Page Ranking is a Google metric used to assess the authority of a website in terms of the expertise of a website. Other metrics that work on similar principles are privately available metrics such as Domain Authority or Domain Rating. These metrics are important to help understand where a site stands in terms of expertise, as they are modeled on Google methods. Here’s detailed information on these metrics to help agencies and site administrators get on the right side of link building metrics.
Why Is Domain Authority Important, When It Isn’t From Google?
Link building metrics DA and DR are somewhat similar to Google’s overall method of assessment. This has been reportedly built to match or mimic the metrics of Google. In other words, this will help audit a website better and help websites meet the requirements by fixing gaps. Domain Authority (DA) is essentially a metric to evaluate the authority and ranking strength of a website. The scoring methodology is on a 100-point logarithmic scale that helps to predict the manner in which a website may eventually rank on SERPs. The higher the DA score, the higher the likelihood of a website ranking well for relevant keywords. A site with a lower DA score indicates a likelihood of the site not ranking high enough.
Various factors are taken into consideration, and this includes the quantity and quality of inbound links, the domain age, and the number of indexed pages. Additionally, it also depends on the quality of content and the relevance of the website. Domain Authority, as categorically stated above, is not an official ranking factor used by search engines, and is not a guarantee of high rankings. However, it is a proven tool for evaluating the authority and ranking potential of a website. This could also help in comparing the relative ranking probability of two different websites.
DA is a component or one of the various factors that contribute to the ranking of a site, apart from other ranking factors – keyword relevance, content, user experience, and link relevance.
Tools To Check Domain Authority
Various tools are presently available in the market to check the Domain Authority of a website. This includes free tools and paid services, here are a few of the top rated and professionally used tools.
#1 Moz: This is regarded as among the most popular SEO tools that allow checking the DA of a website. This tool has various other SEO metrics, including Page Authority (PA), and the number of backlinks among others.
#2 Ahrefs: This is another powerful SEO tool that offers detailed information about a website’s DA, apart from backlinks and organic search traffic.
#3 SEMrush: A popular SEO tool, SEMrush is actually a comprehensive suite of tools for analyzing and optimizing a website’s search engine performance. The DA of a website can be checked using SEMrush.
#4 Majestic: This is another backlink analysis tool that provides detailed information about the backlinks in a website, apart from the DA.
#5 Serpstat: Another comprehensive SEO platform, Serpstat offers keyword research, site audit, and competitor analysis. The DA of a website can be checked using this tool.
What Is Considered As A Good Domain Authority Score And What Are The Scores Of Some The Popular Sites?
The score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest score possible. It is important to note that a good DA score is relative to the competition within a particular industry or niche. Therefore, it is actually incorrect to compare the DA score of a site from one industry with that of another industry. Typically, a score of 40 or above is considered to be good, while a score of 50 or above is regarded to be excellent. A website with a score of 50 and above in a highly competitive niche, for instance, finance or technology, is considered very good. A website with a score of 40 or above, in a less competitive niche, like a local hobby group, is considered good.
A high DA score does not automatically mean that the site will rank high on SERPs, though it is a good indication of a strong online presence with good potential for visibility. DA is one of many ranking factors used by search engines, and this will work only when there is an overall strategy in place.
As mentioned above, it is incorrect to assess a site’s DA from one industry with that of another site in another industry. The DA scores are not static and keep changing as per the metrics of a site. Sites with a DA score of above 95 include the following – Google, Facebook, Amazon, Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Yahoo, and Microsoft.
Strategies To Improve The DA Of A Site Measurably
Some of the effective and proven strategies to boost the DA of a site measurably are listed below.
Website’s Content
It is important to work on improving the content on the website. The content needs to be high-quality, informative, and relevant to the target audience. It is important to regularly update the website with fresh content to keep visitors engaged.
High-Quality Backlinks
Every website needs to work on building an ecosystem of high quality backlinks. These are one of the most important factors in determining a website’s DA. Focus on backlinks from reputed websites in the same niche. It is important to avoid falling into the trap of purchasing low-quality/spammy backlinks, as this could adversely affect DA.
Technical SEO
The technical SEO of a site is of paramount importance. The website needs to be optimized for search engines, with fast load times, and a clean crawlable structure. The proper use of header tags and meta descriptions needs to be followed diligently always.
Social Media
The content of the website needs to be frequently shared on social media platforms to drive traffic and increase visibility. This has the added advantage of attracting natural backlinks to the site.
Constant Monitoring Of The Website’s Performance
As mentioned above, the DA score is not a fixed or static score, it keeps fluctuating. It is therefore necessary to use tools like Google Analytics or Moz to constantly monitor and analyze the website’s performance. The inputs from the tools are to be used to identify areas for improvement and to track progress.
Collaboration
The best ranking websites are known to partner with other websites in the niche to co-create content or run joint campaigns. This is to be followed and will help drive traffic to the website, apart from building high-quality backlinks.
The above strategies, and continuous monitoring of the website, can increase DA over time. This does not happen in a short period and will require expertise, apart from concerted efforts over a long period of time.