As an SEO practitioner, you likely live and breathe Google rankings. But have you encountered mysterious metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) in your travels?
These benchmark scores offer invaluable intel for evaluating your SEO prowess. Read on as I demystify DA and PA – from what they mean to how you can leverage them to ascend search rankings.
What Exactly is Domain Authority (DA)?
In simple terms, Domain Authority indicates your overall search engine optimization strength at the domain level.
Moz invented this vital metric to gauge the ranking capability of an entire website. It’s akin to your site’s SEO reputation score.
DA Scoring Factors
Moz calculates your DA score by assessing multiple website elements including:
- Total quantity of external backlinks
- Quality of linking root domains pointing to your pages
- Social sharing numbers
The maximum DA score is 100 – achieved by sites with huge repute and authority like Wikipedia and YouTube.
What Does My DA Score Imply?
Your DA offers quick insight into your site’s current capability to rank across search engines like Google.
- Higher DA = Greater rankings potential
- Lower DA = Difficulty ranking competitively
Think of DA as your site’s SEO passport score. The higher it is, the more VIP access you have to position well in search engines against rivals.
Okay, So What’s Page Authority (PA) Then?
While DA evaluates the entire domain – Page Authority zooms in to score the ranking capability of specific site pages.
So rather than overall site strength, PA indicates how well individual URLs or content assets may fare in search rankings.
How PA is Calculated
PA scores also go up to 100, taking into account elements like:
- Quality/quantity of inbound links to the page
- Link velocity
- MozRank
So improving your page level DA comes down to producing content that naturally accrues backlinks over time.
Interpreting Your PA Scores
Naturally, pages with sky-high PA have magnetism to position splendidly on competitive SERP features like:
- Google Top Stories
- People Also Ask boxes
Higher PA = Greater on-page SEO authority to appear prominently across search result listings.
DA vs PA – What’s the Difference?
| Metric | Scope | Evaluation Criteria |
| Domain Authority | Overall website | Total backlinks, referring domains, MozRank |
| Page Authority | Specific webpages | Inbound links, MozRank, link velocity |
So in summary:
- DA evaluates potential search visibility of your overall site
- PA evaluates potential search visibility of individual pages
I like to think of DA and PA working in harmony like yin and yang. Assessing both metrics in tandem provides complete insight into your total search authority.
4 Smart Ways to Improve Your DA and PA
Growing your DA and PA scores involves playing a strategic long game. No shortcuts here – only consistency over time yields results.
1. Produce High Quality, Link-Worthy Content
Craft content specifically optimized to earn links from industry resources. Informative, newsworthy pieces perform best to gradually accrue DA and PA.
2. Promote Your Content to Earn Quality Backlinks
Actively pitch your content to relevant sites through:
- Guest posting
- Roundup submissions
Securing editorially given links accelerates domain and page authority massively over time.
3. Optimize Your Internal Link Structures
Interlink related content across your site extensively. Weave contextual internal links through all your pages – with optimized anchor text – to distribute authority juices site-wide.
4. Prune Toxic Links Diligently
Actively disavow using Google Search Console any sketchy links from low-quality sites. This sanitizes your backlink profile thereby protecting DA and PA.
Rinse and repeat with these four tips and your DA and PA will incrementally but surely rise.
3 Common Myths About Moz’s Metrics
Before wrapping up, let’s debunk some frequent assumptions around DA and PA:
Myth: They Directly Influence Rankings
Reality: While positively correlated, DA/PA don’t directly dictate positions. Think of them more as predictors of Google affinity.
Myth: Instantly Improvable
Reality: Consider any DA/PA boosts above 5 points over 6 months a success. Trust the long process.
Myth: Universal SEO Fixes
Reality: DA/PA are part of a holistic SEO strategy – not instant pixie dust to solve all ranking woes overnight.
So stay realistic about how these metrics actually impact rankings within a larger context.
Closing Thoughts
DA and PA are secret weapons that I regularly leverage across SEO campaigns to benchmark progress. While not Google’s official word, these metrics accurately reflect your potential to rank given their patented correlation with main search signals.
I encourage checking your scores every 3 months or so to quantify SEO growth. Take a longer view rather than obsessing about week to week fluctuations.
Over time, ascending DA and PA will positively influence search visibility and traffic as you build authority. But always anchor your strategy in producing amazing content above all else!
Now you’re fully empowered on Moz’s mystical metrics. Got any lingering questions? Sound off below.
