Unraveling the High Domain Authority Illusion

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimisation (SEO), it’s super important to stay informed and adapt your strategies to stay ahead of the competition.

As SEO professionals, we all know we are at the mercy of search engines giants such as Google and Bing. After all, what works today may not work tomorrow as algorithms evolve and ranking signals change than yesteryear. 

One of the biggest misconceptions in the SEO industry is that a high domain authority (DA) is the ultimate determinant of ranking well on search engines. After all, there are hundreds of blogs and articles on the web about how to increase your DA in order to rank well in search engines. And it’s no surprise that many online businesses strive for a high domain authority, only to find that it’s not as impactful as they thought it would be. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of domain authority and unravel why it’s not the be-all and end-all of ranking well on search engines. We’ll also look at how combining content and link-building strategies can instead be a recipe for success to improve your rankings, even if you don’t have a high DA, with a real-life success story demonstrating the power of this combined approach. 

The Reality Behind the Myth: High DA Equals High Rankings

DA is a predictive metric developed by Moz, which estimates a website’s ability to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs) based on data from their Link Explorer web index. It uses a machine learning model that determines an estimated score by evaluating and calculating multiple factors, including linking root domains and total numbers of links. Every SEO tool will have a DA alternative that predicts the strength of a website’s backlink profile or its performance. For example, Ahrefs shows Domain Rating while Semrush uses Authority Score. But each SEO software will use their own model and proprietary data to find the ‘best score’ that reflects the strength of the website, or its ability to perform on search engines. This is why every score can be different depending on the SEO tool you are using. 

While it is true that a higher DA often correlates with higher rankings, this isn’t always the case because there are multiple factors and many ranking signals that can influence the site’s ability to rank well in search engines—remember correlation doesn’t imply causation. Even Moz has outright stated in their article on Domain Authority that “Domain Authority is not a Google ranking factor and has no effect on the SERPs”. So instead of solely relying on DA as the one and only true metric, combining your content and link-building strategies can often help you achieve better performance on SERPs, even if your DA is not high.

Combining Content and Link Building Strategies

To maximise your website’s potential and rankings, it can be helpful to create a comprehensive SEO strategy that focuses on both content marketing and link building strategies. Here’s how you can combine these two elements effectively:

1. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content For Users Not Search Engines: Conduct keyword research for identifying content gaps and opportunities, and write content that addresses your target audience’s needs.
2. Create Topic Clusters: Organise your content into topic clusters to make it easy for search engines to understand your site’s structure and relevance to specific subjects. This can lead to better visibility and more opportunities for acquiring high-quality backlinks.
3. Monitor and Analyse Your Backlink Profile: Regularly monitor your backlink profile to identify any toxic links and disavow them. This will help you maintain a healthy backlink profile and avoid any penalties or potential negative impacts on your rankings.
4. Perform Competitor Backlink Analysis: Analyse your competitors’ backlink profiles to identify link-building opportunities. Reach out to websites that link to your competitors’ content and offer your own high-quality content as a valuable alternative.
5. Use Guest Posting Wisely: Write informative guest posts for reputable websites in your niche to gain exposure and valuable backlinks. Ensure that your guest posts are relevant and provide value to the host site’s audience.

In conclusion, the misconception that you need a high DA to rank well is just that – a misconception. Instead, by combining content and link-building strategies effectively, you can improve your website’s performance and rankings, regardless of your current DA. Always remember that ultimately, providing information that speaks to users’ needs and focusing on E- E-A-T is integral for Google and other search engines to prioritise your website in search results.