How to Audit Your Website to Improve Domain Authority

Improving Domain Authority (DA) doesn’t happen by chance — it requires a clear view of your current standing and a plan for fixing what’s holding you back.

A website audit helps you:

•   Identify weak points in your content and backlink profile
•   Improve technical and on-page SEO
•   Boost trust, usability, and crawlability
•   Create a roadmap for consistent DA growth

This guide walks you through a step-by-step DA-focused audit process for your website.

Why You Need a Website Audit for DA Growth

DA is based on a combination of:

•   Backlink quality and quantity
•   Internal link structure
•   Page and domain-level authority
•   Technical SEO health
•   Content depth and relevance

Without a full audit, you’re guessing. With an audit, you’re making data-backed decisions that Google — and your visitors — appreciate.

Step 1 – Check Your Current Domain Authority and Metrics

Start by gathering these benchmarks:

•   Moz: Domain Authority (DA), Page Authority (PA), Spam Score
•   Ahrefs/SEMrush: Domain Rating, Referring Domains, Anchor Text Ratio
•   Google Search Console: Coverage, Mobile Usability, Manual Actions
•   Site Speed Tools: Core Web Vitals via PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix

Create a spreadsheet to track:

•   DA score now
•   Number of quality backlinks
•   Broken or toxic links
•   Crawl errors
•   Most linked-to pages

Step 2 – Audit Your Backlink Profile

High-quality backlinks are the biggest DA driver.

Check:

•   Total referring domains
•   Dofollow vs. nofollow ratio
•   Anchor text diversity
•   Spammy or irrelevant domains
•   Broken or lost links

Use:

•   Moz Link Explorer
•   Ahrefs Backlink Audit
•   SEMrush Toxic Score tool

Action:
Remove Toxic Backlinks
and pursue new authority links via guest blogging or HARO.

Step 3 – Review Internal Linking and Site Structure

Strong internal links pass page-level authority throughout your domain.

Check:

•   Whether important pages are being linked internally
•   Orphan pages (with no internal links)
•   Anchor text variation
•   Depth from homepage (clicks to reach a page)

Use tools like:

•   Screaming Frog
•   Ahrefs Site Audit
•   SEO Site Checkup

Action:
Build a Strong Internal Linking Strategy

Step 4 – Evaluate Content for Linkability and Relevance

Content that earns links naturally is:

•   Comprehensive
•   Helpful
•   Fresh
•   Well-structured

Check:

•   Thin pages (under 300–400 words)
•   Outdated blog posts
•   Duplicate or keyword-stuffed content
•   Poorly optimized metadata (title tags, descriptions)

Update or remove underperforming pages.
Improve your cornerstone content and convert it into:
Evergreen Content That Builds Domain Authority

Step 5 – Analyze On-Page SEO and UX Elements

Google favors pages that:

•   Load fast
•   Are mobile-friendly
•   Use proper headings and semantic HTML
•   Have no intrusive pop-ups or layout shifts

Use:

•   Google PageSpeed Insights
•   Mobile-Friendly Test
•   Web.dev (for Core Web Vitals)

Optimize:

•   H1, H2, H3 structure
•   Image alt text
•   Meta descriptions
•   Internal CTAs and navigation

See also:
Why UX Matters for Domain Authority

Step 6 – Fix Technical SEO Errors

Crawl your site using:

•   Screaming Frog
•   Sitebulb
•   Ahrefs Site Audit

Fix:

•   404 errors
•   Redirect chains
•   Slow-loading scripts
•   Missing XML sitemaps
•   Noindex/nofollow tags on indexable content

Check that:

•   HTTPS is active
•   Canonical URLs are correct
•   Robots.txt isn’t blocking key pages

Step 7 – Identify High-Potential Pages for Link Building

Find pages that:

•   Already rank in top 20 positions
•   Have some backlinks
•   Target evergreen topics
•   Are relevant to influencer or guest post outreach

These are perfect for link-building efforts because they already show traction.

Boost these with:

•   Internal links
•   Backlink outreach
•   Resource page submission
•   Social media shares

Explore:
How to Leverage Resource Pages

After the audit:

After the audit:

•   List 5–10 priority issues to fix (technical + content + links)
•   Set monthly goals for new backlinks
•   Assign ownership (in-house or agency)
•   Recheck your DA every 30–60 days

DA growth is slow but steady — focus on consistency, not shortcuts.

Tools to Help You Conduct a DA Audit Efficiently

Conclusion — Audit First, Authority Follows

An audit shows you where your website is leaking SEO value — and how to fix it.

By:

•   Strengthening your internal structure
•   Improving your content quality
•   Cleaning up technical errors
•   Earning better backlinks

...you’re giving your Domain Authority every reason to grow — and stay strong long-term.