Is Domain Authority a Ranking Factor in Google's Core Web Vitals Update?

There has been a lot of discussion about Domain Authority and whether it plays a role in Google’s ranking system. With Google rolling out Core Web Vitals as part of its page experience update, many are wondering if metrics like Domain Authority influence search engine rankings directly. In this article, we will break down the facts, see how Domain Authority works, and explore whether it is connected to Core Web Vitals or not.

What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a scoring metric developed by Moz. It is a number that predicts how well a website might rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). The score ranges from 1 to 100, and a higher score generally reflects a site with strong backlinks and good online presence.

However, Domain Authority is not developed by Google. It is a third-party metric that relies on its own data and calculations. Many SEO professionals use it to get a rough idea of how competitive a site may be, but it should not be confused with an official ranking signal used by search engines.

What Are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are performance metrics introduced by Google. They are part of the broader page experience update and focus on how fast, stable, and responsive a webpage is for users. These metrics include:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – measures loading performance.
• First Input Delay (FID) – measures interactivity.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – measures visual stability.

These are technical benchmarks that indicate how user-friendly a website is in terms of speed and layout consistency. Google officially announced that these metrics are considered part of its ranking system.

Is Domain Authority a Ranking Factor?

The short answer is no. Domain Authority is not a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. Google has confirmed multiple times that it does not use Domain Authority scores when ranking websites. Since DA is a third-party metric, Google has no access to it and does not factor it into its core systems.

DA may reflect some real-world advantages like backlink strength or content quantity, which can help rankings, but the score itself is not part of Google's decision-making process.

Therefore, the keyword “Is Domain Authority a Ranking Factor” leads to a straightforward conclusion: it is not.

Does Domain Authority Affect Core Web Vitals?

Domain Authority and Core Web Vitals measure completely different aspects of a website. While DA looks at domain-level signals like backlinks, Core Web Vitals focus on page-level performance.

You can have a site with a high Domain Authority score that performs poorly in Core Web Vitals. Similarly, a newer site with low DA can pass all Core Web Vitals tests. This shows that there is no direct connection between the two.

Google treats Core Web Vitals as actual ranking signals because they directly affect user experience. But DA has no technical relevance in this area.

Why Do People Still Focus on Domain Authority?

Many SEO tools use Domain Authority as a benchmark to compare websites. It gives a rough idea of how authoritative a domain might be based on backlinks and site age. This can be useful for competitor analysis or outreach planning.

But it is important to remember that while DA can give some insight into a site’s general strength, it is not used by Google to rank pages. Relying too much on DA can lead to the wrong assumptions about your site’s actual performance in search engines.

Instead, site owners should focus on real metrics such as:

• Page load speed
• Mobile responsiveness
• Content quality
• Keyword relevance
• Proper use of structured data

These factors have a direct impact on how a site performs in organic search.

How to Improve Core Web Vitals

If you want to improve your site’s rankings through the Core Web Vitals update, here are some key steps:

Optimize Loading Speed

Reduce the size of images and scripts on your site. Use efficient coding practices and compress large files. Implement lazy loading to delay off-screen content until it’s needed.

Improve Interactivity

Limit the use of heavy JavaScript that may delay the time it takes for the page to respond. You can split scripts or use asynchronous loading to speed up interaction times.

Stabilize Visual Elements

Avoid layout shifts by giving size attributes to images and ads. Keep your fonts and dynamic elements from loading in a way that causes visual movement on the page.

These improvements have a measurable effect on user experience and can contribute to better rankings under the page experience signals.

Final Thoughts

To answer the main question; Is Domain Authority a Ranking Factor? the answer is clearly no. It is a third-party metric, useful for SEO comparisons, but it has no weight in Google’s algorithm. Core Web Vitals, on the other hand, are real ranking factors that impact how your site appears in search results.

Focusing on Domain Authority may help you understand how your site compares with others in terms of backlink profile, but if your goal is to improve rankings, then your attention should be on real user experience signals like page speed, content quality, and Core Web Vitals.