Domain Authority is a score that predicts how well a website will rank in search results, based on the quality and quantity of links pointing to it
Domain Authority, or DA, is a number from 1 to 100 that estimates how likely your website is to rank highly when someone searches for something related to your content. It is calculated by Moz, a company that studies how search engines work, and it is based almost entirely on one thing: the links from other websites pointing to yours.
The score does not come from Google or Bing. Search engines do not publish their own authority scores. Domain Authority is a third-party prediction tool — useful for comparing your website to competitors or tracking whether your link-building efforts are working, but not a direct ranking factor that Google uses.
You cannot improve your Domain Authority score directly. You improve it by earning links from other websites, which is the same work that helps you rank in search results anyway.
Key Takeaways
- Domain Authority is calculated by counting and analyzing the links pointing to your website, with links from high-authority sites weighted more heavily than links from new or low-authority sites.
- The score ranges from 1 to 100 and updates roughly monthly, so a single new link will not change your score when ready.
- Domain Authority is a prediction tool made by Moz, not a Google ranking factor, but it correlates with actual search rankings because both depend on link quality.
- Your Domain Authority will naturally increase as you publish content that other websites want to link to, without any special effort to "optimize" the score itself.
- Comparing your Domain Authority to competitors in your field gives you a rough sense of whether you are building links faster or slower than they are.
What Links Are Counted and How They Are Weighted
Moz's algorithm looks at every link pointing to your website from every other website on the internet. Not all links count equally. A link from a website that already has high Domain Authority — like a major news site or an established industry publication — adds more weight to your score than a link from a brand-new blog with no incoming links of its own.
The algorithm also considers how many links that referring website has given out in total. If a high-authority site links to 500 different websites, each link carries less weight than if it linked to only 10. This prevents websites from inflating their authority by linking to everyone indiscriminately.
Links from your own websites do not count. If you own multiple sites and link between them, Moz filters those out. The algorithm is designed to measure authority that comes from outside recognition, not self-promotion.
Why Newer Links Matter More Than Old Ones
A link you earned last month carries more weight in the calculation than a link from five years ago. Moz's algorithm assumes that recent links reflect your current relevance and quality, while very old links may come from websites that no longer exist or have lost their own authority.
This means your Domain Authority score can drop even if you do nothing, if the websites linking to you lose their own authority or if those links disappear. It also means that earning new links from quality sources is more valuable than relying on old links alone.
How Often Domain Authority Updates
Moz recalculates Domain Authority roughly once a month. You will not see your score change the day after you earn a new link. If you are tracking your progress, check your score monthly rather than weekly, or you will see no movement and assume nothing is working.
The exact update schedule is not published, so you may see your score update on different dates from month to month. Some tracking tools will show you a historical graph of your DA over time, which is more useful than watching for the exact moment it changes.
Domain Authority Versus Page Authority
Moz also publishes Page Authority, or PA, which works the same way but measures individual pages instead of entire websites. A single blog post on your site might have higher Page Authority than your homepage if that post has earned many links.
Page Authority is useful when you are trying to rank a specific piece of content. Domain Authority is more useful for understanding your website's overall strength and comparing yourself to competitors. Most people focus on Domain Authority because it is easier to track and because improving it means improving your entire site's ranking potential.
Why Domain Authority Correlates With Search Rankings
Domain Authority predicts search rankings because both depend on the same underlying factor: links from other websites. Google uses links as a major ranking signal — a page with many links from authoritative sources tends to rank higher than a page with few links. Moz's Domain Authority score is built on the same principle, which is why websites with higher DA tend to rank higher in search results.
However, DA is not the only factor that determines rankings. Content quality, keyword relevance, page speed, and many other factors matter too. A website with high Domain Authority can still rank poorly for a specific search if the content does not match what people are searching for.
How to Check Your Domain Authority
Moz offers a free Domain Authority checker on their website. You enter your domain name, and it shows your current DA score, your Page Authority, and the number of linking domains (the count of separate websites linking to you). The free version shows basic information; Moz also offers paid tools with more detailed link analysis.
Other SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Majestic calculate their own authority metrics using similar logic. These scores will not match Moz's Domain Authority exactly, but they follow the same principle: websites with more and better links score higher. If you are already paying for one of these tools, use their metric rather than paying for Moz separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I improve my Domain Authority without earning new links?
No. Domain Authority is calculated entirely from links pointing to your website. The only way to improve it is to earn links from other websites. You cannot improve DA by optimizing your site's code, improving page speed, or any other on-site change.
Is Domain Authority the same as Google's ranking system?
No. Domain Authority is Moz's prediction of how well you will rank, based on link analysis. Google does not publish a public authority score. DA correlates with rankings because both depend on links, but DA is not what Google uses to rank pages.
Should I pay for tools that promise to increase my Domain Authority?
No. Any service claiming to increase your DA is either selling you links (which you could earn yourself by creating good content) or misleading you. Focus on creating content worth linking to, and your DA will increase naturally as a result.
Does a drop in Domain Authority mean I am doing something wrong?
Not necessarily. DA can drop if websites linking to you lose their own authority, if old links expire, or if Moz's algorithm is recalibrated. Check whether you have actually lost links using a tool like Google Search Console before assuming you have a problem.
How long does it take to see Domain Authority improvements?
You will not see movement for at least a month, since DA updates monthly. Most websites take three to six months of consistent link-building before they see meaningful DA increases. Focus on earning links rather than watching the score.