Domain Authority — What It Is & Why It Matters

Domain Authority (DA) is a third-party score (originally from Moz) that estimates how likely a website is to rank relative to other sites based on the strength and quality of its backlink profile. It’s scored from 0 to 100.

Important note: DA is not a Google ranking factor. It’s a directional metric you can use to compare your website with others in your space and to track your link-building progress over time. its a relative metric, which means that the best use of it is as a comparison between websites, rather then the actual value itself.

Why it matters

DA gives you good insight as to how well your website might rank compared to other websites (in the same niche).

• Competitive context: If sites outranking you have much higher DA, you’ll usually need stronger content and more/ better links to compete (in other words, more SEO).
• Prioritisation: DA helps you decide how hard a SERP might be to win and where to focus effort (content quality, links, or local signals). In other words if your DA is much lower than all the top ranking websites, then you’ll have a much harder time outranking them.
• Progress tracking: As your PR/links improve, your DA tends to rise — useful for reporting and motivation. You’ll want to close the DA gap between your website and your competitors.

What DA is (and isn’t)

• Is: A comparative indicator of link authority across domains.
• Isn’t: A guarantee of rankings, a measure of content quality, or a Google metric.
• Related ideas: Page-level authority also matters. A strong page on a modest-DA site can outrank a weak page on a high-DA site — especially for local intent.

How we’ll check DA (free tool)

We’ll use the FREE Bulk Domain Authority Checker to compare your site against competitors:
https://www.prepostseo.com/domain-authority-checker

Step-by-step instructions

1. Find the right competitors
   • In Google, search for a few core queries your customers use (e.g., “emergency plumber Brisbane”, “yoga studio Sunshine Coast”).
   • Note the top 5–10 domains that consistently appear (exclude big directories if you want to focus on direct competitors — or include them to understand the full landscape).
2. Open the checker
   • Go to: https://www.prepostseo.com/domain-authority-checker

Prepare your list

• Paste your own domain and your competitors’ domains, one per line.
• Use the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com, competitor.com). Don’t worry about http/https or www — the tool will handle it.

Run the check

• Click the button to analyse. Wait for results. You’ll get each domain’s DA (and sometimes extra info).

Record the results

• In your SEO Training Log, create a simple table:
  • Domain | DA | Appears for (query) | Notes
• Highlight which competitors are outranking you and their DA.

How to interpret the numbers

• DA gap < 5 points:
  You’re likely competitive if you match (or beat) their content quality, on-page optimisation, and local signals (GBP, reviews, proximity).
• DA gap 5–10 points:
  You can still compete on specific, well-targeted topics/locations, but you’ll probably need better content and some strong links (local PR, partnerships, quality directories).
• DA gap > 10 points:
  Expect a tougher fight on broad, competitive terms. Focus on niche topics, location pages, long-tail queries, and a sustained link-earning plan (case studies, partnerships, local media, associations).

Remember: DA is one piece of the puzzle. For local SEO, Google Business Profile, reviews, relevance, and proximity can outweigh a DA gap. For AI search, clarity, structure (FAQs, lists), and helpfulness influence inclusion in summaries.

Apply this to your own website

• If your DA is lower than key competitors:
  • Double down on helpful content that precisely answers local/customer questions.
  • Build credible links: local chambers, associations, sponsorships, supplier/partner mentions, local media, curated industry directories (not spammy lists).
  • Strengthen internal links so important pages are easy to reach and share authority.
  • Keep technical health strong (speed, mobile, indexability).
• If your DA is similar or higher, but you’re still outranked:
  • Improve search intent match (does your page answer the query directly?).
  • Enhance page structure (headings, FAQs, comparisons, visuals).
  • Optimise titles/meta for click-through.
  • Consider page-level links (e.g., from relevant blogs or local partners to that specific page).
• If big directories or media sites dominate:
  • Consider optimising your listings there (they often rank for broad terms).
  • Target more specific, local, and service-plus-location terms on your site.

We’ll be looking at all these aspects as we go.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Chasing DA for its own sake (buying low-quality links, link farms).
• Comparing DA across different tools (Moz DA vs Ahrefs DR vs Semrush AS) — numbers will differ. Pick one tool and track consistently.
• Ignoring page-level optimisation because “our DA is lower.” You can still win with great pages for specific intents.

Use our worksheet:

Watch me explain: