Domain Authority vs Page Authority: What Really Matters for SEO
Hook: Imagine two blogs: one is a small but powerful page that ranks instantly for its target keyword, while the other has dozens of posts but struggles to break into Google’s top 10. Why? The secret often lies in Domain Authority (DA) vs Page Authority (PA). But here’s the catch—most bloggers misunderstand what really matters for SEO.
In this guide, I’ll break down DA and PA in simple, human terms, show you how they influence your rankings, and give you actionable strategies to improve both. By the end, you’ll know exactly where to focus your energy for long-term SEO growth.
What Is Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority is a metric developed by Moz (not Google) to predict how well a website can rank on search engines. It ranges from 1 to 100—the higher the score, the greater the ranking potential.
Key Factors That Influence DA:
- Quality of Backlinks: High-authority domains linking to you.
- Number of Backlinks: More links generally help, but quality beats quantity.
- Domain Age: Older domains often carry more trust.
- Content Strength: Relevant, valuable, keyword-rich content.
- Technical SEO: Site speed, mobile-friendliness, secure HTTPS.
What Is Page Authority (PA)?
Page Authority, also created by Moz, measures the ranking strength of a single page rather than the whole domain. Like DA, it’s scored from 1 to 100.
What Boosts PA?
- Page-specific backlinks: Direct links to that exact page.
- On-page SEO: Title tags, meta descriptions, internal linking.
- Content quality: Longer, helpful, and well-structured content ranks higher.
- User engagement: Clicks, dwell time, low bounce rates.
Domain Authority vs Page Authority: The Real Difference
| Factor | Domain Authority (DA) | Page Authority (PA) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Measures overall domain strength | Measures a single page’s strength |
| Backlinks | Considers links to the entire domain | Focuses on links to one page |
| Use Case | Good for comparing websites |