Authority Score

How Semrush Calculates Authority Score

Semrush combines three main inputs to produce Authority Score. Link Power measures the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to a site. Organic Traffic estimates the monthly average visitors from search engines. Spam Factors detect patterns of manipulation, such as unnatural link profiles or no organic rankings.

The formula is proprietary and changes over time. In a 2022 update, Semrush placed more emphasis on organic traffic and spam signals. This made the metric more resistant to manipulation. The score updates when Semrush refreshes its index, which happens regularly.

You can see the score breakdown in Semrush's Domain Overview report. Each component contributes to the final number, but the exact weighting is not public.

• Link Power: evaluates backlink quality and quantity.
• Organic Traffic: estimates monthly search traffic.
• Spam Factors: flags unnatural patterns like identical backlink profiles.

Where to Find Authority Score in Semrush

Authority Score appears in several Semrush tools. The most common is the Domain Overview report, where you see the score for any domain. You can also find it in the Backlinks Tool, Backlink Audit, and Website Authority Checker.

Each tool shows the score slightly differently. For example, the Backlinks Tool shows Authority Score for individual pages, while Domain Overview shows it for the whole site. The score is always on a 1–100 scale.

If you use the domain overview tool, you can compare multiple sites side by side. This helps you prioritise link prospects or monitor competitors.

Authority Score vs Other Authority Metrics

Authority Score is one of several vendor-specific metrics. Domain Authority is Moz's version. Domain Rating Ahrefs is Ahrefs' version. Each uses different data and formulas. You cannot compare them directly. Similarly, Alexa Ranking was a historical metric, but it has been discontinued.

For example, a site with a high Authority Score might have a lower Domain Rating. This happens because Semrush and Ahrefs index different backlinks and weight traffic differently. Always compare scores within the same tool.

SEO authority is a broader concept that includes content quality and user trust. Authority Score only estimates backlink and traffic strength. It does not measure topical relevance or expertise.

Common Mistakes When Using Authority Score

Many people treat Authority Score as a Google ranking factor. It is not. Similarly, the lighthouse score is a performance metric, not an authority metric. Google does not use any third-party metric. The score is a vendor estimate, useful for comparison but not for predicting rankings.

Another mistake is chasing a higher score without checking relevance. A backlink from a high-scoring site in a different niche may not help your rankings. Relevance and naturalness matter more than the number.

Some users check the score once and treat it as fixed. Scores fluctuate when Semrush updates its index or changes its formula. Watch trends over weeks or months instead of reacting to a single change.

• Treating Authority Score as a Google metric: it is not a ranking factor.
• Comparing scores across tools: each vendor uses different data.
• Ignoring relevance: a high score does not guarantee a good link.

How to Increase Your Authority Score

To improve Authority Score, focus on earning high-quality backlinks from relevant sites. Semrush's Link Power component rewards links from authoritative domains. Avoid spammy link-building tactics, as Spam Factors will penalise them.

Organic Traffic also matters. Publishing helpful content that attracts search visitors can boost your score. Topical authority helps here: covering a topic in depth signals relevance to both users and search engines.

You can use the mozbar to check Moz metrics, but remember each tool is separate. The moz toolbar also provides quick access to Moz metrics. For Semrush, monitor your score in the Domain Overview report. A steady upward trend over months is a good sign.