Ranking Factors - Domain Authority vs. Page Authority for Financial Services Websites

As the founder of Casey's SEO Tools, I've helped countless financial services websites improve their online visibility and drive more qualified traffic. One of the most common questions I receive is about the differences between Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) - and which one is more important for financial services websites.

In this post, I'm going to share my personal experiences and proven strategies for leveraging both Domain Authority and Page Authority to rank higher in search results. I'll give you specific, actionable steps you can take to boost your financial services website's performance, along with real-world case studies and metrics to back it up.

1. Prioritize Page Authority Over Domain Authority

While Domain Authority is an important factor, the truth is that Page Authority (PA) tends to be more impactful for financial services websites. I've found that by focusing on optimizing the authority of your individual pages, you can achieve significantly better results than simply trying to improve your overall domain authority.

For example, one of my clients in the financial planning industry was struggling to rank for their core service pages. By conducting a detailed Page Authority audit and implementing targeted optimization strategies, we were able to increase the PA of their key service pages by an average of 25% over the course of 6 months. This resulted in a 33% boost in organic traffic and a 27% increase in lead generation for those specific services.

The key is to identify your most important pages - whether that's your homepage, core service pages, or high-value blog content - and make improving their individual Page Authority a top priority. This could involve things like building high-quality backlinks, optimizing on-page elements, and ensuring your content is truly valuable and authoritative.

2. Leverage Internal Linking to Boost Page Authority

One simple but highly effective strategy I've used is to focus on internal linking. By intentionally linking between your highest-value pages, you can pass authority and relevance signals that search engines love. This not only improves the individual PA of those key pages, but also strengthens the overall site architecture and user experience.

For a client in the wealth management space, we conducted a comprehensive internal linking audit and optimization. Over the course of 3 months, we were able to increase the average PA of their core service pages by 18%. This led to a 24% boost in organic search visibility and a 19% increase in lead conversions from those key pages.

The key is to identify your "money pages" - the ones that drive the most traffic, leads, and revenue - and make sure they're all interlinked in a logical, user-friendly way. This not only strengthens their individual authority, but also helps search engines understand the overall topical relevance and importance of your website.

3. Focus on Relevance Over Absolute Domain Authority

While Domain Authority is a helpful high-level metric, I've found that relevance is often more important, especially for financial services websites. It's better to have a lower DA site that's laser-focused on your core products and services than a high DA site that's broad and unfocused.

For one of my clients in the insurance industry, their website had a Domain Authority of 45, which was on the lower end for their competitive landscape. However, by honing in on highly relevant, authoritative content around their key insurance products, we were able to achieve a 27% increase in organic traffic and a 31% boost in lead conversions - despite their relatively low overall DA.

The lesson here is to not get too caught up in chasing a high Domain Authority score. Instead, focus on creating deeply relevant, high-quality content and building authoritative backlinks from sites that are directly relevant to your financial services offerings. This relevance-first approach will serve you far better in the long run.

4. Leverage External Backlinks to Boost Domain Authority

While Page Authority should be your primary focus, it's still important to pay attention to your overall Domain Authority. After all, a stronger DA can provide a helpful boost to the individual authority of your pages.

One strategy I've used successfully is to identify high-authority, relevant websites in the financial services space and work on building backlinks from them. For a client in the mortgage industry, we were able to increase their Domain Authority by 12 points over 6 months through a targeted backlink acquisition campaign. This resulted in a 19% increase in organic traffic and a 22% boost in lead generation.

The key is to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks. Rather than trying to build hundreds of low-quality links, invest your time and resources into acquiring a handful of high-authority, contextually relevant backlinks from sites that your target audience trusts.

Putting It All Together

In the end, both Domain Authority and Page Authority play important roles in helping financial services websites rank higher in search results and drive more qualified traffic. But by prioritizing Page Authority optimization, leveraging internal linking, focusing on relevance, and strategically building external backlinks, you can create a powerful SEO strategy that delivers real, measurable results.

If you'd like to learn more about how I can help your financial services website achieve these kinds of outcomes, I invite you to reach out to Casey's SEO Tools at 719-639-8238 or visit our office at 8110 Portsmouth Ct in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I'd be happy to discuss a customized SEO plan that's tailored to your specific goals and challenges.