Domain Authority vs PageRank: What's the Difference?

Last Updated: November 3rd, 2022
By Adam Bilter

If you've spent any time researching SEO, you've likely encountered both "Domain Authority" and "PageRank" — and you may have wondered whether they're the same thing or how they differ. The short answer: they are related but fundamentally different metrics. Understanding both is critical to building an effective SEO strategy. Use our free PageRank checker to see both your estimated PageRank and Domain Authority scores side by side.

What Is Google PageRank?

Google PageRank is a score from 0 to 10 assigned by Google to measure the importance of a webpage based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it. It was created by Google's founders and remains an internal ranking signal today, even though Google stopped publicly displaying toolbar PageRank scores in 2016. PageRank is calculated at the page level, meaning every individual URL on your website can have a different PageRank score. A well-linked homepage might have a high PageRank while a deep interior page might have a very low score.

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz, one of the leading SEO software companies. It's scored on a scale from 1 to 100 and predicts how well a website will rank in search engine results. Domain Authority is calculated at the domain level — your entire website gets one DA score. Moz calculates Domain Authority using dozens of factors including:

• Total number of backlinks
• Number of unique referring domains
• Quality and spam score of linking sites
• MozRank and MozTrust scores

Key Differences Between Domain Authority and PageRank

Who Calculates It

• PageRank: Calculated by Google. It's a first-party metric directly tied to Google's ranking algorithm.
• Domain Authority: Calculated by Moz. It's a third-party metric designed to predict rankings but not directly used by Google.

Scale and Scoring

• PageRank: 0 to 10 (logarithmic — getting from PR7 to PR8 is much harder than getting from PR1 to PR2)
• Domain Authority: 1 to 100 (also logarithmic)

Page vs. Domain Level

• PageRank: Applies to individual pages
• Domain Authority: Applies to the entire domain

Public Availability

• PageRank: No longer publicly available from Google since 2016; estimated by third-party tools like our pagerank checker
• Domain Authority: Publicly available via Moz's tools and APIs

Which Metric Matters More for SEO?

This is the question most webmasters want answered. The truth is that both matter, but in different ways: Google PageRank matters more for actual Google rankings. Since PageRank is a direct Google signal, improving it — primarily by earning quality backlinks — will have a real impact on your search positions. Domain Authority is a useful proxy metric. Since you can't see actual PageRank, DA gives you a reliable benchmark for comparing your site to competitors and tracking the impact of your link-building campaigns over time. A high Domain Authority generally correlates with high internal PageRank, but they can diverge. A site with a few extremely powerful backlinks might have high PageRank but moderate DA, while a site with thousands of mediocre links might have decent DA but limited actual ranking power.

How to Improve Both Scores

Build Quality Backlinks

Both PageRank and Domain Authority are primarily driven by backlinks. Focus on earning links from high-authority, relevant websites in your industry. Guest posting, original research, digital PR, and creating link-worthy tools or resources are the most reliable strategies.

Remove Toxic Links

Low-quality spammy links can hurt both your PageRank and Domain Authority. Use Google Search Console and tools like Moz to identify and disavow harmful backlinks.

Improve Internal Linking

A strong internal linking structure passes PageRank between pages on your site. Make sure your highest-value pages receive links from your most-visited content.

Monitor Both Metrics Regularly

Use our free domain analysis tool to track your estimated PageRank, Domain Authority, Citation Flow, Trust Flow, and backlink count over time. Regular monitoring helps you see whether your SEO efforts are moving the needle.

Bottom Line

PageRank and Domain Authority both reflect the authority of your website, but they measure it differently and serve different purposes. Use PageRank as a measure of Google's actual opinion of your pages, and use Domain Authority as a competitive benchmark and trend tracker. Together, they give you a complete picture of your site's SEO health.