You’ve put the hours into your website. The content’s there, the products are listed, and you’re showing up in a few searches, yet your competitors keep outranking you, and you can’t quite figure out why. More often than not, the answer comes down to domain authority.
Domain authority is one of the clearest ways to measure how strong your site really is in the eyes of search engines. It reflects the quality of your backlink profile, the trustworthiness of your content, and ultimately how well you’re positioned to rank on Google. If you’re investing in Digital PR or link building, it’s basically the scoreboard that tells you whether your efforts are paying off.
The good news? Domain authority isn’t some mysterious number you have no control over. There are practical, proven ways to improve it. In this article, we’ll cover what domain authority actually means, what counts as a good score, and how to increase domain authority through smart PR and SEO strategy.
Contents
- What Is Domain Authority?
- Why Domain Authority Matters for Digital PR
- How High Authority Backlinks Actually Work
- How to Improve Domain Authority With Digital PR
- The Benefits of Building High Domain Authority
- How to Increase Domain Authority: A Quick Summary
- Domain Authority Is a Long Game (and That’s a Good Thing)
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain authority is a metric developed by Moz that predicts how likely your website is to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s scored on a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores meaning a stronger ability to rank.
Think of it like a credit score for your website. Just as a lender looks at your credit score to decide whether to trust you, Google (in a roundabout way) looks at signals that align closely with domain authority to decide whether your content deserves a top spot. Now, it’s worth saying that domain authority isn’t a direct Google ranking factor. Google has its own internal systems, but Moz’s DA score does a solid job of reflecting the kinds of signals Google cares about, which is why SEO experts use it as a reference point.
What is a good domain authority score?
That depends on your niche, but as a general guide:
- 40 to 50 is average. Most small to mid-sized businesses sit here.
- 50 to 60 is good. You’re competing well in your space.
- 60 and above is excellent. You’re in strong company alongside major publications and established brands.
If you’re a newer site sitting at 20 or 30, don’t panic. Domain authority takes time to build. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and honestly, that’s fine. Everyone starts somewhere. A useful first step is running a competitor audit to see where you stand relative to others in your space. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush can help you benchmark your DA against competitors and identify link gaps.
Why Domain Authority Matters for Digital PR
One of the best ways to measure the impact of your PR efforts is through the quality of backlinks you’re earning. Quality, in this context, means links from sites with high domain authority.
When a reputable publication links to your website, it’s a signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy. It’s like getting a recommendation from someone people already respect. A backlink from the BBC carries far more weight than one from a random blog with twelve readers.
Digital PR is one of the most effective ways to build these high-authority links. It combines storytelling, data, and outreach to land coverage in places that genuinely move the needle for your SEO profile. Not to mention, the knock-on effects go beyond rankings. You build brand awareness, credibility, and trust at the same time.
How High Authority Backlinks Actually Work
You’ve probably noticed URLs embedded within articles as you read the news or browse industry blogs. Those are backlinks. When another site links to yours, it’s essentially vouching for your content.
Not all backlinks are created equal, though. A follow link from a high domain authority site like Forbes, The Guardian, or The Sun passes significantly more value than a link from a low-authority directory. Google weighs the quality of your link profile heavily, and a handful of strong links will outperform hundreds of weak ones almost every time.
This is why press coverage is so valuable. Getting featured in respected media outlets gives you backlinks that are genuinely hard to replicate through other channels. As we discussed on the eCom@One podcast with Christopher Panteli from Linkifi, building relationships with journalists and earning high-authority editorial links is one of the most sustainable ways to grow your site’s authority over time.
How to Improve Domain Authority With Digital PR
So how do you actually get these high domain authority links? Here are some approaches that work.
Nail Your Email Pitch
This might sound obvious, but most outreach fails because the pitch is weak. Research who you’re pitching to. Understand what they write about, what their audience cares about, and what kind of stories they cover. A tailored, well-researched pitch to the right journalist will outperform a generic email sent to 500 people every single time.
Include strong data, relevant stats, and a clear angle in your pitch. Journalists are busy. If you make their job easier, they’re far more likely to respond. Think of it this way: you’re not just asking for coverage, you’re offering them a story worth telling.
Prepare Your Content Thoroughly
If you’re pitching a guest post or providing expert commentary, do the legwork. Give journalists everything they need. Quotes, data points, context, images. The less work they have to do, the more likely your content makes it to publication. Don’t hold back on detail. A half-baked pitch leads to a half-baked result (or more likely, no result at all).
Create Campaigns That Earn Attention
The best Digital PR campaigns are the ones people actually want to share. That means creative angles, original research, or commentary on trending topics. If your campaign sparks curiosity or conversation, journalists will come to you. Newsjacking, where you respond to breaking news or trending stories with expert insight, is a brilliant way to land coverage quickly. It keeps your brand relevant and part of the conversation as it happens.
The Benefits of Building High Domain Authority
Increasing domain authority isn’t another vanity metric – it has real, tangible effects on your business.
Stronger Credibility and Trust
Every high-authority backlink pointing to your site reinforces its credibility. Search engines treat these links as votes of confidence. The more trusted sources linking to you, the more Google sees your site as a reliable destination – and users feel that too. Landing coverage in well-known publications adds a layer of trust that money can’t buy.
Higher Search Engine Rankings
Google considers over 200 ranking factors when deciding where to place your site in search results. Backlinks and content quality are among the most influential. But it’s not just about how many links you have. The quality of those links matters enormously. Links from reputable, high domain authority sources carry more weight and can meaningfully improve your SERP positions.
More Organic Traffic
This one follows naturally. If your backlinks are helping you rank higher, you’re going to see more traffic, but high domain authority coverage also drives referral traffic directly. When someone reads an article on a major news site and clicks through to your website, that’s a qualified visitor who already trusts the source that recommended you. It’s a win on both fronts.
How to Increase Domain Authority: A Quick Summary
If you’re wondering how to increase domain authority in practical terms, here’s what to focus on:
- Build high-quality backlinks through Digital PR, guest posting, and creating link-worthy content.
- Create valuable content that answers real questions your audience is searching for.
- Fix technical SEO issues like broken links, slow page speed, and poor mobile experience.
- Improve your internal linking structure so search engines can crawl and understand your site more effectively.
- Be patient. Domain authority grows over time as your site earns consistent, quality signals.
There’s no shortcut here. Buying links or using spammy tactics might give you a temporary bump, but Google’s algorithm is smarter than that, and the penalties aren’t worth the risk.
Domain Authority Is a Long Game (and That’s a Good Thing)
We’ve seen firsthand how powerful Digital PR can be when it comes to building domain authority. The effects compound over time. Each campaign, each piece of coverage, each quality backlink adds to a foundation that gets stronger with every effort. It’s not a one-off win. It’s momentum.
Through a combination of keyword targeting, creative campaigns, and a clear brand voice, you can build a PR strategy that delivers links, coverage, and genuine audience engagement. The brands that commit to this consistently are the ones that pull ahead.
If you’re looking to improve domain authority and want a team that understands the overlap between PR, content, and SEO, get in touch with us at eComOne. We’d love to chat about how we can help your brand grow.
Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Authority
Is domain authority a Google ranking factor?
How do I check my domain authority score?
What is the difference between domain authority and page authority?
How long does it take to improve domain authority?
Can domain authority go down?
About the Author
Carrianne Dukes
Head of Brand
Carrianne Dukes is Head of Brand at eComOne and a member of the leadership team, where she oversees the agency’s positioning, marketing, and reputation. She leads eComOne’s national events portfolio, global podcast, CSR initiatives, and partnership ecosystem, while also managing and developing her own team. Outside of work, Carrianne has never shied away from a […]
