Domain Authority is a score from 0 to 100, created by Moz, which attempts to show how likely your domain will rank well on any search engine. The closer to 100 your score is, the more likely your domain will rank well on one of the major search networks (Google, Bing, etc.).

An Explanation of the 0 to 100 Domain Authority Score

A score of 0 to 100 for Domain Authority is known as a logarithmic scale. That means improving a score from 10 to 20 will be significantly easier than improving a score from 80 to 90. Therefore, the lower your score, the easier it is to improve. Moz chose to use a logarithmic scale for Domain Authority because logarithmic scoring is closer to how Google does it.

Why is Domain Authority Important

Domain authority is a signal of trust. It would be best if you wanted your website and brand to be as authentic as possible as a business. It is not only an excellent measuring stick to gauge your standing. It can also be a tool to ensure your website is associated with authentic sources.

How Moz Calculates Domain Authority Scores

Moz uses several different metrics to determine your authority score. Some of the metrics they use include:

The number of outbound and inbound external links that your site generates
The total number of connections across your domain
Linking root domains
And more

Where to Find Your Domain Authority

There are several different ways to discover your domain’s authority score. The most typical (and easiest) way to determine your score is to install the MozBar SEO toolbar on your browser. The toolbar will display your current score. Other ways to check in on your score include the Link Explorer from Moz and their API.

Why Did Your Authority Change?

There are several different reasons for Domain Authority to fluctuate. That being said. However, it doesn’t mean that seeing your score fall is any less disconcerting. Some of the most common influences include:

High-authority websites grew their links substantially—these impact scores by skewing the algorithm’s scaling processes.
Inbound links to your domain do not contribute to Google and other search engine ranking algorithms (sites with low authority scores from other search organizations).
A recent crawl of your domain by Moz results in fewer (or more) linking domains than a previous crawl displayed.
Moz hasn’t indexed your recent changes.
Your score is on the lower end of the scale, which, in turn, means that any potential problems have a more significant negative impact on your overall score.

Want to Improve Your Domain Authority? Here’s How:

Domain Authority is complicated. Because of that, it can be challenging to pin down strategies guaranteed to improve your score. However, don’t be discouraged! Moz makes knowing how to change your score challenging to nail down to keep SEO professionals from easily gaming their system. They do this to more accurately parallel how Google and other search engines determine ranking authority. Having an easy-to-influence score would remove the legitimacy of the entire system. However, that does not mean it is impossible or unwise to take a hands-on approach to manage your score. According to Moz, the best way to improve your score is to enhance your site’s SEO. Doing that and focusing on generating/earning high-authority links will positively impact your score.

Is all of This too much? Contact Goldstein Brossard and Have Us Handle Your Domain Authority Woes

Domain Authority is a highly complex system. Understandably, most site owners and web content creators would feel overwhelmed by it. However, don’t let that stop you from building your highest score site. If all this seems too complicated, contact the SEO and Domain Authority experts at Goldstein Brossard!