Glossaire · SEO

Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority (DA) is a predictive score, developed by software company Moz, that estimates a domain's ability to rank in search engine results pages. Expressed on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100, it relies primarily on the analysis of the inbound link profile: the number of referring domains, their quality and their authority. The higher the score, the more competitive the site is considered to be. DA is not an official metric used by Google; it is a third-party indicator mainly useful for comparing sites against one another or tracking a domain's relative progress over time. Its logarithmic nature means it is far harder to move from 70 to 80 than from 20 to 30. DA remains a useful benchmark for gauging a domain's strength, as long as you do not mistake it for a genuine ranking factor in the search algorithm.

Domain Authority has become one of the most quoted metrics in SEO because it sums up a domain's perceived strength in a single number. At LUWIZ, we use it as a trend compass, never as a goal in itself.

How DA is calculated

Moz feeds its score from a web crawl and dozens of signals tied to the link profile. The dominant variables are the number of unique referring domains and their own authority. The score is then normalised on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100: gaining points becomes harder the higher you climb. Because the model is regularly recalibrated by Moz, a site's DA can shift without any action being taken — which makes it a relative rather than absolute indicator.

How to read it correctly

DA only has value in comparison. Measuring your DA in isolation tells you nothing useful; comparing it to competitors targeting the same keywords reveals the authority gap to close. A domain should therefore aim to outpace its direct competitors, not hit an absolute threshold.

A retenir

Domain Authority predicts, it does not rank. Track its trend and compare it to your competitors, never to a magic number.

Why it matters

To steer a link-building strategy, DA offers a practical benchmark for qualifying partner domains and measuring a site's progress. It replaces neither a granular link-profile analysis nor official metrics such as actual performance in Search Console. Used well, it helps prioritise effort; misunderstood, it pushes you to chase a number. The right approach is to cross-reference it with other authority signals and with concrete organic results.

FAQ

Questions fréquentes

No. DA is a proprietary Moz metric, independent of Google. Google neither uses nor recognises this score in its algorithm. It serves as a comparative estimate, not a direct ranking lever.

It depends on the industry and the competition. DA only makes sense when compared to the sites competing for the same keywords. A DA of 40 may be enough in a low-competition niche, whereas you may need to pass 70 on highly contested queries.

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