A search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Domain authority characteristics include:
- Scoring: DA scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking.
- Predictive Metric: A relative metric to compare websites or track their ranking strength over time.
- Not a Google Ranking Factor: Importantly, DA is not a Google ranking factor and has no direct effect on SERPs.
- Based on Multiple Factors: DA is calculated by evaluating multiple factors, including:
- Linking root domains
- Number of total links
- Moz’s web index data
- Machine learning (ML) algorithms that analyze how often Google uses a domain in search results
How DA is Used
- Benchmarking: Compare your website’s DA score to your competitors to understand your relative ranking strength.
- Tracking Progress: Monitor your DA score over time to see if your SEO efforts are improving your website’s authority.
- Identifying Potential Issues: A sudden drop in DA could indicate a problem with your website, such as a penalty or a loss of high-quality backlinks.
Improving Your DA:
While you can’t directly influence your DA score, improving your website’s overall SEO will likely lead to a higher DA. Here are some key factors that can influence your DA:
- High-quality content: Create informative, engaging, and well-optimized content that other websites want to link to.
- Backlink profile: Earn backlinks from reputable and relevant websites.
- Website structure: Ensure your website is well-structured and easy for search engines to crawl.
- User experience: Provide a positive user experience with fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and easy navigation.
DA is a helpful metric for understanding your website’s overall ranking strength and tracking your SEO progress. However, it’s important to remember that it’s just one factor among many that Google considers when ranking websites. Focus on creating a high-quality website with valuable content and a strong backlink profile; your DA score will likely improve over time.