Authority Score

Authority Score is Semrush’s model, from 0 to 100, of a domain’s strength. It is built from the quantity and quality of backlinks, an estimate of organic traffic, and signals of spam, as of 2026.

Like Moz’s Domain Authority and Ahrefs’ Domain Rating, it is a tool’s view on its own index. Scores do not transfer between tools.

Google does not use Authority Score. Treat it as a proxy for comparing sites in Semrush, not as a target number to optimise for in search.

You need a simple way to stack your domain against rivals on the same queries. Authority Score gives a quick read of relative link strength and likely trust in Semrush’s data.

Use it to shortlist realistic targets. If yourproduct.com is 8 and the top five on “pdf editor for mac” range from 40 to 70, you likely need links and time, or a long tail angle.

Track your score and your closest rivals every month. You want your curve to rise with referring domains and relevant pages, not to chase a number alone.

• Look up your domain in Semrush. Note the Authority Score and the trend.
• Open the same view for three to five rivals on your core queries. Record their scores.
• Group keywords by rival strength rather than by raw search volume. Pick fights you can win.
• Click through to backlinks and referring domains to see what supports the score.

Read it in context. Scores cluster by niche, language and country. A 20 in a new B2B niche can be more competitive than a 40 in a broad hobby niche.

1. 1

   Tighten your target list

   Pick queries where the top results sit within 5 to 10 points of you in Semrush. For a new site, go long tail, for example “/guides/getting-started” topics.

2. 2

   Publish pages worth citing

   Ship useful, specific pages that a blogger or a tool roundup can link to. Think data, comparisons, checklists and original how to guides.

3. 3

   Build clean referring domains

   Pitch relevant sites, directories and communities. Avoid link farms and paid networks. Aim for new domains linking once or twice, not sitewide.

4. 4

   Fix technical trust signals

   Make the site fast, secure and tidy. Clean 404s and redirects. Clear about page and contact details. This reduces spam risk and helps links stick.

5. 5

   Add internal links

   Link from “/blog/what-is-x” to “/product-x” with clear anchor text. Spread any link equity to the pages that should rank.

A fixed site shows steady new referring domains, relevant anchors, and Authority Score rising in step with organic clicks, not alone.

• Do not judge a page by a domain score alone. Check the page and the query.
• Do not chase paid links or networks. Spam signals can drag your score down.
• Do not mix up Authority Score, DA and DR. They measure on different link indexes and models.
• Do not report the score as a KPI without business context. Tie it to rankings, clicks and signups.