What Is Domain Authority? How Does This Metric Impact Your SEO?

Domain Authority (or DA) is a score every website gets. It basically predicts how well your website will rank in search results. Think of it as your website’s street cred in the SEO world – it tells you how strong your domain is.
So, in plain English, what is Domain Authority? It’s a score used in SEO to figure out how well your website might rank on Google.
? But keep in mind, Domain Authority isn’t an official Google ranking – it’s more of a guide to help you track your SEO efforts. A lot of SEO Specialists do see a link between higher DA and better search results, though.
Bottom line: Domain Authority is a useful indicator, but don’t stress over it too much. Focus on the bigger picture!
So, how does Domain Authority affect SEO? Well, DA is definitely a factor in how your website ranks in search results. Even if you’ve got awesome web content and tons of backlinks, your website could still rank lower than a competitor with a higher DA. That’s because a high DA tells Google your website is important and trustworthy, which means it deserves to rank higher.
When you improve your DA by, among others, acquiring quality backlinks and optimizing your website, you increases your chanced of being rewarded by Google. What’s the award? Higher rank, which leads to more visibility and traffic. Consequently, you may count on more conversions provided that your website’s UX is top-notch, ofc.
High Domain Authority can also speed up how fast your website gets indexed by Google. Why? Simple – if Google sees your website as valuable and trustworthy, it wants to show it to the users faster.
Keep in mind, though, Domain Authority isn’t set in stone. This metric can go up or down anytime. Improving both your on-site and off-site SEO will directly impact your website’s visibility and boost traffic, especially the one generated by long-tail keywords.
? Tip: If you’re just starting to build your website’s authority, focus on getting high-quality backlinks from day one. And if you haven’t cared about Domain Authority before, now’s a good time to check it out and see where your website stands!
The easiest way to check your websites Domain Authority is by using a free browser extension called MozBar.
Method #1: Install MozBar. One click and you’ll see your
Quick and easy! ?
Method #2: You can also create a free account on moz.com and use their Link Explorer and Keyword Explorer tools.
This method gives you even more data than the MozBar extension, so it’s a great option if you want a deeper look into your website’s performance.
Method #3: You can also use the free Website Authority Checker delivered by Ahrefs.
This website checks your Domain Rating (DR), which is Ahrefs’ equivalent of Domain Authority. The score ranges from 0 to 100, giving you a clear idea of your website’s strength.
Domain Authority (DA) scores range from 1 to 100 – higher is definitely better!
DA lets you compare your website’s competitiveness and track your SEO progress. Moz calculates DA on a logarithmic scale using various factors. The main ones are the quality and number of backlinks, along with internal linking structure, domain age, and content quality.
? Tip: To improve your DA, focus on improving your overall SEO.
Websites with high DA usually have plenty of quality backlinks and rank well for specific keywords. In contrast, websites with lower DA have fewer valuable links and often rank lower. DA can vary a lot between websites, so a high score doesn’t automatically mean a website is great.
? Tip: Keep an eye on your competitors’ DA to see how you compare.
Page Authority (PA) is another score developed by Moz. Unlike Domain Authority (DA), which looks at the whole website, PA focuses on how a specific page will compete in search results. Just like DA, the PA score ranges from 1 to 100.
To calculate PA, Moz considers over 40 different factors. However, unlike DA, PA doesn’t take into account keyword frequency or the quality and content optimization. Instead, PA depends solely on the quality of backlinks pointing to that specific page. The better the sources linking to you, the more value your page gets in the eyes of search engines.
Overall, PA and DA share more similarities than differences. They both help you understand your website’s performance and competitiveness in search rankings.
PageRank was the first algorithm created by Google co-founder Larry Page, which is where it gets its name. It evaluated websites based on the number and quality of backlinks, using a scale from 0 to 10. Around 2009, Google started phasing out PageRank, and by 2016, the tool to check it was gone.
Unlike PageRank, Page Authority (PA) is still actively developed and updated.
You can’t really categorize Page Authority (PA) scores as good or bad. Like Domain Authority (DA), PA is a comparative metric. It shows you which of your competitor’s pages has more strength and valuable backlinks.
Just remember, PA isn’t an absolute measure of a domain’s quality.
If you want your website to rank higher in search results, improving your Domain Authority (DA) is seems to be obligatory. One of the best things you can do is build a solid backlink profile.
Just think of backlinks like positive reviews: the more quality links you have, the better your visibility.
See 6 factors that help you make your backlink profile stronger:
Boosting your Domain Authority (DA) can help you achiever your goal, which is making your website rank higher in search results.
The thing is, however, that…
Here are some tips to help you improve your DA:
Make sure your domain doesn’t expire soon. Try to renew it for at least three to five years.
Your website should be SEO-friendly. This helps with link strength and makes it easier for Google to index your pages. Start by:
Set up your internal links to help visitors navigate your website without problems. This not only helps users but also assists Google in indexing your website.
Regularly check for doubtful-quality links pointing to your website. Get rid of any broken links or links from low-quality websites. Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can help you find these. Use Google’s Disavow Links tool to report any bad links.
More and more people are browsing the web on mobile devices. If your website isn’t designed for smartphones and tablets, it won’t look right on smaller screens, and therefore you might lose visitors. Use the Mobile-Friendly Test tool in Search Console to check if your website works well on mobile.
If your website takes too long to load, visitors will bounce away quickly. Most users expect web content to appear in just a few seconds. You can check your website’s speed using PageSpeed Insights, which also gives tips on how to make it faster.
Social media is can improve your Domain Authority and your rankings. Every like, comment, or share you get helps improve your visibility and indexing. While social media might not directly provide links, it helps build your reputation.
Your web content greatly affects your Domain Authority. Make sure to optimize it to highlight important points for both users and search engines. Use the right keywords and structure your content to make it easy to find.
Keep your website updated with new and unique content like blog posts, images, and videos. Regular updates attract visitors and show search engines that your website is active, which, again, helps improve your Domain Authority.
Get backlinks from trusted, high-authority websites. Focus on quality over quantity – having a few strong links is better than many weak ones.
Make sure your website is secure. Use an SSL certificate and keep your site software updated to protect user data. Security matters to search engines.
Encourage posting positive reviews from your users. Respond to feedback and ensure a good experience for visitors. A good reputation helps boost your Domain Authority.
We hope this article helps you build trust in your domain, both with search engines and your audience.
If you were to take away just three things from this article, we hope these would be the following: