Domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz, SEO software developers. Authority means the strength of a website in terms of its usability, trust and relevant content to a search term. Moz uses the score to predict how likely a website is to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).

We don’t need to explain why high visibility on Google is important. But do you know what score your website would receive and what impacts it? And if it’s low, how to improve it?

We’ve got you covered in this blog.

 

What is perceived as a good DA score?

Domain authority scores range from 1 to 100 using an algorithm designed by SEO software, Moz. A figure between 40 and 50 is average, between 50 and 60 is good and over 60 is excellent.

For example, a new website will start with a DA of one. On the opposite end of the spectrum, sites with a large number of high-quality external links score better. A strong link comes from somewhere recognised as trustworthy by Google such as Wikipedia or a news outlet.

 

How important is DA?

Websites with a higher domain score tend to have improved search ranking results because of Google’s algorithm, meaning they are deemed more trustworthy. In turn, this could lead to more enquiries and sales, so DA is important!

 

How do I check my DA?

You can check your score for free by heading to Moz and using their DA checker. This will reveal your metric and the top-ranking key words people search for. There are similar platforms out there which produce similar results such as The Hoth.

 

How domain authority is calculated (factors which make it low and high)

Moz uses the following to calculate DA:

  • Social signals from likes, retweets and shares
  • The number of domains linking to the page and the anchor text (hyperlinked words)
  • The number of quality websites linking to the page such as media outlets
  • The number of relevant external links a page has

 

How can I increase/improve my DA?

This isn’t something that can be changed overnight but creating a plan and sticking to it consistently can help you build your DA. A PR SEO agency can also spot opportunities for you and guide you on updates to Google’s algorithm.

Backlinks usually have the biggest impact on your DA. Focus on creating these links but remember, three links from a high-quality website with a high DA like the Daily Mail is worth more than 50 links from low DA sites like forums.

Get creative and produce content that can be pitched at journalists to share on media outlets. Keep an eye on current affairs and think about ways in which your brand can be tied in with the theme, for example, predicting the winner of an event using AI or conducting your own market research.

Removing any spam or low DA links to your website will also improve your DA “juice”. Google Analytics is a platform that enables you to do this for free.

In addition, draft your website copy first and make sure it’s relevant to your product or service with as little jargon as possible.

Maximise on your social media by sharing your website content and encourage users to click through to your website.

Test your website to make sure it’s mobile-friendly. Google prioritises mobile compatibility when ranking sites, so pages that load properly with accessible and downloadable links will be considered favourably.

Expert commentary on topics relevant to your industry is another way to gain links. For example, if you work in IT and there has been a data breach on Facebook, prioritise issuing a comment that can be sent out to the press ready to be picked up and used on their websites, linking back to you. Have journalists’ details to hand by collating them in an accessible place to avoid delays.

 

Evaluating and monitoring

Your DA is updated every three to four weeks so don’t be disheartened if your score doesn’t change straight away!

Use Moz or The Hoff to compare your DA but also include Google Analytics and Search Console in your evaluation to see how you are ranking for certain words and phrases and how these decrease or increase overtime in relation to your activity.

Read more about the relationship between social media and seo.