A small art, entertainment, or gaming website can build a loyal audience long before it attracts a large number of links. If you’re comparing sites for a collaboration, planning outreach, or trying to understand how your own publication appears to marketers, a DA score may come up. It can be a useful clue—but only when you know what the number measures and what it leaves out.
What a DA Score Measures
Domain Authority, usually shortened to DA, is a metric developed by Moz to estimate how likely a website is to rank in search results compared with other websites. It uses signals from a site’s link profile, including the number and quality of links pointing to it, to produce a score from 1 to 100. It is a comparative prediction, not a direct measurement of a site’s quality or its position for a particular search.
That distinction matters for creative publishers. A game-review blog with a focused readership might have a modest DA but publish thoughtful, original coverage. A much larger site may have a higher score while rarely covering the games, artists, or entertainment topics relevant to your project. The number can help start an assessment; it cannot make the decision for you. For a fuller explanation of what the metric means and why it can change, read this guide to the DA score.
Why the Number Changes
DA is calculated using a changing index of links and a model that compares websites. As Moz discovers new links or updates its data and methodology, a site’s score may rise or fall even if the site owner has made no recent changes. Competitors’ link profiles can also affect the relative comparison. A shift does not necessarily mean that a website suddenly became better or worse.
Newer websites often start with low scores because they have had less time to earn links. That is normal. A steady pattern of useful publishing and genuine mentions is more meaningful than trying to force a quick numerical increase through unrelated or low-quality links.
DA, DR, and Authority Score Are Not the Same
Other SEO platforms offer similar-looking measures. Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) focuses on the strength of a site’s backlink profile within Ahrefs’ own system. Semrush Authority Score combines link data with other signals to estimate a domain’s overall authority. Each provider has its own data, formula, and scale, so scores from different tools are not interchangeable.
If one tool shows a higher rating than another, that does not automatically mean either tool is wrong. They may have found different links or be measuring different things. Use one metric consistently for comparisons, and check the underlying evidence rather than treating a score as a universal grade.
How to Assess a Site for a Collaboration
Suppose you run a small publication about indie games and are considering a guest article or an interview with an illustrator. A potential partner’s DA can offer a quick point of comparison, but check several practical details before agreeing:
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Audience fit: Does the site regularly cover subjects your readers care about, or is its focus unrelated?
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Real visitors: Look for signs of consistent readership and relevant search traffic, rather than relying on a single authority score.
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Link quality: Are incoming links from genuine, relevant publications, or do they appear repetitive and unrelated?
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Editorial standards: Is the site publishing original work with clear authorship and useful information?
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Placement context: Would a link appear naturally in an article that helps readers, or would it feel inserted just to influence rankings?
These checks are useful whether you are evaluating a site for a guest post, seeking a cross-promotion, or deciding where to share a new game, portfolio, or event. A relevant mention from a smaller publication can bring more engaged readers than a link from a high-scoring site with no connection to your work.
Building Authority Without Chasing a Score
For an independent creative website, durable growth usually begins with material worth sharing: original reviews, artist interviews, event coverage, tutorials, thoughtful commentary, or a useful games guide. Make it easy for readers and writers to understand who made the work and why it matters. Then promote it in communities where the subject is genuinely relevant, and build relationships with other creators and publications.
Freelancers who support this work—such as illustrators, video editors, writers, or musicians—also need to be discoverable by the right clients. On Osdire, freelancers can add their city and country to their profiles to appear in location-based searches. This practical step can help boost profile views from buyers looking for talent in a particular place.
Use the Score as a Clue, Not a Verdict
A DA score is most helpful as one part of a broader picture. It can make comparisons quicker and reveal whether a site’s link profile appears to be growing, but it does not measure creativity, editorial care, audience loyalty, or relevance to your project. For art, entertainment, and gaming publishers, those qualities often determine whether a collaboration is worthwhile. Look at the number, investigate the site behind it, and prioritize genuine value for readers.
