Yes, absolutely. The more backlinks you attract, higher the domain authority. No matter what people say. If you ask expert SEO practitioners, they will say that backlinks are still one of the most important ranking factors.
Citing what Ahrefs has mentioned, ‘as we know, backlinks are one of the strongest Google ranking factors.’
And it’s common sense that sites that are ranking higher will eventually grow their domain authority.
At this point, you understood that more backlinks (high-quality niche relevant links obviously) = higher DA.
But before I proceed, let’s first define what domain authority means…
What is Domain Authority?
Moz devised domain authority as a means of gauging a website’s credibility. It’s expressed as a score between 0 and 100, with a higher score correlating to greater authority.
We absolutely agree that there is no official statement about the correlation between DA and website traffic. However, it is worth noting that the top-ranking pages typically have higher domain authority.
So you can see it like this: sites with higher domain authority are more likely to rank on SERP.
Domain Authority was an important metric for determining a website’s authority during the PageRank era. Domain Authority affects Google’s ranking. Moz created a similar metric.
What is a Good Domain Authority Score?
Let’s be honest with you. This is a subjective question.
Moz’s Domain Authority score ranges from 1 to 100, reflecting the quality and quantity of links a webpage receives. Higher scores increase the chances of better search engine results.
Backlinks from high authority sources boost a page’s score.
Choose valuable and relevant backlinks based on the industry or website characteristics. Prioritize the most useful ones.
For some authoritative websites (most govt sites), you will see a DA of 80 or even 90.
Whereas, micro niche sites typically have much lower DA scores.
Generally, I recommend considering websites with a domain authority of 40 or higher as they are considered reputable.
I hope that by now, you have some idea about Domain Authority. What’s next? It’s time to grow your DA score.
How to Improve Your DA Score Effectively and Organically?
Improving your DA score relies heavily on backlinks, which means that off-site strategies such as link building are the most effective approach.
However, it’s important to note that obtaining backlinks is not a simple task, as we have no control over whether or not other websites choose to link to our site.
There is a step-by-step process to it.
Write Stellar Content
Creating top-notch content that naturally garners attention is crucial to get other websites to link back to your site.
In the current time, it is pivotal to create E-E-A-T compliant content. You can achieve this by creating an expert post focusing on specific keywords and ranking well. Your work may be discovered by others in your field and referenced in their content.
If the information is well-known and untraceable, it may be hard to get credit for it.
Write Quality Guest Post
How to write guest posts and boost your Domain authority score?
The hack is to stick to ONE common aim – value creation. The more value you create, the better the chances of getting visible.
High-quality guest on authority blogs – man, that’s a deadly combination! As they say, a quality guest post comes with ‘votes of confidence. This is like virtual endorsements.
So, here is how to start.
Before you actually write the content, get a hang of the publisher’s site. Understand the style tonality and the audience’s expectations.
Do a basic research and identify what type of content is getiitng seen (mostly). This aids you to write better.
Well, first thing first – do a topic research. Figure out what topic is missing in the competitor’s site?
Moreover, you can also apply the skyscraper technique here. It works the following way:
- Figure out the content that gets the most backlinks.
- Now, think of ideas that will help you make it even better.
- Next, contact the webmaster and explain how your updated version can add more value.
Natural Anchor Text Optimization
The search algorithm revolves around ONE common aim – providing optimum user experience.
Anchor text is the clickable part of the hyperlink. Let’s say your anchor text is ‘link building services.’ However, you have been redirected to a page that talks about content marketing.
Does that make sense? Will that come with added value?
So, the trick is to choose an anchor text that is:
- Natural. Seamlessly flows around the content.
- The linked page must be aligned with the anchor text.
- Get rid of using the same anchor text again and again.
Adhering to the best practices and avoiding the worst will give you an undeniable edge over others. When you provide optimum user experience, you will see love coming from Google.
Refrain from link spam
As per Google, any link-building effort that tries to manipulate search engines comes under link spam.
Here is what Google said about link spam:
So, do not indulge in this link spam activities. Rather, try to be meaningful.
Practicing black hat tactics like link farm leads you to search engine penalties. Ultimately, this will negatively impact your domain authority.
End Note
I hope you understand that backlinks and traffic matter in domain authority. I have also shared the best practices that will ease the process.
Feel free to reach out if you want to know more about the same.
Moreover, if you feel the need for expert assistance, opt for a reputed guest posting service.