What is Domain Authority?
Definition
Domain Authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100, created by the SEO software company Moz, that estimates how likely a website is to rank in search results compared with other sites, based mainly on the number and quality of links pointing to it. It is a third-party prediction, not a Google metric.
Last updated 2026-10-18 · Flowmatix
How Domain Authority works
Moz crawls the web, builds its own index of links and runs a model that compares link profiles against how sites actually rank. The strongest inputs are how many unique websites link to you and how authoritative those linking sites are. Moz's explanation of Domain Authority stresses that the score is relative: it is most useful for comparing your site with direct competitors, not as an absolute grade.
The scale is logarithmic, so moving from 20 to 30 is far easier than moving from 60 to 70. Other tools publish similar scores under different names, such as Ahrefs' Domain Rating and Semrush's Authority Score. Each uses its own index and formula, so the numbers are not interchangeable.
Example: two Mississauga accounting firms target the same searches. One has a DA of 18, the other 35. The gap hints that the second firm has earned more references from other sites, perhaps through industry associations, local media and partner pages, which helps explain why it ranks higher across competitive terms.
Why it matters for your business
DA is a useful shorthand for link strength when planning SEO. It helps you gauge how hard a search term will be to win, judge which websites are worth earning backlinks from and track whether your link profile is growing over time.
It is not a ranking factor. Google does not use Moz's score, and a high DA cannot compensate for weak pages or poor relevance. Treat it as a weather report, not a thermostat. Our article on SEO costs in Canada explains why agencies promising a target DA should raise questions.
Common mistakes
- Treating DA as a goal in itself, then buying low-quality links to inflate it.
- Comparing your DA with giant national sites instead of local competitors.
- Worrying about small monthly fluctuations, which often reflect changes in Moz's index rather than your site.
- Comparing scores across different tools as if they measured the same thing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Domain Authority?
There is no universal good score. What matters is how you compare with the sites ranking for the searches you want. A local trades business can win its market with a modest DA if its pages and local signals are strong.
How do I increase Domain Authority?
Earn links from relevant, reputable sites: publish genuinely useful resources, get listed by industry bodies and partners, and pursue local press. DA rises as a side effect of real authority, not through shortcuts.
Does Google have its own version of Domain Authority?
Google uses many signals to assess sites, but it does not publish a single authority score for domains. Public scores like DA are external estimates.
How Flowmatix can help
Our SEO services work puts this into practice for businesses in Toronto and around the world. Get a personalised quote in about 3 minutes.
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