Domain Authority

Domain Authority is not a Google metric. It is a Moz-created prediction of how well a domain will rank, based on backlink profile and other factors. Similar metrics include Domain Rating (Ahrefs) and Authority Score (Semrush).

These metrics are useful for comparing competitors at a high level but should not be confused with Google's actual scoring. A Domain Authority of 40 versus 25 typically reflects a meaningful gap; a difference of 40 versus 38 usually does not.