MOZ Domain Authority 2.0: What You Should Know About the Update

Why is Moz changing the DA algorithm?

The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is constantly changing. Rankings change and the algorithms that drive those rankings change. For Moz to ensure you have the most accurate prediction possible, it means they need to update our algorithm from time to time to ensure it delivers on its promise.

You trust Moz, in part, because of the accuracy of the data they create. They want to make sure that we’re providing you with the best data to make your work easier. To ensure that DA continues to accurately predict ability of sites to rank, and to remain reliable over time, they’ve decided to make some improvements.

What can I expect from the DA algorithm update?

Many sites should expect to see a change to their current Domain Authority score. Depending on the site, this change might be insignificant, but it’s possible the new algorithm will cause material adjustments. The new Domain Authority takes into consideration a number of additional factors, such as link pattern identification and Moz’s Spam Score metric, to help you deploy your SEO strategy.

How can I prepare for this algorithm update?

We recommend researching out to your clients/web master as this can be an opportunity to both refresh them on the utility of Domain Authority, as well as plan for how to use it for additional link building or ranking projects. Visit this page to check out resources that may help you to have conversations with your stakeholders.

Is historical data changing?

Yes. When the new DA algorithm goes into place, all historical data will be affected.

As the “Metrics over time” chart is designed to help track your work over time, Moz believes applying the update to both past and present DA scores will help you to best track linear progress.

Is Domain Authority an absolute score or a relative one?

Domain Authority is a relative, comparative metric. Moz evaluates over 5 trillion pages and greater than 35 trillion links to inform Domain Authority. Your site’s links are evaluated amongst those trillions of links. Because of this, it is important to compare your DA to your competition, peers, and other sites that show up in search results important to your strategy.

In terms of how to use Domain Authority, nothing is changing. If you use it to evaluate domains to purchase, it will function exactly the same. If you use it to find hidden keyword ranking opportunities, it will still be your best friend. It’s the same trusty tool you used before — Moz just sharpened it for you.

I saw a change to my DA when Link Explorer launched last April. What’s the difference between that change and this one?

In April 2018, Moz released its new link index along with its new research tool, Link Explorer. Because the link index was so much larger than the previous index, and because Domain Authority is based on attributes discovered in that index, scores changed. Any changes that occurred were due to the upgrade of that link index, not how the algorithm calculated scores.

The change coming in March 2019 will be an actual algorithm update to how Domain Authority is calculated.

How will Page Authority (PA) be affected by this update?

Page Authority will not be impacted by the March 2019 update. This particular algorithm update is specific to Domain Authority only.