What is Domain Authority?

Definition

Domain Authority is Moz's score predicting how well a website will rank in search. It is one of several proxies for the older PageRank-style authority and is best used relatively, not absolutely.

Why it matters

Understanding Domain Authority is foundational to working in seo. It shapes how teams plan, communicate with stakeholders, and interpret performance.

Best practices

• → Define it in shared documentation so every team uses the same meaning.
• → Tie it to a measurable outcome rather than treating it as an end in itself.
• → Revisit assumptions quarterly — the meaning and benchmarks evolve.

Common mistakes

• → Treating it as a vanity metric instead of a decision input.
• → Copying competitors' targets without context for your funnel.
• → Optimizing it in isolation, hurting downstream conversion.