What factors contribute to high on-page SEO results (but low domain authority)?

Today’s Ask SEO question comes from Sommer, who asks:

What can contribute to high on-page SEO results but low domain authority?

Today, we’ll dive into a topic that many website owners find confusing: the relationship between on-page SEO results and domain authority.

As you know, on-page SEO is all about optimizing individual websites with the goal of achieving higher rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attracting relevant traffic.

On the other hand, domain authority is a term that commonly measures the overall authority of a site based on backlinks.

What is a domain authority?

A domain authority should only be used when referring to Moz devices.

What I refer to as link authority measures the overall credibility and authority of a website in the eyes of search engines based on various factors such as the quality and quantity of inbound links, website age and online presence.

In addition to Moz, several tools — including Ahrefs, Majestic, Semrush, and others — can help measure your link authority.

High on-page SEO results with low link authority

What happens when a website has a high on-page SEO score but low link authority?

If a website is new, it may take time to build link authority, which can hamper overall results.

Likewise, if a website has limited backlinks or poor quality backlinks, it can struggle to achieve a high Link Authority score, even if the on-page SEO is strong.

Those in the industry can struggle to build link authority without a consistent link building strategy.

Some industries have fewer websites and less competition, making it easier to get a high on-page SEO score.

However, this may not necessarily translate into a higher link authority score.

With fewer websites in a given niche, there may be fewer opportunities for backlinks, which can hamper a website’s link authority.

Content strategy and link authority.

Also, the content strategy of the website is crucial in building link authority.

A comprehensive content strategy that includes regular blog posts, long-form content, and other valuable resources can help build authority and attract inbound links.

A website with limited content may struggle to build link authority, even if the on-page SEO is strong.

Social media and link authority

Social media can contribute to a website’s link authority.

A strong social media presence can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to the website and earn backlinks from other websites.

Conversely, if a website has little-to-no social media presence, building link authority can be challenging.

Bottom line

So what’s the point?

While on-page SEO and link authority are closely related, they are distinct.

A website can have a high on-page SEO score but have low link authority due to several factors such as limited backlinks, poor quality backlinks, being in a niche industry, limited content, and lack of social media presence.

To achieve high on-page SEO and link authority, a website needs a comprehensive SEO strategy that includes both on-page and off-page optimization and a strong content strategy and social media presence.

By focusing on these things, website owners can improve their online presence and search engine rankings.

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