Many website owners and SEO beginners often ask this question: Is domain authority a Google ranking factor? The confusion comes from the popularity of this metric and how widely it is used in SEO discussions. Let us break it down and find out whether Domain Authority really plays any part in how Google ranks web pages.
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a scoring system created by a private SEO software company called Moz. It gives websites a score between 1 and 100. A higher number usually means the site is expected to perform better in search engine results.
The score is determined by analyzing various factors, including the quantity of inbound links to a website, the credibility of those links, and additional relevant indicators. This number is only an estimate. It tries to guess how a website might perform when compared to other sites.
Is It Something Created by Google?
No. Google has not developed Domain Authority. It is not one of their tools, nor is it used in their ranking systems. Moz created this score for their own software to help users track link growth and compare websites. Other SEO tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush have similar scoring systems, but none of them are connected to Google.
Google has made it very clear that they do not use Domain Authority when deciding which pages to rank.
What Have Google Engineers Said?
Google’s search team has been asked many times whether Domain Authority plays any part in rankings. Their answer has always been no. One of Google’s well-known public spokespeople, John Mueller, has confirmed this several times.
He has stated that Google does not keep a score like Domain Authority. The search engine looks at many signals to decide rankings, but Domain Authority is not one of them.
In fact, Google usually avoids using numbers like that to evaluate a full domain. The focus is on individual pages and how well they match the user’s search.
Then Why Is Domain Authority So Popular?
Many people use Domain Authority because it is easy to understand and track. It gives a number that can be compared across different websites. For those who are working on link building or SEO growth, DA can seem like a good way to measure progress.
If someone wants to build a link from another site, they might check its DA to decide if it is worth the effort. A higher score can be seen as a sign of a stronger site. But this is not always accurate.
Just because a site has a high DA does not mean its pages will rank well in search results. And a low DA does not mean the site has no chance to rank. The score is only based on link signals and not on other important ranking factors.
What Does Google Really Look At?
Google looks at each page separately. It checks how helpful the content is, how fast the page loads, how well it works on different devices, and how other websites are linking to it. These are the kinds of things that matter in search rankings.
While backlinks do play a role, Google’s system does not group them into a single score like Domain Authority. Instead, they are part of a much larger mix of signals that determine how well a page matches a search.
Can a High Domain Authority Help You Rank?
Not directly. Since Google does not use Domain Authority in its ranking system, having a high DA score will not boost your position in search results. But the activities that lead to a higher DA score—such as getting quality backlinks—can help improve your visibility.
So, if your DA goes up, it may mean you are doing things that also help your pages rank better. But the score itself is not what causes the improvement. It is more of a side effect.
Should You Track Domain Authority?
You can track Domain Authority if you want a general idea of how your backlink profile compares with others. But it should not be your main focus. It is better to keep track of keyword rankings, traffic growth, click-through rates, and how your content performs in search results.
DA scores can change based on updates to the Moz algorithm, even if you have not made any changes to your site. So it is not always a reliable sign of progress.
Is Domain Authority a Google Ranking Factor?
Is domain authority a Google ranking factor? No. Despite the name, it is not something used by Google. It is a third-party estimate created to help people understand backlink strength. While it is widely known and used, Google does not include it in its ranking system.
Relying on DA too much can distract you from more important SEO tasks. Focus on your content, user experience, site speed, and earning links from relevant websites. These actions matter more than chasing a score that search engines do not recognize.
Final Thoughts
Domain Authority is useful for comparing websites and tracking your link-building efforts, but it is not a part of Google’s ranking algorithm. Google has confirmed that it does not use this score or anything similar. That means you should treat DA as a rough reference point and not a goal in itself.
Your main focus should be on publishing helpful content, making your site easy to use, and gaining natural links. These steps will lead to better search visibility, whether your DA goes up or not.
