Where does the score come from?
From an SEO tool's index of the web. Moz crawls the web, counts which sites link to which, and turns the result into a score on a log scale: moving from 10 to 20 is much easier than moving from 60 to 70. Other tools make their own versions. Ahrefs has Domain Rating, Semrush has Authority Score, and each reaches its number differently, so the same website can score 22 in one and 35 in another.
None of these companies can see inside Google. The scores are educated guesses built from links, because links are one of the signals Google has long said it uses.
Does Google use domain authority?
No. Google uses links, and many other signals about a site, in its own ways, but it does not use Moz's score or anyone else's. Search Engine Journal keeps a record of John Mueller, of Google's search relations team, repeating the point in different years, including in 2016 and again in 2020, when he said Google does not use domain authority at all in its algorithms. The confusion comes from the name, which sounds official and is not.
Why does a Dubbo repairer with a score of 9 come first? (example figures)
A farm machinery repair business in Dubbo, three mechanics and a workshop off the Newell Highway, received an email offering to lift its domain authority "from 9 to 30 in 90 days" for $990. Before replying, the owner searched "header repairs dubbo" and checked the scores of the sites that came up:
| Site in the results | Moz domain authority | Position for "header repairs dubbo" |
|---|---|---|
| The Dubbo repairer | 9 | 1st in the local pack, 2nd in the websites |
| A national machinery dealer | 41 | 1st in the websites |
| A national classifieds site | 78 | 4th |
The site with the lowest score was the one taking the calls. Its page named the header brands it repairs, the towns it travels to and the harvest-season call-out number, and its Google Business Profile had 60 reviews from farmers in the district. The $990 would have bought links to lift a number that was not deciding anything. The owner spent the money on a page for each of the three services that bring in the biggest jobs.
When is the score useful?
As a rough comparison, used with care. If you are deciding whether a link is worth chasing, a higher score suggests the site has a better link profile, though relevance to your business matters more. And if your own score moves sharply in a year, something has changed in who links to you, which is worth a look in Search Console's Links report.
Is domain authority one of CoraVision's numbers?
CoraVision does not use domain authority or any other vendor score. It reads the numbers in your own accounts: from Google Analytics 4, visits by channel, key events and revenue, every night once connected. Organic search visits, and the enquiries they turn into, show whether your search work is paying, and in the plan Cora builds with you they sit under the one number you chose to chase.
Questions
Someone has offered to raise my domain authority for a fee. Is it worth it?
Usually not. The quickest way to lift the score is to collect links from sites built to pass them on, which can raise the number while doing nothing for your rankings and putting you at risk under Google's link spam rules. Ask instead what the work will do for your enquiries.
What is a good domain authority for a small business?
There is no good number in the abstract. A local trade site with a score in single figures can rank first in its town. If you look at the score at all, compare it with the sites that appear for your own searches, and watch your own trend over a year.