iMedia AgencyFebruary 15 20223 minutes reading time
When you get started with SEO, or search engine optimization, you automatically deal with domain authority, abbreviated as DA. This concept represents the value of a specific internet domain. The authority of a domain is given on a scale of 1 to 100 and the higher this number, the better a company is doing. Various factors influence this value and can ensure higher visibility and findability. What exactly is domain authority, how is it determined and how can you influence the authority of your company?
What exactly is domain authority?
The authority of a domain is therefore given on a scale of 1 to 100 and is assigned by Google to all websites. Based on this, the most relevant search results are shown for a search. Various factors play a role in this assessment, including content, a good one internal link structure and meta title and description and mobile friendliness.
The founder of the concept of domain authority is the American company MOZ, which established the scale to assign a value to a domain. The higher the score, the higher a website will rank in the search results on Google.
Various criteria contribute to assessing the value of a website, including:
The domain is optimal for search engines and follows the SEO Guidelines. These guidelines are regularly updated, so it is expected that a website will follow suit.
A website must have a good navigation structure.
A website should not have links that no longer work or non relevant are. This negatively affects the value of the site. A website must therefore be in order and links must be checked regularly.
The more often a domain is shared by external websites, the higher the authority of this domain. This can be done, for example, by publishing a blog with articles that other websites also refer to.
How longer a domain is active, the higher the authority score is. However, it must also meet the other conditions.
The value of a website is determined in various ways, but the domain authority quickly provides insight into the quality. That is why it is also important for companies to focus on this. However, this does not say everything about the findability and quality of content. Every system obviously has its shortcomings.
How high should my domain authority be?
It is not realistic to aim for an authority of 100. It is important for every website to have a higher DA than the direct competitors. This means that for specific searches you are higher in the search results than these competitors. You want to be easy to find for the search terms that are important to your company.
How can you influence the DA?
You can also influence the authority of your domain, giving you a higher score in a certain area and making you more discoverable potential customers. Google recognizes authority in websites linked to by other websites. After all, these websites refer to your site because of the valid information stated on it. It is therefore important that companies recognize a certain value in the addition of your website, so that they will point customers to it.
To increase your authority, it is important to have strong external links. This is all encompassed in the term linkbuildingand can lead to you being at the top of the search results.
