What Is a Good SEO Score? (Benchmarks by Industry)

What Is a Good SEO Score? (Benchmarks by Industry)

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Bright SEO Tools in SEO Nov 24 / 5 hours ago

 

Understanding SEO scores is crucial for measuring your website's performance and competitiveness in search engine rankings. Whether you're tracking Domain Authority, PageSpeed scores, or Authority Scores, knowing what constitutes a "good" score in your industry helps you set realistic goals and prioritize optimization efforts effectively.

What Are SEO Scores?

SEO scores are numerical metrics that evaluate various aspects of your website's search engine optimization health. These scores help you understand how well your site performs compared to competitors and identify areas needing improvement. The most commonly tracked SEO metrics include:

  • Domain Authority (DA) - Moz's predictive ranking metric (1-100 scale)
  • Authority Score - Semrush's comprehensive authority measurement
  • Domain Rating (DR) - Ahrefs' backlink profile strength indicator
  • PageSpeed Insights Score - Google's page performance metric (0-100)

Before diving into benchmarks, it's essential to use reliable tools to check your website's current SEO score and establish a baseline for improvement.

Understanding Domain Authority Scores

Domain Authority, developed by Moz in 2004, predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. The score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher numbers indicating stronger authority.

What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?

Generally, scores between 40 and 70 are considered good for Domain Authority, though this varies significantly by industry and competition level. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Domain Authority Score Ranges:

  • 0-20: Poor - Indicates new or poorly optimized websites with minimal backlinks
  • 20-40: Below Average - Room for significant improvement needed
  • 40-50: Average - Decent foundation for most small to medium businesses
  • 50-60: Good - Well-established site with solid backlink profile
  • 60-80: Excellent - Strong authority and competitive positioning
  • 80-100: Outstanding - Reserved for industry leaders and major publications

According to industry data, the median Authority Score across over 150,000 campaigns sits at 14, reflecting typical performance for small and medium-sized businesses.

Domain Authority by Industry

Different industries have varying DA benchmarks based on competition levels and market maturity:

E-commerce & Retail:

B2B Services: B2B websites typically range between 30 and 50 for Domain Authority, reflecting their need for authoritative industry content and professional backlinks.

Travel & Hospitality: The travel industry commonly sees scores ranging from 40 to 60 due to high competition and the necessity for strong visibility in local and global searches.

Local Service Businesses: For local businesses, an authority score of 10-20 can be sufficient to rank well in local searches. Local SEO prioritizes proximity and relevance over raw authority scores.

Content Publishers & Blogs: Successful content sites typically achieve scores between 30 and 50, though this varies widely based on niche specificity and content quality.

Healthcare & Legal:

  • Average DA: 40-60
  • Authority and trust signals are critical in YMYL (Your Money Your Life) niches

Authority Score Benchmarks (Semrush)

Semrush's Authority Score provides a comprehensive evaluation based on backlink quality, organic traffic, and link profile health.

What Constitutes a Good Authority Score?

A score between 40 and 60 is considered solid, indicating a well-established site with strong backlink profile and consistent traffic. Here's the complete breakdown:

Authority Score Interpretation:

  • 0-10: Low Authority - New or struggling websites
  • 10-30: Developing - Building foundation, typical for SMBs
  • 30-40: Moderate - Decent visibility in less competitive niches
  • 40-60: Strong - Well-established with competitive edge
  • 60-80: Very Strong - Industry leader potential
  • 80-100: Excellent - Reserved for major brands and media outlets

Authority Scores above 60 reflect strong credibility, while scores of 80 and above signify excellent, highly authoritative sites.

Competitive Context Matters

There's no universal "good" Authority Score—it depends entirely on your competitive niche. A score of 20 might seem low in isolation, but if competitors average 15, you're actually performing well.

To properly benchmark your performance, always compare against direct competitors using comprehensive SEO analysis tools.

PageSpeed Insights Score Benchmarks

Google's PageSpeed Insights measures your website's performance and user experience, directly impacting both rankings and conversions.

Understanding PageSpeed Score Ranges

PageSpeed scores range from 0 to 100, with 90 or above considered good, scores between 50 and 89 needing improvement, and below 50 considered poor.

PageSpeed Performance Categories:

  • 90-100 (Green): Excellent - Optimal performance
  • 50-89 (Orange): Needs Improvement - Address bottlenecks
  • 0-49 (Red): Poor - Critical optimization required

Real-World PageSpeed Benchmarks

Research reveals interesting insights about actual website performance:

The number one Google search result across 1,000 queries had an average mobile PageSpeed score of 40 and desktop score of 60. This demonstrates that perfect scores aren't necessary for top rankings.

The average mobile rating across the web is approximately 31, showing that most websites have significant room for improvement.

Industry-Specific PageSpeed Benchmarks:

  • News & Media: Target 85-95 (user experience critical)
  • E-commerce: Target 80-90 (conversion impact)
  • B2B Services: Target 75-85 (professional appearance)
  • Blogs & Content Sites: Target 80-90 (engagement retention)

Understanding Core Web Vitals and their optimization is essential for improving your PageSpeed scores effectively.

Mobile vs. Desktop Scores

Expect your mobile scores to be lower than desktop. PageSpeed testing simulates mid-tier mobile devices on mobile networks, which naturally produces lower scores than desktop environments.

To improve your site speed, implement these proven speed optimization tactics and fix common page load issues.

Backlink Profile Benchmarks

A healthy backlink profile is fundamental to improving all SEO authority scores. Here are the key benchmarks:

Referring Domains: A healthy backlink profile should include backlinks from at least 20 to 50 unique referring domains. This diversity improves credibility and reduces algorithmic penalties.

Total Backlinks: Aiming for at least 100 backlinks from reputable sources serves as a good benchmark for improving Domain Authority.

Spam Score: A spam score above 5% may indicate potential issues with your backlink profile. Regular audits are essential.

Check your backlink quality using reliable checker tools to ensure your link profile remains healthy and natural.

How to Improve Your SEO Scores

Improving SEO scores requires a strategic, multi-faceted approach:

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Focus on earning links from authoritative, relevant websites in your industry. Quality trumps quantity every time. Implement the top Backlinko SEO strategies for sustainable link building.

2. Optimize Site Architecture

Proper site structure helps search engines crawl and index your content efficiently. Apply these site architecture tweaks that work to improve technical foundation.

3. Improve Page Speed Performance

Optimize images, minify HTML and CSS, implement browser caching, and reduce server response time. Use the mobile-friendly test tool to ensure responsive performance.

4. Create Link-Worthy Content

Publish comprehensive guides, original research, and data-driven content that naturally attracts backlinks. Follow proven SEO content strategies to maximize impact.

5. Fix Technical SEO Issues

Address crawl errors, broken links, and indexation problems. Learn how to fix broken links effectively and resolve crawl errors.

6. Optimize Core Web Vitals

Focus on Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Discover proven ways to improve Core Web Vitals.

7. Reduce Bounce Rate

Improve user engagement signals by enhancing content quality and site usability. Implement these proven tips to reduce bounce rate.

Common SEO Score Myths Debunked

Myth 1: You Need a Perfect 100 Score Scoring 100/100 doesn't guarantee top search rankings. Focus on continuous improvement rather than perfection.

Myth 2: Higher Score Always Means Better Rankings SEO scores are predictive indicators, not direct ranking factors. It's the approaches taken to increase scores—like quality content and backlinks—that influence rankings.

Myth 3: Low Scores Mean Failure Even sites with authority scores of 11-20 can rank well in local searches by optimizing for relevance and proximity.

Myth 4: All Industries Have Same Benchmarks Competition levels vary dramatically. Always benchmark against direct competitors in your specific niche.

Setting Realistic SEO Score Goals

When establishing targets for your website:

Short-Term Goals (3-6 Months)

  • Achieve 5-10 point increase in Domain Authority
  • Improve PageSpeed score by 15-20 points
  • Acquire 10-20 high-quality backlinks
  • Fix critical technical SEO issues

Long-Term Goals (6-12 Months)

Aim for a 15 to 20-point increase in authority scores by strengthening content relevance and referral domains.

Competitive Positioning

Rather than targeting arbitrary numbers, focus on exceeding competitor benchmarks. Use SERP checker tools to monitor competitive positioning.

Tools for Monitoring SEO Scores

Leverage these essential tools to track and improve your scores:

Free SEO Analysis Tools:

Professional Platforms:

Explore more powerful free SEO tools that actually work to enhance your optimization efforts.

Advanced SEO Score Optimization

Crawl Budget Optimization

For larger sites, efficient crawl budget management significantly impacts indexation. Implement these crawl budget tips that matter.

Robots.txt Configuration

Proper robots.txt setup prevents wasted crawl budget. Follow these key tips for robots.txt perfection.

Site Speed Optimization

Beyond basic improvements, implement advanced speed hacks for lightning-fast sites to maximize performance scores.

Mobile SEO Excellence

Mobile-first indexing makes mobile optimization critical. Apply these smart ways to improve mobile SEO.

Conducting Regular SEO Audits

Regular audits ensure your scores remain healthy and identify new opportunities:

Monthly Tasks:

  • Monitor Domain Authority changes
  • Track PageSpeed scores for key pages
  • Review backlink acquisition rate
  • Analyze bounce rate trends

Quarterly Reviews:

Use tools like Google Cache Checker and SSL Checker to verify technical health.

Industry-Specific SEO Strategies

E-commerce Sites

Focus on product page optimization, site speed, and image compression to improve both scores and conversions. Generate proper XML sitemaps for better crawlability.

Local Businesses

Prioritize Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, and proximity signals over raw authority scores.

Content Publishers

Invest in content quality, internal linking structure, and engagement metrics to build topical authority.

SaaS Companies

Technical SEO excellence and authoritative content marketing drive both scores and qualified leads.

Avoiding Common SEO Mistakes

Certain practices can harm your scores despite good intentions:

Destructive SEO Habits:

  • Building spammy backlinks for quick gains
  • Ignoring mobile optimization
  • Overlooking site speed issues
  • Neglecting Core Web Vitals

Learn about deadly SEO habits to break now and SEO blunders that crush conversions to avoid common pitfalls.

Future-Proofing Your SEO Scores

Stay ahead by monitoring hot SEO trends and implementing expert SEO tricks Google loves.

Emerging Ranking Factors:

  • AI-generated content quality
  • User experience signals
  • E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
  • Sustainable technical performance

Conclusion

Understanding what constitutes a good SEO score requires context—industry competition, business goals, and resource availability all factor into realistic benchmarks. Rather than obsessing over arbitrary numbers, focus on continuous improvement and competitive positioning.

A score between 40 and 60 represents solid performance for most businesses, though local businesses can succeed with lower scores while competitive industries demand higher thresholds.

Start by assessing your current position using the free website SEO score checker, compare against competitors, and implement systematic improvements. Remember that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint—consistent effort yields sustainable results.

By understanding industry benchmarks, monitoring key metrics, and implementing proven optimization strategies, you can improve your SEO scores and, more importantly, achieve the business outcomes these scores predict: higher rankings, increased traffic, and better conversions.

Ready to improve your SEO scores? Start with a comprehensive analysis using professional SEO tools and implement the strategies outlined in this guide to achieve measurable results.

For more advanced SEO insights and free tools, explore our comprehensive collection of SEO resources and guides designed to help you rank higher and dominate your industry.

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