Page Authority (PA) and Domain Authority (DA) are predictive, logarithmic metrics developed by Moz to estimate a website's likelihood of ranking in search engine results. Both are scored on a 100-point scale, but they measure different scopes:
These are not official Google ranking factors, but they serve as useful benchmarks for SEO performance, competitive analysis, and strategic planning. Moz updates these scores regularly, so expecting some variation year-to-year is normal.
💡 Important Note: PA and DA should be used as relative indicators, not absolute truths. A site with a DA of 50 isn’t necessarily "better" than one with DA 40, but it likely signals stronger overall SEO potential.
As search algorithms evolve—especially with AI integration and increased emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)—understanding where your pages and domain stand in authority becomes even more critical.
Here’s why monitoring PA and DA in 2026 matters:
In 2026, with increased automation in SEO tools and AI-driven content, authority metrics will remain central to measuring trust and influence—even as Google shifts toward more nuanced ranking signals.
You can check Page Authority and Domain Authority using Moz’s free tools or API. Here’s how:
✅ Pro Tip: Use MozBar to quickly audit SERP competitors—just search your target keyword and see which pages have high PA.
https://example.com/blog/post)⚠️ Note: The free version limits results; for bulk analysis, use the API or paid tool.
Moz offers a free API endpoint (metrics) to programmatically check PA and DA:
curl "https://lsapi.seomoz.com/v2/url_metrics" \
-H "Authorization: Basic YOUR_API_KEY" \
-d '{"targets": ["https://example.com", "https://example.com/page"]}'
Response includes:
{
"results": [
{
"pa": 35,
"da": 48,
"url": "https://example.com/page"
}
]
}
🔧 Tip: Use this to automate audits, track changes over time, or integrate into dashboards like Google Sheets via IMPORTJSON or Zapier.
While Moz is the originator, other tools now include PA/DA estimates:
🔄 Correlation ≠ Identity: UR and DA are correlated but not identical. Use consistently for trend tracking, but don’t mix sources for comparisons.
Scores range from 0 to 100, but the scale is logarithmic. This means:
| Score Range | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0–20 | Very low authority; likely new or penalized. |
| 20–40 | Emerging or niche sites; some backlinks. |
| 40–60 | Established sites with moderate authority. |
| 60–80 | High authority; trusted by search engines. |
| 80–100 | Rare; top-tier domains (e.g., Wikipedia, BBC, NYT). |
📊 Example: A DA 50 site with PA 30 on a blog post is healthy. If DA drops to 30 but PA stays 30, the page may be strong, but the domain is weakening.
Let’s analyze a hypothetical blog post: https://example.com/seo-checklist-2026
Using Moz Link Explorer:
/seo-guide) to boost PA.📈 Goal: Increase PA to 45+ within 6 months by combining on-page and off-page SEO.
✅ Truth: DA measures potential, not actual performance. A DA 70 site might rank poorly for a keyword if its content is thin or outdated. Focus on relevance and intent.
✅ Truth: You can’t "increase DA" directly. You improve it by earning high-quality backlinks, improving content quality, and fixing technical SEO issues.
✅ Truth: Moz updates its index every 3–4 weeks. Score changes reflect recent link activity, but there’s a lag.
✅ Truth: DA is domain-wide. A single spammy backlink won’t hurt much, but a high-quality editorial link from a DA 80 site can have a noticeable positive impact.
Improving authority isn’t about gaming the system—it’s about building genuine trust and value.
✅ Example: A “2026 SEO Guide” with 3,000 words, internal links to related posts, and embedded infographics can rise from PA 25 → 50 in 6 months.
📌 Quick Wins:
- Get listed on resource pages (e.g., “Best SEO Blogs of 2026”).
- Guest post on DA 50+ sites with contextual relevance.
- Sponsor local events and get backlinks from .org sites.
In 2026, competitor analysis remains one of the most effective uses of these metrics.
🔎 Example: Competitor A: DA 65, PA 45 on ranking page → strong domain + strong page. Competitor B: DA 30, PA 40 on ranking page → weak domain but optimized page. Your Opportunity: Target Competitor B’s weak domain with better content and outreach.
As SEO scales, manual checks become inefficient. Here’s how to automate:
Use this script (via IMPORTJSON or Apps Script) to pull PA/DA weekly:
function getMozMetrics(url) {
const apiKey = 'YOUR_MOZ_API_KEY';
const endpoint = `https://lsapi.seomoz.com/v2/url_metrics`;
const payload = {
targets: [url]
};
const options = {
method: 'post',
headers: { 'Authorization': 'Basic ' + Utilities.base64Encode(apiKey + ':') },
payload: JSON.stringify(payload),
contentType: 'application/json'
};
const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(endpoint, options);
return JSON.parse(response.getContentText());
}
Then use:
=getMozMetrics(A2)
Where A2 contains the URL.
🛠️ Tip: Combine with Google Analytics to correlate PA/DA changes with traffic shifts.
As AI reshapes search, expect these trends:
🚀 Action Step: Start building author profiles, cite sources, and earn expert-contributed content—these will matter more than ever.
A: Yes. While not a ranking factor, DA remains a strong proxy for domain-level trust and link equity. It helps prioritize SEO efforts and assess market position.
A: Rarely, but possible. If a single page earns massive, high-quality backlinks (e.g., a viral guide), its PA could temporarily exceed the domain DA. This is unsustainable unless the domain grows.
A: Likely due to lost backlinks to that specific page, or Moz recalculating scores based on new data. Internal linking or content updates may help recover.
A: Monthly for routine tracking. Weekly for high-stakes pages (e.g., product pages in competitive niches).
A: Avoid. Google penalizes unnatural link schemes. Focus on earning links through value, not transactions.
Page Authority and Domain Authority aren’t magic bullets—but they are powerful compasses in the vast ocean of SEO. In 2026, as algorithms grow smarter and content ecosystems become more competitive, the sites that thrive will be those that earn trust through quality, not just chase numbers.
Use PA and DA to:
Remember: These metrics reflect collective digital reputation—built over time through consistency, expertise, and integrity. Focus on creating value, and the authority will follow.
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