Google’s algorithm considers many aspects of a website when deciding how to rank it on search engine results pages (SERPs). Previously, I explained why it’s important to publish regularly to rank highly on Google. In this post, I explore a predictive tool for SEO – domain authority. While it isn’t part of Google’s algorithm, knowing your website’s domain authority can help you manage SEO and navigate Google more effectively.

What is domain authority?

Domain authority is a numerical score developed by Moz. Machine learning models analyze a website and come up with a score. The score shows how likely a website is to show up in search results. The score ranges from one to 100 with 100 being the most likely to be in SERPs.

As Moz explains, the goal is not to get a domain authority of 100. Even Amazon doesn’t have that! To get perspective on where your score should be, it’s helpful to compare to your direct competitors instead.

How do I find my score?

You can find details about your domain authority score in a few places.

Ubersuggest

On Ubersuggest, you enter your domain and get so much information. Click “Traffic Overview” to see your domain authority score at the top. There’s also a section that lists backlinks from other websites to yours. (More on that below!)

Moz

Moz, the company that developed domain authority, has a free Domain SEO Analysis Tool. Simply enter your domain and get the results. One of my favorite things about this tool is that it shows you all the places your website is backlinked.

How do I improve my domain authority?

Moz calculates domain authority based on a number of factors that periodically change. The most effective way to improve your score is to get backlinks on reputable websites. (I bet you thought I was going to say blogging.)

What does this mean for wedding vendors? Try 

• Publishing work in wedding magazines
• Getting featured in newspapers (This might sound odd in 2022, but Tia’s feature in the New York Times was great for their domain authority!)
• Being a guest on another blog or podcast

If this all sounds a little overwhelming, don’t stress it too much. Remember that domain authority is a predictive tool, not part of Google’s algorithm. There’s plenty you can do to improve your SEO without trying to drum up tons of backlinks. 

The most effective tactic to improve your SEO is to blog regularly. If you’re interested in outsourcing your blogging, I’d love to talk more about how House of Nash can help! Reach out today.