What is Authority Score?
Authority Score is a combined measure that evaluates the overall strength, reliability, and credibility of a website from the perspective of search engines. It’s usually determined by SEO tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs (Domain Rating), or Moz (Domain Authority), taking into account elements like backlinks, referring domains, search visibility, and organic traffic.
Although it’s not an official Google metric, it provides marketers with insight into a site’s potential ranking in search results and the value of a backlink from that site.

Why Authority Score Matters
- It serves as a standard for evaluating SEO performance and the credibility of a website.
- It assists in pinpointing valuable backlink prospects.
- It provides a clear understanding of how competitors are performing.
- It can identify harmful or spammy domains to steer clear of during outreach efforts.
Greater authority translates to increased trust, often resulting in improved rankings and visibility.
What Factors Influence Authority Score?
While every platform has its unique algorithm, there are shared components that often appear:
- Backlink Profile
- Quantity of referring domains
- Quality of backlinks
- Diversity of link sources
- Organic Search Metrics
- Visibility in SERPs
- Keywords ranked
- Estimated organic traffic
- Spam Score or Toxicity Signals
- Ratio of unnatural or spammy links
- Anchor text manipulation
- Link velocity and pattern anomalies
- Site Performance & Technical Health
- HTTPS, mobile-friendliness, and loading speed
- Clean link structure
- Proper indexing and crawlability
Authority Score vs. Domain Authority vs. Domain Rating
- Authority Score (SEMrush): Combines link power + site health + traffic trends
- Domain Authority (DA) (Moz): Emphasizes link profile and forecasting ranking potential
- Domain Rating (DR) (Ahrefs): Highlights the robustness of the backlink profile
Every one holds significance, yet none are utilized directly by Google.
How SEO Agency Boston Uses Authority Scoring
At SEO Agency Boston, we evaluate authority scores on various platforms to:
- Prioritize link-building efforts
- Evaluate the health of client websites
- Benchmark growth over time
- Spot toxic backlinks during audits
- Assist in competitor analysis
We focus on understanding the context behind the score rather than fixating on the number itself. An increasing score over time indicates improvement, not flawlessness.
Best Practices for Improving Authority Score
- Acquire premium backlinks from reputable websites
- Regularly share unique and valuable content
- Eliminate or reject harmful links
- Enhance website efficiency and user satisfaction
- Boost your natural visibility with effective content and search optimization strategies.
Related Terms
- Backlink
- Domain Authority
- Domain Rating
- Link Building
- Toxic Backlinks
FAQs About Authority Score
The answer varies based on your specific area of focus. For small businesses, a range of 20 to 40 can be quite reasonable. In competitive sectors, strive for over 50.
Negative. Authority scores are metrics from external sources, yet they align with genuine SEO indicators that Google might consider.
Absolutely. Your performance may suffer if you lose valuable backlinks, acquire harmful links, or experience a decrease in traffic.
Want to Boost Your Authority, the Right Way?
SEO goes beyond just figures. If you’re looking to enhance your authority in a natural, ethical, and effective way, SEO Agency Boston is here to assist you on that journey.