Check the Domain Authority: The First Step to Smarter Link Building

 If you're serious about improving your website's visibility, ranking higher on search engines, and building a solid online presence, then it's time to get familiar with a simple but powerful SEO concept: domain authority (DA). And the smartest place to begin your journey? Learning how to check the domain authority of your own site and others.

In the world of digital marketing, not all links are created equal. It's not just about how many backlinks your site has—it's about where they're coming from. That's where domain authority comes in, helping you measure the quality of websites and informing your link-building strategy.

This article breaks down what domain authority is, why it matters, and how checking it is your first big move toward smarter link building.

Domain Authority, commonly abbreviated as DA, is a ranking score developed by SEO software companies like Moz. It predicts how well a website is likely to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). The score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores meaning a greater chance of ranking well.

Here's how it works:

  • A new website typically starts with a low DA (1–10).

  • Established websites with lots of traffic and strong backlinks have high DA (70+).

  • Google doesn't use DA directly, but it correlates well with ranking potential.

DA is influenced by:

  • Number of linking root domains (unique websites that link to yours)

  • Quality and relevance of those backlinks

  • Overall SEO health of your site

  • Traffic performance

Backlinks—links from one website to another—are like digital votes of confidence. The more credible and authoritative the sites linking to you, the more trustworthy your site appears to search engines.

Here's how DA factors into your link-building success:

  • Identify Link Opportunities: Focus on getting links from high-DA websites to pass stronger SEO value to your site.

  • Evaluate Backlink Quality: Not all backlinks are helpful. A few high-quality links are better than dozens of spammy ones.

  • Track Progress: As you earn better links, your DA should improve, helping you measure SEO growth.

  • Competitor Analysis: See how your DA compares to similar sites to spot gaps and opportunities.

The good news? You don't need to be a tech expert to check domain authority. Plenty of free and paid tools make this process quick and simple.

Moz pioneered the DA metric, so it's one of the most trusted tools out there.

  • Just enter a domain to see DA, PA (Page Authority), backlinks, and spam score.

  • Offers limited free daily searches.

Ahrefs provides a similar metric called Domain Rating (DR), but it works the same way.

  • Great for in-depth backlink analysis.

  • Useful for advanced users or SEO professionals.

This free tool from Neil Patel gives DA and SEO audit insights.

  • Beginner-friendly with helpful visuals.

  • Free plan offers limited daily checks.

A completely free DA checker with additional SEO functions like plagiarism and grammar checkers.

Offers bulk domain authority checking along with other tools like backlink checker and keyword analyzer.

There's no perfect schedule, but here are some ideal times to run a check:

  • Before Outreach: When reaching out to blogs for guest posting or link exchange, check their DA first.

  • During Competitor Research: See how your site compares to top-ranking competitors.

  • After Link-Building Campaigns: Measure improvement in your score.

  • Monthly SEO Reviews: Keep track of growth over time.

Once you've checked your domain authority and that of other websites, it's time to use that data smartly:

Prioritize outreach to websites with a DA higher than yours. This boosts your credibility and passes on more link equity.

Linking from or to low-DA or spammy sites can hurt your SEO. Use DA scores to steer clear of bad link neighborhoods.

Keep an eye on the sites linking back to you. Use tools to ensure they are reputable.

Get backlinks from different types of sites: blogs, forums, news sites, industry directories, and guest posts.

Create content worth sharing—infographics, guides, videos, and statistics—and let people link to you naturally.

To check domain and page authority is more than just an SEO task—it's a strategy-defining step in your digital marketing journey. It helps you evaluate where your site stands, what improvements to make, and how to build stronger, more valuable backlinks that actually move the needle.

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