We want our users to make better-informed and data-driven decisions. That’s why we’re excited to announce the integration of Semrush’s Authority Score (AS) into our platform. This powerful metric simplifies the process of evaluating website authority and SEO performance, helping you identify high-quality publishers with ease.
Whether you’re looking to boost your content marketing strategy or find the best platforms for your campaigns, AS provides a comprehensive, time-saving solution. Let’s dive into what makes Authority Score a game-changer for your decision-making process.
What is the Authority Score (AS)?
AS is a “compound metric” that measures website authority and SEO performance based on backlink profiles and organic traffic from Google. It ranges from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating better performance.
How AS is measured?
It has three components:
- Link power: This evaluates the quantity and quality of referring domains, similar to the approaches used by Ahrefs DR and Moz DA.
- Organic traffic and rankings: Only websites with organic traffic from Google can achieve an AS above 10. No traffic means no authority.
- Spam factors check: This conducts a deeper evaluation of the website’s referring domains.
Factors include:
- A mismatch between the number of backlinks and organic traffic.
- Too many websites linking from the same IP address.
- Too many websites linking from the same IP network.
- Another website having the same set of backlinks.
An AS above 20 is only possible if the website has organic traffic and a natural backlink profile with no signs of manipulation.
This metric simplifies filtering publishers by combining multiple factors into a single, time-saving score.
Why is AS important?
The inclusion of organic traffic in website authority measurement became even more relevant in 2024 after Google’s March update targeted AI-generated content. Thousands of websites with a high percentage of AI-generated content lost up to 100% of their traffic. However, their “authority,” measured solely by backlink-based metrics, remained high because their backlinks stayed unchanged.
Here is an illustration from the research done by our colleagues:
To summarize, if you filter by AS >10, you immediately see at least “fair” publishers with natural backlink profiles, some organic traffic, and no signs of backlink profile manipulation. Going higher in AS will exponentially increase the quality of backlinks.
Of course, you may still want to evaluate the website regarding geo and topical relevancy. But now, getting to this step takes less time.
Integration details
The metric is now included in every publisher’s details.
To filter publishers by AS:
- Go to https://prnews.io/sites/
- Switch into “Advanced mode”
- Click on a column header and choose “Semrush Authority Score”
Feel free to ask questions about our new integration.
How to grow your authority score
If you want to grow the Authority Score (AS) of your website, focus on these key areas:
1. Acquire relevant backlinks:
- Get backlinks from websites with a high AS that are relevant to your business.
- Relevance means sharing the same geography, topics, and language.
2. Create high-quality content:
- While backlinks are the main factor in AS, your score won’t reach double digits if your website doesn’t rank.
- High-quality content is essential for driving Google traffic, which directly impacts your AS.
3. Avoid shady tactics:
- Steer clear of anyone offering large quantities of links for a low price.
- The best links come from digital PR efforts, while the worst (and riskiest) come from PBNs and link farms.
Semrush AS vs. Ahrefs DR vs. Moz DA: what’s the difference?
When evaluating website authority, it’s important to understand the differences between Authority Score (AS), Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR), and Moz Domain Authority (DA). Here’s a breakdown:
| Metric | Authority Score (AS) | Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) | Moz Domain Authority (DA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Website authority based on backlinks, organic traffic, and spam factors. | Website authority based on backlink profile (quantity and quality of backlinks). | Website authority based on link popularity (number and quality of linking domains). |
| Scale | 0 to 100 | 0 to 100 | 0 to 100 |
| Key Differentiator | Includes organic traffic and spam checks, making it more resistant to manipulation. | Focuses heavily on backlink profiles, with less emphasis on organic traffic or spam factors. | Focuses on link popularity, but does not account for organic traffic or spam factors. |
Which metric should you use?
- AS is ideal for evaluating publishers with a focus on organic traffic and natural backlink profiles. It’s particularly useful after Google’s algorithm updates targeting low-quality content.
- DR is great for analyzing backlink profiles and identifying high-quality linking opportunities.
- DA is a quick way to compare domain strength, but it should be used alongside other metrics for a more comprehensive analysis.
