September 5, 2023

What is Domain Authority and How can I Increase it?

A website’s domain authority score is one aspect used by search engines to determine where your website will rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). Improving it can be a lengthy process, but enlisting the support of an expert SEO agency is a step in the right direction. In this blog, we discuss the benefits of improving your domain authority score and how to go about doing it. 

So what is domain authority and how can you increase it? Domain authority is a number ranking from 1-100 that can impact where your website ranks in SERPs. An excellent domain authority score is anything above 80, however it would take a lot of time and improvements to achieve this, especially on newer websites. 

Read on to find out more about checking your domain authority score and the steps you can take to increase it. 

How Do You Improve Domain Authority?

Domain authority is a metric used in SEO to measure the likelihood of a website ranking in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Although this is not the only factor that improves a website’s chance of ranking higher, it suggests that your website is trustworthy and provides relevant content to the initial search query. This means you should work on improving your domain authority in order to improve organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions. 

Backlinks

Building your backlink profile is one of the best ways to increase your domain’s authority. Starting with identifying your competition is the ideal place to start so you can determine why their site may have a higher domain authority. Using these competitors, you can complete an analysis of their backlinks and identify any that are also relevant to your business. This will give you a good idea of websites that are writing content that is relevant to your niche. 

Once you start to produce high quality content on your website, consider reaching out to these businesses asking for a collaboration and a link to your website. Make sure the content is the highest quality and as useful as it can be so more people want to link to it from their own website. 

Crawlability

If the pages on your website are not crawlable by search engines, they won’t appear in SERPs. This can significantly impact your domain authority. You can check to see if your pages are indexable and crawlable using Google Search Console. Likewise, if you want to learn more about what Google sees when it crawls your site, read our recent blog on the topic.

User Experience

Review your pages from a user experience perspective. If users are not spending a lot of time on your website without completing desired actions (such as converting), this may tell search engines that your site is not providing high quality content. 

Content

Any content on your website will also contribute to your site’s overall domain authority. Ensure it is consistently high quality, includes keywords and it is relevant to your brand, services and products. Learn how to properly optimise content for SEO in our helpful blog.

An expert SEO can help you perform these steps towards improving your domain authority. However, remember that SEO is a long term process so it takes some time to see the desired results, especially if you have a newer website. 

How Can You Check Domain Authority Score?

There are tools available to help you check your domain authority score including SEMRush and Moz. These tools can also be used to help you check out your competitors authority score, backlink profile and the keywords they are targeting. 

These can be complicated and costly if you are not an SEO expert. However, SEO agencies like Wildcat Digital have subscriptions to such tools which we use to your benefit each and every day. If you’re not quite ready to invest in these tools yourself, an SEO agency could be a great option.

Why Should You Improve Domain Authority?

There are many benefits to improving your domain authority, including:

Working on improving your domain authority should become part of your standard SEO plan once you have completed higher priority tasks. Working with an SEO specialist to create and implement this plan can ensure you are focusing on your priorities, identifying the right opportunities for gaining backlinks, and correctly optimising your content. 

Contact Wildcat Digital to start your SEO journey.

Increase your Domain Authority with Wildcat Digital

Improving your domain authority can be a lengthy and difficult process. Our expert SEO team at Wildcat Digital expert can take away the hassle and make sure the right tailored plan is executed properly. Arrange a free consultation today, and we can start your SEO journey together. 

Post by

Em Briddon

Will Hitchmough

Founder

Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.

Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.

Chloe Robinson

Content Strategist Team Lead

With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.

Outside of work, Chloe is an avid creative. If she’s not knitting, you’ll likely find her behind a sewing machine or in the kitchen trying (and often failing!) to make sourdough.

Paul Pennington

SEO Account Director

Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.

Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.

Nadea van der Merwe

Head of Operations

Nadea joined Wildcat in 2021 and has since overhauled the way we work. She has a background in various administrative, operations and HR roles, which gave her the experience and skills needed to lead and organise a growing business. 

Outside of work, Nadea loves anything that keeps her active, but she especially enjoys hiking, camping and mountain biking.

Molly Sturgeon

Senior SEO Account Manager

With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management. 

In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.

Libby Oldale

PPC Team Leader

Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.

Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.

Jasmine Savery

SEO Account Manager

Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Account Manager. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.

In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.

Braden Godley

Senior PPC Executive

Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat. 

Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.

Jon Herdman

Senior SEO Executive

After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online. 

Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music. 

Rachel Davies

Senior SEO Executive

Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side. 

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.

Dariusz Baczyk

Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager

With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.

In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.

Jamie Stowe

Senior SEO Account Manager

With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!

In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.

Andy Blanchard

SEO Executive

Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management. 

Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.

Siena Russell

Client Success Coordinator

Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond. 

Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.

Thea Chapman

Senior SEO Executive

Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go. 

Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening. 

Tom Brookes

PPC Executive

Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media. 

Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.

Rich Ayre

Head of Growth

Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.

Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.

Kezia Humphries

SEO Executive

Kezia joined us in July 2024 after completing a CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing and gaining experience in Content SEO at another Sheffield agency.

In her spare time, Kezia loves to get outdoors, bouldering, hiking and travelling.

Amy Varley

SEO Executive

Amy joined Wildcat in 2024 with a background in journalism, having worked as a News Editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Sheffield Tab. She is naturally interested in Content SEO and research, so will no doubt prove to be a content power-house.

In her spare time, Amy loves watching crime shows, listening to music and hanging out with her dog, Eddie!

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