Domain Authority is a proprietary ranking score developed by Moz that runs from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating stronger predicted ranking ability. It's calculated using dozens of factors including linking root domains, total backlinks, and the authority of those linking sites. DA is logarithmic, so jumping from 20 to 30 is easier than going from 70 to 80. Google does not use Domain Authority in its algorithm. The search engine has its own internal metrics for evaluating site quality and link value. That said, DA correlates reasonably well with actual ranking potential because it measures many of the same signals Google cares about: trustworthy backlink profiles, content breadth, and historical performance. DA matters most for link prospecting and competitive analysis. When we evaluate potential link sources at Ottawa SEO, we look at DA alongside other signals to quickly assess whether a site is worth pursuing. A DA 45 news site in your niche typically passes more equity than a DA 15 blog, though context matters. A highly relevant DA 25 industry publication can outperform an irrelevant DA 60 general news site. The metric also helps track your site's competitive position over time. If your site sits at DA 32 and your main competitors range from DA 38 to 52, you have a clear benchmark for how much link-building work lies ahead. We track DA monthly across our 500+ domain portfolio to spot unusual drops that might indicate lost backlinks or technical issues. Don't obsess over DA as a goal itself. Chasing high-DA links without considering relevance, traffic potential, or editorial standards leads to expensive guest posts that do little. Focus on earning links from authoritative, relevant sites that send actual traffic. DA will follow naturally as your backlink profile strengthens. Competitors gaming DA with PBNs or link schemes often see short-term score increases but long-term ranking penalties from Google's actual algorithm, which is far more sophisticated than any third-party metric.