Definition
Domain authority is a metric created by SEO tool vendors to estimate a website's relative strength in search, usually based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it. Different vendors use different names and formulas, and scores are typically shown on a scale up to 100.
For example, Hydrakind might have a higher score than Aarvi Skin in one tool because more publications link to it. That tells Aarvi Skin something about the link gap, but it does not mean Google or any AI assistant uses that score when choosing results.
Why it matters
Domain authority is not a ranking factor for Google or AI assistants, so raising it is not a goal in itself. It can still help you compare your link profile with competitors and spot sites that are widely referenced in your category. For AI visibility, the more useful question is whether trusted sources in your space mention and link to you, since those sources may also be retrieved when assistants answer buyer questions.
What to do
- Use one vendor's score consistently when comparing your site with competitors.
- Look at which sites link to competitors but not to you, rather than chasing the score.
- Check whether those referring sites are also cited in AI answers for your category.
Common questions
Does Google use domain authority?
No. Domain authority and similar scores are created by third-party SEO tools, not by Google, and Google has said it does not use them. They are estimates built from link data and can be useful for comparison, but they are not inputs to Google's ranking systems.
Does domain authority affect AI search visibility?
Not directly. AI assistants do not use vendor authority scores. However, sites that are widely linked and referenced often have content that search systems find and trust, which can make them more likely to be retrieved. Focus on earning mentions from relevant, credible sources rather than on the score.