What Is My Domain Authority And How Can I Improve It?

by  Lyn Lomasi; Owner & Ordained Shaman at  Intent-sive Nature &  Brand Shamans Content Community LLC

As a savvy website domain owner, staying ahead of the curve and maximizing your online visibility is crucial. One of the key metrics you should pay attention to is your Domain Authority (DA). But what exactly is domain authority, and how can you improve it to dominate the search engine result pages (SERPs)?

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz that gauges your website's ability to rank in search engine results. Ranging from 1 to 100, a higher score indicates a stronger potential to rank well. Picture it like a popularity contest, but for websites, where 100 is the ultimate "cool kid" status, and 1 is, well, not so popular.

How To Check Domain Authority And How DA Works

To check your domain authority, turn to Moz's Link Explorer, a top-notch domain rating checker. Numerous online marketing platforms and SEO tools can also provide this information. When you obtain your domain authority ranking, it will be a number between 1 and 100.

Starting out, all new websites begin with a humble DA score of 1. But fear not! As you accumulate high-quality backlinks over time, your score will gradually rise. Keep in mind that DA operates on a logarithmic scale, so reaching 10 is easier than scaling to 20, and so on. To keep tabs on your progress, regularly monitor your domain authority history and use a domain rating checker.

What's A Good DA Score?

So, what constitutes a "good" domain authority score? Well, it's relative and depends on your competition in the search results. In some niches, a score of 20 or 30 is excellent if your competitors' scores are below 20. However, certain niches may require a DA of over 70 to have a fighting chance at securing a spot on Google's coveted first page.

Remember, domain authority is a predictive metric, perfect for comparing websites or tracking a site's ranking over time. While not an official Google metric, it serves as a reputable benchmark used widely by SEO experts.

DA VS. Page Authority

While domain authority reflects your overall website's ranking strength, Page Authority (PA) zeroes in on individual page performance in search results. So, you might have a website with a modest DA, but specific pages boasting impressive PA.

How Can I Influence My DA?

Influencing your DA directly can be a bit elusive due to its complexity, as it takes multiple factors into account, mirroring Google's ranking algorithm. However, there are smart moves you can make to nudge it in the right direction:

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks: Seek out reputable websites to link back to your domain. Quality over quantity is key.
2. Monitor Your DA Ranking: Keep a close eye on your domain authority, and regularly check your domain authority history. Spotting trends and improvements can guide your strategy.
3. Create Link-Worthy Content: Craft engaging and valuable content that others will naturally want to link to.
4. Optimize Anchor Text: Use keyword-rich anchor text when obtaining backlinks to signal relevancy.
5. Disavow Poor Quality Links: Don't let spammy or low-quality links drag down your domain authority. Use Google's Disavow Tool to keep your link profile clean.

Improving your domain authority won't happen overnight, but by consistently implementing these tactics, you can make steady progress.

In conclusion, your domain authority ranking tells you where you stand among your competitors in the online arena. Regularly tracking it and using tools like Moz Link Explorer will keep you well-informed. To boost your score, focus on gaining high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.

Need help navigating the complexities of SEO or boosting your DA and PA? Look no further--Hire Us! We'll make sure your website is the talk of the town, or rather, the top of the SERPs.

LAST UPDATED BY LYN LOMASI 7/29/2023