Does Domain Authority directly affect AI citations and GEO rankings?

Yes, significantly. AI systems prioritize high-authority domains when selecting sources for RAG retrieval and citations. Analysis shows that 70-80% of AI citations come from domains with DA 50+. While DA is a Moz metric (not used by AI systems directly), it correlates with signals AI systems do use: quality backlinks, domain reputation, and content trustworthiness. Higher DA = higher probability of AI citation.

Can low-DA sites compete in GEO, or is high authority required?

Low-DA sites can compete, but it's harder. Focus on: 1) Niche authority—dominate specific topics where you have unique expertise, 2) Content freshness—publish recent insights that high-DA sites haven't covered, 3) Structured data and citations—make your content easy for AI to extract and verify, 4) Strategic backlinks—earn links from high-DA domains in your industry. You won't beat DA 80+ sites head-to-head, but you can own specific queries where your expertise is unmatched.

What's the fastest way to improve Domain Authority for better AI visibility?

Three strategies: 1) Earn quality backlinks from high-DA sites through guest posts, original research, and expert roundups—focus on relevance over quantity, 2) Create linkable assets (data studies, tools, comprehensive guides) that naturally attract links from authoritative sources, 3) Remove toxic backlinks and disavow spammy domains hurting your profile. DA grows slowly (7-13 months), so start immediately. Track cited competitors' DA with the platform to set realistic targets.

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Metrics

Domain Authority(DA)

Predictive score of a domain's ability to rank in search results, based on various factors.

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What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz that predicts the likelihood that a website will rank well in search results. It is calculated on a scale of 1 to 100 based on backlink profile, domain age, and other factors. While this metric is specific to SEO, domain authority also influences GEO: high-authority sites are more likely to be cited as sources by RAG systems.

How Qwairy Makes This Actionable

Qwairy tracks Domain Authority metrics for cited sources in AI responses. Use this data to identify high-authority domains to target for backlinks and understand which authority levels AI systems prefer.