Direct Answer
Domain Authority is a 0–100 score created by Moz that estimates how likely a website is to rank in Google. Google does not use DA — it is a third-party metric. But DA correlates with ranking because it approximates the same signals (backlinks, age, trust). Use DA as a competitive benchmark, not a ranking goal.
Voice answer (≤30 words)
“Domain Authority is a Moz score from zero to one hundred. Google does not use it but it correlates with ranking strength.”
Ahrefs' equivalent is Domain Rating (DR); SEMrush calls theirs Authority Score. All three measure roughly the same thing differently.
For service businesses, a DA of 25–40 is typical and competitive in most local markets. National brands hit 60+.
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