How To Increase Domain Authority

Ryan Liberty • November 23, 2021

We were working with one of our SEO clients, and she asked “How to increase domain authority?”. This is a complex question with many layers to it.  It is also a perfect blog topic. If you’ve been running a website for any period of time, you may have heard the term before and know it can help with your search engine rankings. Let’s take a deeper dive. 


What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric that is made up by SEO tool companies. Domain Authority was developed by Moz, but there are many other tools on the market that track domain authority as well. Here at Kre8tive, we use Ahrefs to track domain authority. 


What these tools do is measure the strength of your website’s external backlink profile - taking into account both the relevance and the quality of the link - that points to your site. DA is tracked on a scale of 1-100, and can potentially predict how you will rank on the search engine results pages (SERPs).


These tools all essentially look for a few key things.

  1. How many unique websites or “referring domains” are sending your website a backlink
  2. The DA of the website sending you a backlink
  3. How many websites the referring domain links to with a minimum of one “DoFollow Link


As mentioned above, many tools offer domain authority trackers. You may even hear it go by slightly different terms like Domain Rating, or Website Authority. Each tool seeks to accomplish the same thing, however, and that’s to give you an idea of your site’s overall ability to rank higher on search engines.


Does Domain Authority Help You Rank Higher In Search Engines?

Believe it or not, DA has nothing to do with how Google ranks your pages, they don’t use it in their algorithm at all! 


So if Google doesn’t care about DA, then why should you?


You should care because your site’s DA can be a fantastic
predictor of how well you’ll rank for keywords that you’re targeting. 


In this awesome
study done by Ahrefs, they show that there is a correlation between DA and your SERP rankings.


So even though Google doesn’t use DA as a ranking factor, it’s still an important metric for you to consider because of its estimation abilities. 


What Is A Good Domain Authority

More importantly than the actual number of your DA, however, is what that number represents. Remember that “domain authority/ranking/website authority,” metrics are all relative. They represent both the quality and the number of backlinks your website has. 


It’s more important that you develop an effective link-building strategy and consistently acquire links from unique websites. The more links from an authoritative, reputable website, to pages on your site you want to rank for, will do more for your SERP results than focusing on a high DA.


With that being said, DA is scored on a range from 1-100. So obviously the higher your score, the better! 


Now as a new site or a site that has never focused on this metric before, you’re likely to have a low DA. It’s unrealistic to expect substantial increases in your score or push anywhere near 60+ ratings immediately. Rather than focusing on building the highest possible DA in the short term, a better strategy is to gauge where you are vs your competitors. 


Say your DA is a 5, and the direct competitors in your niche are scoring a DA of 15. It’s a lot more reasonable to replicate their backlinks, and grow your DA by 10 points rather than making your goal a score of 50.


If you are able to match, or better your competitor’s authority, you should start seeing favourable SERP results, especially in “local search” rankings. 


To sum it up, good domain authority is entirely relative to your website and industry. 


How To Check Your Domain Authority

There are many tools available to you that can calculate the domain authority of your website. Depending on the needs of your business, some SEO tools may suit you better than others. Some tools are free, while others can cost up to $100+ per month. It really depends on the needs of your business. 


SEO Review Tools
offers a free, basic website authority checker. It tracks your page authority, domain authority and the number of external backlinks your site has. This is a great tool to get a general idea of your authority.


Linkgraph
also offers a free authority checker. It will calculate your page authority and domain authority, as well as your website's spam score. Another cool feature is the ability to check multiple domains in bulk. Perfect for business owners who run multiple websites. 


Moz
is where it all started. As mentioned, Moz was the original developer of calculating authority. They are a pretty decent amount of free SEO tools, the limited data you can access with free lookups is more than enough to understand where your website stands. A free lookup will show you your domain authority, linking domain, spam score, and how many keywords you rank for. 


Ahrefs
also gives you a free domain rating lookup. It conveniently shows you the number of linking websites you have and the number of backlinks. 


All of these SEO tools are much more comprehensive than just checking for your site's authority. Most offer keyword research, competitor analysis, and technical audits. But if you simply want to know your authority with a fast, free lookup, any of these tools will suffice.


Just choose one and stick with it. It’s important to not compare your rating across different tools. 


How To Increase Domain Authority Conclusion

To sum it all up, a higher domain rating and better SERP results are a byproduct of good link-building habits. If you focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites to pages that matter the most to your business, your authority will increase. Your pages with the most backlinks will receive the most organic traffic, it’s that simple!


If you still have questions about how to increase domain authority or other SEO inquiries, contact us! We are ready to assist you with all your SEO needs here at Kre8tive Agency. Fill out a form on our contact page, leave a comment below, or reach out to us on Facebook.


A close up of a cell phone displaying a google search page.
By Bianca Ramirez December 12, 2024
Like regular intervals, Google has launched its core updates starting November 2024. It is an attempt by the search engine giant to refine the search system and enhance the quality of results. While the updates are now highlighted to the general users, they will reflect on the search engine when the complete roll-out process is finished. 
A group of people are working on a computer.
By Paola Rohuede November 14, 2024
Modern SEO is changing. There are some rising trends in SEO you need to keep up with. This will bring you digital success.
A laptop and a cell phone with a website on them.
By Paola Rohuede November 7, 2024
With effective strategies, digital marketing agencies can help businesses obtain a strong online presence
web design on a computer
By Paola Rohuede March 8, 2023
Discover the benefits of hiring a professional web designer. Learn why they can help your website stand out and attract more visitors to your business.
Instagram moves to video
By Paola Rohuede January 17, 2023
Instagram's recent shift to prioritize video content has important implications for brands. Stay up-to-date on the latest trends with Kre8tive Agency's guide.
Pineapples wearing sunglasses and party hats are surrounded by balloons.
November 1, 2022
The Manifest Recognizes Kre8tive Agency Among Edmonton’s Most Reviewed Digital Marketing Companies
A computer is sitting on a wooden desk with a keyboard and mouse.
By Ryan Liberty December 20, 2021
Is your goal to reach large numbers of people and get them interested in your product or service? If yes, social media marketing is an efficient way to achieve this. When it comes to marketing your business, there is no doubt social media is one of the best methods! It’s one of the most powerful tools out there for business owners and digital marketers alike. Let’s take a look at six advantages that come with utilizing social media as part of your overall marketing strategy. Increase Your Companies Brand Awareness & Recognition More than HALF of the world’s population is on social media, so needless to say, you want to be where your customers are. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easier than ever to build a brand! They offer you the ability to directly engage with customers as well as social sharing. Both are amazing for raising awareness. You can chat with customers right in your DM’s plus they can comment on and share your posts with their friends! Take a look at the engagement from this one post and see the power of social sharing!
Paid Social Media Advertising
November 16, 2021
In this post, we'll take a look at some of the key stats and information you should be aware of when it comes to paid social media advertising.
A bunch of logos are sitting on a wooden table.
By Kirsty Pilgrim August 10, 2021
Logos are essential. While logos can initially seem daunting from a conceptual perspective, they are a must-have for any business. In fact, a logo is considered to be the cornerstone of any good business or personal brand. Logos carry a heavy load consisting of explaining: who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. Your logo will be displayed on social posts, marketing materials, business cards and more. Indeed, is a lot of heavy lifting for one little graphic to do! Regardless of your starting point, a good logo should: • Be eye-catching • Be timeless • Be memorable • Work well large or small • Encapsulate your brand vibe What has this brand vibe you have spoken of? Simply, a brand vibe is how you want your brand to make people feel. (Also known as brand personality). This element should have consistency across your logo and content and be clearly set out within your brand guidelines. Once you have established your brand vibe, the logo-making process begins to feel somewhat less daunting. Start by capturing four to five words that encompass how you want your brand to make people feel. With these chosen words in mind and the brand vibe as the destination, let's design a logo! Here are our Top 10 Logo Design Tips & Tricks : A picture is often worth a thousand words - Your logo visually represents your brand. Use straightforward icons to communicate who you are. Empty space = clean logo design - Your logo should be able to be recognized and read clearly from a distance or smaller in size. By keeping it "clean" will achieve this. "Boxed In" is In - the use of shapes to think inside the box and a great way to make your logo stand out. This also helps with cross-platform branding. For example, a "boxed in" logo works well digitally and on company letterhead, presentations, and merchandise such as pens or lanyards. Imagine your logo in various situations. - When designing your logo, try to make sure you think about its intended use. For example, are you wanting to use it on a uniform, or will it just be for your website design? Colour is critical for good design. Using various shades of the same colour can create subtle contrasts within your logo. Be literal with your logo - If your name is an object, incorporate that object in your logo. Don't be afraid to state the obvious. Be authoritative with your logo - Be literal, but make sure it fits your organization. Stand out and grab attention - In the design world, we call this "visual salience." and a great way to create an impactful logo. Reinventing the wheel isn't always necessary when designing your logo - If it works, it works. If it feels right, then go ahead and use it Don't be afraid to adjust the wheel slightly - it's ok to build on the brand you've established, rather than trading the old brand in for a new and shiny one. Admittedly, that's a lot to consider. Sometimes reaching out to a professional to help guide you in the right direction is worth its weight in gold. Hiring a marketing agency to help create a unique brand image and start your brand off on the right foot, may be well worth the cost. Contact Kre8tive Agency if you have any questions about logo design or anything else! We would love to hear from you. info@kre8tiveagency.com
A person is holding a cell phone with the youtube logo on it.
By Kirsty Pilgrim June 23, 2021
With over 2 billion monthly users, YouTube has become one of the most popular video-based platforms. More than any of its competitors, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok, YouTube has become the go-to platform for sharing information via video. The general public utilizes YouTube as a place to learn about how to do new things. For example, if you needed to change out a doorknob. You can bet that YouTube probably has a video created by a locksmith or a handyman that will teach you how to perform the task. The question now becomes, how does one wield YouTube as a powerful tool for business? On YouTube, by creating a video channel, you can connect with your users in a totally different way than other social media platforms. YouTube is an excellent platform to: create visual and auditory content to back up your written content create visual demonstrations of your products use as a method to share personal press releases to your followers YouTube is also a valuable tool to gather followers' contact information to grow your email list. Pros Videos drive more conversions It is a great way to show off your brand's personality Videos nicely complement other marketing strategies Cons Videos can take longer to produce Users have high expectations for visual/audio quality Ranking your video can be difficult Taking all of the above into account, YouTube is a great social media platform to grow your business exposure. While the knowledge required to learn how to shoot and edit videos might take some time to master, it can be relatively inexpensive. The majority of smartphones are capable of recording high-quality videos, which the user can then publish with ease. If your business could benefit from implementing YouTube as a marketing strategy, Kre8tive Agency can help! Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
Show More
Share by: