Domain Authority became the de facto shorthand for site strength across the SEO industry, yet most practitioners misunderstand what DA actually measures. Moz Pro, the platform behind DA, combines keyword research, link analysis, site auditing, and rank tracking into workflows that make sense of competitive landscapes.
This guide explains each feature and how Nashville businesses can integrate them into practical SEO operations.
Understanding Domain Authority
Domain Authority predicts ranking likelihood on a 1-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater potential. Moz calculates DA using machine learning models trained on actual search results, incorporating link data from their proprietary index.
DA is not a Google ranking factor. Google does not use DA or any third-party metric in their algorithm. DA predicts rankings based on observable patterns; it does not cause them. This distinction matters because chasing DA improvements directly wastes effort that should go toward activities Google actually rewards.
DA comparisons only make sense within competitive contexts. A DA 40 site can absolutely outrank a DA 60 site for specific queries where content relevance, user intent matching, and topical authority matter more than raw link strength. Use DA for competitive benchmarking, not as an absolute quality score.
Page Authority applies the same concept to individual URLs. New pages start with low PA regardless of domain strength. PA increases as pages earn links and age.
| Metric | What It Measures | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority | Predicted ranking strength of entire domain | Competitive analysis, link prospecting |
| Page Authority | Predicted ranking strength of single URL | Content performance benchmarking |
| Spam Score | Likelihood of penalty based on link profile patterns | Link profile cleanup, prospecting qualification |
Spam Score identifies sites with link profiles resembling penalized domains. High spam scores suggest caution when considering link acquisition or partnership. However, spam score alone does not mean a site will be penalized. Manual review of actual link patterns provides more actionable insight.
Keyword Research with Keyword Explorer
Raw search volume means little without competitive context. Keyword Explorer combines volume data with difficulty scores and SERP analysis to identify opportunities worth pursuing.
Start by entering seed keywords related to your business. The tool returns search volume, difficulty, organic CTR estimates, and priority scores. Priority synthesizes all factors into a single metric weighing opportunity against competition, helping you focus on keywords where effort will pay off.
Keyword Suggestions expand your seed list through related terms, questions, and phrase variations. Filter by minimum volume, maximum difficulty, or keyword inclusion/exclusion patterns.
SERP Analysis shows who currently ranks for each keyword, their DA, PA, and page-level link metrics. This reveals whether competition comes from high-authority domains or whether smaller sites can compete effectively.
| Difficulty Range | What to Expect | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 1-20 | Low competition | Quick wins for new sites |
| 21-40 | Moderate competition | Achievable with solid content |
| 41-60 | Competitive | Requires strong domain and content |
| 61-80 | Very competitive | Need significant authority or differentiation |
| 81-100 | Extremely competitive | Major brands dominate, consider alternatives |
Keyword difficulty in Moz uses a scale derived from current SERP composition. A difficulty of 50 does not mean you need DA 50 to rank. The relationship is more nuanced, incorporating PA of ranking pages, their link profiles, and on-page factors.
Keyword Lists save and organize research for campaigns. Track list-level metrics over time to see how competitive landscapes shift. Export lists for team sharing or integration with content planning tools.
Link Analysis with Link Explorer
Link Explorer provides Moz’s view of the backlink landscape, powered by their crawl index.
Enter any domain to see its link profile: total linking domains, total inbound links, DA, and spam score. The overview dashboard provides quick competitive intelligence without deep diving.
Inbound Links shows all discovered links pointing to the domain or URL. Filter by DA, spam score, anchor text, follow status, or date discovered. Sort by authority to find the most valuable linking pages.
Linking Domains groups links by source domain, showing how many links each domain provides. One high-authority domain linking multiple times matters differently than hundreds of low-quality directories.
Anchor Text analysis reveals how external sites describe your content. Over-optimized anchor text with exact-match keywords can signal manipulation to Google. Natural profiles show brand names, URLs, and varied descriptive phrases.
Discovered and Lost Links tracks link profile changes over time. Sudden link loss might indicate expired content, removed mentions, or technical issues on linking sites. New links reveal what content attracts attention.
Link Intersect identifies sites linking to competitors but not to you. This reveals outreach opportunities where sites already link to similar content and might link to yours with the right pitch.
Site Auditing with Moz Pro
Site Crawl runs technical audits identifying issues affecting search visibility.
Configure crawl scope, then Moz’s crawler evaluates pages for technical errors, on-page issues, and content problems. Results organize by severity: critical, high, medium, and low priority.
Crawl Diagnostics reveal server errors, redirect issues, and robots.txt problems. Address critical issues first since they block indexing entirely.
On-Page Issues identify missing title tags, duplicate meta descriptions, thin content, and internal linking problems. These directly impact ranking potential for affected pages.
Content Issues flag duplicate content, missing H1 tags, and keyword cannibalization where multiple pages compete for identical terms.
| Issue Category | Example Problems | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 5XX errors, robots.txt blocking | Prevents indexing |
| High | Redirect chains, 4XX errors | Wastes crawl budget |
| Medium | Missing meta descriptions, duplicate titles | Reduces CTR |
| Low | Long URLs, minor content issues | Minimal direct impact |
Moz Pro crawls operate on schedules, enabling trend tracking over time. Compare current crawl results against previous audits to verify fixes and catch regressions.
However, Moz’s crawler has limitations compared to dedicated tools like Screaming Frog. JavaScript rendering support, custom extraction, and crawl speed lag behind specialized alternatives. Use Moz Pro’s crawler for regular monitoring and supplementary validation rather than deep technical audits.
Rank Tracking with Campaigns
Campaigns track keyword rankings over time, providing visibility into SEO performance.
Set up a campaign by entering your domain and target keywords. Moz checks rankings daily, recording positions in both desktop and mobile results. Add competitors to the campaign for comparative tracking.
Ranking Distribution visualizes how many keywords rank in various position ranges: top 3, top 10, top 20, and beyond. Watch distribution shift upward as SEO efforts take effect.
Ranking Changes highlights significant movements, both improvements and declines. Filter by date range to correlate ranking changes with specific activities or algorithm updates.
Share of Voice estimates visibility based on rankings weighted by search volume. Higher-volume keywords in top positions contribute more to share of voice than low-volume keywords.
Local Tracking monitors rankings in specific geographic areas. Nashville businesses can track how they appear to searchers in Nashville specifically, rather than national results that may differ.
Rank tracking in Moz uses their own methodology, which may differ from Search Console data or other rank tracking tools. Use trends rather than absolute positions for decision-making.
MozBar Browser Extension
MozBar adds Moz metrics to browser search results and individual pages. The free extension provides DA and PA for any page you visit.
On search results pages, MozBar displays metrics inline with each result. Quickly assess competitive difficulty without leaving the SERP.
On individual pages, MozBar analyzes on-page elements, link metrics, and page attributes. Use it during competitor research to understand why certain pages rank.
SERP Overlay adds DA and PA columns to Google results, enabling at-a-glance competitive assessment while researching keywords.
Page Analysis breaks down title, meta description, heading structure, and link attributes for any page. Useful for on-page competitive analysis.
MozBar requires a Moz account for full functionality. Free accounts provide limited daily queries, while Moz Pro subscriptions unlock unlimited use.
Integrating Moz Pro into SEO Workflows
Effective use of Moz Pro requires integration with broader SEO processes rather than treating it as a standalone tool.
Keyword Research Workflow: Start in Keyword Explorer to identify opportunities. Export prioritized lists. Cross-reference difficulty against current DA using Link Explorer. Prioritize keywords where the competitive gap seems bridgeable.
Competitive Analysis Workflow: Use Link Explorer to compare your domain against top competitors. Identify link gaps using Link Intersect. Build outreach lists from domains linking to competitors. Track competitive rankings in Campaigns.
Technical Monitoring Workflow: Schedule regular site crawls. Review critical and high-priority issues weekly. Track issue counts over time to demonstrate technical improvement. Use MozBar for spot-checking specific pages during content production.
Reporting Workflow: Campaign dashboards provide executive-level visibility metrics. Export ranking data for custom reporting. Combine Moz metrics with analytics data for comprehensive performance pictures.
Limitations and Complementary Tools
Moz Pro works well as a generalist platform but has gaps that other tools fill better.
Link Index Size: Ahrefs and Semrush maintain larger link indexes. Moz’s crawl frequency and coverage may miss links that competitors discover. For comprehensive link analysis, cross-reference Moz data with other tools.
Technical Audit Depth: Screaming Frog and Sitebulb provide deeper technical analysis with better JavaScript rendering, custom extraction, and configuration options. Use Moz’s crawler for monitoring, specialized tools for deep audits.
Keyword Data Accuracy: All third-party keyword tools estimate search volume since Google does not share exact numbers. Cross-reference Moz suggestions with other tools when making major content investments.
Real-Time Data: Rank tracking updates daily, not hourly. Link data reflects crawl schedules that may lag weeks behind actual link acquisition. For time-sensitive analysis, recognize these data freshness limitations.
Despite limitations, Moz Pro’s integrated approach simplifies workflows for teams that do not need specialized depth in every area. The platform provides sufficient capability for most SEO needs while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple disconnected tools.
Getting Value from Domain Authority
Return to DA with clearer understanding of its role. DA helps prioritize opportunities, not predict outcomes.
Link Prospecting: Filter outreach targets by minimum DA to focus effort on valuable potential links. A DA 50 site linking to you provides more predictive ranking benefit than ten DA 10 sites.
Competitive Benchmarking: Track your DA alongside competitors over time. Closing DA gaps often correlates with closing ranking gaps, though the relationship varies by niche.
Site Evaluation: When evaluating domains for acquisition, partnership, or guest posting, DA provides quick qualification. Combine with spam score and manual review for final decisions.
Avoid DA Obsession: Chasing DA improvements for their own sake leads to wasted effort. Focus on activities that improve rankings directly. DA will follow genuine authority building.
Sources
- Moz Domain Authority Guide: https://moz.com/learn/seo/domain-authority
- Moz Pro Help Documentation: https://moz.com/help/moz-pro
- Moz Link Explorer Overview: https://moz.com/link-explorer