Let’s visualize the difference between DA and PA.
Think of your website like a house.
Domain Authority (DA) measures the strength of the entire house—how solid its foundation is, how well it’s built, and how much trust it’s earned over time.
Page Authority (PA), on the other hand, measures the appeal of one room—how well-decorated, functional, and inviting it is compared to others.
In short, DA reflects the reputation of your whole house (website), while PA shows how one specific room performs (single page). Both matter because a sturdy house gets visitors in the door, but a well-designed room keeps them around.
DA draws its strength from every backlink pointing to your domain, while PA depends on the backlinks and internal links leading to that specific page. Both scores run from 1 to 100, and like city infrastructure, when you improve one part, the whole system benefits.
In simple terms:
- Domain Authority reflects your website’s overall backlink profile strength.
- Page Authority zooms in on how strong a single page is within that ecosystem.
What Is Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority (DA) is a proprietary metric developed by Moz that reflects a domain’s overall trust and visibility in search (overall SEO ranking factors, link building metrics, and content relevance). Scored on a 1–100 scale, it predicts how likely a website is to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs) compared to competitors. The score changes over time based on new backlinks, referring domains, and search algorithm updates.
Is Domain Authority the Same as Authority Score?
No, Domain Authority (DA) isn’t the same as Authority Score (AS), though they serve a similar purpose.
Here’s the breakdown:
Domain Score
- Created by: Moz
- Scale: 1–100 (logarithmic)
- Key use: Benchmarking domain-level SEO strength against competitors.
- Focus: Predicts how likely a website is to rank based on its backlink profile (quantity, quality, diversity).
- Algorithm: Uses MozRank, MozTrust, and other proprietary link metrics.
Authority Score
- Created by: Semrush
- Scale: 1–100 (logarithmic)
- Key use: A broader indicator of domain credibility, plus performance.
- Focus: Measures overall website quality using a combination of Semrush Authority Metrics, which include:
- Backlink data (like DA)
- Organic traffic trends
- Spam signals
- Other trust metrics
In Semrush, Authority Score looks like this:
How Domain Authority Is Calculated
Domain Authority (DA) is calculated on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100. Higher numbers represent stronger ranking potential. The score is primarily based on the quality, quantity, and diversity of backlinks pointing to a website.
While Moz’s algorithm isn’t publicly disclosed, the company has shared that DA relies on multiple link-based and trust-based factors to model how search engines evaluate site authority. Moz utilizes a machine learning software tool to calculate Domain Authority by examining 40 distinct variables. These include factors like the number of high-quality inbound links. If reputable websites within your field consistently link back to your website, it will rank higher. Providing high-quality, accessible information will also help you rank higher.
Domain Authority operates on a logarithmic calculation. That means jumping from 10 to 15 is significantly easier than jumping from 70 to 75. If your website has a low score, you can see big gains over a relatively short time period.
Key Factors That Influence Domain Authority
1. Linking root domains
The number of unique domains linking to your website plays a major role. A site with 100 links from 10 domains carries less weight than 100 links from 100 unique, trusted domains.
You need to prioritize acquiring backlinks from new, high-authority sources rather than repeating links from the same site.
2. Total and quality of backlinks
Links from relevant, authoritative websites pass significantly more value than those from low-quality or unrelated domains.
Moz evaluates both link authority (MozRank) and link trust (MozTrust) to ensure your link profile isn’t inflated by spammy or manipulative tactics.
Example: A single link from Forbes can carry more authority than dozens from unknown blogs.
3. Content quality and relevance
High-quality, original content that provides unique insights tends to earn backlinks naturally. Moz’s model indirectly rewards sites whose pages attract frequent linking and engagement, signaling trust and topical authority.
4. Domain age and historical trust
Older, well-established domains often hold higher authority because they’ve accumulated consistent backlinks and user trust over time. However, age alone doesn’t guarantee high DA—steady growth and relevance matter more than longevity.
5. Site structure and technical SEO
Although DA focuses on backlinks, overall SEO performance still contributes to perceived authority.
A well-structured website with optimized navigation, fast loading times, and strong UX sends positive signals that align with search engine best practices.
Why the Scale Is Logarithmic
Because the scale is logarithmic, increasing your DA from 20 to 30 is much easier than moving from 70 to 80. It takes exponentially more effort to grow authority in already trusted domains.
What a Good Domain Authority Score Looks Like and Why Does it Matter
A good Domain Authority score varies by industry, but most growing websites aim for a DA of 40 or higher. A strong Domain Authority (DA) score signals that your website has the potential to outrank competitors on search engine results pages (SERPs).
For example, if someone searches “carpet cleaners near me” and your business has a higher DA than other local companies, your site is more likely to appear closer to the top of Google’s results.
Each position higher on the SERP brings a measurable increase in traffic. Searchers are far more likely to click the first result than the second, and the second than the third. Every step up means more visibility, more clicks, and more leads.
But having a high Domain Authority doesn’t guarantee you’ll outrank competitors. Search engines consider hundreds of signals (from search intent and keyword relevance to content quality and user experience) when determining who earns a top spot.
What Is Page Authority (PA)?
Page Authority (PA) is a predictive metric developed by Moz that estimates how likely a specific webpage is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). Scored on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100, PA evaluates the ranking potential of individual pages based on backlink quality, content relevance, and internal linking strength.
How Page Authority Works
Page Authority is calculated using machine learning models trained on large search datasets. These models evaluate page-level SEO metrics, such as backlink quality, content depth, and topical relevance. The goal is to predict how likely a specific page is to rank in Google search results.
The score rises when your page earns credible backlinks, receives consistent engagement, and maintains strong topical relevance. Because it’s logarithmic, improving a page’s PA from 20 to 30 is much easier than from 70 to 80. Each step up represents exponentially stronger authority.
Factors That Influence Page Authority
1. Backlink profile
Links from authoritative, contextually relevant pages significantly boost PA. A single link from a trusted source (e.g., a high-DA publication in your niche) can outweigh dozens of low-quality backlinks.
2. Internal linking
Strong internal link architecture distributes authority across pages. When key pages receive links from other high-value pages on your domain, they inherit a portion of that authority (i.e. a concept known as link equity flow).
3. External links and referring domains
Just as with DA, the number and quality of referring domains matter. However, PA measures links to one specific page, not the whole site. Diversifying your link sources across different reputable websites helps signal trustworthiness and expertise to search engines.
How to Improve Your Domain and Page Authority
Now that you know the differences between domain authority and page authority, it’s time to learn how to increase DR. Finally, you’re on your way to a higher domain authority score.
Improve Content Depth
Regularly publishing high-quality, informative content will increase the odds that quality websites relevant to your industry will add backlinks to your website.
For example, we updated our blog “Creating a Winning SaaS SEO”, which gained top position and earned high-quality backlinks.
Contribute to Forums
Sharing genuine, helpful insights on forums in your niche can help you earn natural backlinks and build authority. Avoid dropping links just to promote your site because Google flags that as spam.
Instead, focus on:
- Joining relevant discussions
- Providing expert answers
- Linking only when it adds clear value
This approach strengthens your topical authority and improves both Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) over time.
Start Guest Posting
Writing guest posts for reputable websites is one of the safest ways to grow your Domain Authority.
Focus on:
- Contributing to relevant, high-authority sites
- Creating original, valuable content that benefits their readers
- Naturally linking back to your site where it fits contextually
Avoid paid or spammy guest post exchanges. Quality backlinks earned over time build stronger authority and boost your visibility across search and AI results.
Audit Toxic Links
Regularly checking for toxic backlinks protects your site’s credibility and Domain Authority.
Avoid buying links or trading them for favors. Google’s algorithms can detect and penalize these black-hat tactics. Search engines have become stricter about black-hat link tactics. And spammy links from low-quality or irrelevant sites can drag down your Domain Authority and overall rankings.
Instead:
- Use tools like Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs to find harmful backlinks
- Remove or disavow links from spammy, irrelevant, or low-quality sites
A clean backlink profile analysis helps you maintain authority, avoid penalties, and improve long-term ranking stability.
Ready to Improve Your Authority Scores?
Still unsure about Domain Authority’s meaning or how Page Authority works? Or maybe you’re comparing Domain Rating vs Domain Authority to see which matters most for your growth. At Sure Oak, we specialize in improving both, helping you build credibility, earn high-quality backlinks, and drive consistent organic traffic.
Improving authority is about creating trustworthy, search-optimized content that ranks and converts. Let our SEO experts handle the heavy lifting—from link-building to content optimization—so you can focus on running your business. Schedule your free, personalized SEO strategy session today and start increasing your Domain and Page Authority the right way.
