Domain Authority is a metric for determining the SEO Value of a specific website. There are 3 factors that go into calculating Domain Authority.
- Age – A new website is typically put in whats called the “Sandbox”. This means it doens’t innitially have much value at first. The older a website/domain name, the better the chance of it having a higher Domain Authority number.
- Popularity – This is calculated by various metrics but essentially means how many notable websites link to your site and articles. Also how often does your content get shared on Social Networks and also what reviews your site might have on review websites.
- Size – Size does matter! A website that has 5 pages isn’t held to the same level as a website with hundreds or thousands of pages. Note: you should have quality content and not junk pages created just for the purpose of trying to increase your Domain Authority.
Why does Domain Authority Matter?
It matters because it is a ranking signal that determines where you end up in the search engines. The higher your Domain Authority, the greater your chance of rising in the search results.
Can you game the system?
The answer is no. Focus on having a website that provides useful information, has a strong code foundation with a clean design, get social and have some patience.
You can learn more about Domain Authority at MOZ which is a great resource for learning about SEO.