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How to Increase Your Domain Authority: A Complete Guide
Published: 14 Jul, 2023

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If you want to improve your website’s SEO performance and ranking potential, you need to pay attention to your domain authority (DA). DA is a metric created by Moz that measures the quality and trustworthiness of your website on a 0-100 scale. The higher your DA score, the more likely your website is to rank well on search engines like Google.

But how can you increase your DA score? What factors affect it? And how can you check it? In this article, we will answer these questions and provide you with proven steps, tips, and tools to boost your site authority and enhance your online visibility for your domain name.

 

What Factors Affect Domain Authority?

Domain authority is not a simple or static metric that you can manipulate or control directly. It is a complex and dynamic metric that depends on various factors that Moz uses to calculate it. Some of the main factors are:

  • The number and quality of backlinks pointing to your domain. Backlinks are links from other websites that direct users to your website. They are one of the most important factors for DA, as they signal to search engines that your website is valuable, credible, and relevant. However, not all backlinks are created equal. You need to focus on getting backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites that have high DA scores themselves. Low-quality or spammy backlinks can hurt your DA score and even get you penalized by Google.
  • The number and quality of referring domains (unique websites that link to your domain). Referring domains are another important factor for DA, as they indicate the diversity and popularity of your link profile. Having a large number of referring domains means that your website is trusted and recognized by many different sources. However, again, quality matters more than quantity. You need to aim for getting links from diverse and relevant domains that cover different topics and niches related to your website.
  • The age, popularity, and trustworthiness of your domain. Domain age is another factor that affects DA, as it shows how long your website has been online and how established it is. Older domains tend to have higher DA scores than newer ones, as they have more time to build their reputation and authority. Domain popularity and trustworthiness are also related to DA, as they reflect how much traffic and engagement your website receives and how reliable and secure it is. Having a popular and trustworthy domain means that your website attracts and retains users and provides them with a positive user experience.
  • The relevance and diversity of your link profile. Link profile is the overall collection of links that point to your website from other websites. It is not only important to have a large number of links, but also to have a relevant and diverse link profile that matches the topic and purpose of your website. Having a relevant link profile means that the websites that link to you are related to your niche, industry, or audience. Having a diverse link profile means that the websites that link to you use different types of links, such as dofollow or nofollow, anchor texts, images, etc.
  • The technical SEO aspects of your website, such as site structure, speed, mobile-friendliness, etc. Technical SEO refers to the technical aspects of your website that affect its performance, usability, and accessibility. Technical SEO is also important for DA, as it affects how search engines crawl and index your website and how users interact with it. Some of the technical SEO aspects that affect DA are site structure, speed, mobile-friendliness, security, navigation, URL optimization, sitemaps, etc.

It is important to note that DA is a relative and comparative metric, not an absolute one. This means that there is no fixed or universal threshold for a good or bad DA score, as it depends on your niche, industry, and goals. Moreover, DA is not used by Google or other search engines for ranking purposes. It is only an estimation of how well your website might rank based on the factors mentioned above.

 

Read also:

How to Use a Domain Authority Checker Tool to Improve Your Website’s Authority

 

 

How to Check Your Domain Authority?

If you want to increase your domain authority, you need to know what your current DA score is and how it compares with your competitors’ scores. Fortunately, there are some free tools that you can use to check your DA score easily and quickly. Some of these tools are:

  • Moz’s Domain SEO Analysis Tool: This tool will provide you with your DA score along with other useful information about your website’s SEO performance and health. You can also compare up to 10 domains at once using this tool.
  • Linkgraph.io’s Domain Authority Checker: This tool will give you your DA score as well as other metrics such as page authority (PA), spam score (SS), referring domains (RD), etc. You can also check multiple domains at once using this tool.
  • Ahrefs’ Website Authority Checker: This tool will show you your DA score as well as other metrics such as domain rating (DR), URL rating (UR), backlinks, referring domains, etc. You can also compare up to 5 domains at once using this tool.

You can use any of these tools to check your DA score and get a comprehensive overview of your website’s SEO status. You should check your DA score regularly to monitor your progress and compare it with your competitors.

 

How to Increase Your Domain Authority?

Now that you know what factors affect your domain authority and how to check it, you might be wondering how to increase it. Well, there is no magic formula or shortcut to increase your DA score overnight. It is a long-term and ongoing process that requires patience and consistency. However, there are some proven strategies and tips that you can follow to boost your site authority and enhance your ranking potential. Here are some of them:

 

Create high-quality and relevant content that people want to link to

Content is the foundation of any SEO strategy and the key factor that affects your DA score. If you want to increase your DA score, you need to create high-quality and relevant content that provides value, information, solutions, insights, etc. to your audience and attracts backlinks from other websites. Here are some tips on how to create content that attracts backlinks:

  • Conduct keyword research and target long-tail keywords with low competition and high search intent. Long-tail keywords are more specific and less generic than short-tail keywords, and they have lower competition and higher conversion rates. For example, instead of targeting “how to increase domain authority”, you can target “how to increase domain authority in 2021” or “how to increase domain authority for a new website”. You can use tools like Moz’s Keyword Explorer, Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator, etc. to find long-tail keywords related to your niche.
  • Use catchy headlines, images, videos, infographics, etc. to make your content more engaging and shareable. Your headline is the first thing that users see when they encounter your content, so you need to make it catchy and compelling enough to grab their attention and entice them to click on it. You can use tools like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer, Sharethrough’s Headline Analyzer, etc. to test and improve your headlines. You also need to use images, videos, infographics, etc. to make your content more visually appealing and easier to digest. You can use tools like Canva, Piktochart, etc. to create stunning images and infographics for your content.
  • Provide value, information, solutions, insights, etc. to your audience. Your content should not only be catchy and engaging, but also valuable and informative for your audience. You need to provide them with useful information, solutions, insights, etc. that they are looking for or that they didn’t know they needed. You need to show them that you are an expert in your niche and that you can help them solve their problems or achieve their goals. You also need to back up your claims with facts, data, statistics, examples, case studies, testimonials, etc.
  • Update your content regularly and remove outdated or inaccurate information. Your content should not only be valuable and informative, but also fresh and accurate. You need to update your content regularly and remove any outdated or inaccurate information that might harm your credibility or user experience. You also need to add new information, insights, tips, etc. that might be relevant or useful for your audience. Updating your content will not only improve its quality and relevance, but also signal to search engines that your website is active and up-to-date.

 

Build quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites

Backlinks are the most important factor for DA and the main indicator of trust and credibility for search engines. If you want to increase your DA score, you need to build quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites that have high DA scores themselves. Here are some tips on how to build backlinks:

  • Use guest posting, HARO link building, broken link building, skyscraper technique, etc. to reach out to other websites in your niche and offer them valuable content in exchange for a link. Guest posting is the process of writing articles for other websites in your niche and getting a link back to your website in return. HARO link building is the process of answering queries from journalists or bloggers who are looking for sources or experts in your niche and getting a link back to your website in return. Broken link building is the process of finding broken links on other websites in your niche and offering them a replacement link from your website in return. Skyscraper technique is the process of finding popular content in your niche and creating better content than it on your website and reaching out to the websites that linked to the original content and asking them to link to yours instead.

Use social media, email marketing, forums, blogs, etc. to promote your content and generate organic traffic and shares. Social media is a great way to reach a large and diverse audience and drive them to your website. Email marketing is a great way to build a loyal and engaged audience and keep them updated with your latest content. Forums and blogs are great places to interact with other people in your niche and share your content with them. However, you need to be careful not to spam or self-promote too much, as this might annoy or alienate your potential audience.

  • Use tools like Moz’s Link Explorer, Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker, etc. to analyze your backlink profile and identify opportunities and gaps. These tools will help you to monitor and evaluate the quality and quantity of your backlinks and referring domains, as well as the DA scores of the websites that link to you. You can also use these tools to find out who are your top competitors and what are their backlink strategies. You can then use this information to find new link opportunities and improve your link profile.

 

Optimize your internal linking structure

Internal links are links that point from one page of your website to another page of your website. They are also important for DA, as they help search engines crawl and index your website and understand its structure and relevance. They also help users navigate your website and find more information or value related to their search intent. Here are some tips on how to optimize your internal links:

  • Use descriptive anchor texts that match the target page’s topic and keywords. Anchor texts are the words or phrases that you use to link to another page of your website. They should be descriptive and relevant to the target page’s topic and keywords, as they tell search engines and users what the page is about and what they can expect from it. For example, instead of using “click here” or “read more” as anchor texts, you can use “how to increase domain authority in 2021” or “best tools to check domain authority” as anchor texts.
  • Link to relevant pages that provide more information or value to the user. You should not link to pages that are unrelated or irrelevant to the current page’s topic or purpose, as this might confuse or frustrate the user. You should link to pages that provide more information, value, solutions, insights, etc. to the user related to their search intent or query. For example, if you are writing about how to create high-quality content, you can link to pages that provide more tips, examples, case studies, etc. on how to create high-quality content.
  • Avoid overloading your pages with too many links or using spammy or irrelevant links. You should not use too many links on your pages, as this might dilute their value and impact, as well as distract or overwhelm the user. You should also avoid using spammy or irrelevant links that might harm your credibility or user experience. For example, you should not link to low-quality or unrelated websites, affiliate links, ads, etc.

 

Improve your technical SEO aspects

Technical SEO refers to the technical aspects of your website that affect its performance, usability, and accessibility. Technical SEO is also important for DA, as it affects how search engines crawl and index your website and how users interact with it. Some of the technical SEO aspects that affect DA are:

  • Use a secure (HTTPS) and reliable web host. HTTPS is a protocol that encrypts the data that is transferred between your website and the user’s browser, making it more secure and safe from hackers or malicious attacks. HTTPS is also a ranking factor for Google, as it shows that your website is trustworthy and reliable. You should use a web host that provides HTTPS certificates for your website and ensures its uptime and speed.
  • Use a responsive design that adapts to different devices and screen sizes. Responsive design is a design that adjusts the layout and content of your website according to the device and screen size of the user, making it more user-friendly and accessible. Responsive design is also a ranking factor for Google, as it shows that your website is mobile-friendly and provides a positive user experience.
  • Use a fast-loading website that minimizes page load time and bounce rate. Page load time is the time it takes for your website to load completely on the user’s browser. Bounce rate is the percentage of users who leave your website after viewing only one page. Both page load time and bounce rate affect DA, as they indicate how fast and efficient your website is and how satisfied or dissatisfied users are with it. You should use a fast-loading website that minimizes page load time and bounce rate by optimizing your images, videos, code, etc.
  • Use a clear and logical site structure that follows the best practices of URL optimization, navigation, breadcrumbs, sitemaps, etc. Site structure is the way you organize and arrange the pages of your website into categories, subcategories, etc. It affects DA, as it shows how easy or difficult it is for search engines and users to find and access your content. You should use a clear and logical site structure that follows the best practices of URL optimization, navigation, breadcrumbs, sitemaps, etc. URL optimization is the process of making your URLs descriptive, relevant, and user-friendly. Navigation is the process of making your website easy to navigate and explore by using menus, buttons, links, etc. Breadcrumbs are the elements that show the user where they are on your website and how they can go back to the previous pages. Sitemaps are the files that list all the pages of your website and their hierarchy and structure.

You can use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test, Search Console, etc. to audit and fix any technical issues on your website and improve its performance and usability.

 

Remove or disavow bad or toxic links

Bad or toxic links are links that point to your website from low-quality or spammy websites that might harm your DA score and even get you penalized by Google. They can result from negative SEO, low-quality directories, spammy comments, etc. You should remove or disavow bad or toxic links as soon as possible to avoid any negative consequences. Here are some tips on how to remove or disavow bad or toxic links:

  • Use tools like Moz’s Spam Score, Ahrefs’ Domain Rating, etc. to identify and evaluate the quality and risk of your backlinks and referring domains. These tools will help you to find out which websites are linking to you and how trustworthy and relevant they are. You can also use these tools to find out if your website has been affected by any negative SEO attacks or penalties.
  • Contact the webmasters of the websites that link to you and request them to remove the bad or toxic links. You should try to contact the webmasters of the websites that link to you and politely ask them to remove the bad or toxic links that point to your website. You should explain why you want them to remove the links and provide them with the exact URLs of the links that you want them to remove. You should also follow up with them until they confirm that they have removed the links.
  • Use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore the bad or toxic links that you cannot remove. If you cannot contact the webmasters of the websites that link to you or if they refuse to remove the bad or toxic links, you can use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore those links when evaluating your website. You should use this tool with caution and only as a last resort, as it might affect your link profile and ranking potential.

 

Conclusion

Increasing your domain authority is not an easy or quick task, but a long-term and ongoing process that requires patience and consistency. However, by following the steps, tips, and tools mentioned in this article, you can boost your site authority and enhance your ranking potential.

We hope this article has helped you understand what domain authority is, what factors affect it, how to check it, and how to increase it. Thank you for reading!