Skip to content
    Moz logo Menu open Menu close
    • Products
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Pro Home
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Home
      • STAT
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Home
      • Compare SEO Products
      • Moz Data
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis
      • Keyword Explorer
      • Link Explorer
      • Competitive Research
      • MozBar
      • More Free SEO Tools
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO
      • SEO Learning Center
      • Moz Academy
      • SEO Q&A
      • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Agency Solutions
      • Enterprise Solutions
      • Small Business Solutions
      • Case Studies
      • The Moz Story
      • New Releases
    • Log in
    • Log out
    • Products
      • Moz Pro

        Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

      • Moz Local

        Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

      • STAT

        SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

      • Moz API

        Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

      • Compare SEO Products

        See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

      • Moz Data

        Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
      Moz Pro

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

      Learn more
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis

        Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

      • Keyword Explorer

        Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

      • Link Explorer

        Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

      • Competitive Research

        Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

      • MozBar

        See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

      • More Free SEO Tools

        Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

      What is your Brand Authority?
      Moz

      What is your Brand Authority?

      Check yours now
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO

        The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

      • SEO Learning Center

        Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

      • On-Demand Webinars

        Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

      • How-To Guides

        Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

      • Moz Academy

        Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

      • SEO Q&A

        Insights & discussions from an SEO community of 500,000+.

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
      Moz API

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

      Find your plan
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Small Business Solutions

        Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

      • Agency Solutions

        Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

      • Enterprise Solutions

        Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

      • The Moz Story

        Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

      • Case Studies

        Explore how Moz drives ROI with a proven track record of success.

      • New Releases

        Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

      Surface actionable competitive intel
      New Feature

      Surface actionable competitive intel

      Learn More
    • Log in
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Dashboard
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Dashboard
      • Moz Academy
    • Avatar
      • Moz Home
      • Notifications
      • Account & Billing
      • Manage Users
      • Community Profile
      • My Q&A
      • My Videos
      • Log Out

    The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. Home
    2. Moz Tools
    3. Moz Pro
    4. Keyword Explorer
    5. Website with no backlinks and a DA of 1 ranks first. Why?

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    Unsolved Website with no backlinks and a DA of 1 ranks first. Why?

    Keyword Explorer
    backlinks seo da
    5
    5
    286
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
    • garrypat
      garrypat Subscriber last edited by

      https://www.realestatephotos.melbourne does not have any backlinks and has a DA of 1.
      This site ranks first for keywords - real estate photography melbourne and property photography melbourne.
      Not sure why.
      URL contains keywords and site is ok. But other sites with many links and higher DA rank lower. Why?

      Garry

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • FinacusTech
        FinacusTech last edited by

        If a website with no backlinks and domain authority (DA) of 1 is ranked first, several factors could contribute to it.

        Relevance: Your website's content can be an exact match to a user's search query, making it highly relevant.

        Low Competition: The keyword or topic you are ranking for has little competition and your site may rank despite having a low DA.

        Geographic Targeting: Search results can be influenced by geo-targeting, favoring local or niche websites.

        Recency: The site may have recently published content that fits into a trending topic and temporarily boosted its ranking.

        User Experience: Your website may offer a good user
        experience, fast loading times, and mobile friendliness, which are preferred by search engines.

        Overall, backlinks and DA are important ranking factors, but they are not the only ones. Other factors such as relevance, competition, and user experience are important in search engine rankings.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • markhelbert
          markhelbert last edited by

          That's intriguing! It could be due to various factors like content relevance or user experience https://copyenglish.com/.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • sarahwalsh
            sarahwalsh last edited by

            It might just be, purely that the domain name has the area in Australia in the domain name. Sometimes, that alone is enough to get the business onto page one of Google. For example, we have a business, sells fencing. That website has been content marketing, links, on-page SEO but still ranks further down the page, because we don't have the city name in our domain name. Does this help? I would highly recommend hiring a link building SEO agency, that builds links in a white hat way, and only pick an SEO company that builds links using white hat methods, which follows the advice of Google- E-EAT- does this help you?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • thetatva
              thetatva last edited by

              To start my website with no backlinks and achieve a good Domain Authority (DA) ranking from the beginning requires a strategic approach.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • 1 / 1
              • First post
                Last post

              Got a burning SEO question?

              Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


              Start my free trial


              Browse Questions

              Explore more categories

              • Moz Tools

                Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

              • SEO Tactics

                Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

              • Community

                Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

              • Digital Marketing

                Chat about tactics outside of SEO

              • Research & Trends

                Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

              • Support

                Connect on product support and feature requests.

              • See all categories

              Related Questions

              • laurentjb

                Backlinks from local businesses

                backlinks backlink profile blog post backlinks

                Hello, I need to make sure I understand this correctly. Will it help my SEO if I: find local businesses with a good DA & low spam score select businesses that are somehow related to mine (Insurance Agency) offer to guest post and include a backlink on their blog ( ask them if they'd like to reciprocate) For example, businesses such as
                Roofing companies
                Contractors
                moving companies
                etc Please let me know if there's anything I'm missing? Many thanks

                Link Building | | laurentjb
                0
              • Skites2

                Unsolved DA dropping after spam attack

                moz pro da domain authority spam backlink attack spam backlinks

                Hello. Our DA has dropped from 40 to 28. Why does moz take into account clear spam links. Not all links are created by website owners. Popular websites also see a lot of unknown spam linking. Any solutions to over-ride these issues? It seems very futile to see the DA dropping without any apparent reason or help towards actionable data.

                Moz Pro | | Skites2
                0
              • mowafi

                How can i create backlinks from google redirect?

                backlinks link building domain authority

                I found some sites that make backlinks like this. How can I get it too?
                https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ad/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ae/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.af/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ag/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ai/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.al/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.am/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.ao/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ar/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.as/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.at/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.au/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.az/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ba/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.be/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bo/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.br/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bs/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.bt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.bw/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.by/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.bz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ca/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cd/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cf/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ch/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ci/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.ck/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.cu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cv/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.cy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.cz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.de/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.do/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.dz/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.ec/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ee/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.eg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.es/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.et/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.fj/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.fr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ga/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ge/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gg/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gh/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gi/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gl/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gm/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.gt/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.gy/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hn/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hr/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.ht/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.hu/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.co.id/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://toolbarqueries.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://maps.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.de/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.uk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.fr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.it/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ca/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.nl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ru/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.pl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.cz/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.in/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.id/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.tw/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.th/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.mx/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.ua/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.ar/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.be/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.se/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.pt/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ro/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.gr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.hu/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.tr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.at/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com.co/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ch/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.fi/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.dk/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.cl/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://images.google.com.pe/url?sa=t&url=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.com.vn/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.com.sg/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.no/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://clients1.google.co.il/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.ie/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com
                https://cse.google.co.kr/url?q=https://www.kokyworld.com

                Link Building | | mowafi
                2
              • TuanDo9627

                Google keeps marking different pages as duplicates

                seo

                My website has many pages like this: mywebsite/company1/valuation mywebsite/company2/valuation mywebsite/company3/valuation mywebsite/company4/valuation ... These pages describe the valuation of each company. These pages were never identical but initially, I included a few generic paragraphs like what is valuation, what is a valuation model, etc... in all the pages so some parts of these pages' content were identical. Google marked many of these pages as duplicated (in Google Search Console) so I modified the content of these pages: I removed those generic paragraphs and added other information that is unique to each company. As a result, these pages are extremely different from each other now and have little similarities. Although it has been more than 1 month since I made the modification, Google still marks the majority of these pages as duplicates, even though Google has already crawled their new modified version. I wonder whether there is anything else I can do in this situation? Thanks

                Technical SEO | | TuanDo9627
                0
              • Morries8888

                How does indexing backlinks affect SEO and search engine rankings?

                backlinks

                Indexing backlinks plays a crucial role in the overall SEO strategy and search engine rankings. When search engines like Google crawl and index a website, they also consider the quality and relevance of the backlinks pointing to that site. Here's why indexing backlinks is important: Visibility in Search Results: Indexing ensures that search engines recognize and attribute value to the backlinks you have acquired. When indexed, these backlinks contribute to the overall link profile of your website and can positively impact your visibility in search results. Faster Indexation: By submitting your backlinks for indexing, you can speed up the process of search engines discovering and recognizing those links. This helps search engines recognize the relevance and authority of your website sooner. Enhanced Crawling and Ranking: Indexing allows search engines to crawl and evaluate the backlinks pointing to your site. These backlinks are considered as signals of trust and authority, which can influence your search engine rankings. Improved Domain Authority: When high-quality backlinks pointing to your site are indexed, they contribute to your website's Domain Authority (DA). A higher DA indicates a more authoritative and reputable website, which can positively impact your rankings and organic search visibility. Competitive Advantage: Indexing your backlinks gives you a competitive edge by ensuring that the value and authority of those links are properly recognized and taken into account by search engines. This can help you outrank competitors who may have unindexed or low-quality backlinks. It's important to note that not all backlinks may require manual indexing, as search engines can discover and index them naturally. However, for specific or newly acquired backlinks that may not be indexed quickly, manual submission or using indexing services can help ensure they are recognized by search engines and contribute to your overall SEO efforts.

                Link Building | | Morries8888
                0
              • Naju231

                Ranking going south

                seo seo expert

                Hi - I have a site Simply Stairlifts and I don't understand it but I've followed all the SEO processes of cleaning the site and building links, but ranking just keeps falling - any advise would be very gratefully received 👍 .

                SEO Tactics | | Naju231
                0
              • JJKM55

                How to handle pre-existing backlinks on new site.

                backlinks

                Hi - We built a new site on a URL that had previously been used. We are noticing a lot of spammy backlinks pointing to our current site and ending up on a 404 page. Any recommendations on how to handle this?

                Link Building | | JJKM55
                1
              • MultiAdE

                Footer backlink for/to Web Design Agency

                seo tactics backlinks link building seo seo expert

                I read some old (10+ years) information on whether footer backlinks from the websites that design agencies build are seen as spammy and potentially cause a negative effect. We have over 150 websites that we have built over the last few years, all with sitewide footer backlinks back to our homepage (designed and managed by COMPANY NAME). Semrush flags some of the links as potential spammy links. What are the current thoughts on this type of footer backlink? Are we better to have 1 dofollow backlink and the rest of the website nofollow from each domain?

                Link Building | | MultiAdE
                1

              Get started with Moz Pro!

              Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

              Start my free trial
              Products
              • Moz Pro
              • Moz Local
              • Moz API
              • Moz Data
              • STAT
              • Product Updates
              Moz Solutions
              • SMB Solutions
              • Agency Solutions
              • Enterprise Solutions
              Free SEO Tools
              • Domain Authority Checker
              • Link Explorer
              • Keyword Explorer
              • Competitive Research
              • Brand Authority Checker
              • MozBar Extension
              • MozCast
              Resources
              • Blog
              • SEO Learning Center
              • Help Hub
              • Beginner's Guide to SEO
              • How-to Guides
              • Moz Academy
              • API Docs
              About Moz
              • About
              • Team
              • Careers
              • Contact
              Why Moz
              • Case Studies
              • Testimonials
              Get Involved
              • Become an Affiliate
              • MozCon
              • Webinars
              • Practical Marketer Series
              • MozPod
              Connect with us

              Contact the Help team

              Join our newsletter
              Moz logo
              © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
              • Accessibility
              • Terms of Use
              • Privacy

              Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.