Domain Authority is a third-party score from Moz, ranging from 1 to 100, that predicts how well a site might rank. Google doesn't use DA in its algorithm—they've confirmed this repeatedly. But DA correlates with rankings because it's built on signals Google does use: backlink profiles, referring domain diversity, and link quality. A site with DA 65 typically has stronger link equity than one at DA 25, so it ranks better for competitive terms. The confusion happens because people treat DA as a goal instead of a symptom. Chasing DA by buying low-quality links or spamming directories can actually hurt your Google rankings even if DA ticks up temporarily. The metric updates monthly and can fluctuate based on Moz's index changes, not your actual performance. We've seen client DA drop 5 points during a Moz recalculation while their organic traffic climbed 40% because their real link profile improved. What matters for SEO: earning editorial links from relevant, authoritative sites in your niche; building topical authority through content clusters; and maintaining clean technical fundamentals. DA is useful as a rough benchmark when evaluating link prospects—a DA 50 news site is likely more valuable than a DA 15 blog—but it's one data point among many. Check the referring domains, traffic estimates, and relevance before deciding. At Ottawa SEO, we track DA across our 500+ domain portfolio, but we optimize for Google's actual ranking factors. When building links for clients, we prioritize Canadian industry publications and locally relevant .ca domains with strong editorial standards, even if their DA is modest. A contextual link from a DA 35 trade journal often outperforms a generic mention on a DA 60 content farm. Focus on the fundamentals—quality links, relevant content, user signals—and DA will follow as a byproduct, not a target.