Domain Authority vs. Domain Rating (and Why Google Uses Neither)
Third-party scores that estimate how strong a site is, not metrics Google itself calculates or uses.
What it means
Domain Authority (Moz) and Domain Rating (Ahrefs) are third-party scores, roughly 0-100, meant to estimate how likely a site is to rank well based mostly on its backlink profile. They're useful shorthand for comparing sites, but they are invented by SEO tool companies — Google does not calculate, publish, or use either one.
Why it matters
It's easy to obsess over a specific Domain Authority number as if it's a grade Google is handing out, but Google has repeatedly said it doesn't use these scores at all. Chasing a higher number on a third-party tool doesn't necessarily move actual rankings.
ask datanephew
Should I care about my Domain Authority score?
It can be a rough, useful comparison between your site and a competitor's, but don't treat it as something Google factors into rankings — it isn't a Google metric.
What does datanephew look at instead?
Ask it about your actual backlink profile and search performance — real ranking and click data from Search Console tells you more about where you stand than a third-party score does.