Domain Authority and Page Authority
1. What is Domain Authority?
Have you heard this term before?
Are you confused what exactly is Domain Authority?
Are you wondering if Google came up with another search engine algorithm related tool?
Well, let us inform you, that no! Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz.
Google does not use Domain Authority as a metric in determining search rankings and has absolutely no effect on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
So, what will DA help you with! Well, it will tell you how well your website ranks on the SERPs. After all, if you or your client owns a website, you would want to know how well it will rank on the SERPs, right? Probably, you want it to be on top of the result page.
Generally, web users do not even click on the second or third page of the SERPs. And, probably a small percentage of users look at the other number of pages of the SERPs. So, it is preferable that you come on top of these, and Domain Authority will give you an idea of how well your website is able to do that. In this way, you might also take appropriate approaches for increasing your rank, once you get to know how much is your ranking.
2. How is Domain Authority scored?
So, basically DA is a score! But, how will the scoring take place? How will your website be ranked?
Well, simple, a Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a higher ability to rank.
Moz scores Domain Authority on a 100-point logarithmic scale. Therefore, it is substantially easier to grow your score from 20 to 30 than it is to grow from 70 to 80. For instance, if you have a very low score, it would be easier to increase in the starting of your Domain Authority journey, but over the time, when you reach an above average score, it would be tricky to reach on the top of the DA game.
But, how is it calculated? On what basis will your website get a good Domain Authority or DA? What are the factors that one could work on?
So, let us tell you, there is not one, but multiple factors involved here! DA is calculated on the basis of several aspects, which includes linking root domains, number of total links, all included in a single DA score.
So, your links will be evaluated, the number of links will be calculated, and few more factors will be considered in providing you a DA score.
This score can be helpful to you in various ways! You could even compare website or tack the ‘ranking strength’ of a website over the time, with this score.
You will get to know how big an authority is the domain as compared to another, when you compare the DAs of two website. Basically, this could be used as a website comparison arena.
3. How Can You Check Domain Authority?
So, since Domain Authority or DA is developed by Moz, you will be able to use it utilizing Moz’s Link Explorer, the MozBar (the free SEO toolbar provided by Moz), or in the SERP Analysis section of Keyword Explorer.
These metrics are heavily used by Moz and are also incorporated into all Moz Pro campaigns, as well as the Moz API.
The DA metrics have become very popular and are also incorporated into dozens of online marketing and SEO platforms across the web. Users find it useful to understand and receive a prediction on where their website or other website rank on the SERPs.
Analyzing a domain could help users understand the top pages, ranking keywords, Domain Authority, spam score, and much more.
4. Why should you increase Domain Authority?
See, before looking at any calculating tool or utilizing an evaluation software, you must know why it is important to you?
Is it even relevant?
Do you even want to know what the website’s Domain Authority is?
Well, ask yourself one question, what is your end-goal in the arena?
Domain Authority, is basically an indicator of success! It does not drive success or give you tools to increase your ranking on the SERPs. DA will just inform you where you probably stand, so that you can take steps and alter your campaigns, maybe, to increase your ranking. It might indicate you on how successful you are on the SERPs, in that moment.
DA is not utilized by Google and will not directly impact your rankings. Don’t get into this just for the sake of it, we say! Google has said that they do not utilize a domain-level authority metric for rankings. But, if we just accept that at face value, do you really think that a low-authority domain, let’s say having a DA which is 20, has an equal chance of ranking as a high-authority domain, maybe having a DA which is 80.
Of course, not, right?
This is because every domain benefits from its aggregate internal link equity, which is driven by the links to individual pages of the website.
So, whether or not you measure that aggregate effect in a single metric or not, it still does exist.
5. How can you increase your Domain Authority?
Well, not this is a tricky concept! It is difficult to influence the Domain Authority directly. You cannot one tab or two and just increase your DA magically. It requires efforts and tactics since DA is made up of an aggregate of link data and metrics that have an impact on the authority score. Now, we could say that this was done intentionally!
This metric is meant to approximate how competitive a given website if in Google search results. Now if we look at Google, it takes various factors into account for ranking, and a metric that tries to calculate this ranking must incorporate a lot of factors too.
