Domain Authority is Moz’s comparative machine-learned score for a domain’s ranking strength; it is useful for context, not a Google ranking factor.
What Domain Authority measures
Domain Authority (DA) is Moz’s machine-learned comparative score for how likely a domain is to rank relative to other domains in Moz’s index. It is calculated by Moz, changes when Moz updates its model or link index, and is presented on a logarithmic 1–100 scale. It is not a Google metric and should not be described as PageRank or as a direct ranking factor.
That boundary matters in reporting. A domain can gain or lose DA while its search visibility does not move for the same reason, and a lower-DA site can satisfy a particular query better. The score is most useful as one contextual observation alongside page relevance, crawlability, content quality, brand demand and the links people can actually inspect.
Use DA for a comparable cohort
Choose a narrow comparison set: domains serving the same audience and competing for similar organic results. Capture the date, Moz metric version where available, root-domain versus subdomain scope, and any obvious differences in site age, language or market. Comparing an international publisher with a local specialist usually answers a question about scale, not opportunity.
Then inspect a small sample behind the number. Which pages attract links? Are the linking pages topically related and accessible? Does the competitor’s visibility come from a different product, locality or brand query set? This converts a score into a hypothesis that can be checked without turning a decimal into a buying target.
Monitor movement without inventing causality
Track DA at the same cadence as the provider refreshes it and keep the raw observation separate from Google Search Console impressions, clicks and landing pages. A before-and-after note may show that values moved together; it cannot establish that a DA change caused a ranking change. Preserve unavailable values as unavailable rather than filling a graph with zeroes.
For link review, use the source URL, the link’s editorial context, destination relevance and qualification attributes. A legitimate citation can be useful even when it does not change a third-party score, while a high-score placement can still be irrelevant or policy-sensitive.
Common misuses
Do not buy, exchange or remove links solely to move DA. Google’s spam policies evaluate manipulative linking behaviour, not a Moz score, and paid placements intended to pass ranking credit create their own risk. Likewise, do not set a minimum DA threshold that excludes a relevant specialist publication or admits an unrelated broad site.
The useful conclusion from DA is comparative and provisional: it can identify a domain worth closer inspection. It cannot certify authority, forecast traffic, diagnose a ranking drop, or justify a claim that a campaign improved Google’s evaluation.