Domain Authority (DA) is not just a number. For anyone serious about growing their website traffic through organic search, DA is a valuable benchmark that helps shape smarter SEO decisions.
Although Google doesn’t use DA directly in its algorithm, understanding this metric helps marketers, business owners, and SEO professionals measure the strength of a domain relative to competitors.
This page breaks down why Domain Authority matters — and how it can serve as a powerful compass in your SEO journey.
Before understanding its value, let’s quickly revisit what Domain Authority is.
Domain Authority is a third-party score created by Moz. It estimates how likely a website is to rank in search engine results based on factors like backlinks, linking domains, spam score, and more. It ranges from 1 to 100 — higher is stronger.
To learn how it’s calculated, read:
How Does Domain Authority Work?
One of the biggest advantages of using DA is competitive comparison.
Let’s say your site has a DA of 35. Your main competitor has a DA of 52. That tells you:
Instead of guessing, DA gives you a realistic view of the gap — and helps prioritize your SEO efforts accordingly.
Just like a business would look at market share or brand recall, DA is a measurable way to track digital credibility.
Link building is one of the most critical components of off-page SEO. But not all backlinks offer the same value.
When seeking backlinks, it helps to know:
That’s where DA comes in. A backlink from a site with DA 60+ is likely to have more SEO value than one from a DA 10 site — assuming both are relevant to your industry.
Explore our blog:
Blue Ocean Strategy in SEO – Win Without Fighting for It
Content creation without strategy leads to traffic without conversions.
Knowing your current Domain Authority helps guide:
For instance, if your site’s DA is 25, trying to rank for "best CRM software" (a keyword dominated by DA 80+ sites) is an uphill battle. But targeting specific, mid-competition long-tail keywords is more feasible — and builds your DA over time.
A structured approach like this is covered in:
Master the Art of Keyword Research
As your Domain Authority increases, that trust flows through your internal links. Pages on your site begin to lift each other up when your structure is optimized.
Higher DA amplifies:
So while DA comes mostly from backlinks, your site architecture plays a key role in distributing that authority.
We recommend reviewing:
Internal Linking for SEO Success
If you’re an agency or SEO consultant, clients may not understand bounce rate or crawl depth — but they grasp numbers like:
“Your Domain Authority increased from 18 to 32 in 90 days.”
This becomes a simple, powerful way to communicate progress, even when keyword positions fluctuate or conversions are slower to show.
It’s also useful for monthly audits and performance check-ins.
While DA is not the only number that matters, it supports long-term strategy because:
DA growth aligns with a trust-first SEO mindset, especially in an era where Google’s E-E-A-T principles (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust) matter more than ever.
When considering:
Look at their DA. This simple filter ensures that your link-building and outreach campaigns are aligned with quality.
At the same time, don’t ignore relevance. A DA 30 website in your niche may be more valuable than a DA 80 site in an unrelated field.
As AI overviews, zero-click results, and evolving algorithms change search behavior, Domain Authority remains one of the few stable, human-readable metrics you can rely on.
It may not predict tomorrow’s AI ranking system, but it tells you:
We explore this theme further in:
How to Optimize Content for AI Summaries
Don’t obsess over the number.
Instead, focus on:
As your actions align with search engine values, your Domain Authority will reflect that growth.
Because real SEO isn’t about chasing metrics — it’s about building trust, page by page.
