Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) remain two of the most utilized proxy metrics in the SEO industry for evaluating the ranking potential of a website. Developed by Moz, these scores predict how likely a domain or a specific page is to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). While they are not official Google ranking factors, they provide a standardized benchmark for comparing the relative strength of your site against competitors or vetting potential backlink opportunities.
Checking these metrics requires access to the Moz index, which can be done through several free and paid interfaces. Understanding the nuance between a site-wide score and a page-specific score is critical for agencies performing site audits or publishers looking to increase their market value.
The Difference Between Domain Authority and Page Authority
Before pulling data, you must distinguish between the two metrics to ensure you are analyzing the correct level of the site architecture. Both scores operate on a logarithmic 100-point scale, meaning it is significantly easier to grow a score from 10 to 20 than it is to move from 70 to 80.
Domain Authority (DA): This metric reflects the overall ranking strength of an entire domain or subdomain. It is calculated by evaluating multiple factors, including linking root domains and the total number of links, into a single score. It is best used when comparing one site to another to see who has more "weight" in the eyes of search crawlers.
Page Authority (PA): This measures the predictive ranking strength of a single, specific URL. A website might have a high DA of 75, but a newly published blog post on that site might start with a PA of 1. Over time, as that specific page earns internal and external links, its PA will rise independently of the domain-wide score.
How to Check DA and PA Using MozBar
For SEO professionals who need to check metrics while browsing the web, the MozBar Chrome extension is the most efficient method. It provides an overlay directly in the browser or within the Google search results themselves.
- Download and install the MozBar extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Create a free Moz account and log in to activate the data overlay.
- Navigate to any website you wish to analyze.
- View the DA and PA scores in the toolbar at the top of your browser window.
- In the SERPs, look for the bar below each search result to compare the authority of every ranking competitor simultaneously.
The MozBar is particularly useful for "on-the-fly" competitive research. If you notice that a keyword is dominated by sites with a DA of 80+ and your site is a DA 30, it indicates a high-difficulty environment where you may need to target more specific long-tail queries.
Using Link Explorer for Deep-Dive Analysis
If you require more than just a raw score, the Moz Link Explorer provides a detailed breakdown of why a site has earned its DA or PA. This is the preferred method for agencies conducting thorough backlink audits or link-building outreach.
By entering a URL into Link Explorer, you can see the "Inbound Links" report, which lists every unique domain pointing to the page. This context is vital because a high DA score can sometimes be inflated by a high volume of low-quality links. Link Explorer allows you to filter by "Spam Score," helping you determine if a high DA is legitimate or the result of a legacy link farm that might eventually trigger a manual action or algorithmic suppression.
Pro Tip: Never look at DA or PA in a vacuum. A site with a DA of 40 in a niche of DA 20s is a powerhouse, while a DA 40 in a niche of DA 90s is invisible. Always benchmark your scores against your direct SERP competitors rather than chasing an arbitrary number.
Bulk DA Checking for Link Prospecting
Manual checking is inefficient when you are vetting hundreds of potential guest post opportunities or directory listings. To handle volume, you should use bulk checking tools that tap into the Moz API. Several third-party platforms allow you to paste up to 200 URLs at a time to retrieve their DA and PA scores in a single table. This data can then be exported to a CSV for further filtering.
When performing bulk checks, focus on the "Linking Root Domains" column alongside the DA. A site with a high DA but very few linking root domains might be benefiting from a few massive, sitewide links from a parent company, which doesn't necessarily translate to broad ranking power for new content.
Factors That Influence Your Scores
Because DA and PA are based on machine learning models, they are updated frequently. If you see your score drop despite no changes to your site, it often means that another site in the index has gained significant ground, shifting the logarithmic scale. To improve your scores, focus on these three pillars:
1. Quality over Quantity: One link from a high-authority, relevant news site is worth more than 1,000 links from unrelated, low-traffic blogs. Moz's algorithm prioritizes the "quality" of the source domain.
2. Link Relevancy: If you run a SaaS business, links from technology journals carry more weight than links from a local gardening site. The topical relevance of the referring domain helps solidify your PA for specific keyword clusters.
3. Internal Linking Architecture: You can boost the PA of specific high-value pages by funneling "link juice" from your high-DA homepage. Use descriptive anchor text and ensure your most important pages are only one or two clicks away from the root domain.
Integrating Authority Metrics into Your SEO Workflow
To make these metrics commercially useful, integrate them into your monthly reporting. Track your DA alongside your organic traffic growth. If your traffic is increasing but your DA is stagnant, it suggests you are winning through superior content optimization and on-page SEO. If your DA is rising but traffic is flat, you may be building authority but targeting keywords that lack sufficient search volume or commercial intent.
Use PA to identify "underperforming" pages. If a page has a high PA (indicating strong backlinks) but is only ranking on page three of Google, it likely has a content gap or technical issue. Fixing the on-page elements of a high-PA page often results in a rapid jump in rankings because the "authority" is already present to support the move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DA a Google ranking factor?
No. Google does not use Domain Authority in its ranking algorithm. It is a third-party metric developed by Moz to simulate how Google might view a site's backlink profile.
Why did my DA drop when I didn't lose any links?
DA is a relative scale. If other websites in the Moz index significantly increase their link profiles, the entire scale shifts. Your score can drop simply because the "average" authority of the web has increased.
What is a good DA score for a new website?
Most new websites start at a DA of 1. A "good" score depends entirely on your industry. In local services, a DA of 20-30 might be enough to dominate, whereas in national finance or health, you may need a DA of 70+ to compete for top-tier terms.
How often does Moz update DA and PA?
Moz typically updates its index and the associated authority scores every few weeks. You should not expect real-time updates immediately after acquiring a new backlink.