What Is a Good Domain Authority Score and How to Improve It

So, you're staring at your Domain Authority (DA) score, probably wondering, "Is this any good?"

The short answer is that a DA score between 50 and 60 is generally considered pretty solid. But the real, honest-to-goodness answer is... it depends. A truly "good" score is all about who you’re trying to beat.

Your Website's Credit Score Explained

The best way to think about Domain Authority is like a credit score for your website. A FICO score tells lenders how financially reliable you are; DA, developed by the brilliant folks at Moz, predicts how likely your site is to rank in search engine results. Simple as that.

It operates on a 1-100 logarithmic scale. That fancy term just means it's a lot easier to jump from a DA of 10 to 20 than it is to grind your way from 70 to 80. Each point gets exponentially harder to earn, like leveling up in a video game.

A high DA score is a signal to Google that your site is a heavyweight—a trustworthy and authoritative source. This reputation is built on the back of your backlinks. Every high-quality link pointing to your site is like getting a glowing recommendation on your credit report.

Why Context Is King

Here’s where it gets interesting: a "good" DA is completely relative.

A local bakery blog might have a DA of 35, and for them, that's fantastic. It’s more than enough to crush the local competition for "best sourdough in Brooklyn." But that same DA of 35 would be a ghost in the high-stakes world of financial news, where titans like Forbes and The Wall Street Journal sit comfortably in the 90s.

Your goal shouldn't be to hit some arbitrary number. It should be to build a DA score that's higher than your direct competitors. That's the only game that matters. You don't need to out-muscle Wikipedia; you just need to outrank the other guy selling artisanal dog collars in your city.

A good Domain Authority score isn't a fixed number you aim for. It's a moving target defined by the authority of the competitors you actually want to beat in the search results.

Finding a Good Starting Point

Even though it’s all relative, some general benchmarks can help you get your bearings. Think of this as a quick reference to see what ballpark you're playing in.

For a general sense of where you stand, here's a quick reference table. It breaks down what different DA score ranges typically mean and the kind of competition you'll find there.

Domain Authority Score Quick Reference Guide

DA Score Range	Competitive Tier	What It Generally Means	Example Niche
0–30	Newcomer / Hyper-Niche	Your site is either brand new or in a very specific, low-competition niche. The focus is on building a solid content foundation and earning your first real links.	Local dog walking service blog
31–50	Growing Contender	You're on the right path. The site has a respectable backlink profile and is starting to show up for less competitive search terms. You're a known entity.	Regional travel blogger
51–70	Established Authority	You’ve earned serious trust. Your site is a recognized player in its space and can compete for valuable, high-traffic keywords.	National e-commerce store for outdoor gear
70+	Market Leader	You are a powerhouse. Your site is likely a household name in its industry with an incredibly strong backlink profile that's tough to challenge.	Major financial news publication

Remember, these are just guidelines. According to Moz's own analysis, updated for 2026, a score between 40 and 50 is seen as average, 50 to 60 is good, and anything over 60 is excellent. If you want to dig deeper into these benchmarks, MonsterInsights has a great write-up on industry standards.

Ultimately, your job is to figure out what a "good" score means for you and your specific corner of the internet. Once you know that, you're ready to start building a real SEO strategy that gets results.

The Secret Sauce Behind Domain Authority

So, what's actually under the hood of Moz's Domain Authority? It's not some magic SEO dust. While Moz keeps the full, 40+ factor recipe locked away, the core ingredients are no secret. Understanding them is the only way to genuinely improve your score.

Think of it like a chef's signature recipe. The most important ingredient, the one that defines the whole dish, is the number of linking root domains. In plain English, that’s just how many unique websites are pointing back to you.

Imagine you're running for mayor. What’s more convincing? Getting 100 endorsements from one super-enthusiastic supporter, or getting one endorsement from 100 different respected community leaders? It’s a no-brainer. Google views links the same way. A link from a new, reputable site is a fresh vote of confidence, and it carries a lot more weight than getting yet another link from a site that has already endorsed you.

Quality Over Quantity, Every Single Time

But it's not just a numbers game. The quality of those links is everything. The DA formula is built to give much heavier weight to links coming from trusted, high-authority sites. One link from a major industry publication can have a bigger impact than dozens of links from little-known blogs.

This is where things get serious. Moz’s algorithm is smart enough to sniff out spammy, manipulative links. You can't just buy a thousand cheap links and expect your DA to shoot up. In fact, that's a surefire way to get yourself in trouble. Learning https://namesnag.com/blog/how-to-check-backlink-quality is a fundamental skill for anyone serious about building real, lasting authority.

A strong Domain Authority score is built on a foundation of diverse, high-quality backlinks from unique domains. It's a measure of your site's reputation across the web, not just the raw number of links you've collected.

The Final Boss Battle of the Logarithmic Scale

Another key piece of the puzzle is the logarithmic scale. That sounds super technical, but a simple video game analogy makes it easy to understand.

• Getting from DA 10 to 20: This is like clearing the first few levels. The enemies are pretty easy, and you level up quickly. With some solid content and a handful of good links, you'll see progress fast.
• Getting from DA 70 to 80: This is the epic final boss battle. You're facing the toughest opponent in the game. Every single point of damage requires immense effort, the best gear, and a flawless strategy. It takes an exponentially greater number of top-tier links to make this jump.

This design makes total sense. Building a foundational reputation is one thing, but becoming one of the most trusted authorities on the entire internet is a monumental achievement. The scale reflects that reality.

Before we go any further, it's worth taking a moment to grasp the fundamental concept of a domain itself, since it's the core asset you're building authority for. Understanding this framework helps you set realistic expectations and focus your efforts where they'll actually make a difference.

Comparing DA with Other Key SEO Metrics

Relying on Domain Authority alone is like trying to drive a car with only a speedometer—you know how fast you're going, but you have no idea if you're about to run out of gas or if your engine is overheating. To get the full picture of a website's health and potential, you need a whole dashboard of metrics.

Think of it as putting together a team of specialists. DA is your all-star quarterback, but you still need a solid defense and special teams to win the game.

This flowchart from Moz gives you a peek under the hood, showing how the raw power of backlinks gets crunched through their algorithm to produce that single DA score. It’s a great starting point, but it's not the whole story.

Your SEO Metric Super-Team

While DA is a fantastic predictor of ranking potential, you'll want to bring in a few other key players to get a truly reliable read on a domain.

• Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR): Think of DR as the pure, raw horsepower of a domain's link profile. It’s a straightforward measure of backlink strength, focusing heavily on the quantity and quality of linking domains. DR answers the question: "How powerful is this site's link profile right now?"

• Majestic Trust Flow (TF): If DR is about power, Trust Flow is about pedigree. It measures the trustworthiness of a site based on its proximity to a hand-curated list of authoritative "seed" sites. A high TF suggests a site earns its links from reputable neighborhoods on the web, not from spammy back alleys.

A high Domain Authority paired with a rock-bottom Trust Flow is a massive red flag. It often means a site has gamed its way to a decent score with a mountain of spammy, low-quality links.

How They All Work Together

So, how does this play out in the real world?

Imagine you're evaluating a domain for a potential link or even an acquisition. You see a site with a DA of 50. Looks promising, right? But then you check its Trust Flow and see it’s a measly 5. That’s your cue to run. That huge gap signals a toxic link profile that’s all quantity, no quality.

Now, consider another site with a modest DA of 35 but a stellar Trust Flow of 40. This is a much healthier, more reliable domain. It tells you the site has built its authority the right way—with genuine endorsements from credible sources.

This kind of cross-validation is non-negotiable for serious SEOs. Excellent Domain Authority scores—think 60 and above—often correlate with the sites that dominate 75-85% of first-page results in competitive niches. They haven’t just collected links; they’ve earned trust.

And as we look toward the future of SEO in the age of generative AI, authentic, earned authority is only going to become more important.

A Quick Comparison of Authority Metrics

To help you keep these metrics straight, here’s a quick breakdown of the core differences. A solid SEO strategy doesn't rely on just one; it uses them together to build a complete picture.

Metric	Creator	Primary Focus	Update Frequency
Domain Authority (DA)	Moz	Predictive ranking strength based on links	Monthly
Domain Rating (DR)	Ahrefs	Raw backlink profile strength (quantity & quality)	Daily
Trust Flow (TF)	Majestic	Link quality and trustworthiness	Daily

By using DA, DR, and TF in concert, you get a 360-degree view. You move from simply seeing a number to truly understanding the story behind a domain's authority. This is how you spot hidden gems and avoid costly mistakes.

Why a Good DA Score Is All About Your Niche

So, you’ve got your Domain Authority score. Maybe it’s a 25, a 35, or even a 48. The first question that pops into your head is always the same: “Is that good?”

And the only honest answer is another question: “Compared to who?”

This is the single most important concept to grasp, yet it's the one most people get wrong. Chasing an arbitrary DA number without context is a recipe for frustration. It's like obsessing over your car's top speed when all you do is drive to the grocery store.

The Rally Car vs. The Formula 1 Racer

Imagine you own a top-of-the-line rally car. It’s a beast—built for rough terrain, tight corners, and dirt tracks. In the world of rally racing, you’re an absolute champion. But if you take that same car and put it on a Formula 1 racetrack, you’ll get lapped in minutes. It’s not a bad car; it’s just in the wrong race.

Domain Authority works the exact same way.

A DA score of 35 might be enough to completely dominate a local niche, like a blog about “handcrafted leather goods in Austin.” In that specific arena, you’re the rally champion. You'll likely outrank all your local competitors, drive targeted traffic, and own the top spots in search results.

But that same DA of 35 would be virtually invisible in a massive, global industry like “cryptocurrency exchange platforms.” In that world, you’re competing against titans with DA scores in the 80s and 90s. You’ve accidentally entered a Formula 1 race with your trusty rally car.

Stop asking "What's a good DA score?" and start asking "What's the average DA score of the sites ranking on page one for the keywords I want?" That's the only benchmark that matters.

This strategic shift is a game-changer. It turns DA from a simple vanity metric into a powerful competitive analysis tool. Instead of chasing a number, you're building a real roadmap for your specific market.

How to Benchmark Against Your Real Competitors

Finding your competitive baseline is surprisingly simple. First, figure out the top 5-10 keywords you actually want to rank for. These should be the phrases your ideal customers are typing into Google.

Next, search for each of those keywords and see who’s owning the top spots on page one. These are your real competitors—not the global giants, but the sites that are actually winning the traffic you're after.

Once you have your list, run their domains through a DA checker. You’ll quickly see a pattern emerge.

• Example 1: Local Pet Groomer: The top-ranking sites for "dog grooming in San Diego" might have an average DA of 25-40. If your DA is 22, you know a score of 45 is a realistic and dominant goal.
• Example 2: B2B SaaS Blog: The top results for "best project management software for startups" might have an average DA of 60-75. If you’re sitting at a DA of 30, you know you have a much steeper hill to climb and need a more aggressive link-building strategy.

A solid Domain Authority score truly hinges on your niche's competition. Research shows a DA of 40 might crush it in low-rivalry sectors but flop in high-stakes arenas like health or tech, where leaders often hover at 80+. Understanding this is critical for setting achievable goals. Discover more insights about website authority in 2026 to see how this plays out across different industries.

This approach gives you a clear, actionable target. You’re no longer aiming in the dark; you’re strategically positioning yourself to win your specific race.

Finding High DA Goldmines with Expired Domains

Why spend years building an SEO skyscraper from the ground up when you can start on the tenth floor? That's the powerful secret behind acquiring high-DA expired domains. It's like finding a treasure map where 'X' marks a spot of ready-made authority, letting you sidestep the years-long grind of link-building.

Think about it: building a good Domain Authority score from absolute zero is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, relentless effort, and a mountain of great content to attract the kind of links that earn you trust with search engines. A good expired domain with a clean, pre-existing backlink profile just hands you that authority on a silver platter.

The Treasure Hunter's Toolkit

So, how do you actually become an SEO treasure hunter? The trick is using the right tools to pan for gold instead of sifting through mud. Rather than manually checking thousands of domains as they drop, a platform like NameSnag does the heavy lifting for you, flagging the ones that have real, tangible potential.

This turns what used to be a guessing game into a strategic hunt. You can instantly filter domains by the metrics that actually matter—like a minimum DA, the number of referring domains, or even the presence of powerful .edu or .gov backlinks.

You can use this approach to find two distinct types of domain goldmines:

• Available domains: These are your instant wins. They've already dropped and are ready for you to register at any standard registrar right now. No auctions, no waiting. Just find a gem that dropped Today or in the last 3 Days and claim it.
• Expiring domains: These are for the planners. These domains are in their grace period and will be dropping soon, giving you time to do deeper research and get ready to snag them the moment they become available.

A Practical Strategy for Finding Instant Authority

Let's make this concrete. Imagine you're launching a new affiliate site in the hyper-competitive home-and-garden niche. You know that starting with a brand-new domain means you'll be invisible for months, if not a full year.

Instead, you fire up NameSnag to find a shortcut. You’d navigate to the Available domains filter and set your criteria: show me domains that dropped in the last 24 hours with a DA of 30+.

The real art here isn't just grabbing any old domain with a decent DA. It's about finding a clean, relevant domain with a strong backlink profile that fits your niche. That's what gives you a massive, unshakeable head start.

This simple search could turn up a handful of domains with years of baked-in authority, ready for you to build on. Instead of starting at DA 1, you could be starting at DA 35, instantly vaulting you ahead of countless competitors. This lets you focus on creating amazing content from day one, knowing you already have the authority to actually get it seen. For a full breakdown of this tactic, check out our guide on how to find expired domains.

Playing the Long Game with Expiring Domains

Now, what if you're hunting for a real powerhouse—something with a DA of 50+? These are much rarer and get snatched up in a heartbeat. This is where the Expiring domains filter becomes your best friend.

By searching for domains set to expire in the next 7 or 14 days, you can build a watchlist of top-tier targets. This gives you a critical window to do your homework:

1. Analyze the Backlink Profile: Is it clean and relevant, or is it a spam-filled mess?
2. Check Website History: What was this site about before it dropped? Use the Wayback Machine to make sure it wasn't used for anything sketchy.
3. Assess Brandability: Is the domain name something you can actually build a memorable brand around?

This strategic waiting game lets you identify the true gems before they hit the chaos of the open market. By setting up alerts, you can be one of the first to act when the domain finally drops. It’s the difference between finding a few gold coins washed ashore and discovering a sunken treasure chest just waiting to be claimed.

Actionable Strategies to Increase Your Domain Authority

Alright, enough theory. Knowing what a "good" Domain Authority score is matters, but the real fun begins when you actually start making that number climb.

Let’s move beyond the generic "get more backlinks" advice. We need to get into the practical, no-fluff playbook that actually moves the needle.

Building authority isn’t about collecting links like baseball cards; it's about earning them. This means shifting your entire focus from quantity to undeniable quality. The goal is to create assets so valuable that other sites want to link to them. This is how you build a reputation that both search engines and humans will trust for the long haul.

Create Link-Worthy Assets

The absolute foundation of any authority-building effort is having something worth linking to in the first place. You can’t expect high-authority sites to send traffic your way if your content is just a collection of basic, forgettable blog posts. You need to create true "link magnets."

These are substantial pieces of work that provide immense value and serve as go-to resources in your industry.

• Original Research and Data Studies: Run a survey, analyze industry data, or conduct an experiment. Publishing unique findings instantly makes your site the primary source. Everyone else who wants to talk about your data has to link back to you.
• Ultimate Guides and In-Depth Tutorials: Set out to create the single best, most comprehensive resource on a specific topic in your niche. Think 5,000+ words, custom graphics, video tutorials—the whole nine yards.
• Free Tools and Calculators: Develop a simple, genuinely useful tool that solves a common problem for your audience. A mortgage calculator for a real estate blog or a calorie counter for a fitness site are classic examples. These things attract links naturally because they're so damn useful.

The aim here isn't to be just a little bit better than the competition. You want to create something that's 10x better than anything else out there. When you do that, outreach and promotion become exponentially easier.

The most powerful link-building strategy is to stop "building" links and start earning them. Create something so exceptional that linking to it becomes a no-brainer for other creators in your space.

Master Strategic Guest Posting

Guest posting is still one of the most effective ways to build authority, but only if you do it right. The old-school method of blasting out generic pitches to hundreds of sites is completely dead. Today, it’s all about surgical precision and building genuine relationships.

The new rules for guest posting are simple:

1. Prioritize Relevance Over DA: Seriously. A link from a site with a DA of 40 in your exact niche is far more valuable than a link from a generic news site with a DA of 70. Relevance is a powerful signal to Google that your site is a trusted authority on a specific topic.
2. Provide Your Absolute Best Content: Don't treat a guest post like a throwaway piece. Write an article that's just as good, if not better, than what you publish on your own site. This builds real relationships and makes editors eager to work with you again.
3. Focus on the Audience, Not the Link: Your primary goal should be to provide genuine value to the host blog's readers. A natural, contextual link back to a relevant resource on your site should be a byproduct of a great piece of content, not the sole reason it exists.

Leverage Digital PR for Powerhouse Links

If guest posting is like hitting singles and doubles, digital PR is how you hit home runs. This strategy is all about creating newsworthy stories, data, or content and promoting them to journalists, bloggers, and major publications.

When a major publication mentions your brand or links to your study, it can result in a massive authority boost. One mention on a major news outlet can be more powerful than dozens of guest post links combined.

Think about crafting a compelling story around your data. Instead of just publishing a dry report, write a press release with a catchy headline and a clear narrative. Pitch that story to relevant journalists who cover your industry.

Building authority is a marathon, not a sprint. By consistently applying these quality-first strategies, you're not just improving a metric; you're building a trusted, resilient brand. And if you need to track your progress, there are plenty of excellent Domain Authority checker tools to help you monitor your score as it grows.

Your Domain Authority Questions, Answered

Got a few questions about Domain Authority rattling around in your head? You’re in good company. Let's tackle some of the most common ones to clear up any confusion before you put this metric to work.

How Long Does It Take to Increase My DA Score?

Patience is more than a virtue in SEO; it's a prerequisite. Increasing your Domain Authority is not an overnight job. Think of it as a long-term project that demands consistent, focused effort over months—and more often, years.

For a brand-new site, you might see your DA crawl from 1 to 20 within the first six months to a year, assuming you're building a solid foundation. But making the jump from DA 40 to 50? That could easily take another full year or more of dedicated, high-quality link building. The higher you climb, the steeper the ascent.

Is It Possible to Have a High DA and Low Traffic?

Absolutely. It’s a more common scenario than you might think, and it trips a lot of people up. A high Domain Authority score is really just a reflection of a strong backlink profile, which suggests the potential to rank. It's not a traffic guarantee.

You could have a site with a DA of 60 propped up by powerful links, but if you aren't targeting keywords people are actually searching for, or if your content is just plain bad, you won't get visitors. Traffic comes from ranking for the right terms and giving searchers what they want. DA is just one piece of that much bigger puzzle.

Remember: Domain Authority gets you a seat at the table. Great content and smart keyword targeting are what actually win the game.

Can My Domain Authority Score Go Down?

Yes, your DA score can definitely drop, but it’s not always a reason to panic. Since DA is a comparative metric, your score can dip simply because a giant like Wikipedia or Forbes acquired a massive number of new links, which effectively recalibrates the entire 100-point scale.

However, a significant drop could also signal a real problem. This might happen if:

• You've lost a substantial number of high-quality backlinks.
• Your site has been penalized for spammy, manipulative link-building.
• Moz has updated its algorithm, changing how it weighs certain factors.

Should I Focus on DA or Page Authority?

This is a great question, and the simple answer is both. Think of it this way: Domain Authority is the overall reputation of your entire website, while Page Authority (PA) measures the strength of a single, specific page.

You need a strong DA to give your whole site a foundation of trust and ranking potential. But for a specific, high-value page to actually rank for its target keyword, it needs a strong PA, which is built by both internal links and direct external backlinks. A healthy strategy involves building your overall domain reputation while simultaneously strengthening your most important pages.

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