Domain Authority - What It Is and How to Improve It

Domain authority is often referred to as an important SEO metric defining ranking, even though this is not from Google. 

Despite this, domain authority has gained significant popularity and is frequently used by website owners as a reference point for evaluating the effectiveness of SEO strategies.

In this blog post, we will uncover the true origin of domain authority and provide a clearer understanding of how it influences SEO. 

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain authority (DA) is a metric that was developed by Moz, an SEO software company, to estimate the strength and authority of a domain in search engine rankings. 

It is not an official metric provided by search engines like Google but has become widely used in the SEO community as a reference point for evaluating the potential performance of a website on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Domain authority is represented by a numerical score ranging from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the stronger and more authoritative the domain. 

Please note that Google does not incorporate domain authority as a direct ranking factor in its algorithm. This means that a website's DA score, as determined by Moz or any other similar metric, does not directly influence how Google ranks it in search engine result pages (SERPs).

Despite Google not using domain authority, it remains a valuable indicator. It serves as a tool for website owners and marketers to evaluate and compare the performance of their site with that of competitors.

What Influences A Domain’s Authority?

Domain authority, as defined by Moz, is determined by various factors related to the website's online presence and influence. Here are some common components that contribute to a domain's authority.

1. Link Profile

One of the most significant factors is the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to a domain. High-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant websites contribute positively to a domain's authority.

The number of unique domains linking to a website, known as linking root domains, is also crucial. A diverse and natural link profile, with links from a variety of sources, tends to positively impact domain authority.

2. Content Quality and Relevance

Websites with well-crafted, informative, and engaging content are also likely to attract more links and positively influence their authority. 

Content relevance to the target audience and industry is also a key factor. The more useful the content, the more authoritative a domain is.

3. Domain Age and History

Older domains often have a historical track record, and if they have been consistently providing valuable content and maintaining a positive reputation, it can positively impact their authority.

However, it does not mean that a relatively new domain cannot be considered authoritative. For example, if a government has a new website proven to be official, then it will most likely be the authoritative one.

4. Link Velocity

The rate at which a domain acquires new backlinks, known as link velocity, is considered. Natural and gradual growth is preferred over sudden spikes, which may be indicative of manipulative practices.

Picture 1: Domain Authority illustration 

How to Improve Website Authority

Improving a website's authority involves implementing strategies that positively impact the factors contributing to the metric. 

Here's a deep dive into strategies for enhancing your website for better website authority:

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks

First of all, you need to focus on quality, not quantity. Acquiring backlinks from reputable and relevant websites is crucial. That is why you need to aim for high-quality links rather than a large number of low-quality links.

You also need to maintain natural link growth by creating shareable content, collaborating with influencers, and building relationships within your industry. This way, Google will perceive your website as authoritative in the field, and in turn, the domain ranking will be higher.

2. Create Exceptional Content

Next, develop content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. High-quality, informative, and unique content not only attracts organic links but also keeps visitors engaged. 

Remember to always pay attention to the E-E-A-T factor of the website so that it can receive a higher ranking.

In the process of publishing content, you need to use a variety of content types, including articles, infographics, videos, and interactive content to cater to different audience preferences. If you want to attract more links, then you have to explore all content types to support your domain ranking.

3. Collaborate with Expert

Besides creating content on your own, you can collaborate with experts to deliver content that is trustworthy and grabs the attention of search engines.

Identify individuals or organizations recognized as experts in your industry. Look for those with a strong online presence, credibility, and a significant following. 

Then, seek opportunities for collaborations, or partnerships with experts. This could involve co-authoring content, hosting webinars, or participating in industry events together.

4. Do Regular Site Audit

Conduct a thorough site audit to inspect various aspects of your website. This includes analyzing on-page elements, technical SEO components, content quality, and overall website performance.

Below is a comprehensive site audit checklist that covers key areas:

Technical SEO:

• Check for crawl errors using Google Search Console.

• Review and optimize your robots.txt file.

• Ensure the XML sitemap is accurate and up-to-date.

• Validate proper implementation of 301 redirects for URL changes.

• Check for broken links using tools like Google Search Console or external link checkers.

• Verify the website's HTTPS status for a secure connection.

On-Page Elements:

• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions for each page.

• Ensure header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are used appropriately.

• Check for keyword optimization in content, URLs, and image alt attributes.

• Review the use of canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues.

• Validate proper implementation of hreflang tags for internationalization.

Content Quality and Relevance:

• Evaluate the quality and relevance of your content.

• Identify and update outdated or thin content.

• Check for proper keyword usage and natural language flow.

Backlink Profile:

• Review and analyze your website's backlink profile.

• Identify and disavow toxic or spammy backlinks.

• Focus on acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative sources.

URL Structure:

• Check for clean and logical URL structures.

• Review URL parameters and ensure they are appropriately configured.

Security:

• Verify that your website has a valid SSL certificate and is using HTTPS.

• Regularly update and patch website software and plugins for security.

However, you don’t have to do it all on your own. You can use Sequence Stats to monitor website performance and do site audits.

To make the most of this tool, you can generally expect features that include:

Performance Monitoring:

• Real-time monitoring of website and domain ranking.

• Comprehensive competitor monitoring.

• Detection of bottlenecks affecting performance.

Site Audit Features:

• Automated regular audits.

• Full identification of website's errors and health.

Picture 2 - Sequence Stats Site Audit result preview.

If Sequence Stats is a tool you're considering, explore its documentation and have a free trial by registering your account. 

Conclusion

In the article, it was emphasized that Google does not use domain authority as a direct ranking factor in its algorithms. Therefore, relying solely on improving domain authority may not guarantee an improvement in search rankings.

However, it is important to look at the domain ranking compared to your competitors. This way, you will have a greater chance to outperform the search competitors. Thus, you have nothing to lose in optimizing the domain authority.

To improve a website's domain ranking, we have recommended strategies such as building high-quality backlinks, creating exceptional content, and doing site audits. Those practices not only will improve authority, but also improve the chance of a higher ranking on SERP. 

Using Sequence Stats as a helping tool for your SEO project can be a wise option. You can get various features within one dashboard only. So, there is no need to subscribe to many tools to support your SEO activity. 

Ready to streamline your SEO work? Register yourself now!