Domain Authority and Page Authority: How to Use These Metrics
Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are third-party metrics developed by Moz to estimate a site’s or page’s relative ranking potential. They are useful for comparisons within a consistent toolset, but they are not Google metrics and should not be treated as direct ranking factors.
SEOmate editorial guide
Use this guide as a starting point, then validate recommendations against your website, current search documentation, and the needs of your audience.
1. Know what the scores represent
DA estimates the relative strength of an entire domain, while PA estimates the relative strength of an individual page. The exact calculations are proprietary and may change as the provider updates its system.
2. Compare similar websites
A score is most useful when comparing sites in a similar niche, market, and competitive set. A large publisher and a small local service business may have very different link profiles and goals, so comparing their scores without context can mislead.
3. Do not treat DA or PA as Google scores
Google does not use Moz DA or PA as its own published ranking metrics. A higher score does not guarantee higher rankings, more traffic, or better leads. Evaluate actual search visibility and business outcomes as well.
4. Review link quality and relevance
If a score prompts further investigation, review the linking sites, topical relevance, editorial context, and likely referral value. Avoid buying links or using manipulative schemes just to raise a third-party metric.
5. Use a balanced reporting set
Combine DA/PA trends with relevant keyword visibility, organic clicks, referral traffic, indexation, and conversions. Record the provider and date of the metric because scores can differ between tools and over time.
Put this into practice
Use the relevant SEOmate tool to support your workflow, then verify the result on your live website.
Open Moz DA PA Checker →This article is general educational guidance. Search engine systems change, and individual results depend on the site and query. Verify important changes with current documentation and your own data.