We all know that Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) are popular metrics to measure how strong a website is. Everyone wants a higher DR and DA because it shows search engines that your website is trustworthy and reliable. While DR depends mostly on backlinks, DA looks at many other things too—not just links.

So, if you’ve been asking yourself, “How to increase the domain authority of my website in the easiest way possible?”, this article is for you. We’ve broken it down into simple steps to help you understand what DA is and how to improve it effectively.

So without delay, let’s start!

What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a score created by Moz that predicts how well a website can rank on search engines. It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores meaning better chances of ranking higher. Think of DA as your website’s “online strength” compared to others.

This score is not built based on only one thing. It looks into the quality of your backlinks, how your site is constructed, and users’ engagement towards content. A good DA indicates to search engines that your site can be trusted for information and resource usefulness.

It is worth mentioning only that Google does not use DA directly. It is a tool for SEO or link building experts to evaluate the performance of a site and identify how much improvement is required.

DA vs. PA: Who’s the Real MVP?

 

Both Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are metrics created by Moz.

• Domain Authority (DA): This measures the overall strength of your website.

• Page Authority (PA): This focuses on one specific page of your site, like a blog post or a product page, and predicts how well that page might rank.

Is Domain Authority a Ranking Factor?

Domain Authority (DA), created by Moz, is a popular metric in SEO. However, many wonder if Google uses it as a direct ranking factor. The short answer is no—Google does not use DA in its ranking algorithm.

Google representatives like John Mueller have repeatedly clarified this. In one of his statements, Mueller said, “Google doesn’t use Domain Authority at all when it comes to search crawling, indexing, or ranking.” 

In 2015, Gary Illyes from Google was asked if website authority transfers when switching from HTTP to HTTPS. His response:

While DA is a helpful tool for understanding your website’s performance, it is not part of Google’s system for determining search engine rankings.

So, Why Does DA Matter?

Even though DA isn’t a ranking factor, it serves as a great guide. It helps you evaluate your website’s overall strength and compare it with competitors. A higher DA often indicates better backlinks, solid technical SEO, and quality content—all of which are factors that Google does consider.

Factors That Affect Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) depends on several factors that reflect your website’s overall quality and trustworthiness. Here are the key ones

1. Backlinks from Trusted Websites

High-quality backlinks signal that your site is reliable and trustworthy. Links from spammy or irrelevant sites can hurt your DA.

2. Clear Internal Links

A well-structured internal link system helps search engines understand your site and improves the user experience.

3. Fast Website Speed

Search engines favor websites that load quickly because they provide a better user experience.

4. Mobile-Friendly Design

A mobile-optimized site ensures you don’t miss out on visitors browsing through smartphones and tablets.

5. High-Quality Content

Valuable and original content keeps users engaged and encourages other sites to link to yours.

6. Fix Technical Issues

Errors like broken links or poor indexing can make your site harder for search engines to crawl, lowering your DA.

How to Increase Domain Authority in 7 Simple Steps

Improving your Domain Authority is not a hard thing to do. It all depends on focusing on the right strategies and slowly boosting your site’s credibility and visibility on the internet.

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks

The most important thing for increasing DA is backlinks. But the bad news is that not all backlinks are of the same class. Building quality backlinks from relevant, trusted sites is important for your website’s credibility and rank. Here’s how to do it:

What Are High-Quality Backlinks?

Quality backlinks are from trusted and niche-related sites with good authority also. For example, a link from a known blog that belongs to your niche would be more valuable than numerous links from poor or irrelevant sites. Here are some ways of creating high-quality backlinks.

A. Guest Posting

Guest Posting is an effective strategy since it makes you gain exposure and earn links from trusted sites. If your link shows up on a site with a DA higher than yours, the search engines can interpret this to mean that your site is reliable. Over time, this builds your DA and thus makes your website more visible and credible in the search results.

• Find High-DA Websites: Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to identify sites with higher DA in your niche.
• Analyze Competitor Backlinks: Check where competitors get their links and target similar websites.
• Create Valuable Content: Write engaging, high-quality articles that match the website’s tone and audience.
• Place Links Naturally: Add one or two relevant links to your site seamlessly within the content.
• Build Relationships: Connect with website owners for more guest posting opportunities.

Tips for Choosing the Right Website for Guest Posts:

• Check the DA: Focus on websites with a DA higher than yours.
• Relevance Matters: Choose websites that align with your niche or industry.
• Avoid Spammy Sites: Use tools to check the spam score of a website before you pitch.

Outreach Monks has published a high-quality guest post on POWR.io, a platform that offers customizable website apps to enhance functionality and user engagement. 

By contributing to POWR.io’s blog, Outreach Monks has connected with a reputable platform that aligns well with our website’s focus, potentially enhancing our site’s authority and reach.

Need help with guest posting? Outreach Monks can handle it for you! We specialize in securing backlinks from trusted websites, making it easy for you to boost your DA.

B. Broken Link Building

This strategy involves finding broken (dead) links on other websites, reaching out to the site owner, and suggesting your content as a replacement.

Broken links can be replaced with links to your high-quality, relevant content. This helps build backlinks from authoritative sites, which strengthens your domain authority. 

Steps to Use Broken Link Building for Better DA:

• Find Broken Links
• Create Relevant Content
• Reach Out to Website Owners
• Follow Up

C. Niche Edits

Niche edits involve placing your link within existing, well-performing content. This strategy connects your site to trusted pages, enhancing your Domain Authority (DA).

Steps to Use Niche Edits:

• Find Relevant Content: Identify high-DA websites with content that matches your niche. Tools like Ahrefs or BuzzSumo can help.
• Analyze Opportunities: Look for pages that rank well and have related topics where your link would naturally fit.
• Reach Out to Website Owners: Propose adding your link to their content and explain how it adds value to their readers.
• Negotiate Terms: Some websites may charge a fee for niche edits, so clarify this upfront.

D. PR Link Building

PR Link Building focuses on creating newsworthy content or campaigns that naturally attract attention and links.

When your website is featured on authoritative media platforms, it sends a strong signal to search engines about your credibility, helping to improve your rankings and DA.

1. Create Newsworthy Content
2. Pitch to Relevant Media Outlets
3. Use Digital PR Tools
4. Leverage Local News

Here’s an example of PR link building we did for one of our clients, ‘NoLabels.’ We helped them publish their PR on Mid-Day, which significantly improved their Domain Authority (DA).

2. Focus on Content That Earns Links

Creating content that attracts backlinks is about making your website a resource others trust and reference. If you offer valuable information, people naturally want to link to your content. Here’s how you can make that happen:

1. Create Content Journalists and Bloggers Need

Think about what writers and bloggers are searching for to support their articles. They don’t just need general information; they want specific data or insights.

• Provide Fresh Data: Publish surveys, case studies, or original research.
• Be Comprehensive: Write guides that answer all the common questions in your niche.

2. Research Your Competitors

Look at where your competitors get backlinks. This can give you ideas for your own content.

• Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to see which of their pages is bringing in the most backlinks.
• Analyze what works for them and do something more contemporary or better.

3. Focus on Evergreen Topics

Evergreen content stays useful over time. These pages consistently attract backlinks because they remain relevant.

• Guides like “How to Save Money on Energy Bills” or “The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Digital Marketing.”
• Update these articles regularly to keep them fresh and appealing.

4. Curate and Share Reliable Data

If you can’t create your own research, curate data from trustworthy sources like government websites, industry reports, or major news outlets.

• Always credit the source of the data for transparency.
• Summarize complex reports into easy-to-digest points, making them more accessible.

5. Develop Linkable Assets

Some types of content naturally attract more links, such as:

• Infographics: Visual content makes complex ideas simple.
• Interactive Tools: Calculators or checklists can add extra value.
• Statistics Pages: These are a go-to for journalists and bloggers looking for data.

6. Stay Ahead of Trends

Create content about trending topics in your industry. Being first with high-quality information makes your content link-worthy.

For instance, if AI tools are the hot topic in marketing, create a guide on “How AI is Changing Marketing in 2024.”

At Outreach Monks, we also create quality infographics. One of our infographics was published on the G2 Learning hub with a backlink to our website.

3. Optimize On-Page SEO

On-page SEO simply refers to the process of optimizing individual pages on your website so that they are better search-engine friendly. It actually helps the search engine understand your content, and it benefits the user’s experience, too. A perfectly optimized on-page SEO has a significant role in getting your Domain Authority (DA) boosted. Here’s how you can optimize it:

1. Fine-Tune Your Titles and Meta Descriptions

Titles and meta descriptions are the first things users and search engines notice.

• Add relevant keywords naturally to describe your content.
• Keep them concise: titles under 60 characters, meta descriptions under 155.
• Write clear, engaging text to improve click-through rates.

2. Use Keywords Strategically

Keywords guide search engines to understand the purpose of your content.

• Place them in headings, subheadings, and the first 100 words.
• Include related keywords (LSI keywords) to cover broader user queries.
• Avoid overstuffing keywords as it can hurt your rankings.

3. Optimize Images for Faster Loading

Large, unoptimized images can slow down your website, affecting SEO.

• Compress images to reduce size without losing quality.
• Add descriptive alt text to help search engines and visually impaired users.
• Rename image files with relevant names, like “blue-widgets.jpg” instead of “IMG12345.jpg.”

4. Create SEO-Friendly URLs

Simple URLs make it easier for users and search engines to understand your content.

• Use keywords in your URLs, such as “example.com/on-page-seo.”
• Avoid long, complicated strings like “example.com/abc123xyz.”
• Stick to lowercase letters and avoid special characters.

5. Regularly Update Your Content

Fresh, relevant content signals activity and value to search engines.

• Revise old blog posts with updated information.
• Fix or remove outdated links.
• Add new insights or examples to underperforming pages.

Small Steps, Big Impact

On-page SEO isn’t a one-time task. Regular updates and small improvements can make a huge difference in your DA over time.

4. Audit and Fix Technical Issues

Technical SEO ensures that the website is optimized and functions fine and makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index. Technical SEO issues can make your Domain Authority (DA) and overall ranking suffer. Here’s how you can identify and resolve common problems:

1. Check for Crawl Errors

Crawl errors occur when search engines cannot access your web pages.

• Use tools like Google Search Console to identify crawl issues.
• Fix errors like “404 Not Found” by redirecting broken links to active pages.
• Ensure your robots.txt file doesn’t block important pages from being indexed.

2. Optimize Website Speed

A slow website can drive users away and impact rankings.

• Compress large files like images, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Use browser caching to store data and reduce loading time.
• Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute content efficiently.

3. Ensure Proper Indexing

Search engines must properly index your site to show it in search results.

• Submit an updated XML sitemap through Google Search Console.
• Use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content penalties.
• Check whether important pages are indexed by searching “site:yourdomain.com” on Google.

4. Resolve HTTPS Issues

Secure websites rank better and are more trusted by users.

• Install an SSL certificate to switch your site to HTTPS.
• Fix mixed content issues (e.g., pages with both HTTP and HTTPS elements).
• Regularly test your site for SSL configuration problems.

5. Eliminate Duplicate Content

Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your rankings.

• Identify duplicates using tools like Copyscape or Siteliner.
• Merge or redirect similar pages with a 301 redirect.
• Use canonical tags to specify the preferred version of a page.

Source: Semrush

5. Strengthen Your Internal Linking

Internal linking is an easy tactic that helps search engines understand your website better. It links up pages, distributes authority throughout the site, and helps users who search for items they want on the site. An internal link structure also organizes your Domain Authority and makes the site easier to crawl.

1. Link to Important Pages

Focus on linking to pages that are most important, like your main services, popular blog posts, or landing pages. This passes authority to these pages and helps them rank higher. Link a well-performing article about SEO tips to your main digital marketing service page.

2. Use Clear Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable part of a link. It should explain what the linked page is about. Instead of “click here,” use phrases like “effective content marketing tips.” This helps search engines and users understand the link’s purpose.

3. Organize Content with Topic Clusters

Group similar content together by linking related articles to a central page. If you have blog posts about email marketing, link them to a main page like “The Complete Guide to Email Marketing.” This makes your site easier to navigate and boosts authority for the main page.

4. Avoid Too Many Links

Don’t overload your pages with links. Add only 3–10 links per page, depending on its length. This keeps your content focused and ensures each link adds value.

Check your links regularly for new opportunities and old, outdated ones. A clean internal linking system, while being helpful to the search engines, also makes your site a more useful tool for visitors.

6. Promote Your Content Strategically

Content alone is not sufficient; the right people have to see it. Strategic promotion helps your content reach a wider audience, bring traffic, and earn valuable backlinks, which can improve your Domain Authority (DA). Here’s how to do it:

1. Share on Social Media

Share the content on various platforms, for example, on Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Facebook. Those will help you communicate with your targeted audience and other professionals who work in that industry. Sometimes when people share your post, it gets even more visibility and may even create backlinks.

2. Work with Influencers

Reach out to influencers or bloggers in your niche. Share your content with them if it’s relevant to their audience. Influencers can help promote your content by mentioning or linking to it, which builds your credibility and boosts DA.

3. Use Email Outreach

Send personalized emails to websites, bloggers, or professionals who might find your content useful. Highlight why your content is relevant and how it adds value. For example, if your content explains a trending topic in-depth, let others know they can reference it in their posts.

4. Engage in Online Communities

Join forums, groups, or Q&A platforms like Quora, Reddit, or Facebook. Participate in discussions and share your content where it naturally fits. Make sure your contributions are genuine and helpful, not overly promotional.

5. Repurpose Content

Turn one piece of content into different formats to reach more people. Repurpose your blog into a short video, an infographic, or a social media carousel. This makes it easy to share your content on other platforms and reach a whole wider audience.

6. Monitor and Improve

Monitor how your content performs. Use Google Analytics to monitor where your traffic and backlinks are originating from. Keep at what works and change up what doesn’t.

Promoting content strategically takes time, but it helps you reach the right audience, drive traffic, and strengthen your Domain Authority step by step.

7. Ensure a Secure and Mobile-Friendly Website

A secure, mobile-friendly website builds trust with users and search engines. Here’s how to improve both aspects:

1. Add a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A WAF protects your site from threats like hacking or spam by filtering harmful traffic. This added security shows search engines your site is safe.

2. Make Your Website Accessible

Ensure everyone can use your site, including those with disabilities. Use clear text, clickable buttons, and descriptive alt text for images. This improves user experience and increases credibility.

3. Perform Regular Security Checks

Check your site often for vulnerabilities. Security tools and plugins can help identify and fix issues before they become problems. This keeps your site reliable for users and search engines.

4. Use Structured Data for a Better Mobile Experience

Structured data helps search engines understand your content. On mobile, that makes your site more visible, with rich snippets, improving the clicks and enhancing user trust.

A safe and user-friendly site doesn’t just protect visitors—it also boosts your domain authority over time.

What is a Good DA Score for Your Website?

DA scores can range from 1-100. The higher the score, the more powerful and prestigious your website will be considered in the eyes of the search engines. Google and Facebook are examples of big websites whose DA ranges above 90. However, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for what would be considered “good” in DA; that depends on niche and competition.

Good DA in Competitive Niches

In highly competitive industries, top-ranking sites usually have high DA scores. For example:

• Neil Patel: DA 90
• Ahrefs: DA 84

If you’re competing in such fields, a higher DA score will give you a better chance to rank.

Good DA in Local or Smaller Niches

In local industries or less competitive spaces, you don’t need a very high DA to stand out. For example, A dentist in a small town like Edinburgh might rank well with a DA of 20+.

If the top-ranking competitors in your niche have a DA of 25, a DA of 30 could put you ahead.

How to Find Your Ideal DA Score?

Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to see the DA of websites ranking for your target keywords. Aim to match or slightly exceed the DA of your competitors.

Remember, your goal isn’t to chase the highest DA overall. Focus on improving your score to stay ahead of similar websites in your field.

How Many Links Do You Need to Increase Domain Authority?

There is no fixed number of backlinks to increase your Domain Authority. Tools such as Ahrefs and Moz consider the number of links in a way that’s more focused on quality, relevance, and diversity in the referring domains.

Here’s an overview of the number of referring domains (RDs) typically associated with different DA or DR levels:

Referring Domains and DA Growth

Below is a rough estimate of the number of referring domains (RDs) typically linked with various DA levels.

1. For Lower DA Scores

Websites with a DA between 6-10 often have around 30 referring domains. To move from DA 11-15, you may need approximately 44 referring domains.

2. For Moderate DA Levels

Sites with a DA between 41-45 typically have 263 referring domains. Increasing from DA 46-50 usually requires an additional 89 referring domains, totaling around 352.

3. For High DA Scores

Moving from DA 91-95 to 96-100 could demand over 8 million referring domains.

This data shows that as your DA improves, the effort and number of backlinks needed for further growth increase significantly.

Other Metrics That Define a Website’s Authority

Measuring the authority of a website is not only Domain Authority. Other metrics are developed by trusted SEO tools, giving more insight into your site’s strength and reliability.

1. Domain Rating (DR) by Ahrefs

Ahrefs developed Domain Rating (DR) to measure how strong a site’s backlink profile is. DR scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores showing better backlink quality.

What affects DR?

• Backlink Quality: Links from well-established and trusted sites boost DR.
• Number of Referring Domains: Having more unique sites linking to you improves your score.
• Link Source Quality: Links from websites with high DR carry more weight.

DR focuses on the strength and reliability of backlinks, making it a key metric for analyzing your site’s potential.

2. Authority Score (AS) by Semrush

Semrush created Authority Score (AS) to measure the overall quality and SEO potential of a domain.

What affects AS?

• Backlink Strength: The number and relevance of backlinks matter.
• Organic Traffic: Sites with steady traffic often have higher scores.
• Spam Indicators: Lower spam signals lead to better scores.

AS is a helpful all-in-one metric for understanding a website’s overall performance in SEO.

3. Trust Flow and Citation Flow by Majestic

Majestic introduced Trust Flow and Citation Flow to evaluate a site’s trustworthiness and influence based on backlinks.

What affects these metrics?

• Trust Flow: High Trust Flow means your site has links from reliable and authoritative sources.
• Citation Flow: This measures the number of backlinks, but without considering their quality.

A balance between Trust Flow and Citation Flow is important. If Citation Flow is high but Trust Flow is low, it might mean your site has spammy links.

4. Spam Score by Moz

Spam Score, developed by Moz, indicates the likelihood of a site being flagged as spam by search engines.

What affects Spam Score?

• Low-Quality Backlinks: Links from unreliable sites increase spam risk.
• Thin Content: Having poor-quality or duplicate content can raise your score.
• High Spam Link Ratio: Too many spammy links damage credibility.

Regularly review your backlinks, disavow spammy ones, and focus on earning links from high-quality sources.

These metrics give a complete picture of your website’s authority. By understanding and improving these scores, you can build a stronger and more credible online presence.

Take Expert Help to Increase Your Website’s Authority

Building Domain Authority (DA) is not an overnight task. It requires a focused strategy combining quality content and effective link-building techniques. 

When Nolabels, a women’s clothing brand, started with us, their DA was just 1. They wanted to grow their online visibility. At Outreach Monks, we combined strategies like guest posting, niche edits, and blogger outreach to improve their authority.

We created engaging content and secured backlinks from high-DA websites in the fashion niche. As a result, Nolabels’ DA grew to 33 and is still climbing. This has helped them rank higher, attract more traffic, and build trust online.

If you’re looking to grow your website’s authority and outperform competitors, let us help you achieve measurable results.

Let’s work together to take your website to the next level!

Conclusion

While Domain Authority isn’t a Google ranking factor and comes from third-party tools, it’s still a useful indicator of your website’s overall health. It helps you understand where your site stands and what can be improved. 

The focus should always be on making your website valuable to your audience—whether they’re readers, clients, or customers. Create quality content, build trust, and optimize your site for search engines. When you prioritize value and user experience, better rankings and higher authority will naturally follow.

FAQs on Domain Authority