What Are DA and PA?
- Domain Authority (DA) — a Moz metric (1–100) that estimates how strong your whole website’s SEO authority is compared to other sites.
- Page Authority (PA) — the same 1–100 metric but for a specific page (like your 500‑word blog post).
- Important: Neither DA nor PA is a Google ranking factor — they’re proxies used by SEO tools to estimate ranking potential, largely based on links and authority signals. Outreach Monks+1
Typical DA/PA Values for New Blogs
For a new website and a brand‑new 500‑word blog post:
Domain Authority (DA)
- 0–10: Very common for brand‑new domains and sites with few backlinks. Outreach Monks
- 10–20: Typical early authority after basic SEO and some backlinks start accumulating. Outreach Monks
Most new blogs start in the low DA range (0–20) — that’s expected in early stages. Outreach Monks
Page Authority (PA)
- 1–10: Typical for a new blog page with no external links yet. Ranktracker
- 10–20: Moderate — once internal links and maybe a few backlinks are present. Ranktracker
- 20+ and above: You begin to have noticeable ranking potential for some keywords once there’s some authority and links flowing to that page. Outreach Monks
A 500‑word blog usually starts with a low PA unless it already has strong backlinks or internal link support. Ranktracker
How to Interpret These Scores
| Metric | Typical Range for New Blog | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| DA | 0–20 | New site starting out; baseline SEO health |
| PA | 1–20 | New blog post with little to no links |
Lower scores aren’t bad — they are normal at the start. These numbers don’t mean your content won’t rank, they just indicate how much authority the domain and page currently have relative to others. Outreach Monks
How DA/PA Relate to Actual SEO
- Google doesn’t use DA/PA directly — they’re Moz’s estimate of authority based on backlinks and link equity. LSA Seo Agency
- However, higher authority correlates with ranking potential because sites with strong backlinks and quality content tend to perform better. Outreach Monks
For example:
- Most web pages on the internet have PA around 15–20, and homepages are often higher because they get more backlinks. Ranktracker
- To compete for top search positions, many pages on competitive terms have PA 30–40 or more. Ranktracker
What Affects DA and PA Growth
Here’s why your blog’s DA/PA might start low and grow over time:
Backlinks (Most Important)
Quality external sites linking to your blog significantly increases PA and indirectly lifts DA. Ranktracker
Internal Linking
Linking your new blog from other pages on your site (e.g., homepage or related posts) helps PA grow faster. Ranktracker
Content Quality & Relevance
Great content attracts natural backlinks, which boosts these metrics over months. Outreach Monks
Quick Practical Summary
- A brand‑new blog post typically has PA ~1–10 at first. Ranktracker
- Your new domain likely starts with DA ~0–20. Outreach Monks
- Neither is a direct Google ranking signal, but they help you measure your backlink and authority progress relative to competitors. LSA Seo Agency
