If you have a blog, then you’ve probably heard of the term ‘Domain Authority’, because it’s thrown around like confetti. But does this metric actually matter? Let’s take a look.
What is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (also know as DA) is a metric that was devised by Moz. Is is used to determine how trusted a particular website is.
Your DA is determined by the number of quality backlinks that you have pointing through to your website. The website’s age also also plays a part in this metric.
Every single website has a DA rating. One is the lowest score and 100 is the highest. High authority sites tend to be household names, like Google, The Guardian and Wikipedia. The lower your DA is, the easier it is to climb up. So, for example, it is easier to go from five to 10, then from 35 to 40.
Where can check what my Domain Authority is?
Moz is the official place to go to find out what a site’s DA is. But unless you’re a paid member, you will only have a certain number of searches each month. I use this free tool as an alternative.
Why do people place importance on DA?
Domain Authority is just one way to determine the strength of a website. It isn’t the only one available and some people see it as a vanity metric. However, there is a reason why bloggers seem to be obsessed with it; and that’s because some clients want a site to have a certain level of Domain Authority before they will work with you. The reason for this is simple; they want your website to link through to their website to boost their metrics.
It wouldn’t be true to say you can’t get work unless your Domain Authority is above a certain level (say 20). Some brands will be more interested in your traffic, or your social media engagement, but with some clients a high DA does help you to get work.
Is your Google ranking connected to your Domain Authority?
Yes and no. Moz and Google are completely independent of one another, but if Moz has picked up links pointing back to your website, than Google properly has. I think it’s fair to say that Moz mirrors what Google sees.
That said, you can still rank in Google if you have a low DA. Quality content is always rewarded and Domain Authority is just one part of the SEO jigsaw puzzle.
If you found this article useful, then you should also check out my Blogger SEO Jargon Buster.
