Search engine optimization (SEO) experts aim to boost the authority and relevance of a website to improve its rankings and visibility in search engines. Authority refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of a site, which search engines evaluate through metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA).
While DA measures the authority of an entire domain, PA gauges the authority of specific pages within that domain. Both help search engines determine the value and expertise a site can provide on a given topic. The higher the DA and PA, the more likely search engines are to rank the site prominently in results pages.
DA and PA are simply popular authority metrics in the SEO world, sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re different.
So what do these metrics mean? And what are the main differences between domain authority vs page authority?
To help you understand the main differences between the two terms, we’ll define DA and PA, their functions, and how they’re derived.
Related: The Complete Guide to SEO Marketing
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain authority or DA is a useful metric that helps you know the status of your web property against your competition. It’s a search engine ranking score, but it isn’t among the ranking factors on Google’s list.
It’s used to predict the likelihood that your website will rank in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Moz, the innovator of PA, rates the score on a scale of 1-100, where a high score obviously gives you a higher probability that your site will rank well in the SERPs.
Qualities of a Good Domain Authority Score
Moz’s DA search engine ranking score considers the quality and quantity of links that your web pages receive. If you have backlinks from high authority pages you’re more likely to score a better DA.
Getting quality backlinks will depend on the characteristics of your website and the type of industry, which means your DA may differ from another business in the same industry.
Some sites are so big, and so niche that they can acquire backlinks pretty much just from existing such as Wikipedia.
How is Domain Authority Calculated?
The main components that influence DA are the quality and quantity of external backlinks pointing to the site from other reputable domains. More backlinks from authoritative sites boost a domain's authority.
Individual page authority scores also aggregate to impact the overall domain authority. Higher scoring pages on a site lift the domain's authority.
Additional trust signals like website traffic, engagement metrics, ranking history, and anchor text optimization also factor into domain authority calculations.
However, domain authority scores are dynamic and can fluctuate over time as new data becomes available. For example, if a popular, authoritative website suddenly acquires many new high quality backlinks, this could cause its domain authority to surge.
As a result, other websites' domain authority may relatively decrease, even if nothing changed on their end. This happens because domain authority calculations are comparative - there is limited room at the top levels of the scale.
When an already trusted site enhances its backlink profile substantially, it takes up more of that upper space on the domain authority scale. This leaves less room for other sites with less robust backlink profiles to occupy those top tiers, relatively pushing their scores down.
How to Check Your Domain Authority?
You can check your site’s DA for free using Moz’s Link Explorer. Just enter your domain’s root URL, and the tool will calculate and display the DA.
You also get other metrics like the linking domains, inbound links, and ranking keywords.
How to Build Your Domain Authority?
Here are some effective ways to build your domain authority:
- Create high quality, in-depth content that answers search queries and provides value for users. Optimizing content for SEO helps search engines understand your expertise.
- Build backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites through guest posting, partnerships, or earned media. Focus on niche-specific sites that complement your industry.
- Promote content on social media and encourage shares to gain trust signals like engagement and traffic. This shows search engines your content resonates.
- Improve website speed and user experience, emphasizing page load times, mobile optimization, and ease of navigation. This boosts dwell time and trust.
- Acquire citations and mentions on recognized directories, listings, and review sites to build brand visibility.
- Build internal links between well-optimized pages on your site. This distributes authority and signals relevance.
- Monitor metrics and refine content over time. Authority building takes patience, so regularly evaluate progress.
With a balanced, persistent approach across trust and relevance signals, you can steadily improve domain authority for better search performance. Focus on providing genuine value for users.
What Is Page Authority?
Page authority or PA is another popular score by Moz that predicts how a particular page will rank on the SERPs. PA scores also range from 1 - 100.
The higher the score, the greater the probability of ranking.
This metric is based on Moz’s web index data and considers several factors when calculating the final score.
How Is Page Authority Calculated?
Moz calculates PA score using a machine learning algorithm that analyzes a variety of factors. These factors include the number and quality of inbound links, the relevance of the content on the page, the age of the page, and the overall authority of the website. The algorithm then assigns a score to the page based on these factors.
What Is a Good Page Authority Score?
As previously mentioned, PA score is measured on a scale of 1 - 100. A score of 50 is considered average, while a score of 60 or higher is considered good. If your competitors have higher PA scores, it's time to work harder to achieve a similar score or even overtake them with time!
Checking Your Page Authority Score
As mentioned earlier, Moz’s Link Explorer is a great tool which allows you to check your PA for free. Simply enter your website URL into the tool, and it will provide you with a PA score, as well as other important metrics.
How to Build Your Page Authority?
Building your page authority is a bit similar to DA but with a few differences:
- Build contextual backlinks directly to your target page from authoritative sites. Quality links are key for page authority, so focus efforts on creating in-depth, useful content that resources deserve to link to.
- Pack pages with comprehensive, unique content - not thin or repetitive filler. In-depth, information-rich content has more value for earning links.
- Improve domain authority with tactics like quality content, social promotion, etc. This lifts the entire site. Also ensure proper URL structure and site optimization.
- Distribute authority across your site by linking internally from higher authority pages to lower authority ones where relevant. This spreads authority while maintaining topic coherence.
- Monitor for spammy backlinks to the page and disavow them through Google. Bad links can nullify progress and trigger penalties, so maintaining a clean link profile is crucial.
- Publish high-quality content on authority domains in your space and link back to your page. The credibility boosts page authority.
- Ensure on-page optimization with SEO best practices when publishing content on other domains. A well-optimized page earns authority faster.
The key principles are building a diversity of relevant, trusted backlinks to the page, distributing authority across your site, and safeguarding quality by minimizing harmful links. This takes page authority to the next level.
The Difference Between Domain Authority vs Page Authority
Scope
Page authority measures the authority of a single web page, while domain authority measures the authority of an entire website domain.
Calculation
Page authority is calculated using factors like backlinks, engagement, and keywords specifically for that page. Domain authority aggregates the page authority scores of all pages on a domain.
Purpose
Page authority helps optimize and track performance for target keywords and topics. Domain authority evaluates overall search engine perception of a website.
Fluctuation
Page authority fluctuates more frequently as page-specific factors change. Domain authority is relatively more stable over time.
Link building
Page authority is built by earning links directly to that page. Domain authority is built by improving links across the domain.
Tracking
Page authority is tracked on a per page basis to optimize each one. Domain authority gives a high-level snapshot of overall authority.
Max Scores
Page authority ranges up to 100. Domain authority ranges up to 100 theoretically but tends to top out in the 90s.
To Conclude
So in summary, page authority analyzes individual pages while domain authority examines the site as a whole. Page authority feeds into domain authority, but optimizing each is a distinct process.
Keeping your page fully optimized with the best practices mentioned in this article will keep your scores for both DA and PA high.
Marketing can be complicated, but here at Open World Digital we try to help you better understand it all. If you're looking for more marketing focused blogs you can find those here.
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