Quick answer: Domain authority is a 1–100 score that SEO tools use to estimate how likely a website is to rank, based mainly on the links pointing to it. Google does not use it. You can check a free authority score for up to five sites with our Domain Authority Checker.
If you run a website, you have probably seen people talk about “DA” or “domain authority”. It is a handy way to compare sites, but it is also widely misunderstood. This guide explains what the score means, how to check it without paying, and what actually helps a site grow.
What is domain authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by Moz. It predicts how well a whole website might rank in search results on a scale from 1 to 100, using data such as how many different websites link to it and how strong those linking sites are. Other SEO companies have their own versions: Ahrefs calls it Domain Rating (DR) and Semrush calls it Authority Score (AS). The numbers are calculated differently, so a site can have a DA of 40 and a DR of 55 at the same time.
The scales are logarithmic. Moving from 10 to 20 is far easier than moving from 70 to 80, which is why very large sites cluster near the top.
Does Google use domain authority?
No. Domain authority is a third-party estimate, not a Google ranking factor, and Google has said it does not use a site-wide authority score like this. Treat DA, DR and AS as a quick way to compare websites and judge link opportunities, not as a goal on its own. A page with a lower-DA domain can still outrank a higher-DA site if it answers the search better.
How to check domain authority for free
- Our Domain Authority Checker: enter up to five domains to see a free 0–100 authority score based on the public Tranco popularity ranking, the 30-day trend and the domain’s age. It is not Moz DA, and the page explains exactly how it is calculated.
- Moz Link Explorer: shows the official Moz DA with a free account and a limited number of checks each month.
- Ahrefs Website Authority Checker: a free page that shows Domain Rating for one site at a time.
- Semrush: a free account shows Authority Score with a small daily limit.
Because every tool uses different data, compare sites inside the same tool rather than mixing numbers from different ones.
What is a good domain authority?
There is no universal “good” number. What matters is how you compare with the sites ranking for your keywords. A new blog with a score of 5–15 is normal; local businesses often sit around 10–30; national news sites and big brands are usually 70 or higher. Check the top results for a keyword you want, and if your score is in a similar range, good content can compete.
How to improve your domain authority
- Publish genuinely useful content such as guides, tools and original data that other sites want to link to.
- Earn links from relevant websites through guest articles, partnerships, directories in your niche and mentions in resource lists. Avoid buying links; it breaks Google’s rules.
- Link your own pages together so authority flows to important pages. Our on-page SEO checklist covers internal links.
- Fix technical problems like broken links and slow pages. Run a free Website SEO Report.
- Be patient. Scores update as tools re-crawl the web, so changes take weeks or months.
Frequently asked questions
Is domain authority the same as PageRank?
No. PageRank is Google’s own link-based system and its values are not public. DA, DR and Authority Score are estimates made by SEO companies.
Why did my domain authority drop?
Scores are relative and recalculated as tools crawl the web. A drop can happen when big sites gain links or when some of your links are removed, even if your rankings stay the same.
How do I check the backlinks behind my score?
Use our free Backlink Checker to verify which pages link to you and whether the links are dofollow or nofollow.