What Is Domain Authority and Does It Matter?

You’ve probably heard the term Domain Authority (or DA for short) thrown around if you’ve spent even ten minutes reading about SEO. It’s often used like some sort of magical score: “We increased your DA!” or “Let’s boost your DA to beat your competitors!”

But what actually is Domain Authority? Does it really matter for your small business website? Or is it just another SEO buzzword made up to sell expensive packages?

Grab a cuppa and let’s break it down in plain English – no jargon, no fluff – just what you actually need to know as a small business owner in the UK.

Contents

• What is Domain Authority?

• Who created Domain Authority?

• How is Domain Authority scored?

• What affects your Domain Authority score?

• Does Domain Authority matter for small businesses?

• How can you improve Domain Authority?

• Common myths and misconceptions

• Real-life example: The café that climbed the ranks

• Domain Authority vs Page Authority

• What about other scoring systems?

• Final thoughts

• FAQ

• Call to Action: Ready to grow your rankings?

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a score (between 1 and 100) that predicts how well a website is likely to rank in search engine results.

Think of it like a school report card for your website’s overall reputation on the internet. The higher the score, the more likely Google is to trust your site as authoritative and worth showing in search results.

BUT — and this is important — Google doesn’t actually use Domain Authority. It’s a third-party metric developed by Moz (more on them in a moment). So while it gives useful insights, it’s not the final word on how your website ranks.

In plain terms: DA is a benchmark, not a rulebook.

Who Created Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz, a US-based SEO software company. They built it as a way to estimate how powerful a website is compared to others, based largely on its backlink profile (how many and how high-quality the links are pointing to it).

Moz isn’t Google. They’re trying to simulate what Google might think based on the data they can access. It’s not perfect, but it can be helpful.

Think of Moz’s Domain Authority as a weather forecast. It gives you a general idea of what to expect, but it’s not always spot on.

How Is Domain Authority Scored?

DA scores range from 1 to 100. The higher the number, the stronger the site is considered to be.

• 1–20: New or very small websites

• 21–40: Small businesses starting to build some traction

• 41–60: Stronger websites, often with regular content and good backlinks

• 61–80: Authoritative websites, big brands, national recognition

• 81–100: The BBC, Amazon, GOV.UK – the internet titans

It’s based on logarithmic scale, which means it’s much easier to grow from 10 to 20 than it is from 70 to 80.

So don’t stress if your site is at 12. That’s completely normal for a small local business. You’re not competing with The Guardian — you just need to be seen locally.

What Affects Your Domain Authority Score?

Your DA is primarily influenced by:

1. The Quality of Backlinks

This is the biggie. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours.

But not all links are equal. A link from a local newspaper is better than ten links from dodgy directories.

Moz considers:

• Linking domain’s authority

• Relevance of the link

• Spam score of linking sites

2. The Number of Unique Referring Domains

It’s not just about how many backlinks you have – it’s about how many different websites are linking to you.

100 links from one site is less valuable than 10 links from 10 different sites.

3. Your Own Link Profile Health

Are you linking out to dodgy websites? Are you being linked from spammy ones? Moz detects all this and adjusts your score.

4. Your Site Structure

Clean URLs, internal linking, mobile-friendly design – it all helps support a healthier backlink profile, which indirectly affects your DA.

Does Domain Authority Matter for Small Businesses?

Yes… and no.

Here’s the honest truth:

• Google doesn’t use DA in its algorithm.

• You can rank higher than a competitor with a higher DA.

• It’s a guide, not gospel.

BUT DA is still useful in several ways:

• It shows your SEO efforts are moving in the right direction

• It can help you judge the quality of websites you want backlinks from

• It helps you track progress over time

A simple rule of thumb:

📌 If your competitors have DA scores around 20, and yours is 10, you’ve got work to do.

📌 If you’re all within the same range, focus on relevance, content, and technical SEO.

How Can You Improve Domain Authority?

Now we’re getting to the practical bit.

Here are some ways to improve your DA score (and your rankings at the same time):

1. Earn Quality Backlinks

• Get featured in local directories (real ones – not spammy link farms)

• Pitch stories or insights to your local press

• Collaborate with nearby businesses or charities

Example: A dog groomer in Bristol wrote a guest blog on a local vet’s website about “Signs Your Dog Needs a Haircut.” They got a DA 34 backlink and three new clients from it.

2. Regular, Helpful Content

Blogging isn’t dead – in fact, it’s your secret weapon. Useful, locally optimised content attracts links and builds authority.

Example: A Surrey-based plumber wrote a post called “5 Things to Check Before Calling an Emergency Plumber” and it was shared on a local forum. Boom — new traffic, new link.

3. Improve Internal Linking

Link between your blog posts and service pages. This helps search engines (and visitors) find their way around and supports SEO structure.

4. Fix Broken Links

Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to spot dead pages or dodgy links.

5. Improve Site Speed and Mobile-Friendliness

These technical elements won’t directly boost your DA but they will support your SEO performance – which correlates with better perceived authority.

Common Myths and Misconceptions

🧠 Let’s bust a few:

❌ “You need a DA of 50+ to rank on Google.”

Not true. You only need to be better than your direct competitors.

❌ “Buying links boosts your DA.”

It might, temporarily — until you’re penalised or flagged. Google’s smarter than that. Focus on earned links.

❌ “DA is the only SEO metric that matters.”

Nope. DA is just one signal. Page speed, keywords, UX, local citations – they all matter too.

Real-Life Example: The Café That Climbed the Ranks

Sophie owns a café in Norwich. Her website had a DA of 9. Her biggest competitor had a DA of 18.

Sophie didn’t panic. Instead, she:

• Asked customers to write Google Reviews

• Partnered with a local vegan blogger for a “Best Brunches” guide

• Submitted her menu to Norwich’s food directory

• Added a blog to her website about sourcing local ingredients

Six months later:

• DA increased to 16

• She ranked higher for “best café in Norwich”

• And saw a 40% rise in organic website traffic

All without touching paid ads.

Domain Authority vs Page Authority

DA is for your entire website.
Page Authority (PA) is for individual pages.

If you’re trying to rank one blog post or service page, Page Authority is more relevant.

Top tip: Optimise your high-performing pages to increase their Page Authority. That often gives you a quicker SEO win than trying to overhaul the whole site.

What About Other Scoring Systems?

Moz’s Domain Authority is the best known, but others exist:

• Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR)

• SEMRush Authority Score

• Majestic Trust Flow

All of them work differently. They might show wildly different numbers for the same site. That’s fine. Pick one tool and stick with it for consistency.

Should You Obsess Over DA?

In short: no.

Instead, use it like a compass. If your DA is climbing slowly and steadily, your SEO strategy is likely working.

But if you’re only watching the DA score and ignoring everything else — traffic, leads, conversions — you’re missing the point.

SEO isn’t about scores. It’s about results.

FAQ: Domain Authority Explained

Q: Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
A: No. It’s a metric created by Moz to simulate what might affect rankings, but Google doesn’t use it.

Q: What is a good Domain Authority score?
A: It depends on your niche. For small businesses, anything over 20 is solid. Always compare to your competitors, not the BBC.

Q: Can I buy links to boost DA?
A: Technically, yes. Ethically and effectively? No. It’s risky and not recommended.

Q: Why did my DA drop suddenly?
A: New sites entering the index, lost backlinks, or changes in how Moz calculates scores can cause drops. Look at your full SEO picture, not just one metric.

Q: Does DA improve overnight?
A: Nope. It’s a long game. Keep creating good content, earning good links, and over time, it will rise.

Ready to Grow Your Rankings (Not Just Your DA)?

If you’re tired of guessing your way through SEO — and want someone to actually help your business grow online — we’re here.

At 99 Quid Websites, we don’t obsess over vanity metrics. We focus on what works. We’ll help you:

✅ Attract more customers
✅ Rank better for local keywords
✅ Track what actually matters (spoiler: it’s not just DA)

👉 Contact us today to find out how we can help your business get seen — and stay seen — on Google.