Glossary
What is Semrush Authority Score?
Authority Score is Semrush's 0 to 100 metric for a domain's overall quality and SEO strength. Unlike Domain Rating, it combines link power with organic traffic estimates and spam signals, so a site with strong links but no traffic, or a suspicious link profile, scores lower.
What goes into it
Semrush describes three parts: link power (the quality and quantity of backlinks), organic traffic (estimated monthly search visits) and spam factors (signs of a manipulated link profile). The result is scaled 0 to 100.
Why it differs from DR and DA
| Metric | Links | Traffic | Spam signals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authority Score | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Domain Rating | Yes | No | No |
| Domain Authority | Yes | No | Partly |
Because it includes traffic, Authority Score is lower for sites that have many links but few visitors, a common pattern among old directories and link farms. That makes it a useful cross-check: a directory with DR 70 and a low Authority Score is worth a closer look.
Example
A directory shows DR 68 in Ahrefs but Authority Score 24 in Semrush. Its organic traffic estimate is near zero and many links come from unrelated sites. It's likely coasting on old links, so the founder skips it.
FAQ
Is Authority Score better than DR?
Different, not better. It adds traffic and spam signals, which can catch hollow high-DR sites.
Does Google use Authority Score?
No. It's Semrush's metric.
What's a good Authority Score?
Compare with the sites you compete with in your niche.