'm trying to outrank?" A DA of 40 is excellent if your competitors sit at 30–45, and weak if you're targeting keywords dominated by DA 70+ sites.
How to Increase Your DA
Because DA measures your link profile, the only way to raise it is to improve your backlinks:
- Earn links from high-DA sites. A link from a DA 70 domain moves your DA more than 50 links from DA 15 domains.
- Diversify referring domains. 100 links from 100 different domains beats 1,000 links from 5 domains.
- Build links to important pages. DA measures domain-level authority, but links to key pages strengthen your overall profile.
- Remove or disavow toxic links. While DA itself isn't directly penalized, toxic links can trigger Google penalties that indirectly reduce your ranking potential.
- Be patient. DA updates are not real-time; Moz recrawls and recalculates periodically.
DA vs DR vs TF
Three metrics are commonly used to assess a domain's authority:
| Metric | Maker | What it Measures | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| DA (Domain Authority) | Moz | Ranking potential | 1–100 |
| DR (Domain Rating) | Ahrefs | Backlink profile strength | 0–100 |
| TF (Trust Flow) | Majestic | Trustworthiness of links | 0–100 |
They're complementary:
- DA = how well could this site rank (Moz's prediction)
- DR = how strong are the backlinks (Ahrefs measurement)
- TF = how trusted are the links (Majestic's view)
A site can have a high DA but low TF if Moz sees ranking signals Majestic undervalues. The smart move is to check all three.
Common DA Misconceptions
"DA is a Google ranking factor."
No. DA is a Moz metric. Google has its own algorithms and does not read Moz's DA. DA correlates with rankings because backlinks influence both — but correlation is not causation.
"A high DA guarantees rankings."
No. A high DA means your site has ranking potential, not that it will rank. Content quality, technical SEO, search intent alignment, and competition all matter too.
"DA can only go up."
No. DA can drop if you lose backlinks, if linking sites lose their own authority, or if Moz recalibrates its scale.
"DA and DR are the same."
No — see the comparison table above. They use different data, different algorithms, and measure different things. Read our full breakdown: DA vs DR: What's the Difference?
How to Check Your DA
You can check any domain's DA in seconds, free, with no sign-up:
- Go to the DA Checker.
- Enter the domain (e.g.,
yourdomain.com). - Click Check DA.
- Read the DA score alongside PA and Spam Score.
That's all there is to it. No subscription, no credit card, no limits.
FAQ
What is Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority is a Moz metric from 1 to 100 that predicts how likely a domain is to rank in search results. It's based on Moz's analysis of your backlink profile.
What is a good DA score?
It depends on your niche. DA 40–60 is average-to-good for established sites; 60+ is strong. The right benchmark is the DA of the sites you're competing with for your target keywords.
Is DA a Google ranking factor?
No. DA is a Moz metric. It correlates with rankings because backlinks influence both, but Google uses its own algorithms, not Moz's DA.
How do I increase my DA?
Acquire more referring domains — especially from high-DA sites. Diversify your link sources, create link-worthy content, and avoid low-quality links. DA only moves with your backlink profile.
What's the difference between DA and DR?
DA (Moz) predicts ranking potential; DR (Ahrefs) measures backlink strength. They use different data and algorithms, so the same site usually has different DA and DR. See DA vs DR.