Domain Authority or DA is a search engine score created and developed by SEO platform MOZ to determine how well a website will rank on SERPs.
The higher your domain authority is, the greater your chances of ranking higher in search engine result pages (SERPS) and getting more organic traffic to your website.
The idea of ranking domains based on their authority is used today as a way to measure the importance of webpages and websites.
Not to be confused with Page Authority or PA which measures the authority of an individual page.
How is Domain Authority Calculated?
A domain authority score is measured from 1 to 100. The higher the score the higher the authority a domain is believed to have. The closer your score to 100, the better the ranking and more organic traffic your site will have.
DA combines 40 different metrics, most created and monitored by Moz.
The most common metrics used are:
1. Link Profile
Link profiling examines both external and internal links, to and from a website. A page which receives links from reputable sites, as well as links to valuable sources, will score well.
2. MozRank
Evaluates the overall popularity of a site by calculating the quantity and quality of the websites linking to it.
3. MozTrust
Assesses the trustworthiness of sites linking to yours. Links from trustworthy sites like large businesses, government pages or universities result in a higher MozTrust rating.
Why is Domain Authority Important?
While domain authority (DA) doesn’t directly impact your rankings in Google SERPs, it’s a useful comparative metric which indicates how your site’s external link profile compares to competing sites.
It’s also a fairly reliable indicator of your entire site’s ranking.
How do you Find Out your Domain Authority?
It’s a good idea to check your site’s domain authority (DA) regularly.
Checking the authority of your site’s backlinks is a great place to start. If your site regularly receives backlinks from high authority domains, there’s a great chance your site has a high scoring DA.
You can check your domain authority on several different marketing platforms but you can check it for free on:
Moz’s Link Explorer
MozBar (Moz’s free SEO toolbar).
How to Improve your Domain Authority
Although domain authority is influenced by numerous different factors, there are several different steps you can take to boost your domain authority over time.
1. Disavow any Negative Backlinks
Spammy backlinks or links from low authority sites will do more harm than good to your site’s DA. You should disavow them at the first opportunity.
2. Build High-Quality Links
Building high-quality backlinks from high authority sites is an effective way of increasing your own site’s DA.
3. Publish Relevant Content Regularly
Updating your site regularly with fresh relevant content is key to boosting your DA.
How Can We Help?
Is your domain authority score on the low side? We can help you improve it with our team of specialist marketers. While you wait, why not check out our training courses? We show you the tried and tested methods of improving your site’s SEO and boosting your organic traffic.
