You’ve been putting in the work, writing blog posts, optimizing your website, making sure your business shows up on Google. But you’re still getting outranked by competitors who seem to do half the work you do. Sound familiar?
One factor that often gets overlooked is domain authority. It’s not a magic number, but it is a useful indicator of how competitive your website is in search, and improving it doesn’t require an expensive SEO tool or a big agency budget. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Domain Authority and How Is It Measured?
Domain Authority (DA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how likely your website is to rank in search engine results. It runs on a scale of 1 to 100, the higher the score, the more competitive your site is.
It’s important to understand that DA is not an official Google ranking factor. It’s a third-party metric, not something Google uses directly in its algorithm. Think of it as a useful benchmark, a way to measure your site’s credibility compared to competitors, not a score you’re trying to hit for its own sake.
DA is primarily determined by the number and quality of websites that link back to yours (called backlinks), as well as your overall site structure and the trustworthiness of your content. You can check your current DA for free using tools like Moz’s Link Explorer or the free version of Ubersuggest.
Why Is Domain Authority Important for Small Businesses?
As a small business, you’re competing against companies that have been online far longer than you, some with massive marketing budgets and teams of SEO specialists. Domain authority helps level the playing field by giving you a clear picture of where you stand and what it’ll take to outrank the competition in your niche.
A higher DA means search engines view your site as more credible, which can lead to better rankings, more organic traffic, and ultimately more customers finding you without you having to pay for ads. For local businesses in competitive markets, even a modest improvement in DA can make a real difference in visibility.
The good news? You don’t need a $500/month SEO platform to improve it. The strategies that move the needle most are ones any small business can execute with free tools and consistent effort.
How Long Does It Take to Increase Domain Authority?
Let’s be upfront: improving your domain authority is a long game. Most websites see meaningful movement over a period of three to six months of consistent effort, though results vary based on your starting DA, your industry, and how actively you’re building links and creating content.
If you’re starting from a DA of 1–10, small wins can come relatively quickly. If you’re trying to jump from 30 to 50, that’s a more competitive climb that takes sustained work. The key is to focus on the right actions consistently rather than looking for shortcuts, many of which can actually hurt your score.
5 Proven Ways to Improve Your Domain Authority (Using Free Resources)
1. Earn Quality Backlinks
Backlinks, links from other websites pointing to yours, are the single biggest driver of domain authority. Not all backlinks are equal, though. One link from a reputable local news site or an industry association is worth far more than ten links from low-quality directories.
Free ways to start earning backlinks include getting listed in your local Chamber of Commerce, reaching out to local bloggers or journalists who cover your industry, writing guest posts for related websites, and making sure your Google Business Profile is complete and linking to your site.
2. Create Content Worth Linking To
The most sustainable backlink strategy is simply creating content that people want to reference. Think helpful how-to guides, local resources, FAQs, or original data about your industry. When other sites link to your content naturally, Google takes notice.
You don’t need to publish daily. One genuinely useful, well-written piece per month is far more effective than five thin posts that don’t answer real questions.
3. Audit and Remove Toxic Links
Bad backlinks from spammy or irrelevant sites can drag your DA down. Use Google Search Console (which is free) to review your backlink profile and identify any suspicious links. If you find low-quality links pointing to your site, you can request their removal or use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore them.
4. Strengthen Your Internal Linking
Internal links, links between pages on your own website, help spread authority across your site and make it easier for search engines to crawl and understand your content. Make sure your most important pages (services, contact, key blog posts) are linked from multiple places on your site, not buried and forgotten.
This is a quick win that costs nothing and is often overlooked by small business websites.
5. Get Listed in Free Local Directories
Local business directories are an easy, free source of credible backlinks. Make sure your business is listed, with consistent name, address, and phone number, on platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, and any industry-specific directories relevant to your field. Consistency across listings signals trustworthiness to search engines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I increase domain authority?
Focus on earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, creating helpful content, strengthening your internal linking, removing toxic links, and getting listed in relevant directories. Consistency over time is what moves the needle, not quick fixes.
Why is domain authority important?
Domain authority is a useful benchmark for understanding how competitive your website is compared to others in your space. A higher DA generally correlates with better search rankings and more organic traffic, which means more potential customers finding your business without paid ads.
How long does it take to increase domain authority?
Most businesses see meaningful improvement over three to six months of consistent effort. The timeline depends on your starting score, your industry competition, and how actively you’re building links and publishing content. It’s a long-term investment, but one that pays off with sustainable, non-paid traffic.
Improving your domain authority takes the right strategy, and we’re here to help. Green House helps small businesses like yours build an online presence that ranks. Ready to grow?
