Domain Authority (DA) is one of those SEO terms that gets referenced constantly without always being fully understood. It's a metric that appears in SEO tools, gets mentioned in agency pitches, and influences how marketers think about website strength. Here's what it actually is — and how much you should care about it.
What Domain Authority Is (and Who Invented It)
Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz, an SEO software company. It's a score from 0 to 100 that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results, based primarily on the quality and quantity of external websites linking to it.
Important clarification: Domain Authority is NOT a Google metric. Google does not use DA as a ranking signal. It's a third-party predictive metric that correlates with ranking performance but is not the same as what Google actually measures. Other SEO tools have their own versions (Ahrefs uses Domain Rating, Semrush uses Authority Score) — they're all different but measuring similar concepts.
Why DA Still Matters for Competitive Analysis
Even though Google doesn't use DA directly, it remains a useful comparative benchmark. If your website has a DA of 12 and your top competitor has a DA of 38, that gap in link authority is real — it reflects a real difference in how many quality external sites are pointing to you versus them, which does influence rankings.
Using DA as a directional indicator — "how does my site's authority compare to competitors?" — is legitimate. Using it as a precise measurement of anything is not.
How to Build Domain Authority for Local Businesses
Since DA is primarily driven by external backlinks, building it means earning links from other quality websites:
- Getting listed in your local Chamber of Commerce directory
- Earning local press mentions with links
- Sponsoring local events where you'll be listed on the event site
- Being featured as an expert in local publications
- Building partnerships with complementary businesses who'll link to you
These activities build your actual link profile, which improves your DA as a side effect — and more importantly, improves your actual Google rankings because the underlying links are real.
Build Real Authority for Your Local Business Website
Contact Linear Web Solutions for a comprehensive local SEO strategy that builds genuine authority through quality links, consistent citations, and strong local content.