Domain Authority - what is it and how do I boost it?

Struggling to understand why your website isn’t ranking as high as competitors?

No matter if you’re a local freelancer or an international eCommerce giant, Domain Authority can affect your business’s online performance.

Measuring Domain Authority can provide valuable insights into your site’s potential for search engine success. This metric helps you benchmark your performance and pinpoint areas for improvement.

But what is Domain Authority, and how exactly does it work? We’ll explain all that and more below, including how to increase your score.

What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is an SEO metric that predicts a website’s likelihood of ranking on search engine result pages.

Developed by Moz, DA scores range from 1 to 100. They’re determined by evaluating multiple factors, including linking root domains and the total number of links. While DA is not an official ranking factor used by Google, it provides useful insight into how your site might perform in organic search results.

Domain Authority serves as a comparative tool, allowing you to compare your website’s online presence to that of your competitors.

Understanding DA can help you gauge the strength of your website and identify areas for improvement in your digital strategy.

Is Domain Authority the same as Page Authority?

Domain Authority and Page Authority are not the same.

Domain Authority measures the overall strength of an entire website, while Page Authority assesses the ranking potential of a specific webpage within that site. Both metrics are developed by Moz and use similar methodologies, but they focus on different levels of a website’s structure.

Why is it important?

Domain Authority is crucial because it provides a snapshot of your website’s potential to rank in SERPs.

While not a direct ranking factor for Google, DA serves as a benchmark to gauge your site’s competitiveness in organic search. A higher DA indicates a stronger ability to attract traffic and outperform competitors. It also helps you assess the impact of your SEO efforts, guiding strategic decisions on link-building and content creation.

Understanding your domain authority (DA) can highlight areas for improvement and opportunities for growth when trying to outperform competitors online. By monitoring and improving your DA, you can enhance your site’s visibility, attract more visitors and ultimately drive business success by staying ahead in the digital marketing race.

What influences Domain Authority score?

Domain Authority is influenced by a number of elements that collectively determine a website’s ranking potential.

Here’s a breakdown of key factors:

Quality of inbound links

The quality of inbound links significantly impacts DA.

Links from high-authority, relevant sites are more valuable than numerous links from low-quality sources. These authoritative links signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and credible.

Discover Submerge’s quality link-building services.

Linking root domains

The number of unique domains linking to your site, known as linking root domains, is crucial. A diverse link profile suggests that various sources find your content valuable.

Content quality and relevance

Consistent, high-quality content that resonates with your audience encourages link-building and boosts engagement, indirectly influencing DA. Engaging content keeps visitors on your site longer, reducing bounce rates as a result.

Site structure and UX

A well-organised, user-friendly site structure enhances navigation, making it easier for search engine crawlers to index your pages.

Good user experience (UX) can positively impact your DA by improving visitor retention.

Learn more about our UX/UI design services.

Social signals

Although not a direct ranking factor, social signals (shares and likes) can drive traffic and increase visibility, indirectly contributing to DA.

A strong social presence can amplify your content’s reach and attract more inbound links.

How to measure Domain Authority

Measuring Domain Authority is essential for understanding your website’s ranking potential and guiding your next steps.

Here are four SEO tools you can use to assess your DA:

Moz Link Explorer

Moz Link Explorer is the original tool for measuring Domain Authority.

Simply enter your website URL to get a detailed analysis of your DA score and backlink profile. Moz also provides insights into linking domains and top pages.

SEMrush

SEMrush provides a Domain Overview tool that includes DA-like metrics. It offers insights into your website’s authority, backlinks and overall SEO performance, helping you identify key opportunities for improvement.

(We’re a certified SEMrush Agency Partner!)

Ahrefs

Ahrefs offers comprehensive SEO tools, including DA measurement. With its Site Explorer feature, you can view your Domain Rating (a similar metric to DA), backlink profile and organic search traffic.

Majestic

Majestic is another powerful tool for measuring website authority. It uses metrics like Citation Flow and Trust Flow to evaluate your domain’s strength, offering detailed link profiles and competitive analysis.

These tools provide valuable insights into your site’s authority, helping you effectively strategise for SEO improvements.

Discover our top 5 marketing analytics tools for businesses.

What is a good Domain Authority score?

A “good” Domain Authority score depends on your industry and competitors. Generally, a higher score means better ranking potential.

Here’s a quick guide:

• 81-100: Excellent. Top-tier sites with extensive, high-quality backlinks.
• 61-80: Strong. Well-optimised sites, often industry leaders.
• 41-60: Average. These are established sites with decent authority.
• 21-40: Fair. Typically developing sites with growing link profiles.
• 1-20: Book a free consultation with us immediately!

What can reduce my website’s Domain Authority?

A number of things could keep your Domain Authority score at the bottom of the range:

Loss of quality backlinks

Losing high-quality backlinks can significantly lower your DA. If authoritative sites remove links to your content or shut down, your link profile weakens, reducing your site’s perceived authority.

Technical SEO issues

Technical issues like slow page load times, broken links or poor mobile optimisation can hinder user experience and search engine crawling, affecting your DA.

Increase in low-quality links

An influx of spammy or low-quality links can harm your DA. Search engines may interpret these as attempts to manipulate rankings, leading to a drop in your score.

Increased Competition

If competitors improve their own DA scores, your relative position might drop, even if your site remains unchanged. This is why it is essential to stay updated with industry trends and regularly run competitor audits.

Poor Content Quality

Outdated or irrelevant content can drive users away, increasing bounce rates and reducing engagement. This lack of interaction can negatively impact your DA over time, as search engines favour sites with valuable, engaging content.

Discover Submerge’s engaging content services.

5 realistic ways to boost your Domain Authority

After using our in-depth technical SEO audit services, you should have a clear idea of what’s causing your Domain Authority score to drop.

Improving your DA is a strategic process that requires consistent effort. And remember – like with anything to do with SEO, patience is a priority.

Here are our top five realistic ways you could boost your Domain Authority.

Create high-quality content

Content is king, and creating high-quality, relevant content is foundational for improving DA. Focus on producing content that answers your audience’s questions, validates their concerns, solves problems and offers insights. This encourages other sites to link to your content, which enhances your DA.

Read our step-by-step guide on how to create SEO content

Build a diverse backlink profile

A diverse and robust backlink profile is crucial. Seek backlinks from reputable and relevant sites. You can earn links in various ways, including guest blogging, partnerships and collaborations. Avoid spammy link-building practices, as quality outweighs quantity.

Optimise on-page SEO

Ensure your on-page SEO elements are fully optimised. This includes using relevant keywords, crafting compelling meta tags and maintaining a clean URL structure. Proper header tags and image alt texts also contribute to better search engine understanding and indexing.

Improve site structure and user experience

A well-organised site structure will enhance navigation and user experience, encouraging visitors to stay longer because they can find exactly what they need. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly and has clear navigation paths. A positive user experience can lead to higher engagement, indirectly boosting DA.

Regularly audit and clean your link profile

Consistently monitor your backlink profile to identify and disavow toxic links. Tools like Google Search Console can help you spot these harmful links. Removing them protects your site’s credibility and can prevent potential penalties that might lower your DA.

By focusing on these strategies, you can steadily improve your Domain Authority, leading to better search engine rankings and increased organic traffic.

Don’t have the capacity or know-how to effectively implement these changes for the long-run? Book a free consultation with us and find out how Submerge can put your DA score on the rise.