Page Authority

Page Authority (PA) is a metric developed by Moz that predicts the strength of an individual webpage on a scale of 1-100. Unlike DA Value, which evaluates the entire domain, Page Authority focuses exclusively on the authority of a specific page.

The metric is based on Google's PageRank algorithm and considers various factors such as:

• Number and quality of incoming links
• Link text (anchor text)
• Relevance of linking pages
• Age of links
• Diversity of link sources

How is Page Authority calculated?

Page Authority is calculated through a machine learning algorithm trained on millions of pages. The algorithm analyzes:

Page Authority vs. Domain Authority

While Domain Authority measures the overall strength of a domain, Page Authority focuses on individual pages:

• Page Authority: Evaluates a specific URL
• Domain Authority: Evaluates the entire domain
• Calculation: PA is more independent of domain strength
• Application: PA helps in evaluating individual content pieces

Importance for SEO

Page Authority is an important indicator for the Position potential of a page because it:

1. Measures link strength: Higher PA means more and better backlinks
2. Ranking prediction: Correlates strongly with better SERP positions
3. Content evaluation: Helps in prioritizing pages
4. Competitor analysis: Enables comparison with competitors

Optimizing Page Authority

1. Improve internal linking

• Link from hub pages: Link from high-quality internal pages
• Optimize anchor text: Use relevant, descriptive anchor texts
• Contextual links: Natural linking within content

2. Build external backlinks

• Quality over quantity: Few high-quality links are better
• Relevant sources: Links from thematically matching pages
• Diversity: Links from different domains and IP addresses
• Natural distribution: Avoid link spam patterns

3. Improve content quality

• E-E-A-T principle: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness
• Depth and relevance: Comprehensive, valuable content
• Regular updates: Fresh content signals relevance
• User engagement: High dwell time and low bounce rate

Measuring Page Authority

Moz Tools

• Moz Link Explorer: Detailed PA analysis
• MozBar: Browser extension for quick checks
• Moz Pro: Comprehensive SEO analysis

Alternative Tools

• Ahrefs: Domain Rating as alternative
• SEMrush: Authority Score
• Majestic: Trust Flow and Citation Flow

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1. Avoid link spam

• No purchased links: Violates Google guidelines
• Natural distribution: Avoid link farms
• Control quality: Only from trustworthy sources

2. Over-Optimization

• Anchor text diversity: Not just keyword anchor texts
• Link velocity: No sudden link spikes
• Natural growth: Continuous, organic development

3. Neglecting fundamentals

• Technical SEO: Fast loading times, mobile optimization
• Content quality: High-quality, relevant content
• User experience: Intuitive navigation and design

Page Authority in Practice

Content Strategy

1. Identify high-PA pages: Find existing strong pages
2. Build content clusters: Group thematically related content
3. Distribute link equity: Link strong pages with weaker ones
4. Promote new content: Link from established pages to new content

Competitor Analysis

• PA comparison: Compare own pages with competitors
• Link gap analysis: Find missing backlink opportunities
• Content gaps: Identify topics that competitors cover

Observation and Tracking

Important KPIs

Tools for Monitoring

• Google Search Console: Organic traffic and rankings
• Moz Pro: PA tracking and backlink monitoring
• Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO analysis
• Screaming Frog: Technical SEO monitoring

Future of Page Authority

With the evolution of Google's algorithms and the increasing importance of user experience, Page Authority will remain relevant, but:

• E-A-T focus: Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness gain importance
• Content quality: High-quality content becomes more important than pure link metrics
• User signals: Engagement metrics flow more strongly into the evaluation
• AI integration: Machine learning improves prediction accuracy

Related Topics

• Domain Authority
• Trust Flow
• Citation Flow
• Link Quality
• Backlink Metrics