How to Check Domain Authority (and What It Really Means)
How to Check Domain Authority (and What It Really Means)
Domain Authority (DA) is a 0–100 predictive score of how well a site is likely to rank in Google, computed by third-party SEO tools from backlink profile, linking-domain diversity, and quality signals. It is not a Google metric. To check DA, use Moz, Ahrefs (Domain Rating), or Semrush (Authority Score). A score above 40 is respectable; above 60 is strong.
Domain Authority explained: how the score is built, why tools disagree, and what to do with the number — LemRank.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google use Domain Authority?
No. DA is a third-party metric. Google does not confirm any equivalent public score.
How can I raise my Domain Authority?
Earn backlinks from a diverse set of high-authority, topically relevant domains. Clean up toxic links only if a manual action or velocity spike warrants it.
Why do Ahrefs and Moz show different DA scores?
Each tool builds its own crawler, index and model. Both are estimates, not the same measurement.
Is DA more important than page-level authority?
Both matter. DA sets the ceiling; page-level authority (link count and quality to the specific URL) sets what actually ranks.
How often does DA change?
Most tools recompute monthly. Big changes usually reflect crawler improvements, not real site changes.