Does DA/DR Impact Your Website’s Rankings In SERPs?
DA scores or domain ratings are two of the topics of debate. So, does it impact your website’s ranks at all?
Domain score, DA PA score—call it whatever you will. It’s one of the metrics that many SEO experts debate over and contemplate. They also spend a lot of time trying to increase their site’s DA scores to a respectable number.
Now, if you look at some well-known websites, their DA scores are well into the 90s. This means they are kings of their domains and seldom do any other website outrank them. So, why’s there a debate that it’s not important?
And, if an argument says Google doesn’t consider it, why do SEO experts hail it as one of the necessary engagements? For that, we must understand what DA scores are if Google considers them and how can you find & improve your site’s DA scores. So, let’s begin.
What Is Domain Authority/Domain Rating?
Domain Authority is a metric used to measure the authority of a website. It reflects how well-established and respected a site is in the eyes of search engines. In other words, it is the number that reveals how much trust or credibility a domain has—including its chances of ranking on Google SERPs.
A domain rating above 50 means that it has been determined that the domain can be trusted. On the contrary, a Domain Rating of 30 or below means it may not be trustworthy. Or if it features a lot of spam, broken interlinks, or orphaned pages.
Does Google Identify DA as A Ranking Factor?
Google doesn’t identify DA as a ranking factor for its own algorithms. In 2019, John Mueller, a webmaster Trend Analyst at Google, debunked the theory that Google considers DA scores a viable way to judge a website.
Google’s algorithms are designed to find quality websites with informative content and good backlinks. But, that’s the operative term: “quality websites with informative content and good backlinks.” Why is that? Because that’s precisely what DA scores identify
Therefore, treating DA scores as a measurement to determine how likely your website is to find higher ranks in SERPs (search engine result pages) is more adequate.
Why Is DA/DR Important?
Domain authority or DR scores are essential in the SEO world today. While Google may not directly recognize it, it’s a viable way of telling how worthy a website is of ranking higher in the SERPs. There’s an easier way to explain the importance of DA/DR.
It’s a measurement tool for a website’s likeliness of ranking higher, but how does that work? Here are a few things to remember:
- Websites with 30 or lower DA scores tend to rank lower in SERP
- Websites with 40-60 DA scores are usually making an appearance or two on the first page of SERP
- Websites with 60 and above DA scores are the ones that lead SERP results, i.e., the top 5-10 results
That’s why DA/DR is critical, as it’ll help you measure the chances of a website ranking higher. And it’ll also help you recognize other viable websites for backlinking.
How Do You Check DA Scores?
Checking DA & PA Scores is a straightforward affair. All you need is a tool and an understanding of what you’re looking for. Here is how:
· Find A DA Checker
A DA checker is a tool that allows you to check the score of your domain. In order to check DA PA, you need a dependable tool, such as this:
While it’s optional that you pick something that offers more than one URL checking at a time, finding one will allow you to analyze more than one page.
· Check Your DA PA
Pick a DA PA checker and paste your desired URL/domain URL and allow the tool to check its authority. Then, you’ll see something like this:
As seen here, the PA score is 72, while the domain authority is an impressive 93. Besides those two, you see spam score (SS) and MR (Moz rating). This will allow you to understand where your website stands regarding DA & PA scores.
How To Increase DA/DR?
Increasing DA/DR isn’t something you can do overnight, as it takes time, patience, and understanding of critical technical aspects of SEO. But, to keep it simple, here are four essential practices employed by SEO experts to increase DA/DR:
· Acquire Quality Backlinks
Quality backlinks are akin to a vote of confidence from a higher DA website to yours. That’s why you need to acquire quality backlinks, which will significantly boost your SERP ranks.
· Improve Page Loading Speeds
A website that loads well is also a key factor, as it’ll reduce bounce rates and improve user experience and journey. So, you need to optimize your website for better loading speeds.
· Mobile Optimizations
Mobile phone optimization is yet another vital aspect of your SERP rank. And ensuring your domain works seamlessly on hand-held devices will also improve user experience.
On top of that, a majority of website visitors today are from mobile phones, too, so your domain needs that inbound traffic.
· Rid Your Site Of Zombie Pages
Zombie or orphaned pages are the kinds that aren’t interlinked with any other pages in your domain. They are one of the major culprits of low DA score websites. Therefore, either remove those pages or interlink them with other pages in your domain.
Conclusion
This is why DA/DA is essential in analyzing a website’s likeliness of ranking higher in SERPs. While they may not be officially from Google, they do play a vital role. On top of that, the factors we mentioned lastly will help you elevate your website’s domain authority.
