If you have been spending a lot of time with SEO experts and marketers you might have come across the terms Domain authority (DA) and Page authority (PA). Both are essential sources when it comes to predicting how well a website or a specific page will rank in search engines.
Both of them are pretty similar when compared but the only difference between them is that domain authority shows the predictive ranking strength of a domain or subdomains; it can predict where a website or web page will rank in the search results.
Having a deeper understanding of how both of them work can help marketers and SEO experts be aware of ranking elements they might not have been aware of before, thus preventing them from getting the maximum out of their link building strategies. So in this article, you will learn more about what DA scores and page authority scores mean.
In this article:
- What Is Domain Authority?
- What Is Page Authority?
- 5 Ways To Increase Page Authority
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Improve Your Rankings Using Page Authority
- Related Reads
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain authority or domain rating is a score developed by Moz (SEO marketing software) that predicts where a website will rank in the search engine results pages based on the quality and quantity of its backlinks and how it fares against its competitors. It is a comparative metric or relative metric, which will look at other high authority pages in the same industry and see which has the better probability of ranking in the search results.
How Is Domain Authority Measured?
There are two factors that are taken into account when measuring Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). Some of them include
- Linking Root Domains
- Total Number Of Links
These are then evaluated and combined to produce the overall domain authority score.
What Is Page Authority?
A page authority score is also determined by Moz and it can predict how well a specific page will rank based on the score it has. Page authority scores range from 0 to 100 and it is a basic metric: higher scores mean the page will rank better and low page authority means the probability is less. A page’s authority score is based on the same methodology by which domain authority is measured: high-quality backlinks from websites that have high domain authority.
How Is Page Authority Scored?
The basics of both DA and PA scores are similar which means they are both measured in the same way. So what this means is that page authority is scored based on the domain authority of the page along with a machine learning model that calculates the rankings of other sites in the SERP and compares them with the specific page you are measuring the authority for.
The score is calculated on a 100-point scale. It is easier to increase the page authority from 20 or 30 than it is to increase it from 70 or 80. Similar to Google’s algorithm, it is frequently updated which means there will be changes and fluctuations whenever the algorithm is modified.
Additionally, Moz has a web index with a number of factors that are used when scoring page authority. It has more than 40 factors and it helps their crawlers search for links efficiently.
What Defines a Good Page Authority score?
A page authority score doesn’t exist, which means there is no set limit that says this is the perfect score because it is a comparative metric that should be used as a guide when researching a topic. This will help marketers identify the best pages with the right amount of links and good quality. Quality links are an important factor, especially in search engine optimization and link building.
The bottom line is that since it is a metric that is measured by comparing a specific page against other sites with better scores, it can change accordingly. So, there is no good or bad score because it can change depending on what you write about and search for.
How To Check Page Authority
Similar to domain authority, you can check the authority of a page using Moz by heading to the Link Explorer section. There are other pages that offer the same feature like Small SEO Tools.
5 Ways To Increase Page Authority
Now that you know what and how PA works, here are ways you can improve that score to match your competitors.
1. Use High-quality Backlinks
Links are the backbone of a website and this importance is reflected in the page authority. Focus on embedding high-quality links from sites that have high authority. Make sure the links on your site are organic and high quality.
Many people think they must have links from high DA and PA sites and that anything else would bring down the score. However this is not true in many cases and it should instead be treated as a goal to achieve, not to be obsessed with.
You can always reach out to sites with higher DA and PA but don’t become obsessed because other sites that do not have links with high DA scores still manage to rank higher in the search results.
2. Focus On Creating High-Quality Content
Having high-quality backlinks is one thing. But you also need to have content on your site that offers some sort of value to the target audience and thereby lead them to share your content with other people.
If you start making content that is engaging and informative, there is a good chance that sites with higher authority will want to add a link on their site that leads to your content. This will automatically increase your page authority.
Content that is creative, especially on social media, will have a big and positive impact on a site. Focus on creating posts, videos, and blogs that are engaging, unique, and different from the rest so that they stand out.
Also, post on a regular basis so that Google will think your content is up-to-date. Google prioritizes content that is new over that which is not, so make sure you post regularly with fresh content. Also, additional content can help your page to rank for more keywords in the search results.
3. Do Not Forget About Your Competitors
This is one of the fastest ways to find out what you are doing wrong in terms of strategy and methods used. Check out what type of keywords your competitors are using and the backlinks on their pages.
You can then work on what to do next and see if you can rank for the same or similar keywords using an SEO tool like Ahrefs.
4. Update Content With Low Page Authority
If you have any older content on your page that has lower authority, you must update it with content that is fresh and links that lead to newer pages with more relevant content.
Add new keywords, backlinks, and fresh content so that when a user views your page they will know that it is new and can be trusted as a reliable source of information.
5. Make Use Of Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool and one that can have various benefits when used wisely. Similarly, you can share your content on other channels like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. This will drive people to your site and if they like what they see they will share it with other people on their social media channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much DA does a high authority website have?
Many high authority websites usually have 80 to more than 90 DA scores. This is mostly due to the relevance of their content, the backlinks used, and their popularity.
2. Is 80% a good DA score?
Yes, 80% is a very good site health score. It is also the percentage that many authoritative sites have.
3. Is it worth it to increase the PA score?
Yes, it is. Doing so would mean that you can close the gap between your website and your competitors. Thus, increasing your website traffic and ultimately leading to an increase in profits.
Improve Your Rankings Using Page Authority
Page authority is a useful metric that can be helpful for marketers to know where their efforts can be better placed. It should only be used as a comparative metric and not an absolute one.
So if you are a new website owner and just came across the page score, do not stress about it because as expected, newer sites will have a lower score. But, with a good SEO strategy you can increase your score.
