What is Domain Authority (DA)?
Definition
Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank in search engine results pages. It is scored on a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank. DA is calculated based on the strength and quantity of a site's backlink profile — the more high-quality websites that link to a domain, the higher its DA. Domain Authority is a third-party metric, not a Google metric — Google does not use DA in its algorithm, but DA is widely used as a proxy for a domain's relative ranking potential.
Why Domain Authority (DA) matters for Shopify stores
For Shopify stores, Domain Authority is a useful competitive benchmark. When your target keyword is dominated by competitors with DA 70+, ranking against them without a strong backlink profile is very difficult. Understanding your own DA and your competitors' DA helps set realistic expectations for which keywords you can currently compete for. New Shopify stores typically have DA 1–10. Most successful e-commerce stores hover around DA 20–40. Building DA requires acquiring backlinks from high-DA websites — something Sauron's backlink exchange network helps with.
Shopify example
A jewelry store with DA 12 tries to rank for 'gold engagement rings'. Google's top 10 is occupied by sites with DA 60–85 (Tiffany, Cartier, Etsy, Amazon). Realistically uncompetitive. After Sauron identifies 'handmade gold engagement rings Ireland' (DA 20–30 competitors), the same store competes effectively and reaches position 5 within 4 months.
How Sauron handles Domain Authority (DA)
Sauron's backlink exchange network uses DataForSEO's Domain Authority data to score potential link partners. The DA weighting (25% of the match score) ensures you get matched with partners whose links will meaningfully improve your backlink profile.
See Backlink Exchange Network feature →Common mistakes
- ✕ Treating DA as a Google metric — Google does not use Moz's DA score
- ✕ Obsessing over DA as a goal rather than as a diagnostic tool
- ✕ Trying to increase DA by buying links — Google penalises manipulative link schemes
- ✕ Ignoring Page Authority (PA) — the DA of the specific linking page matters as much as the domain DA
Questions about Domain Authority (DA)
Is a higher Domain Authority always better for Shopify SEO? +
In general yes — higher DA correlates with stronger ranking potential. But DA is a relative metric. A DA 30 site in a DA 15 competitive landscape ranks well. A DA 30 site competing against DA 80 sites struggles. Focus on improving DA relative to your competitors, not chasing an absolute number.
Related terms
Automate your Shopify SEO
Understanding Domain Authority (DA) is step one. Sauron handles the implementation — automatically, for your entire Shopify store.