How to Increase Domain Authority?

What is a Domain Authority (DA)?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz, a company that provides SEO and inbound marketing software, to predict how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). The score, which ranges from 0 to 100, is calculated based on a number of factors, including the number and quality of links pointing to the site, the age of the domain, and the content on the site. A higher DA score indicates a higher likelihood of the site ranking well for relevant keywords on SERPs. It is commonly used as a benchmarking tool for comparing the relative strength of different websites, but it not officially used by search engine. 

Why do businesses want to increase DA?

Businesses typically want to increase their Domain Authority (DA) because it is often used as an indicator of their website's ability to rank well on search engine result pages (SERPs). A higher DA score suggests that a website is more likely to appear at the top of SERPs for relevant keywords, which can lead to increased traffic, brand visibility, and potentially more conversions and revenue. In addition, a high DA can also be seen as a sign of a website's credibility and trustworthiness, which can be beneficial for building trust with potential customers. By increasing the DA score, businesses can improve their visibility and reach on search engine result pages, which can help drive more traffic and ultimately more revenue.

How can you increase your Domain Authority (DA)?

There are several strategies that can be used to increase a website's Domain Authority (DA):

1. Improve the quality and quantity of inbound links: The number and quality of links pointing to a website are considered to be major factors in calculating its DA score. So, acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable websites can help increase a website's DA.

2. Optimize on-page elements: Ensuring that a website's content is high-quality and relevant, as well as properly optimized for search engines, can also help improve its DA score.

3. Increase website's age: A website's age is also considered in the calculation of DA. The older the domain, the more authoritative it is considered.

4. Improve website's technical SEO: Improving website's technical SEO aspects such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, navigation, and the use of structured data can also help improve the website's DA.

5. Consistency of brand name: Consistency in naming, branding, NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) across the web is another way of improving the DA.

It's worth noting that increasing a website's DA is a long-term process and might take a significant amount of time, effort and resources. However, it is a continuous and an ever-going process and need to be monitored and improved regularly. 

Domain authority versus page authority

Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are both metrics developed by Moz, a company that provides SEO and inbound marketing software, to predict how well a website or a webpage will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric that predicts how well a website as a whole will rank on SERPs. It is calculated based on a number of factors, including the number and quality of links pointing to the site, the age of the domain, and the content on the site. It ranges on a logarithmic scale of 0 to 100. It can be seen as a benchmark to compare the relative strength of different websites

Page Authority (PA) is similar to DA, but it is specific to individual pages on a website. This metric predicts how well a single page of a website will rank on SERPs. It is also calculated based on a number of factors, including the number and quality of links pointing to the page, the content on the page, and the overall authority of the domain. Page authority is also measured on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. It can be seen as a benchmark to compare the relative strength of pages within a website.

Both metrics are intended to give an idea of the relative strength of a website or a webpage and its ability to rank well on SERPs. A website with a high DA score is likely to have many pages with high PA scores as well. But, it's also possible to have a few specific pages with a high PA score but a low DA. In that case, it is more likely to have those specific pages rank higher than the website as a whole. 

What's a good domain authority score?

A good Domain Authority (DA) score can vary depending on the industry, the type of website, and the competition. In general, a score above 40 is considered good, and a score above 50 is considered excellent. However, it's important to keep in mind that DA is a relative metric, and it's more useful to compare the scores of different websites within the same industry or niche.

A website with a DA score of 40 or above is likely to have a good chance of ranking well on search engine result pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords, while a score below 20 suggests that a website may have a harder time competing against other sites in the same space. But it also important to note that DA is not the only metric that determine the ranking of a website on SERP, there are many other factors as well like content relevance, technical SEO etc.

Also, it's important to understand that DA is a metric that is determined by an algorithm and can fluctuate over time as a website's backlink profile and on-page elements change, so it's important to use the metric as a general indicator of the website's authority rather than an absolute measure.

Boost domain authority in 3 steps

Here are three steps that can be taken to help boost a website's Domain Authority (DA):

1. Improve the quality and quantity of inbound links: Acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable websites is one of the most important factors in determining a website's DA. This can be done by actively reaching out to other websites in the same niche and asking for a link, creating valuable content that others will want to link to, or by earning coverage or mentions in the press.

2. Optimize on-page elements: Make sure that a website's content is high-quality and relevant, as well as properly optimized for search engines. This can include optimizing titles, meta descriptions, and header tags, as well as ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly, properly structured, and easy to navigate.

3. Improve website's technical SEO: Improving website's technical SEO aspects like website speed, mobile-friendliness, navigation, and the use of structured data can also help improve the website's DA. This can be done by conducting a technical audit, fixing broken links, optimizing images, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to help speed up the website.

It is important to note that boosting a website's DA takes time, effort, and consistent effort, it is not something that will happen overnight. When these steps are done regularly over time, they can help a website's DA score rise over time.

Domain authority is an essential marketing statistic since it may assist you in developing a solid SEO strategy that moves your business forward. Remember that although domain authority indicates success, it does not guarantee it. As a result, increasing your score should never be the ultimate aim.

Follow the three steps in this article to improve your website's domain authority. When you accomplish this, your DA will grow, as will your site's potential to rank highly in search engine results.

DMA specializes in managingSEO services for various businesses. We offer many different SEO services, such as keyword research and optimizing landing pages. 

If you are interested in having DMA review your existing landing pages or in having us create winning landing pages for your SEO services, feel free toschedule a call with one of our web engineers.