What is a Good Domain Authority Score? Your Real-World Guide to Winning Your Niche
August 20, 2025
Let’s be honest. You’ve checked your Domain Authority (DA) and immediately asked the internet: “Is this good?”
You might remember that in a previous article, we shared typical “ideal” DA scores for different types of websites. That guide is still a useful reference if you’re just starting out. But in practice, a DA number alone doesn’t tell the full story. A DA of 30 could dominate a local market, while a DA of 55 might be struggling in a hyper-competitive industry.
A “good” DA isn’t about a magical number. It’s about winning. It’s a score that allows you to compete effectively and win customers in your specific corner of the internet. This guide will cut through the noise and give you a practical framework to answer that question for yourself.
The Golden Rule of DA: It’s Not You, It’s Your Competitors
Your primary focus shouldn’t be on hitting an arbitrary score. It should be on outperforming the websites you are directly competing with for rankings and customers.
This process is called competitor benchmarking, and it’s your new secret weapon.
How to Benchmark Your DA in 3 Simple Steps:
- Identify Your True Competitors: Make a list of 5-10 websites that consistently rank on Google’s first page for the keywords you want to rank for. (These might not be your direct business competitors, but they are your SEO competitors).
- Check Their DA: Use the free Moz Toolbar or a tool like Ahrefs’ Free Backlink Checker to quickly see their scores.
- Analyze the Gap: Calculate the average DA of this competitor set. This number is your initial target.
Example:
- Your Site (Local Plumbing Company in Pune): DA 18
- Competitor A: DA 22
- Competitor B: DA 15
- Competitor C: DA 28
- Average Competitor DA: ~21.7
The Conclusion? Your DA of 18 is slightly below average. A “good” and achievable goal for you right now isn’t 50—it’s 25-30. Surpassing 30 would likely make you the local authority. This is a target you can actually build a strategy around.
DA Expectations by Category: A Realistic Spectrum
While competitor benchmarking is rule #1, it helps to know the landscape. Here’s a more practical breakdown of what scores you can expect:
| Category | Typical DA Range | Why This Range? | What “Good” Looks Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| New/Brand New Sites | 1 – 10 | You have no backlink history, little content, and Google is still learning to trust you. | Anything above 1. Focus on foundational SEO and earning your first few quality links. |
| Local Businesses (Restaurants, Dentists) | 10 – 30 | Competition is hyper-local. Links are harder to get from local directories and news sites. | Beating local competitors. A DA of 25 for a local business is excellent. Need a plan? Read our guide on how to effectively implement Local SEO. |
| Niche Blogs & SMEs (B2B Software, Specialized Blogs) | 20 – 50 | This is the most common competitive landscape. Success comes from strong content and strategic link-building. | A score of 40+ indicates you’re an established, trusted player in your field. |
| Major National Brands (E-commerce, SaaS) | 40 – 60 | These companies have dedicated teams, budgets for content and PR, and naturally attract links. | A score of 50+ is expected. They compete on a national level for highly competitive keywords. Thinking of building an E-commerce website? This is the league you’re in. |
| Industry Giants (Forbes, Wikipedia) | 70 – 100 | These sites have been around for decades with millions of high-quality backlinks. They define authority. | Anything above 80 is elite territory. This is not a realistic goal for most businesses. |
Why Does DA Vary So Much?
- Link Earning Potential: A tech news site naturally gets linked to far more often than a local carpet cleaning service. Some industries are just more “linkable.”
- Competition Level: The number and strength of established players in your field set the bar. Entering a market with 10 sites at DA 60+ is far harder than one where the top player is at DA 35.
- Business Model: A B2B SaaS company relies heavily on organic lead generation, so they invest heavily in SEO and content. A local service business might rely more on paid ads.
The Most Important DA Metric Isn't a Number—It's a Trend
A single DA score is just a snapshot. The trend over time is the movie, and it’s far more important than any single number.
How to interpret your DA trend line:
- Up and to the Right (Consistent Growth): This is ideal. It means your SEO efforts (creating great content, earning high-quality backlinks, and technical fixes) are working. You are building authority. Even moving from 15 to 20 is a huge win. Celebrate it!
- Flat Line (Stagnant): Time to audit. Your efforts aren’t moving the needle. You might be treading water while competitors advance. You need to change your strategy. It might be time for a technical SEO audit.
- Down and to the Right (Decreasing): Red flag. This could indicate you’ve lost valuable backlinks, have a technical SEO issue (like a penalty), or are being outpaced. Immediate investigation is needed.
The Final Verdict: Your New DA Mantra
Stop asking, “What is a good Domain Authority score?”
Start asking:
- “What is the average DA of my direct competitors?” (Surpassing that DA would be your target.)
- “Is my DA trending up over the last 6-12 months?” (This is your measure of success.)
A “good” score is one that is winning you traffic, customers, and revenue in your specific market. It’s that simple.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? A great first step is understanding the full picture of what Domain Authority is and how to boost it. Then, focus on the strategies that move the needle, like building a powerful backlink profile through Off-Page SEO.
Pro Tip: For a quick reference on typical DA ranges by industry, check out our previous guide here. But remember, these numbers are just a starting point that you’ll want to see how you stack up against your actual competitors.