Page Authority
Estimates the ranking potential of a single web page using backlink signals, on a 1–100 scale developed by Moz.
If you have ever picked a page with a high Page Authority and still failed to rank, you already know the number is not the whole story.
Key points
- Use Page Authority for relative comparison between competing pages, not as an absolute quality score.
- Page Authority is a third-party metric, not a Google ranking factor — treat it as a directional estimate.
- Focus on the number and quality of linking root domains, not just the PA score itself.
- Combine Page Authority with content relevance and search intent analysis for a fuller ranking picture.
The same keyword, two different scores
A travel blog post about 'best hiking boots' had a Page Authority of 34 on a domain with DA 28. A competing e-commerce product page had PA 52 on a domain with DA 72. Despite the lower domain strength, the blog post ranked higher because its backlinks came from authoritative outdoor gear sites, including a free backlink from a popular hiking forum. The PA score alone did not predict the outcome; the relevance and quality of the linking pages mattered more, and the blog post's pagerank signals were also stronger, despite the lower PA.
Four signals that influence your score
- Quantity of linking root domains More unique domains linking to the page generally increase PA, as each link is a vote of confidence. Even a free backlink from a relevant directory can contribute, though quality matters more than quantity.
- Quality of backlinks Links from high-authority pages pass more link equity than links from low-quality or spammy sites; a single link from a page with a high authority score can outweigh dozens of low-quality links.
- Relevance of linking pages Links from pages on the same topic carry more weight than unrelated links, according to Moz's model. A backlink from a contextually relevant page signals topical authority, while an irrelevant link may be ignored.
- Freshness of the link profile New links can boost PA, but the metric also considers the age and consistency of the link profile.
Three situations where it changes your decision
- Prioritising internal linking When deciding which pages to link to from your homepage or high-authority pages, choose those with lower PA to distribute link equity.
- Choosing which page to build links to If two pages target the same keyword, the one with lower PA may benefit more from new backlinks.
- Comparing two competing URLs Use PA to gauge which page has a stronger link profile, but always check content quality and search intent first.
Common questions
What is Page Authority in SEO?
Page Authority is Moz's score predicting how likely a specific URL is to rank, based on backlink signals.
Page Authority vs Domain Authority: what's the difference?
Page Authority is page-specific; Domain Authority applies to an entire site. Both are Moz metrics on a 1–100 scale.
How to increase Page Authority?
Build high-quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative pages and improve internal linking to the target page.