“Domain authority” is a way of measuring how well a website will rank on search engines.
This metric exists because simply creating content, (even if it’s excellent content), and stuffing it with relevant keywords is not enough to get noticed on the web any more.
As all digital marketers know, Google has a comprehensive and sophisticated system when it comes to ranking websites.
When generating search results, Google looks at both keywords and domain authority. For example, Macy’s ranks higher for the long tail keyword, “best linen table cloth,” than a smaller table cloth company that specializes in linens.
Why? Even though that niche table cloth company may be targeting the same keyword, it will still rank lower because it has less domain authority than Macy’s.
If this sounds like a problem your business has faced, keep reading. In this blog post, I’ll share a few key ways to increase your domain authority so you can get a leg up on the competition.
How To Increase My Domain Authority
Try to think of Google as a recruiter who is looking for the best and most qualified candidate for a client. The searcher is her client and your website, along with all your competitors’ websites, are potential candidates.
What sets a candidate apart from the rest is the strength of his/her resume. In this analogy, your resume is your domain authority.
A good resume needs to be comprehensive (high quality content), include excellent references (inbound links), examples of your work (outbound links), and have an attractive presentation (UX and UI).
The recruiter will only recommend candidates who are strong in all of the areas mentioned. So if you need to improve your domain authority, you’ll need to spend some time optimizing each of the following areas of your website.
Quality Content
Producing high quality content should be at the core of your SEO strategy, as it’s something Google focuses on. Each of the updates Google has gone through over the years have prioritized promoting content of the highest quality to searchers.
What do we mean by “high quality”? Quality content is the most relevant to searchers’ inquiries; it’s not spammy and it’s not just stuffed with keywords.
Do keyword research and buyer insight reporting to really get into your buyers’ heads, then craft long form content that speaks directly to their needs. This is the type of quality Google is looking for.
Inbound Links
Similar to checking references in an interview process, Google relies on inbound links to establish credibility. No one is going to trust a candidate if he/she has poor references.
In the case of domain authority, Google will not prioritize your content if all of your inbound links are from irrelevant sources, or spammy websites. So instead of paying for sketchy backlinks, work on getting more inbound links from authoritative websites.
Outbound Links
Not only do you need to be intentional with the inbound links your website receives, you also need to put some thought into the outbound links you have on your site.
Make sure that when you link to an external website, you’re linking to an authoritative page. We recommend using a tool like Moz’s Open Site Explorer to look for link-building opportunities. With this tool, you can type in any website’s URL to get a domain authority score.
UI and UX
If you’re publishing the best content on the internet, but there isn’t an easy way for users to find their way around your website, it’s all pointless.
With poor UI and UX, visitors are more likely to quickly leave your website, and Google avoids sites with high bounce rates. To protect your site from getting a reputation as spam, make sure it has a well-defined structure and navigational system for visitors.
SEE ALSO: 8 Tips to Improving Your Website’s User Experience
Aside from these four main factors, it is also important to stay up to speed with the latest advancements in Google’s search algorithms. For example, in 2015 Google began penalizing websites that weren’t mobile friendly.
Not sure how exactly to implement each of these four steps? Need help making sure your website gets more Google love?
For more information about domain authority and SEO, contact EYEMAGINE today for a consultation. Our marketing and eCommerce experts are standing by to lend a helpful hand.
