The Top 100 Brands According To The Koozai Score

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

Facebook

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

Google

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: http://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: http://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: http://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: http://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: http://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: http://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: http://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: http://www.hp.com/

Forbes Ranking: 35

Koozai Score: 44385720

12

IBM

Site: http://www.ibm.com/

Forbes Ranking: 5

Koozai Score: 338181565

 13

Visa

Site: http://usa.visa.com/

Forbes Ranking: 30

Koozai Score: 30211366

 14

Samsung

Site: http://www.samsung.com/

Forbes Ranking: 7

Koozai Score: 26983591

15

Gillette

Site:  http://www.gillette.com/

Forbes Ranking: 26

Koozai Score: 26815889

 16

FedEx

Site: http://www.fedex.com/

Forbes Ranking: 80

Koozai Score: 25703571

17

Cisco

Site: http://www.cisco.com/

Forbes Ranking: 15

Koozai Score: 21814170

18

Phillips

Site: http://www.philips.com/

Forbes Ranking: 77

Koozai Score: 20049710

19

Toyota

Site: http://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: http://www.sap.com/

Forbes Ranking: 28

Koozai Score: 17552652

22

Thomson Reuters

Site: http://thomsonreuters.com/

Forbes Ranking: 68

Koozai Score: 16687638

23

Porsche

Site: http://www.porsche.com/

Forbes Ranking: 78

Koozai Score: 15635253

24

Verizon

Site: http://www.verizon.com/

Forbes Ranking: 21

Koozai Score: 14972197

25

Siemens

Site: http://www.siemens.com/

Forbes Ranking: 46

Koozai Score: 14704864

26

Audi

Site: http://www.audi.com/

Forbes Ranking: 39

Koozai Score: 13711340

27

MTV

Site: http://www.mtv.com/

Forbes Ranking: 99

Koozai Score: 12767294

28

Nike

Site: http://www.nikeinc.com

Forbes Ranking: 18

Koozai Score: 12706774

29

IKEA

Site: http://www.ikea.com/

Forbes Ranking: 45

Koozai Score: 11496120

30

Ebay

Site: http://www.ebayinc.com/

Forbes Ranking: 50

Koozai Score: 10873600

31

Ford

Site: http://www.ford.com/

Forbes Ranking: 41

Koozai Score: 9932692

32

HSBC

Site: http://www.hsbc.com/

Forbes Ranking: 36

Koozai Score: 9459180

33

Fox

Site: http://www.fox.com/

Forbes Ranking: 48

Koozai Score: 8509243

34

AT&T

Site: http://www.att.com/

Forbes Ranking: 12

Koozai Score: 8199322

 35

Accenture

Site: http://www.accenture.com/

Forbes Ranking: 44

Koozai Score: 8060424

 36

Ralph Lauren

Site: http://www.ralphlauren.com

Forbes Ranking: 89

Koozai Score: 7556380

37

Red Bull

Site: http://www.redbull.com/

Forbes Ranking: 76

Koozai Score: 7209448

38

John Deere

Site: http://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:  http://www.lego.com/

Forbes Ranking: 95

Koozai Score: 5099452

41

Sony

Site: http://www.sony.net/

Forbes Ranking: 79

Koozai Score: 4780816

42

H&M

Site: http://www.hm.com/

Forbes Ranking: 33

Koozai Score: 4719737

 43

General Electric

Site: http://www.ge.com/

Forbes Ranking: 9

Koozai Score: 4561533

44

Starbucks

Site: http://www.starbucks.com/

Forbes Ranking: 52

Koozai Score: 4107902

45

Target

Site: http://www.targetcorp.com

Forbes Ranking: 92

Koozai Score: 4025156

46

Home Depot

Site: http://www.homedepot.com/

Forbes Ranking: 37

Koozai Score: 3820443

47

ESPN

Site: http://www.espn.com/

Forbes Ranking: 32

Koozai Score: 3795550

48

McDonald’s

Site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/

Forbes Ranking: 6

Koozai Score: 3729926

49

Honda

Site: http://www.honda.co.jp/

Forbes Ranking: 23

Koozai Score: 3615320

50

Exxon Mobil

Site: http://www.exxonmobil.com/

Forbes Ranking: 91

Koozai Score: 3527741

51

Chevrolet

Site: http://www.chevrolet.com/

Forbes Ranking: 62

Koozai Score: 3351005

52

Bank of America

Site: http://www.bankofamerica.com/

Forbes Ranking: 72

Koozai Score: 3259541

53

Zara

Site: http://www.zara.com/

Forbes Ranking: 58

Koozai Score: 3107685

54

Lexus

Site: http://www.lexus.com/

Forbes Ranking: 66

Koozai Score: 3056323

55

Chanel

Site: http://www.chanel.com/

Forbes Ranking: 85

Koozai Score: 2940375

56

Pepsi

Site: http://www.pepsi.com/

Forbes Ranking: 29

Koozai Score: 2915332

57

L’Oréal

Site: http://www.loreal.com/

Forbes Ranking: 34

Koozai Score: 2911486

58

RBC

Site: http://www.rbc.com/

Forbes Ranking: 86

Koozai Score: 2899445

59

Adidas

Site: http://www.adidas-group.com/

Forbes Ranking: 83

Koozai Score: 2834207

60

Rolex

Site: http://www.rolex.com/

Forbes Ranking: 65

Koozai Score: 2541990

61

Louis Vuitton

Site: http://www.louisvuitton.com/

Forbes Ranking: 14

Koozai Score: 2466154

62

Frito-Lay

Site: http://www.fritolay.com/

Forbes Ranking: 38

Koozai Score: 2251076

63

Gucci

Site: http://www.gucci.com/

Forbes Ranking: 42

Koozai Score: 2248463

64

Boeing

Site: http://www.boeing.com

Forbes Ranking: 82

Koozai Score: 2160601

65

Chase

Site: http://www.chase.com/

Forbes Ranking: 71

Koozai Score: 1984078

66

Hyundai

Site: http://worldwide.hyundai.com

Forbes Ranking: 64

Koozai Score: 1953991

67

Hermès

Site: http://www.hermes.com/

Forbes Ranking: 51

Koozai Score: 1432774

68

Canon

Site: http://www.canon.jp/

Forbes Ranking: 73

Koozai Score: 1415270

69

Coach

Site: http://www.coach.com

Forbes Ranking: 63

Koozai Score: 1383120

70

Coca-Cola

Site: http://www.coca-colacompany.com/

Forbes Ranking: 4

Koozai Score: 1380873

71

Subway

Site: http://www.subway.com/

Forbes Ranking: 84

Koozai Score: 1312125

72

Cartier

Site: http://www.cartier.com/  

Forbes Ranking: 55

Koozai Score: 1267671

73

Panasonic

Site: http://www.panasonic.net

Forbes Ranking: 93

Koozai Score: 1242633

74

Santander

Site: http://www.santander.com/

Forbes Ranking: 69

Koozai Score: 1169926

75

Citi

Site:  http://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: http://www.nestle.com/

Forbes Ranking: 43

Koozai Score: 892750

78

BMW

Site: http://www.bmwgroup.com/

Forbes Ranking: 16

Koozai Score: 864669

79

Volkswagen

Site: http://www.volkswagenag.com/

Forbes Ranking: 67

Koozai Score: 767868

80

Nissan

Site: http://www.nissan.co.jp/

Forbes Ranking: 75

Koozai Score: 672165

81

Goldman Sachs

Site: http://www.goldmansachs.com/

Forbes Ranking: 88

Koozai Score: 638661

82

Wal-Mart

Site: http://walmartstores.com

Forbes Ranking: 20

Koozai Score: 605450

83

Allianz

Site: https://www.allianz.com/

Forbes Ranking: 87

Koozai Score: 512794

84

Pampers

Site: http://www.pampers.com/

Forbes Ranking: 49

Koozai Score: 466117

85

Colgate

Site: http://www.colgate.com/

Forbes Ranking: 61

Koozai Score: 429312

86

Caterpillar

Site: http://www.caterpillar.com/

Forbes Ranking: 57

Koozai Score: 424489

87

Budweiser

Site: http://www.budweiser.com/

Forbes Ranking: 25

Koozai Score: 422875

88

Hershey

Site: http://www.thehersheycompany.com/

Forbes Ranking: 94

Koozai Score: 380723

89

Danone

Site: http://www.danone.com/

Forbes Ranking: 54

Koozai Score: 244931

90

KIA Motors

Site: http://www.kia.co.kr/

Forbes Ranking: 97

Koozai Score: 222270

91

Lancôme

Site: http://www.lancome.com/

Forbes Ranking: 96

Koozai Score: 222270

92

Disney

Site: http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/

Forbes Ranking: 11

Koozai Score: 174316

93

Nescafé

Site: http://www.nescafe.com/

Forbes Ranking: 31

Koozai Score: 153827

94

Kraft

Site: http://www.kraftfoodsgroup.com/

Forbes Ranking: 60

Koozai Score: 104752

95

Kellog’s

Site: http://www.kelloggcompany.com/

Forbes Ranking: 59

Koozai Score: 90725

96

Prada

Site: http://www.pradagroup.com/

Forbes Ranking: 74

Koozai Score: 79071

97

Estée Lauder

Site: http://www.elcompanies.com/

Forbes Ranking: 100

Koozai Score: 27368

98

Sprite

Site: http://www.sprite.com/

Forbes Ranking: 98

Koozai Score: 17311

99

Heineken

Site: http://www.theheinekencompany.com/

Forbes Ranking: 90

Koozai Score: 11749

100

Marlboro

Site: http://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: http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/]

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