If you’ve spent any time looking at your blog’s analytics lately, you’ve probably noticed a number that looks a bit like a grade: the Semrush Authority Score.
While it might look like just another vanity metric, this number actually tells a pretty important story about your brand. In the SEO world, your Authority Score is a way to measure how much trust search engines have in your site.
When that trust goes up, it gets much easier to rank for the keywords you care about and land on the first page of results.
But what is this number, and how do you actually make it move?
What is an Authority Score?
To be clear, Google doesn't look at Semrush's score to decide where you rank. However, the team at Semrush built this metric to act as a mirror for how a search engine likely sees you. It’s calculated by looking at a few different things:
- Who is talking about you? A link from a major, respected news site or a leader in your industry is worth way more than a thousand links from random, unknown blogs.
- Is your site actually helpful? If people find your site through Google and stay there to read, your authority naturally climbs.
- The "bad neighborhood" factor. If your site has a bunch of spammy, low-quality links pointing at it, your score will take a hit.
Think of it as your blog’s digital reputation. If you want to grow it, you have to prove you’re a legitimate voice in your space.
How to Build Real Authority
Raising your score isn't about finding a shortcut. It’s about building a site that other people want to talk about. Here are the three best ways to move the needle.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
It’s a mistake to think you need thousands of links to rank. You don't. You need the right links. One mention from a site your customers actually visit is worth more than a mountain of random clicks.
A great way to do this is by writing guest posts for sites that fit your niche. Don't just post anywhere—look for places where your expertise adds real value. You can also try reaching out to people who have linked to older, outdated articles on your topic and show them your new, better version.
Create Content People Want to Quote
The easiest way to get links is to make it easy for others to cite you. This is where your unique expertise comes in.
If you share original numbers, run a poll, or write a deep-dive case study, other bloggers will link to you as the source. People also love linking to "Ultimate Guides" or helpful charts. When someone uses your data or your graphic in their own post, they usually link back to you as the creator.
Keep Your Link Profile Clean
Sometimes your score is low because junk sites are linking to you without your permission. It happens to everyone.
I recommend checking your backlink profile once a month. If you see a lot of spammy links that look suspicious, you can tell search engines to ignore them. Keeping your "digital neighborhood" clean is a simple way to make sure your reputation stays solid.
Don't Get Caught Up in the Numbers
It's easy to feel discouraged when you see a competitor with a score of 70 while you’re starting out at a 10.
Don't let it get to you. Authority Score is relative. If most people in your specific niche have a score around 15, then hitting 20 makes you a leader in that space.
You don't need a perfect score to run a profitable business; you just need enough trust to show up when your customers are searching for answers.
Focus on being the most helpful person in your niche, and the numbers will take care of themselves.
Next Step: Turning Traffic into Leads
Now that you know how to build authority and get Google’s attention, you need to make sure those new visitors don't just leave.
(Read next: The High-Converting Opt-In: How to Turn Your New Blog Visitors into Email Subscribers, where we bridge the gap between SEO and actual sales.)