Understanding DA and PA: How to Read Authority Metrics Correctly

Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are third-party scores that estimate how likely a domain or page is to rank. They are useful shorthand — as long as you remember what they are and aren't.

They are predictions, not Google's opinion

DA and PA are produced by SEO tools, not search engines. They model ranking strength on a 0–100 logarithmic scale, so moving from 20 to 30 is far easier than 70 to 80.

Use them comparatively

The best use is comparison: ranking prospects against each other, or tracking your own trend over time. Treating a single absolute number as truth leads to bad decisions.

Pair metrics with judgment

A high score with irrelevant, spammy content is worth less than a modest score from a tightly relevant site. Combine authority metrics with relevance and traffic when you evaluate a placement, and revisit them during each backlink audit.