How Does Google Assess Domain Authority, and Does It Affect Search Rankings?

In the SEO world, few metrics are as widely discussed—and misunderstood—as Domain Authority (DA). Website owners and marketers often obsess over increasing their DA, assuming that it directly influences their rankings in Google. But does it? And how does Google actually assess a domain’s trustworthiness or authority?

In this article, we’ll explore what Domain Authority really is, what signals Google uses to evaluate a website’s credibility, and whether boosting your DA is a worthwhile SEO goal.

What Is Domain Authority?

First, it’s important to clarify that Domain Authority is not a Google metric. It was created by Moz, a popular SEO software company, as a way to estimate how likely a website is to rank in search results. Other platforms have similar proprietary metrics:

  • Domain Rating (DR) by Ahrefs
  • Authority Score by Semrush

These scores are based on link profiles, content strength, and other factors—attempting to model Google’s own internal evaluation systems.

Does Google Use Domain Authority?

No, Google does not use Moz’s Domain Authority or any third-party equivalent in its ranking algorithm. However, that doesn’t mean the concept is useless.

Google has confirmed that it evaluates site-wide signals when determining ranking potential. These include:

  • Link quality and quantity
  • Content relevance and depth
  • User trust signals
  • Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)
  • Site usability and performance

So while Google doesn’t use DA per se, it does assess many of the underlying elements that DA tries to represent.

How Google Assesses Authority

Rather than using a single numerical score, Google evaluates the authority of a website using a combination of signals:

Backlinks are one of the strongest indicators of authority. Google values links from high-quality, topically relevant sites. A handful of strong, relevant backlinks can outweigh hundreds of weak ones.

2. Topical Relevance

A site with a narrow topical focus—like a blog exclusively about email marketing—may be seen as more authoritative within that niche than a broad generalist site.

3. Content Quality

Google’s helpful content system looks for original, valuable, and well-written content. Authority is often inferred from consistency and depth across many pages.

4. Trustworthiness and Reputation

Google reviews online signals of trust, including brand mentions, reviews, and third-party citations. If a site is cited by known experts, that can reinforce its authority.

5. Technical Performance

Site speed, mobile-friendliness, HTTPS usage, and clean architecture contribute to the overall credibility and experience of a domain.

Does a Higher Domain Authority Score Improve Rankings?

Not directly.

Since DA is not part of Google’s algorithm, increasing your DA won’t automatically boost your rankings. However, activities that increase DA—like earning high-quality backlinks, publishing valuable content, and improving your site—do align with best practices that help you rank.

So think of DA as a proxy indicator, not a goal. It’s a useful benchmark, especially when comparing domains or evaluating link opportunities, but it should not be the endgame.

Common Myths About Domain Authority

Myth #1: A DA of 90 is always better than a DA of 30.

Not necessarily. A DA 30 site that is tightly focused on your niche may drive more SEO value than a DA 90 generalist site.

Myth #2: Google ranks high-DA sites higher by default.

Google doesn’t even see the DA score. What it does see is content quality, link context, and relevance.

Myth #3: You can easily boost DA by buying links.

Many paid links come from link farms or PBNs, which may boost DA temporarily but can lead to manual penalties.

What Should You Focus on Instead?

  • Earn relevant backlinks from trusted, high-quality sources.
  • Publish topic-focused content that matches search intent.
  • Optimize site usability and fix technical issues.
  • Build brand awareness to increase trust and citations.

These activities won’t just improve your visibility—they’ll likely improve your perceived authority by both users and search engines.

Final Thoughts

Google doesn’t use Domain Authority as a ranking factor, but it does evaluate many signals that DA is meant to approximate. If you treat DA as a directional guide and not a KPI, it can still be useful.

Backlink Monkey helps you track, protect, and manage the links that matter most—because ultimately, a healthy and trustworthy link profile is one of the clearest indicators of authority in Google’s eyes.

Focus on earning great links, publishing great content, and serving your audience. Authority will follow.