Although Brand Authority is of paramount importance in creating the necessary SEO signals to improve your site’s natural search performance, Domain Authority mustn’t be overlooked either.
Koozai recently analysed the sites of the brands in the Forbes Top 100 to find out how they were performing. We devised a scoring system to identify the top 100 brands for Domain Authority and backlinks.
The Koozai Score
We created the Koozai Score by multiplying the Domain Authority by the number of links and then dividing this by 100 (what the domain authority is measured out of). This gives us an accurate reflection of the brands with the best number of links and Domain Authority.
The results revealed something that we had suspected for a while, namely that Domain Authority is being severely underestimated, and in some instances not taken into consideration at all when defining a brand’s strength.
Domain Authority is essential if you want your brand to succeed. If you can achieve high Domain Authority, you stand a better chance of boosting the strength of your traffic and increasing your ranking. But it isn’t a simple fix: like any digital marketing method, it takes time and dedication to realise your goal.
We discovered that brand authority doesn’t guarantee you domain authority.
Discover how the top 100 brands fared against the Koozai Score. Here they are ranked in order from highest to lowest.
1
Site: https://www.facebook.com/
Forbes Ranking: 10
The social network isn’t to be underestimated. It’s transformed the way that way that we communicate with each other and is constantly evolving. So it’s quite surprising that Forbes ranked Facebook only 10 out of 100. We’ve given it the top spot. The site is ticking all the right boxes: Domain Authority, high-quality external backlinks and reputable referring domains. It just goes to show how these elements can make all the difference to your site, and how, when taken into consideration, they give a true reflection of your site’s performance.
Domain Authority: 100
External Backlinks: 40,482,966,375
Referring Domains: 18,419,136
Koozai Score: 40482966375
2
Site: https://www.google.com
Forbes Ranking: 3
It’s no surprise to us here at Koozai that Google made it to second place in our top 100. When it comes to technological innovation, developments and digital marketing, it’s hard to beat. Google is constantly developing life-changing consumer technology and updating its algorithms to provide the best user experience around. The site is the go-to destination for search queries. Think about it: when was the last time you used Yahoo, Ask or AOL? We all know the answer to that.
Forbes gave the search engine giant a ranking of 3, which isn’t too far away from ours. However, with a Koozai Score of 22399089281, it just missed out on achieving number-one position in our top 100 brands list.
Domain Authority: 100
External Backlinks: 22,399,089,281
Referring Domains: 15,187,079
Koozai Score: 22399089281
3
Amazon.com
Site: https://www.amazon.com/
Forbes Ranking: 13
With its futuristic approach to business, Amazon has transformed the shopping experience. From testing deliveries by drone and selling groceries to the introduction of the Amazon Dash Button, the American electronic commerce and cloud computing company is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. With these updates come changes to the site, which seems to evolve almost daily, hence why it achieved number 3 in our ranking of the top 10 brands.
Domain Authority: 97
External Backlinks: 3,133,344,951
Referring Domains: 1,863,659
Koozai Score: 309344602
4
Apple
Site: https://www.apple.com/
Forbes Ranking: 1
Forbes gave the tech giant the top spot in its lists of influential brands, and it’s pretty easy to see why: Apple continues to dominate countless markets – consumer electronics, computer software, online services and personal computers to name but a few.
The site has a stellar user interface and, as you would expect, is fully responsive. It made it into our top 3, but failed to achieve pole position this time. It just goes to show that no matter how big a brand you are, there’s always another one there vying to outdo you.
Domain Authority: 100
External Backlinks: 1,580,353,509
Referring Domains: 2,465,725
Koozai Score: 1580353509
5
Microsoft
Site: https://www.microsoft.com
Forbes Ranking: 2
The American computer manufacturer has changed substantially since it launched in 1975. Microsoft has had to evolve to stay one step ahead of its competitors, but it’s paid off tenfold. Now it’s one of the world’s most renowned brands. Its site typifies the Microsoft experience. What’s great is that it’s the same one that you would get when using one of Microsoft’s phones, tablets, laptops or PCs. it’s this consistency that has made the brand what it is today. The site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Its referring domains are strong are high-quality and its backlinks are the same.
Domain Authority: 100
External Backlinks: 800,874,070
Referring Domains: 1,979,489
Koozai Score: 800874070
6
Intel
Site: https://www.intel.com/
Forbes Ranking: 19
The American multinational technology company continues to thrive and adapt to our needs. Intel provides a service like no other, essentially laying the foundations for the world’s computer devices. The renowned brand has created a site that at first glance seems simplistic, but once you delve a little deeper, it’s anything but. It’s smart and intuitive, just like the company’s software.
Domain Authority: 95
External Backlinks: 116,153,229
Referring Domains: 167,147
Koozai Score: 110345568
7
UPS
Site: https://www.ups.com/
Forbes Ranking: 40
In at number 7 is the world’s largest package delivery company and provider of supply-chain management solutions, UPS. With a strong business model and a renowned brand, it’s hard to understand why it ranked only 40 on Forbes’ list. When analysing the site and its performance to calculate the Koozai Score, we found it to be very effective.
Domain Authority: 92
External Backlinks: 62,157,237
Referring Domains: 95,928
Koozai Score: 57184658
8
Oracle
Site: https://www.oracle.com/
Forbes Ranking: 17
The renowned American computer hardware company barely made it onto Forbes’ list of the top 100 brands this year. But the Koozai scoring system just goes to show how Domain Authority and backlinks shouldn’t be overlooked: they are an incredibly powerful way to boost a site’s performance.
Domain Authority: 98
External Backlinks: 56,122,070
Referring Domains: 181,103
Koozai Score: 54999629
9
MasterCard
Site: https://www.mastercard.com
Forbes Ranking: 53
The financial services corporation didn’t fare well in Forbes’ most recent list of authoritative brands, which placed it merely at 53. However, when we analysed the brand’s Domain Authority, external backlinks and referring domains, it became clear that the site is performing considerably better than the Forbes ranking suggests. The brand has a very strong social following, no doubt boosted by the on-site blog, which adds further value to the already sturdy site.
Domain Authority: 92
External Backlinks: 58,653,283
Referring Domains: 57,347
Koozai Score: 53961020
10
American Express
Site: https://www.americanexpress.com/
Forbes Ranking: 22
The multifunctional financial institution has a reputation for its card being accessible to all and there for the all-important moments. Which is why it’s surprising that Forbes only ranked American Express at Number 22. It’s one of the industry leaders, with a wealth of high-quality backlinks and referring domains. It gained a Koozai score of 49738872, placing it at number 10.
Domain Authority: 88
External Backlinks: 56,521,445
Referring Domains: 73,722
Koozai Score: 49738872
11
Hewlett-Packard
Site: https://www.hp.com/
Forbes Ranking: 35
Koozai Score: 44385720
12
IBM
Site: https://www.ibm.com/
Forbes Ranking: 5
Koozai Score: 338181565
13
Visa
Site: https://usa.visa.com/
Forbes Ranking: 30
Koozai Score: 30211366
14
Samsung
Site: https://www.samsung.com/
Forbes Ranking: 7
Koozai Score: 26983591
15
Gillette
Site: https://www.gillette.com/
Forbes Ranking: 26
Koozai Score: 26815889
16
FedEx
Site: https://www.fedex.com/
Forbes Ranking: 80
Koozai Score: 25703571
17
Cisco
Site: https://www.cisco.com/
Forbes Ranking: 15
Koozai Score: 21814170
18
Phillips
Site: https://www.philips.com/
Forbes Ranking: 77
Koozai Score: 20049710
19
Toyota
Site: https://www.toyota.com
Forbes Ranking: 8
Koozai Score: 19462542
20
Mercedes-Benz
Site: https://www.mercedes-benz.com
Forbes Ranking: 24
Koozai Score: 18046768
21
SAP
Site: https://www.sap.com/
Forbes Ranking: 28
Koozai Score: 17552652
22
Thomson Reuters
Site: https://thomsonreuters.com/
Forbes Ranking: 68
Koozai Score: 16687638
23
Porsche
Site: https://www.porsche.com/
Forbes Ranking: 78
Koozai Score: 15635253
24
Verizon
Site: https://www.verizon.com/
Forbes Ranking: 21
Koozai Score: 14972197
25
Siemens
Site: https://www.siemens.com/
Forbes Ranking: 46
Koozai Score: 14704864
26
Audi
Site: https://www.audi.com/
Forbes Ranking: 39
Koozai Score: 13711340
27
MTV
Site: https://www.mtv.com/
Forbes Ranking: 99
Koozai Score: 12767294
28
Nike
Site: https://www.nikeinc.com
Forbes Ranking: 18
Koozai Score: 12706774
29
IKEA
Site: https://www.ikea.com/
Forbes Ranking: 45
Koozai Score: 11496120
30
Ebay
Site: https://www.ebayinc.com/
Forbes Ranking: 50
Koozai Score: 10873600
31
Ford
Site: https://www.ford.com/
Forbes Ranking: 41
Koozai Score: 9932692
32
HSBC
Site: https://www.hsbc.com/
Forbes Ranking: 36
Koozai Score: 9459180
33
Fox
Site: https://www.fox.com/
Forbes Ranking: 48
Koozai Score: 8509243
34
AT&T
Site: https://www.att.com/
Forbes Ranking: 12
Koozai Score: 8199322
35
Accenture
Site: https://www.accenture.com/
Forbes Ranking: 44
Koozai Score: 8060424
36
Ralph Lauren
Site: https://www.ralphlauren.com
Forbes Ranking: 89
Koozai Score: 7556380
37
Red Bull
Site: https://www.redbull.com/
Forbes Ranking: 76
Koozai Score: 7209448
38
John Deere
Site: https://www.deere.com/
Forbes Ranking: 70
Koozai Score: 6482064
39
Wells Fargo
Site: https://www.wellsfargo.com/
Forbes Ranking: 47
Koozai Score: 5956855
40
Lego
Site: https://www.lego.com/
Forbes Ranking: 95
Koozai Score: 5099452
41
Sony
Site: https://www.sony.net/
Forbes Ranking: 79
Koozai Score: 4780816
42
H&M
Site: https://www.hm.com/
Forbes Ranking: 33
Koozai Score: 4719737
43
General Electric
Site: https://www.ge.com/
Forbes Ranking: 9
Koozai Score: 4561533
44
Starbucks
Site: https://www.starbucks.com/
Forbes Ranking: 52
Koozai Score: 4107902
45
Target
Site: https://www.targetcorp.com
Forbes Ranking: 92
Koozai Score: 4025156
46
Home Depot
Site: https://www.homedepot.com/
Forbes Ranking: 37
Koozai Score: 3820443
47
ESPN
Site: https://www.espn.com/
Forbes Ranking: 32
Koozai Score: 3795550
48
McDonald’s
Site: https://www.mcdonalds.com/
Forbes Ranking: 6
Koozai Score: 3729926
49
Honda
Site: https://www.honda.co.jp/
Forbes Ranking: 23
Koozai Score: 3615320
50
Exxon Mobil
Site: https://www.exxonmobil.com/
Forbes Ranking: 91
Koozai Score: 3527741
51
Chevrolet
Site: https://www.chevrolet.com/
Forbes Ranking: 62
Koozai Score: 3351005
52
Bank of America
Site: https://www.bankofamerica.com/
Forbes Ranking: 72
Koozai Score: 3259541
53
Zara
Site: https://www.zara.com/
Forbes Ranking: 58
Koozai Score: 3107685
54
Lexus
Site: https://www.lexus.com/
Forbes Ranking: 66
Koozai Score: 3056323
55
Chanel
Site: https://www.chanel.com/
Forbes Ranking: 85
Koozai Score: 2940375
56
Pepsi
Site: https://www.pepsi.com/
Forbes Ranking: 29
Koozai Score: 2915332
57
L’Oréal
Site: https://www.loreal.com/
Forbes Ranking: 34
Koozai Score: 2911486
58
RBC
Site: https://www.rbc.com/
Forbes Ranking: 86
Koozai Score: 2899445
59
Adidas
Site: https://www.adidas-group.com/
Forbes Ranking: 83
Koozai Score: 2834207
60
Rolex
Site: https://www.rolex.com/
Forbes Ranking: 65
Koozai Score: 2541990
61
Louis Vuitton
Site: https://www.louisvuitton.com/
Forbes Ranking: 14
Koozai Score: 2466154
62
Frito-Lay
Site: https://www.fritolay.com/
Forbes Ranking: 38
Koozai Score: 2251076
63
Gucci
Site: https://www.gucci.com/
Forbes Ranking: 42
Koozai Score: 2248463
64
Boeing
Site: https://www.boeing.com
Forbes Ranking: 82
Koozai Score: 2160601
65
Chase
Site: https://www.chase.com/
Forbes Ranking: 71
Koozai Score: 1984078
66
Hyundai
Site: https://worldwide.hyundai.com
Forbes Ranking: 64
Koozai Score: 1953991
67
Hermès
Site: https://www.hermes.com/
Forbes Ranking: 51
Koozai Score: 1432774
68
Canon
Site: https://www.canon.jp/
Forbes Ranking: 73
Koozai Score: 1415270
69
Coach
Site: https://www.coach.com
Forbes Ranking: 63
Koozai Score: 1383120
70
Coca-Cola
Site: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/
Forbes Ranking: 4
Koozai Score: 1380873
71
Subway
Site: https://www.subway.com/
Forbes Ranking: 84
Koozai Score: 1312125
72
Cartier
Site: https://www.cartier.com/
Forbes Ranking: 55
Koozai Score: 1267671
73
Panasonic
Site: https://www.panasonic.net
Forbes Ranking: 93
Koozai Score: 1242633
74
Santander
Site: https://www.santander.com/
Forbes Ranking: 69
Koozai Score: 1169926
75
Citi
Site: https://www.citigroup.com/
Forbes Ranking: 81
Koozai Score: 1006120
76
J.P. Morgan
Site: https://www.jpmorgan.com/
Forbes Ranking: 56
Koozai Score: 958419
77
Nestlé
Site: https://www.nestle.com/
Forbes Ranking: 43
Koozai Score: 892750
78
BMW
Site: https://www.bmwgroup.com/
Forbes Ranking: 16
Koozai Score: 864669
79
Volkswagen
Site: https://www.volkswagenag.com/
Forbes Ranking: 67
Koozai Score: 767868
80
Nissan
Site: https://www.nissan.co.jp/
Forbes Ranking: 75
Koozai Score: 672165
81
Goldman Sachs
Site: https://www.goldmansachs.com/
Forbes Ranking: 88
Koozai Score: 638661
82
Wal-Mart
Site: https://walmartstores.com
Forbes Ranking: 20
Koozai Score: 605450
83
Allianz
Site: https://www.allianz.com/
Forbes Ranking: 87
Koozai Score: 512794
84
Pampers
Site: https://www.pampers.com/
Forbes Ranking: 49
Koozai Score: 466117
85
Colgate
Site: https://www.colgate.com/
Forbes Ranking: 61
Koozai Score: 429312
86
Caterpillar
Site: https://www.caterpillar.com/
Forbes Ranking: 57
Koozai Score: 424489
87
Budweiser
Site: https://www.budweiser.com/
Forbes Ranking: 25
Koozai Score: 422875
88
Hershey
Site: https://www.thehersheycompany.com/
Forbes Ranking: 94
Koozai Score: 380723
89
Danone
Site: https://www.danone.com/
Forbes Ranking: 54
Koozai Score: 244931
90
KIA Motors
Site: https://www.kia.co.kr/
Forbes Ranking: 97
Koozai Score: 222270
91
Lancôme
Site: https://www.lancome.com/
Forbes Ranking: 96
Koozai Score: 222270
92
Disney
Site: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/
Forbes Ranking: 11
Koozai Score: 174316
93
Nescafé
Site: https://www.nescafe.com/
Forbes Ranking: 31
Koozai Score: 153827
94
Kraft
Site: https://www.kraftfoodsgroup.com/
Forbes Ranking: 60
Koozai Score: 104752
95
Kellog’s
Site: https://www.kelloggcompany.com/
Forbes Ranking: 59
Koozai Score: 90725
96
Prada
Site: https://www.pradagroup.com/
Forbes Ranking: 74
Koozai Score: 79071
97
Estée Lauder
Site: https://www.elcompanies.com/
Forbes Ranking: 100
Koozai Score: 27368
98
Sprite
Site: https://www.sprite.com/
Forbes Ranking: 98
Koozai Score: 17311
99
Heineken
Site: https://www.theheinekencompany.com/
Forbes Ranking: 90
Koozai Score: 11749
100
Marlboro
Site: https://www.marlboro.com/
Forbes Ranking: 27
Koozai Score: 605450
Conclusion
Brand authority will remain the main focus for many companies, but those who also keep Domain Authority at the forefront of their minds for their site will reap the rewards.
As our analysis shows, being an authoritive brand doesn’t necessarily guarantee fantastic site performance. To safeguard your brand’s success, you also need to monitor the quality of your backlinks and referring domains.
Let me know your thoughts on the importance of Domain Authority. Do you have any good examples to share? If so, leave a comment below or tweet me @RuthlessOnFilm.
If you need backlinks analysis and help improving your Domain Authority, get in touch today.
[All figures correct as of June 2015. Forbes figures taken from: https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/]Share this post
Ruth Walker
Hailing from the Midlands, Ruth is our resident film buff and cake maker. She wakes up every morning at 6am, so naturally we think she’s crazy but she brings us baked goods so she can stay.
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