If you’re learning about SEO, you’ve probably come across the terms DA and PA. They are two important metrics for measuring the strength of a website or page, or how high in search results it has the potential to rank.
In this guide, we will explain what DA and PA are, how they work, and why it is important for your website.
What Is Domain Authority (DA)?
The domain authority (DA) is a metric that forecasts the optimisation of a website in the search engine such as Google. It is scored on a scale from 1 to 100. The higher the number, the stronger the website.
DA was created by Moz, and it looks at several factors like:
- The quantity and the quality back links to the whole domain
- When did you include the domain?
- The credibility of what you say
To give an example, websites such as Wikipedia or Amazon will have a very high DA since they have existed for many years and have thousands of backlinks.
What Is Page Authority (PA)?
Page Authority (PA) is similar to DA but focuses on a single page on a website. It tells you how likely that specific page is to rank in search results.
PA is also scored from 1 to 100. A high PA means that the page has:
- Good content quality
- Strong backlinks to that page
- Proper internal and external links
Want to dig deeper? Read more about Page Authority in SEO
DA vs PA – What’s the Difference?
Here’s a quick chart to help you compare the two:
Feature | Domain Authority (DA) | Page Authority (PA) |
Focus Area | Entire website | Single webpage |
Score Range | 1 to 100 | 1 to 100 |
Affected By | Domain-level backlinks, site structure | Page-level links and content |
Use Case | Overall site health | How one page performs |
DA vs PA – SEO Factor Comparison
- Backlinks matter more for DA.
- Content quality and internal linking are stronger drivers for PA
- Domain age has a larger effect on DA than PA.
Why Are DA and PA Important in SEO?
- They give you an idea of how your site compares to others in your niche.
- Higher DA and PA scores can improve your chances of ranking on Google.
- You can use these scores to plan your SEO strategy and track progress.
Tip: While DA and PA are helpful, they are not used by Google directly. They are just tools to estimate your SEO strength.
How to Improve Your Domain Authority (DA)
Improving your DA takes time and consistent effort. Here’s what you can do:
Build High-Quality Backlinks
- Get links from trusted websites in your industry
- Avoid spammy or irrelevant links
- Try guest blogging or partnerships.
Improve Onpage SEO
- Use clear titles and meta descriptions
- Add internal links to your pages.
- Make sure your site loads fast and is mobile-friendly
Explore our on-page SEO services to boost your site’s structure, speed, and content performance.
Keep Your Website Active
- Add fresh content regularly.
- Update old pages and blogs.
- Remove broken links or outdated information.
How to Boost Your Page Authority (PA)
If you want one page (like a blog or product page) to rank better, focus on PA.
Create Useful and Original Content
- Make sure the page answers user questions
- Use easy-to-read text, lists, and images
Get Links to That Page
- Share the page on social media.
- Ask others to reference it in blogs or articles.
Do a Page-Level SEO Audit
- Check title tags, keywords, headings, and image ALT text
Try the SEO Audit service to fix page issues fast.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing on DA only: Many people obsess about Domain Authority but fail to pay attention to individual web pages. The truth is, even if your Domain Authority is low, if your Page Authority is high, you still can rank well.
- Buying backlinks: Buying backlinks from shady sources may sound great in the short term, but it can very easily lead to your website being penalised by Google, impacting rankings negatively. Instead, focus on developing natural, high-quality links to your site.
- Ignoring content quality: Quality content is key to effective SEO. If your blogs or web pages do not present real value to readers, they will not linger long enough to rank. Google will reward sites that publish clear, helpful, and original content.
- Neglecting to use internal links: Internal links are useful; they help both users and search engines find your content. Feel free to link from old pages to newer ones and provide a natural progression to more related topics. Internal links can enhance your site structure and can help to support on-page SEO.
- Not regularly updating web pages: Outdated content can affect both DA and PA. Keep your information fresh, update links, and improve old posts to stay relevant in search results.
Using Keywords to Help DA and PA
Your content must be written with the right keywords. Make sure to include:
- Long-tail keywords
- Question-based keywords
- Location-based terms (if local SEO applies)
Conclusion
DA and PA are such useful metrics of SEO that can assist you in learning how powerful your site and pages are. Better ranking and traffic, as well as increased online visibility, may be achieved by their improvement.
To enhance DA, it is better to target the whole site: create backlinks, correct the technical state, and post fulfilling content. To enhance PA, work on every page-write useful information, do excellent promotion and optimise it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A DA score above 40 is considered average, and 60+ is strong. However, compare your score with similar websites in your niche, not giants like Amazon.
Use free tools like Moz Link Explorer, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest. Just enter your domain or page URL to see the score.
No, Google doesn’t use these scores directly. They are made by SEO tools to help you estimate how well your site may rank.
Yes, if that page gets quality backlinks and great engagement, its PA can rise even if your DA is still low.
At least every 3–6 months. Regular audits help you catch technical issues and improve both DA and PA.