Domain Authority (DA) is a key metric that every digital marketer, SEO specialist, and website owner should understand. Why? Because it’s often used as a benchmark to predict how well your site can rank on search engines. But what exactly is Domain Authority, and how can you increase it?
Let’s break it down.
What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority is a score (from 1 to 100) developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher your score, the stronger your site is considered—compared to others in your niche.
It’s calculated using factors like:
- Number of backlinks
- Quality of referring domains
- Link profile diversity
- Overall site structure and SEO performance
Note: Google does NOT use Domain Authority as a ranking factor—it’s a third-party metric, but still a valuable reference point.
How Domain Authority Works
DA is based on a machine learning model that compares your website to the massive pool of sites on the internet. It’s relative, not absolute.
For example:
- A DA of 40 might be strong in a niche with low competition
- But in highly competitive industries, you may need a DA of 60+ to compete on page one
Also, DA is logarithmic. That means it’s easier to go from 10 to 20 than from 70 to 80.
How to Improve Your Domain Authority
Now the good stuff—how to actually increase your DA.
1. Build High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are the backbone of Domain Authority.
- Focus on earned links from reputable websites
- Guest post on authority blogs in your niche
- Create share-worthy content others want to link to
One backlink from a top-tier site (like Forbes or HubSpot) is worth more than dozens from low-authority blogs.
2. Clean Up Your Link Profile
Toxic links hurt your credibility. Regularly audit your backlinks to:
- Identify spammy or irrelevant sources
- Use Google’s Disavow Tool if needed
A cleaner link profile = stronger trust signals.
3. Create Authoritative, Linkable Content
The better your content, the more likely others will link to it.
- Publish in-depth guides, how-tos, original research, or infographics
- Keep content updated and accurate
- Target long-tail keywords to build topical authority
4. Improve On-Page SEO
Good SEO practices help your content perform better—and get linked to more often.
- Use proper heading structure (H1, H2s)
- Optimize meta tags
- Improve internal linking between relevant pages
5. Boost Site Performance & UX
Search engines and users both love fast, mobile-friendly websites.
- Optimize site speed
- Ensure mobile responsiveness
- Fix broken links and crawl errors
The better the user experience, the stronger your site’s authority signals.
How Long Does It Take to Increase Domain Authority?
Building DA is a long-term strategy. You won’t see overnight results. But if you’re consistent, you’ll notice a steady climb over 3–6 months—and a stronger position in search rankings along the way.
Final Thoughts
Domain Authority isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it’s a useful lens for evaluating your website’s SEO strength. More importantly, the steps you take to improve DA—quality content, strong backlinks, solid site structure—are the same steps that help you rank better and drive more organic traffic.