Domain Authority vs Page Authority: What Matters More for SEO?

Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are Moz metrics that many SEOs treat as ranking factors. They are not — but they are useful predictive signals when used correctly.

What DA and PA Actually Measure

Both metrics use a logarithmic scale from 1-100 and are calculated based on the quality and quantity of backlinks. A site with DA 30 has significantly more link equity than DA 20.

When to Use DA

DA is most useful for competitive analysis — understanding whether you can realistically outrank competitors for target keywords.

What Actually Ranks in 2025

Google does not use DA or PA as ranking signals. What they use: topical relevance, content quality (E-E-A-T), Core Web Vitals, and the actual PageRank algorithm which considers the same link signals DA/PA try to measure.

Practical Application

Use DA to identify link-building targets. Focus your content efforts on topical authority. Track Google Search Console data — not third-party metrics — as your primary KPI.