Page Authority (PA)
Moz metric (1-100 scale) predicting how well a specific page will rank in search results. Based on link profile strength including quality and quantity of backlinks. Similar to Domain Authority but page-specific rather than site-wide.
Why It Matters
Page Authority helps prioritize which pages to build links to and predicts ranking potential for specific URLs. High PA pages can rank even on low DA domains. Understanding PA helps allocate link building resources effectively and assess competitor strength.
How It Works
PA is calculated using dozens of factors, primarily the page's backlink profile - number of links, quality of linking domains, anchor text, and link placement. Uses logarithmic scale where growth from 20-30 is easier than 70-80. Updates as Moz discovers new links.
Use Cases
- A new page on established site inherits some authority, reaches PA 40 quickly and ranks competitively
- A marketer prioritizes building links to money pages with low PA to improve their ranking potential
- An SEO analyzes competitor PA to understand which pages have strongest authority for targeting
Best Practices
- Build internal links from high PA pages to important low PA pages to transfer authority
- Focus external link building on key pages you want to rank, not just homepage
- Track PA of top-performing pages to understand what authority level is needed in your niche
- Compare PA against competitors ranking for target keywords to assess ranking difficulty
- Prioritize link building to pages with good rankings (positions 6-15) to push them to page 1
- Remember PA is a Moz metric, not used by Google - focus on real rankings and traffic
Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Terms
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