Table of Contents

1. What Is Moz Domain Authority?

    

2. How Moz Calculates Domain Authority

    

3. Common Myths About Domain Authority

    

4. Why Increasing DA Takes Time

    

5. Build a Strong Technical SEO Foundation

    

6. Create Content That Earns Links Naturally

    

7. Improve Internal Linking Structure

    

8. Remove Toxic and Low-Quality Backlinks

    

9. Earn High-Quality Backlinks (The Right Way)

    

10. Content Promotion That Actually Works

     

11. Improve User Experience and Site Trust

     

12. Optimize for Brand Signals

     

13. Track Progress the Smart Way

     

14. Realistic Examples of DA Growth

     

15. Mistakes That Hurt Domain Authority

     

16. Final Thoughts: Focus on Authority, Not Just DA

     

1. What Is Moz Domain Authority?

Moz Domain Authority is a predictive metric developed by Moz that estimates how likely a website is to rank in search engine results compared to other sites. DA is scored on a scale from 1 to 100, where higher scores indicate stronger ranking potential.

Key points to understand:

• DA is comparative, not absolute

   

• It is best used to compare your site with competitors

   

• A DA of 30 can be excellent in some niches

   

• A DA of 80 is usually achieved by very strong, well-known sites

   

DA does not measure traffic, sales, or Google rankings directly. Instead, it reflects overall domain strength—mainly influenced by link quality and authority.

2. How Moz Calculates Domain Authority

Moz uses machine learning models that analyze thousands of search results to determine which link signals best predict rankings. Some of the main factors include:

• Number of linking root domains

   

• Quality and authority of backlinks

   

• Link diversity

   

• Spam signals

   

• Overall link profile strength

   

Important note: Moz updates its DA algorithm regularly, so your score may fluctuate even if you didn’t change anything on your site.

3. Common Myths About Domain Authority

Before learning how to increase DA, it’s critical to clear up common misunderstandings.

Myth 1: DA Is a Google Ranking Factor

It is not. Google does not use Moz DA.

Myth 2: More Backlinks Always Increase DA

Low-quality or spammy links can actually harm your authority.

Myth 3: DA Can Be Increased Quickly

Sustainable DA growth takes months, not days or weeks.

Myth 4: DA Matters More Than Content

Great content is the foundation of authority. DA follows quality, not the other way around.

4. Why Increasing DA Takes Time

Moz Domain Authority grows slowly because it reflects trust. Just like real-world reputation, trust is earned over time.

Reasons DA growth is slow:

• High-authority links are hard to get

   

• Moz recalculates scores periodically

   

• Competitive niches require more effort

   

• Old spam signals can take time to fade

   

If someone promises to increase your DA by 20 points in a week, they’re likely using risky tactics that won’t last.

5. Build a Strong Technical SEO Foundation

You cannot build authority on a broken website.

Key Technical Areas to Fix:

• Ensure your site is crawlable and indexable

   

• Fix 404 and 5xx errors

   

• Use HTTPS

   

• Optimize site speed

   

• Ensure mobile responsiveness

   

• Fix duplicate content and canonical issues

   

Example:
If your site has hundreds of broken internal links or pages blocked by robots.txt, search engines and link partners will see it as unreliable—reducing your perceived authority.

6. Create Content That Earns Links Naturally

The strongest DA growth comes from earned links, not built links.

Content Types That Attract Links:

• In-depth guides and tutorials

   

• Original research and data

   

• Case studies

   

• Statistics pages

   

• Comparison articles

   

• Problem-solving content

   

Example:

Instead of writing:

“SEO Tips for Beginners”

Write:

“A Step-by-Step SEO Checklist for New Websites (With Real Examples)”

The second version provides more value, making it easier for other sites to reference and link to.

7. Improve Internal Linking Structure

Internal links don’t increase DA directly, but they strengthen your site’s authority flow, making external links more effective.

Best Practices:

• Link from high-authority pages to important pages

   

• Use descriptive anchor text naturally

   

• Avoid excessive links on one page

   

• Create topic clusters

   

Example:
If your blog post earns backlinks, internally link it to related service pages or cornerstone content. This distributes authority across your site.

8. Remove Toxic and Low-Quality Backlinks

Not all links help. Some hurt.

Signs of Toxic Links:

• Links from spammy directories

   

• Auto-generated sites

   

• Irrelevant foreign-language sites

   

• Sites with no real content

   

• Paid links without disclosure

   

What to Do:

• Audit your backlink profile regularly

   

• Contact site owners to remove bad links (if possible)

   

• Use disavow files carefully when needed

   

Cleaning your link profile won’t instantly raise DA, but it prevents long-term damage.

9. Earn High-Quality Backlinks (The Right Way)

This is the most important part of increasing DA.

Ethical Link-Building Strategies:

Guest Posting (Quality Over Quantity)

Write for authoritative, niche-relevant sites. Focus on value, not just links.

Digital PR

Share insights, opinions, or data that journalists and bloggers want to reference.

Resource Link Building

Create resources people naturally want to cite.

Broken Link Building

Find broken links on relevant sites and suggest your content as a replacement.

Partnerships and Mentions

Collaborate with real businesses, bloggers, and creators in your industry.

Example:
A single backlink from a trusted, relevant site can be more powerful than 50 low-quality links.

10. Content Promotion That Actually Works

Publishing content alone is not enough.

Smart Promotion Channels:

• Email outreach to relevant bloggers

   

• Sharing insights on social platforms

   

• Community participation (forums, Q&A sites)

   

• Repurposing content into visuals or summaries

   

Promotion increases visibility, which increases the chance of earning natural backlinks.

11. Improve User Experience and Site Trust

While DA is link-focused, trust signals matter.

Improve Trust By:

• Clear About, Contact, and Privacy pages

   

• Real author bios

   

• Updated content

   

• Secure website

   

• Professional design

   

Sites that look credible attract more organic mentions and links over time.

12. Optimize for Brand Signals

Brand authority indirectly supports DA growth.

How to Build Brand Signals:

• Be consistent across platforms

   

• Encourage branded searches

   

• Get mentioned without links

   

• Publish expert-level content

   

As your brand becomes recognizable, other sites are more likely to reference you naturally.

13. Track Progress the Smart Way

Do not obsess over daily DA changes.

What to Monitor Instead:

• Growth in referring domains

   

• Quality of backlinks

   

• Organic traffic trends

   

• Keyword visibility

   

• Content performance

   

Use DA as a benchmark, not a KPI.

14. Realistic Examples of DA Growth

Example 1: New Blog

• Starting DA: 5

   

• Strategy: High-quality content + guest posts

   

• Time: 8–10 months

   

• Result: DA 20–25

   

Example 2: Service Website

• Starting DA: 18

   

• Strategy: Content upgrades + digital PR

   

• Time: 12 months

   

• Result: DA 35–40

   

Example 3: Authority Site

• Starting DA: 45

   

• Strategy: Research content + mentions

   

• Time: 1–2 years

   

• Result: DA 60+

   

Notice how progress slows as DA increases.

15. Mistakes That Hurt Domain Authority

Avoid these common errors:

• Buying cheap backlinks

   

• Overusing exact-match anchor text

   

• Publishing thin content

   

• Ignoring technical SEO

   

• Chasing DA instead of real authority

   

Short-term gains often lead to long-term losses.