How to Increase Domain Authority: What Actually Works in 2026

Domain Authority isn’t a Google ranking factor. Google has said this. Moz has said this. I’m saying it too. But here’s the thing: every strategy that raises your DA also happens to improve your actual search rankings. So while you shouldn’t obsess over the number itself, you should absolutely care about the signals behind it.

I’ve helped over 850 clients improve their online presence since 2008. Many of them came to me specifically asking how to increase domain authority. My answer is always the same: stop chasing the metric and start building real authority. The DA number follows. I’ve watched client sites go from DA 5 to DA 45 in under 18 months by focusing on the fundamentals I’m about to share.

This guide covers what actually moves the needle. Not theory. Not vague advice about “creating great content.” Specific strategies with real numbers from sites I’ve worked on.

What is Domain Authority (And What It Actually Measures)

Domain Authority is a score created by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. It runs on a scale from 1 to 100. Higher scores mean a greater ability to rank. That’s it. It’s a prediction tool, not a ranking signal.

Moz calculates DA using over 40 factors, but the biggest one is your backlink profile. How many sites link to you, how authoritative those linking sites are, and how diverse your link sources are. They updated their algorithm significantly in 2019 (DA 2.0) and have continued refining it since. The 2024 update added even more weight to link quality over quantity.

DA vs DR: Know the Difference

Ahrefs has their own version called Domain Rating (DR). They measure similar things but use different methodologies. I’ve seen sites with a DA of 35 show a DR of 55, and vice versa. Neither is “right.” They’re just different calculations.

I track both for my clients, but I use DA as my primary benchmark because more people in the industry understand it. When a potential advertiser asks about your site’s authority, they usually mean Moz DA. When you’re pitching guest posts, editors check DA. It’s become the industry’s common language for site authority.

What DA Can and Can’t Tell You

DA is good at one thing: comparing your site to competitors in your niche. If you’re a food blog with DA 25 competing against sites with DA 60+, you know you have work to do. That competitive context is genuinely useful.

But DA won’t tell you if a specific page will rank. I’ve seen DA 15 sites outrank DA 70 sites for specific keywords because they had better on-page optimization and more relevant content. DA is a domain-level metric. It says nothing about individual page quality. Keep that distinction in mind as you work through these strategies.

Why Domain Authority Matters for Your Site

You might wonder why I’m writing a guide about a metric I just said isn’t a ranking factor. Fair question. DA matters because it’s a proxy for the things that do matter. And it has real, practical impact on your site’s growth.

Competitive Benchmarking

DA gives you a quick snapshot of where you stand. When I start working with a new client, the first thing I check is their DA relative to their top 10 competitors. If they’re at DA 20 and every competitor on page one has DA 50+, I know we need a long-term link building strategy before we’ll see movement on competitive keywords.

One of my e-commerce clients in the fitness niche started at DA 12 in early 2024. Their competitors averaged DA 45. We set a 12-month target of DA 30 and focused entirely on the strategies in this guide. They hit DA 33 by month 14. More importantly, their organic traffic grew 340% in that same period. The DA number itself didn’t cause that traffic growth, but the work behind it absolutely did.

Guest Post Acceptance and Partnership Opportunities

Most serious publications have DA thresholds for accepting guest contributions. Sites with DA under 20 struggle to get published anywhere worthwhile. Once you cross DA 30, doors start opening. At DA 40+, you’ll find that high-authority publications actually respond to your pitches.

I’ve seen this pattern play out hundreds of times. A client’s outreach response rate typically doubles when their DA crosses the 30 mark. Editors use DA as a quick filter. It’s not the only thing they check, but it’s often the first.

Advertiser and Sponsor Interest

If you monetize through sponsored content or display ads, DA directly affects your rates. Brands and agencies use DA to tier their influencer and publisher partnerships. A DA 40 site can charge 3x to 5x more per sponsored post than a DA 15 site. I’ve watched clients increase their sponsored post rates from $200 to $1,200 simply by growing their DA from 18 to 42 over two years.

Content Strategies That Actually Build Authority

Content is the foundation. You can’t build authority on a site with thin, unhelpful pages. But not all content strategies are equal for DA growth. Here’s what I’ve found works best after testing across hundreds of client sites.

Create Link-Worthy Assets First

Most content won’t earn backlinks naturally. Blog posts answering basic questions are useful for traffic but rarely attract links. You need dedicated link-worthy assets: original research, in-depth guides, free tools, or data-driven studies.

I tell every client to create at least one “linkable asset” per quarter. For gauravtiwari.org, my most linked-to content is my hosting comparison data where I run actual speed tests. That single page has earned over 180 referring domains because it contains original data that other writers cite. You need content that gives other creators a reason to reference your site.

The format matters too. I’ve found that pages with original statistics, survey results, or benchmark data earn 5x to 8x more backlinks than standard how-to articles. If you can produce something genuinely original, even on a small scale, you’ll attract links that move your DA.

Build Topical Authority Through Content Clusters

Google’s systems are increasingly rewarding topical depth. And sites with strong topical authority tend to earn more links within their niche. I structure every client’s content around topic clusters: a pillar page covering a broad subject, supported by 15 to 25 detailed posts on related subtopics, all interlinked.

For one SaaS client, we built a topic cluster around “email marketing” with 22 supporting articles. Within 8 months, the pillar page ranked #3 for their primary keyword, and the entire cluster earned 95 referring domains collectively. Their DA went from 28 to 37 during that period. Topical depth signals expertise, and experts attract citations.

Publish Consistently (But Don’t Sacrifice Quality)

I’ve tested publishing frequencies ranging from 1 post per month to 5 posts per week across different client sites. The sweet spot for DA growth is 2 to 4 quality posts per week. Less than that and you’re not building enough indexable content to attract diverse links. More than that and quality usually suffers.

One mistake I see constantly: sites publishing 20 thin articles per month hoping volume will compensate for quality. It won’t. I’d rather see you publish 8 thorough, well-researched articles than 30 pieces of 500-word filler. Google’s helpful content updates in 2023 through 2025 have made this even more true. Thin content actively hurts your site now.

Link Building Strategies for DA Growth

Links are the single biggest factor in DA calculations. If you do nothing else from this guide, focus on this section. I’ve built link profiles for sites across every niche you can think of, and certain approaches consistently outperform others.

Prioritize Quality Over Quantity (With Specific Numbers)

One link from a DA 60+ site is worth more than 50 links from DA 10 sites. I tracked this across 30 client sites over 12 months. Sites that earned 15 to 20 high-quality links (DA 40+) per month saw an average DA increase of 8 points. Sites that earned 100+ low-quality links per month saw an average increase of only 2 points, and some actually dropped.

Here’s my quality threshold: I only count a link as “high quality” if the referring domain has a DA of 30+, the link comes from a relevant page, and the linking site has real organic traffic. If a site has DA 50 but zero traffic, that link is probably from a link farm.

Diversify Your Link Profile

Moz’s algorithm looks at link diversity. If all your links come from one type of source (say, blog comments or directories), your DA won’t move much even with high volume. You want links from a mix of sources.

Here’s the distribution I aim for with clients:

• Editorial mentions and citations from industry publications (30% to 40% of total links)
• Guest contributions on relevant, authoritative sites (20% to 25%)
• Resource page links and curated lists (10% to 15%)
• Digital PR and data-driven mentions (10% to 15%)
• Organic links from people naturally referencing your content (15% to 20%)

That last category grows as your site’s authority increases. It creates a compounding effect where higher DA attracts more natural links, which further increases DA.

Build Links to Inner Pages, Not Just Your Homepage

This is a mistake I see even experienced SEOs make. They build all their links to their homepage. Moz’s DA calculation considers the overall link equity across your entire domain. Sites with links spread across many pages tend to have higher DA than sites with all links pointing to one URL.

I split my link building targets: roughly 40% to the homepage and 60% distributed across key inner pages. For one client in the personal finance space, shifting to this distribution raised their DA from 31 to 39 in just 5 months. Their previous strategy of homepage-only link building had stalled their DA at 31 for over a year.

Anchor Text Distribution That Looks Natural

Your anchor text profile affects both your rankings and how Moz’s algorithm evaluates your links. An unnatural anchor text distribution (like 80% exact-match keywords) can actually suppress your DA because Moz’s algorithm detects manipulation patterns.

I aim for this anchor text breakdown across client sites:

• Branded anchors (“Gaurav Tiwari,” “gauravtiwari.org”): 35% to 40%
• Natural/generic anchors (“click here,” “this guide,” “read more”): 20% to 25%
• Partial match keywords (“WordPress speed tips,” “domain authority guide”): 15% to 20%
• Exact match keywords (“how to increase domain authority”): 5% to 10%
• Naked URLs: 10% to 15%

If your exact match percentage is above 15%, you’re in risky territory. I’ve seen sites lose DA points after Google penalties triggered by aggressive anchor text.

Technical SEO That Supports Authority

Technical SEO won’t directly increase your DA in most cases. But poor technical health can prevent your DA from growing. Think of it as removing friction. If search engines can’t properly crawl and understand your site, even great content and strong links won’t move the needle.

Site Architecture and Crawlability

A clean site architecture helps search engines discover and value all your content. I follow a simple rule: every important page should be reachable within 3 clicks from the homepage. Deeper pages get less crawl attention and pass less link equity internally.

For WordPress sites, I structure things like this: Homepage > Category pages > Individual posts. No orphan pages. No content buried five levels deep. I use a flat-ish architecture that keeps most content within 2 to 3 levels. This ensures link equity flows efficiently across the site, which supports DA growth.

Internal Linking Is Free Link Building

Internal links don’t directly affect DA because they’re not external signals. But they distribute link equity from your high-authority pages to your newer content. This helps newer pages rank faster, which attracts more external links, which does increase DA.

I add 5 to 8 internal links per article on client sites. Every new post links to 3 to 5 relevant older posts, and I go back to update 2 to 3 older posts with links to the new content. This bi-directional linking approach keeps equity flowing throughout the site. On gauravtiwari.org, I audit internal links quarterly and typically find 20 to 30 opportunities I missed.

Page Speed and Core Web Vitals

Fast sites earn more links. Period. Content creators are less likely to link to slow, frustrating pages. And Google’s ranking algorithms factor in page experience, which means slow sites rank lower, get less visibility, and attract fewer natural links.

I target these Core Web Vitals benchmarks for every client site:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): under 2.0 seconds
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): under 150 milliseconds
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): under 0.08

For WordPress sites specifically, I use FlyingPress for caching and Perfmatters for script management. That combination consistently gets sites into the green on all three metrics. One client’s site went from LCP of 4.8 seconds to 1.3 seconds after optimization, and their organic traffic (and subsequently their backlink acquisition rate) increased by 45% in the following quarter.

Fix Broken Links and Crawl Errors

Broken outbound links, 404 errors, and redirect chains all waste crawl budget and leak link equity. I run a monthly crawl audit on every client site using Screaming Frog. A typical audit uncovers 15 to 40 broken links and 5 to 15 redirect chains that need fixing.

One client had 340 broken outbound links accumulated over 6 years of blogging. We fixed them all in a single weekend. Their DA went up 2 points in the next Moz update. Was it directly because of the fixes? Hard to prove definitively. But removing hundreds of signals of neglect certainly didn’t hurt.

Realistic Timeline and Expectations for DA Growth

This is where most guides fall short. They give you strategies but no realistic timeline. After tracking DA growth across hundreds of client sites, I can share what actually happens month by month.

How Fast Can DA Increase?

DA doesn’t update in real-time. Moz recalculates scores roughly once a month, sometimes less frequently. So even if you earn 50 great links today, your DA won’t budge until the next index update.

Here’s what I typically see for sites actively working on authority building:

• Months 1 to 3: Little to no DA movement. Links are being built but haven’t been indexed or credited yet. This is the hardest phase because you’re doing the work without seeing results.
• Months 4 to 6: First noticeable DA jumps, usually 3 to 5 points. Backlinks start appearing in Moz’s index. Momentum is building.
• Months 7 to 12: Steady growth of 1 to 2 points per month if link building is consistent. This is where compounding kicks in because higher DA makes it easier to earn more links.
• Months 13 to 18: Growth starts accelerating. I’ve seen sites gain 10 to 15 DA points in this phase as natural links compound with active building efforts.

For context, gauravtiwari.org started at DA 1 when I first launched it. It took about 3 years of consistent content creation and strategic link building to cross DA 50. That’s not unusual. Authority takes time.

DA Plateaus and How to Break Through

Almost every site hits a plateau. The most common ones are around DA 25 to 30 and DA 45 to 55. These plateaus happen because the DA scale is logarithmic. Going from DA 10 to DA 20 is much easier than going from DA 50 to DA 60. Each additional point requires exponentially more effort.

When a client’s DA plateaus, I look at three things. First, link velocity. Have you slowed down your link acquisition? Consistency matters more than bursts. Second, link quality ceiling. If you’ve been building links from DA 30 sites, you need to level up to DA 50+ sources to break through. Third, toxic links. Sometimes your DA is being held back by spammy links pointing to your site. I use Moz’s Spam Score to identify and disavow these.

One tech blog client was stuck at DA 32 for 8 months. We discovered 180+ spammy links from foreign gambling sites pointing to their domain. After disavowing those links and simultaneously increasing their link quality threshold to DA 40+ sources only, they jumped from DA 32 to DA 41 in 4 months. Sometimes growth isn’t about adding more. It’s about removing what’s holding you back.

Set Honest Goals

I give every new client this framework for goal-setting based on their starting point:

• Starting DA 0 to 10: Target DA 20 to 25 in 12 months
• Starting DA 10 to 25: Target DA 30 to 40 in 12 months
• Starting DA 25 to 40: Target DA 40 to 50 in 12 to 18 months
• Starting DA 40 to 55: Target DA 50 to 60 in 18 to 24 months
• Starting DA 55+: Target 3 to 5 point increase per year

Anyone promising to take you from DA 10 to DA 60 in 6 months is either lying or using tactics that will get your site penalized. Real authority building is a 12 to 24 month commitment minimum.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What to Do Right Now

Check your current DA on Moz’s free Link Explorer tool. Write it down. Then check your top 5 competitors. That gap between your score and theirs is your roadmap.

Pick two strategies from this guide and commit to them for the next 90 days. If your DA is under 20, focus on creating one linkable asset per month and starting a consistent guest posting outreach campaign. If you’re between 20 and 40, shift your focus to earning links from higher-authority sources and building topic clusters that establish genuine expertise.

I’ve watched hundreds of sites grow their authority using exactly these approaches. None of them saw overnight results. All of them saw meaningful, lasting improvement within 6 to 12 months. The sites that succeed are the ones that treat authority building as a habit, not a one-time project. Start today, track your progress monthly, and stay consistent. That’s the entire formula.