Page Authority

Page Authority is not a Google ranking factor. It is Moz's proprietary score that estimates how well a single page might rank based on the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to it. The score is on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100 — the jump from 30 to 40 requires significantly more effort than from 20 to 30. I use PA as a relative comparison tool: I compare my page's PA against direct competitors ranking for the same keyword. For example, a product page of mine had a PA of 32, while the top three competitors had PAs of 45, 48 and 50. That told me my page was under-linked relative to the competition, so I prioritised outreach for that URL. Within three months, its [ranking improved](/seo-performance/) from position 11 to 7. Another thing: PA is page-specific, unlike Domain Authority which applies to the whole site. A page with a high PA can pass link equity to other pages through internal links. But don't chase the number directly — earn quality backlinks and the PA will follow. The metric is most useful for planning, not for diagnosing a ranking drop.

I use PA in three specific scenarios. First, for link-building prioritisation. When I have a list of pages to promote, I pull PA for each and start with the ones where the gap to the top competitor is largest. For instance, if my cornerstone article has PA 28 and the top result has PA 52, that gap is 24 points — a clear signal to build links to that URL. Second, for [competitive gap analysis](/competitor-analysis-seo/). I compare PA of competitor pages ranking for my [target keywords](/seo-targets/). A higher PA often correlates with a stronger [backlink profile](/seo-competitor-analysis/). If a competitor's page outranks mine and has a higher PA, I know links are likely a contributing factor. I then dig into their backlinks to see what they have that I don't. Third, for internal linking decisions. I check the PA of potential source pages. A page with PA 50 passes more [link equity](/seo-analysis/) than one with PA 20, so I link from the stronger page to the page I want to boost. I also keep in mind that PA is logarithmic: a PA of 60 is exponentially stronger than 40, so I prioritise linking from the highest PA pages available. I never use PA to predict exact rankings; instead, I use it to decide where to invest time and resources.

I made three mistakes with Page Authority early on. First, I treated PA as a Google metric. I used to think a high PA meant Google loved the page. It doesn't. Google has never confirmed using PA or any Moz metric in its algorithm. Second, I compared PA across unrelated topics. A PA of 45 in a low-competition niche might be strong, but in a competitive space like [SEO Metrics](/seo-metrics/) it could be weak. Context is everything — always compare PA among pages targeting the same keyword. Third, I ignored the logarithmic nature of the scale. I spent weeks trying to move a page from PA 55 to 65, not realising that required as many high-quality links as it took to go from 10 to 40. I now set realistic expectations: a 5-point increase in the mid-range is a significant achievement. I also assumed PA would update instantly. It doesn't — Moz recalculates periodically, so I waited weeks before assessing the impact of a new link. Don't make that mistake.