The internet is an incredibly congested place. Billions of websites all share space on the web, and countless more are created daily. With all of these sites competing for attention, it’s crucial that these sites be ranked by trustworthiness and authority. The various search engines employ extensive algorithms to ensure that when Joe Internet User performs a search, he only finds the most helpful and legitimate information.
Most users with a baseline of SEO knowledge are familiar with the general guiding principles behind these search engine algorithms. These people would be at home in a conversation where words like backlinks and SERP are tossed about. However, this familiarity often fades when it comes to domain authority and page authority.
Domain and page authority are crucial SEO metrics that can bolster search engine success.
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain authority is one of the most crucial SEO metrics out there. In its simplest form, domain authority is a number or rating from 1 to 100 that is assigned to a domain. This metric was created by marketing software company MOZ as a prediction of a site’s SEO clout and potential performance in search engine results.
The higher a site’s domain authority rating, the greater the site’s chances of having a high search engine ranking and heavy traffic flow. Domain authority takes into considerations multiple factors, including age, size, and popularity. So a site that was recently established would hover somewhere around the 1mark. Extremely popular sites with tons of web clout, like Facebook and Google, would be at the top with domain authorities of 100.
Domain authority is most effectively used when viewed as a comparative metric rather than an outright score. For instance, you could perform a domain authority check for your site and use the rating in comparison with a competing site to see who has the SEO edge.
How Is Domain Authority Calculated?
Domain authority is made up of around 40 different bits of link data, including various Moz metrics like:
Linking Root Domains: This is simply the number of domains linking to a page.
MozRank: This domain metric appraises the popularity of links. It’s similar to the algorithm used by Google for its SERPs. Pages with higher numbers of links coming into the page will have a higher MozRank.
MozTrust: This metric evaluates links based on their credibility. Whereas MozRank is a raw assessment of link popularity, MozTrust evaluates links and assigns worth based on the quality and trustworthiness of the site tied to the link.
All of these factors and more are evaluated and converted to a domain authority score.
If you’re wondering how to check domain authority, you can utilize many of the available online domain authority checkers. There are multiple Moz page authority checkers, including the free MozBar Chrome extension, the backlink tool Open Site Explorer, and the search engine results page analysis section in Moz Keyword Explorer.
How to Increase Domain Authority
Influencing domain authority directly can be difficult. There’s no one easy way to tweak metrics or improve authority markedly in only a few steps. However, there are actionable steps you can implement in your overall digital marketing strategies that can help boost your site’s domain authority.
• Focus on Content
Content still sits atop its digital marketing throne. Focus your digital strategies on creating content that is valuable and marketable. As readers begin to be attracted by value in your content, links will begin to spread rapidly. Soon you’ll be a trusted source for information that readers come back to again and again, each time taking links with them. This is a surefire way to increase your domain authority.
• Build Diverse Links to Your Content
Now that you have a wealth of content on your site, focus on building high-quality links from a wide array of sites. Domain authority values quality backlinks from diverse sources, so focus on these diverse links as opposed to single authority links.
• Build Links within Your Own Site
Don’t forget about building links within your own site. You gain SEO points when you link newer content to past articles with established authority. Be sure that links back to past content are relevant to the topics at hand. Linking within your own siteis indicative of a wealth of information and can boost your domain authority when executed properly.
• Get Rid of Non-Quality Links
All backlinks are not created equal. Take the time to weed out any links from unscrupulous sources that are likely to be spam. These noxious links can take a toll on your MozTrust ranking, which is a major factor in your domain authority score. Develop a house-cleaning schedule and get rid of the untrustworthy links before they do you any harm.
What Is Page Authority?
Page authority is another metric used to determine potential SERP success. Whereas a domain authority predicts success for a domain, webpage authority is a metric specific to an individual page. The score ranges on a scale from 1 to 100. Pages with a higher authority score will likely perform better in the SERPs.
Just like domain authority, the nature of page authority can make it very difficult to influence. If you try to guess how to increase page authority, the best methods are similar to increasing domain authority. Focus on solid page content and improving the page’s overall backlink profile.
What Is SB Rank?
ScanBacklinks Rank, or SB rank, is a SEO metric created by the SEO firm ScanBacklinks. SB rank is a predictive tool that gives a solid indication of how a site will perform in search engine results. The metric was created in the days of PageRank's relevance as a means to measure the two systems side by side. SB rank fills any voids left by the decline of PageRank's use, and it is a full replacement for the abandoned Google metric.
SB rank uses domain authority and page authority as the basis for its evaluation. The metric is reported on a scale of 1 to 10 and represents an accurate prediction of a site's SEO performance. The number accounts for sites skewed by significantly high domain authority scores but no real content value, resulting in a score that more closely represents true page value.
The nature of SB rank makes it a convenient tool for an SEO strategist. The score is calculated weekly, so it represents the most current valuation of a page. Because the metric uses domain and page authority, there's no need to calculate these metrics separately. Constant development of the metric algorithm also ensures that SB rank is always up-to-date.
Domain authority and page authority should be used together as predictors for your site’s potential SERP performance. You can utilize PA and DA calculators to obtain these metrics and implement them in your SEO strategy to boost your overall website authority. Focus on the things that can boost your authority, like implementing highly valuable content, developing quality inbound links, and cleaning up any toxic backlinks.
All of these efforts will positively feed the various metrics that influence domain and page authority. Over time, you’ll see these metrics begin to rise. As your authority scores increase relative to your SEO efforts, you’ll begin to see where your strengths lie in your strategy and also what areas may need improving.