{"id":30330,"date":"2022-09-30T16:12:49","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T16:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=30330"},"modified":"2025-07-30T13:29:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T13:29:17","slug":"how-to-increase-domain-reputation-with-spf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-domain-reputation-with-spf\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Increase Domain Reputation with SPF"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is your email open rate decreasing? Noticing a higher bounce rate? This could be due to various SEO reasons, but\u00a0<\/span>domain reputation<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is often a significant factor. Does email security play a role? How? And what can you do in this context to\u00a0<\/span>increase domain reputation<\/span><\/strong>?<\/span><\/p>\n

We answer these questions and discuss ways to <\/span>increase domain reputation<\/b> using SPF or the Sender Policy Framework protocol. If you don\u2019t know already, you can find out <\/span>what SPF is<\/span><\/a> for a better understanding. In short, it\u2019s an email authentication standard that uses DNS records to specify the hostnames and IP addresses permitted to send mail from a specific domain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, a domain with a poor reputation can negatively affect email deliverability. Before we get into it, let\u2019s look at what \u2018domain reputation\u2019 means.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Domain Reputation?<\/b><\/h3>\n

A domain reputation has many deciding factors<\/span><\/a> that indicate the trustworthiness and credibility of a domain, according to search engines. Knowing <\/span>how to increase domain reputation <\/b>is vital for search engine optimization or SEO, significantly impacting digital marketing and sales efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t buy or transfer a domain reputation; you have to earn it. Domain reputation is directly proportionate to sender reputation and email deliverability. Primarily, there are three types of domains used while sending emails. To\u00a0<\/span>improve email domain reputation<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, you must understand which domains are considered by ESPs to evaluate sending domain reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Address<\/b><\/h4>\n

The \u2018From Address\u2019 is the domain address displayed to a recipient on receiving an email. The recipient uses this address to reply if no reply-to email address is defined. You must keep the \u2018From Address\u2019 associated with your primary domain. <\/span><\/p>\n

Return-Path Domain<\/b><\/h4>\n

The Return-Path Domain isn\u2019t visible but is set in the email header. This is where the recipient\u2019s email server sends bounce replies. Email service providers typically set this to default, but custom return-path addresses are also available.<\/p>\n

Creating an SPF record<\/span> and implementing DMARC allows ISPs to validate the return-path domain against the sending domain, thus improving domain reputation and reducing phishing and spoofing attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

DKIM Signing Domain<\/b><\/h4>\n

When implemented, this domain has an encrypted public key used by ISPs to decrypt DKIM signatures for email authentication. It acts like a digital signature within the DKIM protocol, so it\u2019s best to use your domain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The above influence trustworthiness, so you must manage them properly to <\/span>improve your email domain reputation<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Common Factors Influencing Your Domain Reputation?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Websites with good standing are considered safe, credible, and trustworthy by search engines like Google and Yahoo! Thus, increasing domain reputation is essential. Here are some major contributing factors:<\/p>\n