Hey Everyone!

The new Domain Authority is now LIVE!

Please share your experiences with us on twitter @moz or #DA

If you have any issues, you can always reach out to the awesome folks on the Moz Help Team at: help@moz.com

Thanks for the comment and great opportunity to clarify.

The proactive communication about changes to the DA algorithm is because we know that unexpected fluctuations in any core metric used in reporting can make for uncomfortable conversations with both internal and external stakeholders.

Fluctuations in DA are not necessarily going to happen to all domains in the index. However, should they occur, we want practitioners to be ready to respond.

Scores might go up, scores might go down. I look at it like when I used to work in a deli and had to reconcile the cash register at the end of the day. Being off by a dollar in either direction was equally bad. It meant I didn't count the money right. Accuracy was the goal.

The same holds for DA. This update improves the correlation of DA with ranks. Correlation might mean up. It might mean down. The important thing is, just like cashing out my register, is being able to explain the difference.

Hope that helps.

Great question and thank you for the comment.

The new model will use spam score to inform link value. This is one of the material changes we expect users may notice when the update is released. Because of the prevalence of spammy link building practices, we view this as a significant improvement for evaluating domains against one another.

Updates to the spam score and monitoring of spammy links are ongoing and accounted for in the management of the link index.

Update: Domain Authority 2.0 has arrived! Check it out over in Link Explorer or in your Campaigns, and visit our resource center for more information about the change.

Hey Moz friends,

I’m excited to share some news from the Moz product team. In the last few months our team of data scientists have been hard at work developing an improvement to one of the favorite SEO metrics used in digital marketing: Domain Authority, also referred to as “DA.”

On March 5, 2019, we’ll release the new and improved Domain Authority algorithm, which includes a number of new factors that make this score even more accurate, trustworthy, and predictive than ever before.

Having worked with marketing clients in the past and reported on Domain Authority during monthly reviews, I wanted to make sure we give our community enough advance notice to understand what is changing, why it’s changing, and what it might mean for your reporting.  Sudden, unexpected fluctuations in any core metric you use in reporting have the potential to make your job more difficult, so we want to help you start the conversation about this change with your stakeholders. Let’s start with the “why” ...

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 we 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 we create. We 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, we’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?

I recommend that you reach out to your stakeholders or clients prior to the March 5th launch to discuss this upcoming change. 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.

If you feel inclined to save a snapshot of your current Domain Authority and history, you can consider exporting your historical data from your Moz Pro account.

Is historical data changing?

Yes. When the new DA algorithm goes into place, all historical data will be affected. However, for anyone who has an active Moz Pro campaign, you will be able to see a historical representation of the old DA line for reference for an interim period.

As the “Metrics over time” chart is designed to help track your work over time, we believe 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 — we just sharpened 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.

Will API users be affected at the same time?

Yes. The Domain Authority metric in all of our products, including our API, will be affected by this update on March 5th.

Check out this page for more resources about the Domain Authority algorithm update. You can also read more here in Russ Jones’s announcement post on the blog.

We’d love to hear from you here in this Q&A thread, or you can send an email over to help@moz.com with any questions.

I run the training program and can share some testimonials from our recent students below. The current coursework has widely positive feedback, with many students attending more than one class.

The one area of feedback we get about improvements (and are addressing) is that our most advanced attendees tend to think the courses are too basic. That makes sense as we have been aiming mostly at the beginner to intermediate user, and have one-off seminars focused on the most advanced user groups.

The most popular courses are the Keyword Research, SEO Fundamentals, and Site Audit class. These really focus on practical aspects of delivering SEO. We try to make that our differentiation. Having taken a lot of online classes ourselves, we don't find value in theory-only coursework. Without a practical application, its hard to justify the investment. So we focus on processes, application of concepts, and workflows.

Here are some testimonials we've gathered recently:

"It's definitely worth the price of admission"

"I would highly recommend MOZ training. Covers all the questions you are afraid to ask. Gives an informative insight into SEO and helps you discover how to read and relate to what's in front of you. How it impacts to your business and most importantly how to put it into practice. Bravo! Will definitely sign up for more. Thanks "

"I really enjoyed this training. The content was very well organized and essential for learning the basics of SEO. The course was very informative and educational. I highly recommend this course."