Page Authority (PA)

Page Authority (PA) is a metric created by Moz, scoring an individual webpage’s potential to rank in search results on a scale from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater likelihood of ranking well compared to other pages. Unlike Domain Authority, which measures an entire website’s strength, PA specifically evaluates single pages.

Page Authority is influenced primarily by the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing directly to that page, along with factors such as internal linking structure, content relevance, keyword optimization, and freshness of content. Moz calculates PA through a sophisticated machine-learning algorithm trained on search-result patterns, backlink profiles, and page-level engagement data. The logarithmic scale means improving scores becomes progressively harder at higher levels; for example, increasing from 30 to 40 is far easier than improving from 70 to 80.

What’s a Good PA Score?

Typical Page Authority benchmarks:

  • Below 30: Relatively weak; common for new or less-optimized pages.
  • 30–50: Average; solid foundation but room to grow.
  • 50–70: Good; considered competitive and well-established.
  • 70+: Excellent; indicates a highly authoritative page, often ranking very well.

However, what matters most is how your PA compares to your direct competitors for target keywords, rather than just the absolute number itself.

Why It Matters for SEO

  • Competitive Analysis: Quickly evaluate how your specific pages stack up against similar content from competitors.
  • Content Optimization: Identify top-performing pages, understand what drives their authority, and apply insights across your site.
  • Link-Building Guidance: Focus your outreach and link-building efforts strategically on improving PA for pages most critical to your SEO goals.

Best Practices to Improve PA

  1. Secure High-Quality Backlinks:
    Gain authoritative, relevant links directly to your page through targeted outreach, guest posts, and linkable assets (guides, tools, data studies).
  2. Optimize Internal Linking:
    Strengthen page authority by linking from other high-value pages within your site to distribute authority effectively.
  3. Maintain Fresh, Relevant Content:
    Regularly update content to align with current search intent and user engagement signals.
  4. Improve On-Page SEO Elements:
    Enhance page metadata, headings, keyword targeting, structured data markup, and content readability to boost relevance.
  5. Audit and Enhance User Experience (UX):
    Ensure fast page loading speeds, mobile responsiveness, and engaging user experiences to retain visitors and improve page metrics.