Domain Authority

In plain language

A 1 to 100 score made by SEO tool companies that estimates how strong a website is in search.

The metaphor

Like a credit score for your website: handy for comparing, but the bank (Google) uses its own numbers.

Going deeper

How it works

Domain Authority is Moz's score. Ahrefs and Semrush publish their own versions.
It mostly reflects how many quality sites link to yours.
Google does not use it. It is an outside estimate, useful for comparing you with competitors.
New sites start low and grow as they earn backlinks.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A shop owner was sold a package promising to "raise your DA to 50". The vendor pumped the score with junk links. The number rose; rankings and calls did not.

How WILDCARD handles it

Managed Search reports on rankings and real results, not vanity scores.

In practice

A new bakery's site starts with a score near zero.
A firm compares its score with the three competitors that outrank it.
A local news mention lifts a contractor's score over a few months.

A question owners ask

What is a good Domain Authority?

There is no fixed target. Compare yourself with the businesses you compete with in local search, not with national brands.

Where WILDCARD handles this

Managed
Search

SEO, managed monthly
Rankings tracked and reported
Site and content optimised

Start with Managed Search

Related terms

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