Domain Authority vs Page Authority: What They Mean and How to Improve Both

If you have ever used a free SEO tool to evaluate a website, you have almost certainly seen two numbers: Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). Both are Moz metrics. Both run from 0 to 100. And both are widely misunderstood — often treated as Google ranking signals when they are nothing of the sort.

Understanding what these metrics actually measure, where they fall short, and how to use them correctly makes the difference between informed SEO decisions and chasing numbers that do not move your rankings.

This guide covers exactly that: what DA and PA are, how they differ, how Google’s actual signals relate to them, and what practical steps raise both metrics over time.

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a score from 0 to 100 developed by Moz that predicts how well an entire domain is likely to rank in search engine results. It is calculated primarily from the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the domain, weighted across Moz’s link index.

Key characteristics of DA:

• Domain-level metric: DA reflects the strength of the entire site, not any individual page.
• Logarithmic scale: Moving from DA 10 to DA 30 is relatively achievable. Moving from DA 60 to DA 70 requires a dramatically larger volume of high-quality links.
• Relative metric: A DA 35 site is not inherently good or bad — it is good or bad relative to the sites competing for the same keywords.
• Moz index dependent: DA updates when Moz recrawls and reindexes the web, which means it can fluctuate without you gaining or losing actual links.

Check your current DA with a free Domain Authority Checker — it pulls real-time data from Moz’s index alongside linking root domains and spam score.

What Is Page Authority?

Page Authority scores the ranking strength of a specific URL on the same 0–100 logarithmic scale. It uses the same link-based methodology as DA, but applied to a single page rather than the full domain.

Key characteristics of PA:

• Page-level metric: PA reflects only the links pointing to that specific URL, not the domain as a whole.
• Fluctuates with page links: A page that earns one strong editorial backlink can see its PA jump significantly in the next Moz index update.
• Useful for individual content evaluation: PA helps you understand which pages on your own site or a competitor’s site are the strongest, and where to focus link-building efforts.

Use a Page Authority Checker to compare PA across your top landing pages, or to evaluate the specific URL you would be linking from when assessing a guest post opportunity.

Domain Authority vs Page Authority: Key Differences

Why DA and PA Are Not Google Ranking Factors

Google uses its own internal link analysis — historically called PageRank — alongside hundreds of other signals. Google does not have access to Moz’s index, and Moz does not have access to Google’s full link graph.

This creates an important distinction:

• A site can have high DA and rank poorly if its content is thin, its technical SEO is broken, or its pages are not targeting the right intent.
• A site can have low DA and rank well if it has strong topical authority, excellent content, and competes in a niche where other sites are similarly unlinked.

The practical takeaway: use DA and PA to compare and prioritize — not to set ranking targets. The underlying signals that lift DA (earning quality links from relevant, authoritative sites) are the same signals that lift Google rankings. Chase the real signals; the metric follows.

For a complete picture of how backlinks influence rankings, see our guide to backlink analysis — it covers auditing your full link profile using free tools.

How to Improve Domain Authority

Improving DA is a long-term process — expect a minimum of 3–6 months for meaningful movement on an established site.

1. Earn High-Quality Backlinks from Relevant Sites

The fastest path to a higher DA is acquiring links from sites with higher DA than yours, in the same or closely related niche. Quality consistently outperforms volume — one link from a DA 60 industry publication is worth more than 50 links from DA 15 blog directories.

Practical approaches:

• Original research and data: Publish studies, surveys, or unique datasets that journalists and bloggers cite and link to.
• Resource page link building: Find resource pages in your niche and pitch your best content for inclusion.
• Guest posting on legitimate publications: Focus on sites with real editorial standards and genuine traffic — not link farms disguised as blogs.
• Broken link building: Find broken outbound links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement. See our broken link building guide for the step-by-step process.

2. Audit and Remove Toxic Links

Low-quality or spammy links pointing to your domain can suppress DA and, more importantly, can trigger Google algorithmic responses. Run a backlink audit and identify links from:

• Known spam networks and private blog networks (PBNs)
• Sites in unrelated niches with no editorial standards
• Domains with high spam scores in Moz (70+)
• Link directories with no editorial curation

Attempt to remove toxic links through outreach. For links you cannot remove, compile a disavow file and submit it via Google Search Console.

3. Fix Technical SEO Issues

Technical problems do not directly affect DA (which is purely link-based), but they prevent you from converting your link equity into actual rankings. Clean technical SEO ensures that the authority your links pass is actually applied to your pages.

Priority technical fixes:

• Resolve crawl errors and redirect chains — link equity bleeds through broken redirect chains
• Ensure canonical tags are correctly set — duplicate content dilutes link equity across multiple URLs
• Fix internal linking — a strong internal link structure distributes page-level authority across your site

How to Improve Page Authority

PA is more immediately actionable than DA because you can direct link-building efforts at specific high-priority URLs.

1. Build Links Directly to That URL

The most direct way to increase a page’s PA is earning backlinks pointed specifically to that URL — not just to your homepage. When pitching guest posts, resource mentions, or data citations, specify the exact page you want linked.

2. Internal Link to That Page from High-PA Pages

Internal links pass page authority from one page to another within your own site. If you have a pillar page with strong external links and high PA, adding an internal link from that page to the URL you want to boost passes a portion of its authority.

3. Improve the Page’s Content Quality

High-quality content earns more natural links over time. A thin 500-word page rarely attracts editorial links regardless of its topic. A comprehensive, well-structured guide that genuinely answers the searcher’s full question is far more linkable — which raises PA organically.

Common Mistakes

• Treating DA as a Google ranking signal. Google does not use DA. Building links solely to inflate a Moz metric instead of improving your actual link profile creates a disconnect between your DA and your real rankings.
• Comparing your DA against unrelated sites. DA only matters relative to the sites competing for your specific keywords. A local plumber with DA 25 competing against local competitors with DA 15–20 is in a strong position — not a weak one.
• Expecting immediate DA changes. Moz updates its index on a rolling basis. Even after earning strong links, you may not see DA movement for 4–8 weeks. Patience is part of the process.
• Ignoring PA in favor of DA only. For competitive keyword targeting, PA of the specific ranking URL is the more relevant signal. A homepage with DA 50 but a specific blog post with PA 20 will compete differently than a competitor’s page with PA 40.

Expert Tips

• Use DA for prospect filtering, not for goal-setting. Set a DA floor for link targets (e.g. DA 25+) to filter out low-value prospects, but do not set a DA number as your own ranking goal — focus on the links that build it.
• Track PA on your most important pages monthly. A sudden PA drop on a key landing page often signals a lost backlink — catch it early and reach out to the linking site to restore it.
• Check MozRank alongside DA. MozRank measures link equity specifically (rather than the composite DA score), which can reveal whether a high DA is driven by a few powerful links or broad link diversity — the latter is more stable.

Action Checklist

• ☐ Check your current DA and PA with a free Domain Authority Checker
• ☐ Benchmark your DA against your top 5 organic competitors for target keywords
• ☐ Run a backlink audit and identify toxic or low-quality links for removal or disavowal
• ☐ Identify your top 3–5 pages by PA and build additional links directly to those URLs
• ☐ Add internal links from high-PA pages to pages you want to boost
• ☐ Develop a link acquisition strategy targeting DA 25+ relevant sites in your niche
• ☐ Set a monthly DA/PA tracking reminder (allow 4–8 weeks between meaningful checks)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a 0–100 score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. It is calculated using the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the domain. A higher DA generally means a stronger link profile, but DA is not a Google ranking factor.

What is Page Authority?

Page Authority (PA) is a Moz metric that scores the ranking strength of a single page on a 0–100 logarithmic scale. Like DA, it is based on the quality and quantity of links pointing specifically to that URL. PA is useful for evaluating individual landing pages or blog posts rather than an entire domain.

What is a good Domain Authority score?

There is no universal good DA score. What matters is your DA relative to the sites competing for the same keywords. If your competitors rank with DA 30–40, being at DA 25–35 is competitive. DA scores are logarithmic, so improving from 10 to 20 is far easier than improving from 50 to 60.

Does Domain Authority affect Google rankings?

No. Google does not use Domain Authority in its ranking algorithm. DA is Moz’s proprietary metric. However, because DA correlates strongly with the quality of a site’s backlink profile, high DA sites often do rank well — correlation, not causation.

How can I increase my Domain Authority?

Build high-quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative sites, fix or disavow toxic links in your profile, ensure your technical SEO is healthy (no crawl errors, fast page speed, proper indexing), and publish content that earns natural editorial links over time. DA increases slowly — expect 3–6 months minimum to see meaningful movement.

How do I check my Domain Authority for free?

Use a free Domain Authority Checker tool to see your current DA, PA, and linking root domains in seconds. Enter your domain URL and the tool pulls the latest data from Moz’s index.

Why did my Domain Authority drop?

DA can drop when competitors gain stronger links, when Moz recalibrates its index, or when you lose backlinks. A sudden drop often follows a Moz index update rather than an actual loss of links. Check your referring domain count alongside DA — if both dropped, you likely lost real links. If only DA dropped, it is likely a recalibration.

Is Page Authority more important than Domain Authority?

Neither is more important in absolute terms. For overall site reputation, DA gives the broader picture. For competitive keyword targeting on individual pages, PA of the specific ranking URL is the more relevant metric. Use both, depending on what question you are trying to answer.

Conclusion

Domain Authority and Page Authority are useful benchmarking tools when applied correctly: for filtering link prospects, comparing competitive positioning, and identifying which pages deserve the most link-building attention. Misapplied — chased as ranking targets or treated as Google signals — they lead to wasted effort and misaligned strategy.

Focus on earning high-quality, relevant backlinks; cleaning up toxic links; and building a technically sound site. The metrics follow the fundamentals — not the other way around.

If you need help auditing your current link profile or building a sustainable authority-growth strategy, the team at EW Marketings offers a digital marketing consultation covering backlinks, technical SEO, and content. Request a free audit to see where your domain stands today.