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Why Domain Authority still matters, even when Google says it doesn't. Deciphering the metric that defines the digital hierarchy. CSSLY - Domain Authority important for SEO
Julian Devlin
Senior SEO Strategist • 8 min read
Ever stopped to wonder just how popular your website is in the grand scheme of the internet, particularly in the eyes of those all-knowing search engines?
Domain Authority (DA), for those unfamiliar, is essentially a search engine ranking score crafted by the clever folks over at Moz. Think of it as a grade, ranging from 1 to 100, that predicts how likely your site is to strut its stuff on search engine results pages. The higher the score, the better your chances of ranking, or so the theory goes.
Our journey begins in 1996, with the birth of Google's PageRank. This was the original "secret sauce," the algorithm that made Google stand out. The core idea was brilliantly simple: links were like "votes" for a page's importance.
In 2016, Google decided to pull the plug on the public Toolbar PageRank, leaving SEOs to wander in the dark. Enter Moz and their Domain Authority in 2006—stepping up to offer a way for we mere mortals to estimate a site's strength.
It's paramount to understand that DA is not a direct Google ranking factor. Google isn't peering at Moz's scores when deciding where to place your website. Rather, it's an estimate based on what correlates with high rankings.
It's significantly harder to climb from 70 to 80 than it is to go from 10 to 20.
A single link from a reputable site beats a dozen links from spammy directories.
Despite Google's repeated disavowals, the consensus among SEOs is that Domain Authority remains relevant. The reason is simple: correlation. Sites with high Domain Authority often do rank better because the factors that build DA—good links, good content—are also what Google loves.
As we move deeper into the age of AI, the SEO landscape is shifting. Google's AI Overviews and zero-click searches are changing how users find information. In this new world, E-E-A-T is becoming the new Domain Authority.
Information Gain SEO—creating content that offers new, unique value—will be paramount. Experience and Trustworthiness are taking center stage. Expect AI to get smarter at evaluating the context and quality of links.
In the competitive landscape of CSSLY - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Domain Authority (DA) is one of the most discussed yet frequently misunderstood metrics. Developed by Moz, it serves as a "weather forecast" for your website's ranking potential. While it isn't an official Google metric, it provides a powerful benchmark for how your site stacks up against the competition.
1. What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority is a search engine ranking score that predicts how likely a website is to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank.
It is important to understand that DA is logarithmic. This means it is much easier to grow your score from 20 to 30 than it is to grow from 70 to 80. As you climb higher, each point requires significantly more effort and high-quality link acquisition
The Golden Rule: DA is a comparative tool, not an absolute score. A "good" DA is simply one that is higher than your direct competitors.
2. How is Domain Authority Calculated?
Moz uses a machine learning model to calculate DA by correlating link data with rankings across thousands of real-world search results. The calculation primarily focuses on:
Total Number of Links: The sheer volume of external links pointing to your site.
Linking Root Domains: The number of unique websites linking to you (10 links from 10 different sites are more valuable than 10 links from the same site).
MozRank and MozTrust: Proprietary metrics that measure the "popularity" and "trustworthiness" of those links.
3. Domain Authority vs. Page Authority
While DA looks at the strength of your entire domain, Page Authority (PA) measures the ranking strength of a single, specific page.
Think of your website as a library:
Domain Authority is the reputation of the entire library.
Page Authority is the popularity of one specific book on the shelf.
A high DA helps all your pages rank more easily, but a specific page with incredible content and its own backlinks can have a high PA even if the overall domain is still growing.
4. Why Does DA Matter if Google Doesn’t Use It?
Google has confirmed multiple times that Domain Authority is not a ranking factor in their algorithm. However, SEOs rely on it for three critical reasons:
Benchmarking: If your top competitor has a DA of 55 and you have a 30, you know you have a "link gap" to close before you can consistently outrank them for difficult keywords.
Campaign Health: If your DA is steadily rising, it’s a strong signal that your link-building and content strategies are working.
Link Prospecting: When looking for sites to guest post on or collaborate with, DA helps you quickly identify which sites carry the most "authority" to pass on to you.
5. Strategic Ways to Increase Your Domain Authority
Improving your DA isn't about "gaming" the score; it’s about improving your site's overall digital ecosystem. Here is how to move the needle in 2026:
A. High-Quality Backlink Acquisition
Backlinks remain the backbone of authority. Focus on quality over quantity. One link from a reputable, high-traffic site like The New York Times or a top-tier industry journal is worth more than 1,000 links from obscure, low-quality blogs.
Tactics: Guest blogging, broken link building, and "PR-driven" SEO.
B. Content Depth and Topical Authority
Search engines (and Moz's algorithm) favor sites that demonstrate expertise. Instead of scattered blog posts, build Topic Clusters.
Pillar Pages: Create a comprehensive guide on a broad topic.
Cluster Content: Write several smaller, detailed articles that link back to the pillar page. This signals that your domain is a "hub" of knowledge.
C. Technical SEO Foundations
Authority is fragile if your site is broken. Ensure your technical health is peak:
Mobile Responsiveness: A non-negotiable in the mobile-first era.
Page Speed: Use CDNs and image compression to ensure fast load times.
Secure Connection (HTTPS): Critical for trust and security signals.
D. Eliminating "Toxic" Links
Sometimes, your DA is held back by bad company. Use tools to audit your backlink profile and identify "spammy" sites linking to you. While Google is better at ignoring these now, a "clean" profile helps the Moz algorithm see your site as more trustworthy.
6. Common Misconceptions
Misconception The Reality
"I need a DA of 100 to rank." Even a DA of 20 can rank #1 for a niche, low-competition keyword.
"Buying links will boost my DA." Modern algorithms (both Google's and Moz's) can detect and penalize artificial link spikes.
"My DA dropped, so I lost traffic." DA can drop if a competitor grows faster than you, even if your site didn't change. It doesn't always correlate to a loss in traffic.
Conclusion: The Long Game
Domain Authority is a marathon, not a sprint. Because the score is relative and the scale is logarithmic, you should expect progress to be slow but steady. Focus on creating an "un-ignorable" brand—content that people want to share and sites that others naturally want to link to. If you build a great website for users, the Domain Authority will naturally follow.
In the competitive landscape of 2026 SEO, metrics like Domain Rating (DR), Domain Authority (DA), URL Rating (UR), and Spam Score have become the "credit scores" of the internet. While search engines like Google do not officially use these third-party scores as direct ranking factors, they are essential benchmarks used by digital marketers to predict a website’s ability to rank and its overall health.
This guide provides a deep dive into these metrics, explaining how they work, why they matter for your project (like AAA Enterprise Commercial Roof Solutions), and how to optimize them.
Developed by Ahrefs, Domain Rating is a proprietary metric that measures the strength of a website’s total backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100.
DR focuses purely on the quantity and quality of external backlinks.
The number of unique domains linking to you (Referring Domains).
The DR scores of those referring domains.
How many other sites those referring domains link to (the more sites they link to, the less "DR juice" they pass to you).
A high DR indicates that a website has earned "votes of confidence" from other powerful sites.
Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz.
DA uses a machine learning model that incorporates dozens of factors, including:
Linking Root Domains: The diversity of your link profile.
MozRank and MozTrust: The "prestige" and "honesty" of the sites linking to you.
Spam Score: (Detailed below) Integration of site health.
Because DA is a comparative tool, you shouldn't aim for a "perfect" 100. Instead, you should aim to have a DA higher than your direct competitors. If the top roofing companies in your area have a DA of 35, hitting a DA of 40 will give you a significant competitive advantage.
While DR and DA measure the entire domain, URL Rating (UR)—another Ahrefs metric—measures the strength of a specific page.
For your business, your homepage might have a high DR, but your specific "Commercial Roof Repair" page needs a high UR to rank for that specific service.
Internal Linking: You can boost UR by linking from your high-authority homepage to your specific service pages.
Direct Backlinks: Obtaining a backlink from an industry journal directly to a specific blog post will skyrocket that page's UR.
Also developed by Moz, the Spam Score represents the percentage of sites with similar features that have been penalized or banned by Google.
1% – 30% (Low): This is the safe zone.
31% – 60% (Medium): This indicates some "red flags" in your link profile or site structure that need investigation.
61% – 100% (High): This is a danger zone.
Thin Content: Pages with very little text or value.
Hidden Links: Links that are the same color as the background.
No Contact Info: Legitimate businesses like AAA Enterprise usually have physical addresses and phone numbers; spam sites don't.
Low Link Diversity: Getting 1,000 links from only 2 websites is a major red flag.
To succeed with a project like AAA Enterprise Commercial Roof Solutions, you cannot focus on just one metric. You need a balanced "Digital Health" strategy:
High DR/DA Sites: Look for backlinks from established construction and real estate publications. This builds your domain's "Power."
High UR Pages: Ensure your specific service pages are well-linked internally and externally. This builds "Precision."
Low Spam Score Maintenance: Regularly audit your backlinks. If you notice a sudden influx of links from "gambling" or "adult" sites, use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell search engines you are not associated with them.
As you mentioned "Content Automation Pro" and "WordPress Development," these are your tools for scaling. Automation helps you produce the content that attracts high-DR links, while WordPress optimization ensures your technical SEO supports your DA growth (site speed, mobile-friendliness, and secure HTTPS all positively impact these scores).
In 2026, CSSLY.site - High Domain Rating (DR) - Domain Authority (DA) - URL Rating (UR) - Low Spam Score. are the metrics that define your digital footprint. A high DR/DA earns you respect from the algorithm, a high UR earns you rankings for specific services, and a low Spam Score ensures you stay in Google's good graces.
By focusing on Google Entity Stacking (which builds trust) and Content Automation (which builds scale), you are setting up a system where these metrics will naturally rise, leading to more leads and a dominant presence in the commercial roofing industry.
Dive deep into the metrics that define your digital success! 🚀 At CSSLY , we're experts in boosting your Domain Rating (DR), enhanci...
