Short answer
Domain authority-style scores are estimates that update on each provider's own schedule and change slowly — usually because new, higher-quality backlinks simply haven't accumulated yet, existing links lost value or disappeared, or you're comparing scores from different providers that aren't directly comparable to begin with.
"Domain Authority" is specifically Moz's own proprietary metric; other providers calculate their own similarly-purposed but differently-calculated scores (Ahrefs' Domain Rating, for instance). None of these are an official Google metric, and comparing a number from one provider against another isn't meaningful — they use different methodologies and scales.
These scores are driven substantially by the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing at your domain — if your backlink profile hasn't meaningfully grown or improved in quality recently, a stalled score is the expected, logical result rather than a sign of a problem. backlink checker shows your current backlink profile with authority and spam-risk data, useful for seeing directly whether new, quality links have actually landed.
A score can stay flat or even drop if you're losing existing backlinks (through link removal, site closures, or broken redirects) at roughly the same rate you're gaining new ones — the net change is what these scores reflect, not just new links in isolation.
Most providers recalculate these scores periodically rather than in real time, meaning a recent link-building push may not be reflected in the number you're currently seeing yet. Checking again after several weeks, rather than expecting an immediate change, gives a fairer read.
These third-party authority scores are estimates designed to correlate loosely with ranking potential, not a metric Google itself uses or publishes. A stalled score isn't necessarily holding back your actual rankings directly — genuine backlink quality, content relevance, and technical health matter more directly than the number itself.
No — Domain Authority is specifically Moz's own third-party metric, not something Google calculates, publishes, or has confirmed using directly. It's designed to correlate loosely with ranking potential based on backlink data, not to be an official Google signal.
Because each provider (Moz, Ahrefs, and others) calculates its own proprietary score using its own backlink index and methodology — they're similar in purpose but not directly comparable numbers, since a different underlying dataset and formula produces a different result.
It varies by provider, but most recalculate on a periodic schedule (commonly every few weeks) rather than in real time, so a recent change to your backlink profile may take some time to be reflected in the number you see.
No — Illumae's backlink checker shows domain authority and spam-risk banding for individual backlinks pointing at your site, rather than a single proprietary site-wide score of its own.
Yes. The free plan includes 3 AI article generations, keyword research, a content calendar, and a basic dashboard — no card required.
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