Definition
Domain Authority (Moz), Domain Rating (Ahrefs), and Authority Score (Semrush) are proprietary metrics that estimate how strong a website's backlink profile is relative to others in their index.
Why it matters
These metrics are useful for quick comparisons, but they are not official Google ranking factors. A high DA does not guarantee rankings.
Scores are relative, not absolute
A DA of 40 might be strong in one niche and weak in another. Compare scores within your niche, not across the entire web.
Different indexes, different numbers
Moz, Ahrefs, and Semrush crawl different parts of the web, so their scores for the same site can differ significantly.
TraceLinker's approach
Instead of a single domain score, TraceLinker scores every individual backlink and explains the reasoning.
Frequently asked questions
Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
No. It is a third-party estimate. Google does not use DA, DR, or Authority Score in its ranking algorithm.
Should I chase high-DA links only?
Not necessarily. Relevance, trust, and topical authority often matter more than a raw DA number.
How does TraceLinker score links?
Our AI scores each link 1-100 based on authority, relevance, placement, anchor, and toxicity signals.