one-line definition
Domain authority is a third-party score predicting how likely a website is to rank in search engine results based on its backlink profile and site quality.
formula: Scored 1-100 by third-party tools (Moz, Ahrefs). Not an official Google metric. Higher = more likely to rank.
tl;dr
New sites start around DA 1-10. Don't obsess over the number — focus on publishing quality content consistently and earning natural backlinks. DA is a lagging indicator, not a lever you pull directly.
Simple definition
Domain authority (DA) is a score from 1 to 100, developed by Moz, that estimates how well a website will rank in search results. It factors in the number and quality of other websites linking to yours. For solo founders, DA is useful as a competitive benchmark — if the top results for your target keyword all have DA 70+, you will have a harder time ranking than if they are DA 20-30. It is not something you optimize directly; it rises as a side effect of building a site worth linking to.
How to calculate it
You cannot calculate DA yourself — it is generated by tools like Moz (DA), Ahrefs (DR — Domain Rating), or Semrush (Authority Score). Each uses its own algorithm based on your backlink profile. Check your score for free using Moz Link Explorer or Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. For example, a brand-new blog might show DA 5. After 6 months of publishing and earning 15-20 backlinks from niche sites, it might climb to DA 15-20. The scale is logarithmic, so moving from 30 to 40 is harder than moving from 10 to 20.
Example
You launch a project management tool for freelancers. Your site starts at DA 8. The competitor ranking #1 for "best project management tool for freelancers" has DA 65. Instead of chasing that term head-on, you target long-tail keywords like "how to manage multiple freelance clients without burnout" where the top results average DA 15-25. You publish 5 in-depth guides, get linked by 3 freelancing newsletters, and after 4 months your DA reaches 18. Now you are competitive for those long-tail terms and can start building toward the harder keywords as your authority grows.
Related reading
Related terms
- Backlink
- Topical Authority
- Organic Traffic
FAQ
Is domain authority an official Google ranking factor?+
No. DA is a third-party metric created by Moz. Google does not use it. It's a useful proxy for competitive analysis but not a direct ranking signal.
How can an solo founder increase domain authority?+
Publish genuinely useful content that others link to, get featured in niche newsletters and directories, contribute guest posts to relevant blogs, and build tools or resources worth referencing.