There has been a lot of discussion over domain authority so it only makes sense that I discuss DA and its relevance to ranking websites higher within the SERP’s. It is a metric by MOZ and is defined as…
“Domain Authority represents Moz’s best prediction for how a website will perform in search engine rankings.â€
Essentially, it’s the value given to a domain and its ranking power. This means any link created on a high authority domain adds more value to any given page. The goal for every blogger should be to gain links from domains with high DA. Before continuing, here are a few things to understand about domain authority…
There are many factors that will influence domain authority and it’s hard to pinpoint which ones have the most effect on the number. Next, it’s a metric that can’t be influenced directly and you’ll have to use strategic techniques to influence your DA number. Unlike being able to change your page title and meta tags, you can’t influence DA by simple logging into your blogging platform and making a change. You have to work hard and research what’s important when building value and target those websites going forward.
Let’s get started…
Content People Link To
This is the most important because without high value content, you won’t be able to get those high value links from other domains. The goal should be to attract links from websites with a high domain authority because more value is transferred to your page. For example, you’re better off getting a links from a website with a DA45 compared to one that has a DA10 because you’re getting way more value. Google’s whole algorithm is built on value and relevance, so focus on this elements when building links or writing content.
It’s been proven that writing high value content can generate enormous traffic to your blog, which increases the chance of getting links to your page. Some of this traffic can be from other bloggers with a high DA, who will use your content as reference for their readers. A simple link back can generate a huge boost within the SERP’s. Next,
If you’re building links manually, then focus on article directories that are credible and have a high domain authority as it will add more value to your page.
SEO is in Place
Whenever you build pages or write content, make sure you have the right elements in place so when you’re being indexed, Google knows what your content is about. Make sure you have the right title, description, keywords, and other elements setup so when people link back to your content, everything stays relevant. No point in having an anchor text “link building strategies†pointing to a page that doesn’t reference this keyword. Moz explains…
“You need to improve your overall SEO, and that includes all the details that SEOs know and love — site structure, navigability, breadcrumbs, URL structure, meta tags, header tags, word count, keywords, alt tags, etc. SEO and content marketing require one another.â€
To ensure it’s done correctly, make sure you do your keyword research before writing content and complete the SEO elements relevant to your page before publishing. If you wait ‘til later, you might forget!
Use Google Disavow
Sometimes you’re going to have links to your website from low quality websites that hurt your rankings within the SERP’s. Google knows this, so they have provided an awesome tool to remove unwanted backlinks from your profile. Google Disavow tool is accessible through your GWT account and can easily be updated to include URL’s that provide NO value to your page. The key is to keep an eye on your external profile going through every one of the websites that link back to your website. Use tools like OpenSiteExplorer.org to study the DA of those websites and remove the ones with a poor profile. Why is this so important?
A poor quality website will devalue your website and will be considered SPAM. Google is a great search engine, but it doesn’t know how to tell when someone is building links to their own website, which normally is the case when SPAMMY links appear in their profile. Access GWT and go through your list of websites, eliminating the ones that are irrelevant and provide no value to your “target†website.
Internal Linking Structure
There are many benefits to a solid internal linking structure, including increasing your DA over time. How? This metric takes into consideration the value you provide to readers and how often you link to other value content. This can be both external and internal, so make use of other relevant content you have on your website and link to it for your readers. Internal linking is very powerful in the sense it benefits the owner, readers, and search engines because it provides a win-win situation for everyone. For example, a blog owner will enjoy higher engagement on their blog and visitors will find the information they need. Search engines can index more quickly, following the linking pattern throughout your blog.
In the end, it’s important to keep a constant flow of new content published on your blog because the more content, the more internal links you can build throughout your website.
Patience
Rome wasn’t built overnight and your DA won’t increase overnight either. Start implementing these strategies and be patient until everything is indexed correctly, etc. The important thing is to not lose motivation and stay focused so you steer your blog in the right direction. If you’ve published valuable content and built an internal structure that is solid, then your DA number will experience a positive bump up.