Domain authority is a metric developed by Moz.com and has no connection with Google. As a result, Domain Authority itself has no part in Google’s ranking algorithm. But why are so many people so determined to increase their domain authority?
While domain authority has no actual impact on your Google rankings, it’s used more as a prediction tool providing us with an educated guess as to how well your website will rank on Google.
What is Domain Authority and how is it calculated?
Domain authority, also known by its abbreviation DA, is a metric developed by Moz. The scores range from 1 to 100 giving the user a gauge of how authoritative the site’s backlink profile is, and as such how well their site might perform in the SERPs. According to Moz themselves, DA is based on machine learning calculations evaluating multiple factors, including linking root domains and total number of links, into a single DA score.
How can I use DA in my SEO strategy?
Domain authority is a great KPI to help ensure you’re headed in the right direction as you optimise your site. By occasionally checking your website’s DA score on Moz.com (other tools available are listed below) you have some level of confirmation that your SEO efforts are working for you.
Knowing where you are gives you a better idea of where you need to be. You’ll have a target to aim for and once you reach that goal, you’re on your way to reaching the next target. Keep in mind that it’s easier to improve your site’s DA when it’s between 20 to 30 than when it’s between 70 to 80.
To give you a better idea, websites like Google, Apple, or Microsoft will have a high DA (between 95 and 100). On the other hand, if your website is fairly new, then your DA will most likely be low (possibly between 10 to 20).
Have a look at the ranges of DA scores below. Where does your site currently rank? Where would you like for it to rank?
- Below 30 is poor
- 30 to 40 is below average
- 40 to 50 is average
- 50 to 60 is good
- 60 to 70 is very good
- Above 80 is excellent
If you would like to see your website’s historical domain authority data, we recommend this Domain Authority Checker by websiteseochecker.com
How can I increase my Domain Authority?
Ok great, so now you know what domain authority is and you understand that it’s not a ranking factor for Google, right? Now let’s discuss how to increase your Domain Authority and, more importantly, increase your chances of ranking higher on Google.
Internal linking
Linking similar blog posts to each other is a great way to build a strong foundation of internal linking. If you have an e-commerce website, linking to other categories in your category text (you do have category text, right?) not only helps your user find additional products and/or information but also counts as a powerful form of internal linking. Internal links transfer some of the authority a page has to the target page, so they can be a valuable way to spread link equity around your site.
Build backlinks to your website
This can include listing your site on reputable directories or finding a publisher who has written about a subject in your field but has a broken link in their article – contact them and ask if they would like to use your link instead. An effective PR effort which brings powerful backlinks from news agencies that often have high domain authorities could also be another strategy, as could looking at the links your competitors have and if you can replicate them.
Blogger outreach
One effective way to do blogger outreach is to contact the people featured in your article, they may end up sharing with their audience providing you with a valuable backlink. Another prime example would be to ask a blogger with a high domain authority whose genre matches your brand to review a product or service of yours. They often give excellent feedback and provide their audience with important information about your brand. Not only will you see a boost in traffic and brand awareness, but their backlink will also provide a boost to your domain authority as well.
Create unique content
No one wants to read the same article they’ve read over and over again. Write your article but add a different spin on it. Provide the information that isn’t already being provided. This will not only capture the interest of the reader more, but it raises the chances that someone else will link to your content. Not only that, Google loves helpful and unique content.
There are other site metrics out there
- Majestic’s Citation Flow
- Semrush’s Authority Score
- Ahrefs’ Domain Rating
- Google’s original PageRank
Domain Authority is not the only way to measure backlinks – there are numerous other providers out there, as listed above. Google no longer publicly updates their own version of domain authority (PageRank) but understanding how PageRank works can be helpful in gaining an understanding of how Google views authority.
Improving Domain Authority & off-page SEO go hand-in-hand
Increasing your Domain Authority improves your ranking. Improving DA is worthwhile because it relies on factors that are essential to ranking well in Google, and ranking well in Google means more traffic to your site. To show Google that your domain is authoritative and well-trusted by other websites on the internet, follow the steps covered in this post to increase your Domain Authority:
- Get listed in directories
- Write great content people will want to share
- Guest post on quality sites that are relevant to your brand
- Invest in public relations
- Do some broken link building
Need help with improving your website’s domain authority? Drop us a line, we’re here to help!
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