Page Authority (PA)

• Page Authority (PA) is a Moz-developed score (1–100, logarithmic scale) that predicts a single webpage’s ranking potential in search engine results.
• PA is calculated using a machine learning model that weighs backlink quantity, linking root domains, link quality, and other link-profile signals.
• PA is not a Google ranking factor — it is a third-party comparative metric.
• Higher scores correlate with stronger ranking ability, but the score is most useful when compared against pages competing for the same keyword.
• Affiliate program managers, advertisers, and publishers use PA to evaluate partner websites, compare landing pages, and prioritize link-building efforts.
• Scores are updated approximately every three to four weeks; the metric is free to check via Moz Link Explorer or MozBar.

What is Page Authority (PA)?

Scored on a 1 to 100 logarithmic scale, it estimates a page’s ranking strength based primarily on link-related signals — including the number of backlinks, the diversity of linking root domains, and the overall quality of those links.

Unlike metrics that evaluate an entire website, PA is page-specific. It answers a narrow question: given everything Moz’s web index knows about this single URL, how likely is it to appear near the top of search results?

What does PA stand for in SEO?

In SEO, “PA” stands for Page Authority. The acronym is used interchangeably with the full term across tools, dashboards, and industry discussions. Moz’s metric family also includes DA (Domain Authority), which measures an entire domain’s ranking strength, and Brand Authority, which tracks broader brand signals.

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How is Page Authority calculated?

Moz calculates Page Authority using a machine learning model trained on thousands of real-world SERPs. The model identifies the algorithm that best correlates with actual rankings, then generates PA scores using that specific calculation.

The primary factors that influence the score include:

• Number and quality of inbound links pointing to the specific page
• Diversity of linking root domains — links from many unique domains carry more weight than many links from the same domain
• Link anchor text distribution and relevance
• Dofollow vs. nofollow link ratio
• Spam score of the linking domains
• Internal link structure within the site

Moz recalculates PA scores roughly every three to four weeks, so a page’s score reflects reasonably current link data. The logarithmic scale means that moving from a PA of 20 to 30 is significantly easier than moving from 70 to 80 — each incremental gain becomes progressively harder.

How is Page Authority scored?

PA uses a 0 to 100 scale, though in practice scores below 1 are rare for indexed pages and 100 is essentially theoretical. The score is relative: it compares a page against every other page in Moz’s index.

What is the difference between Page Authority and Domain Authority?

A useful analogy: if your website is a house, DA measures the house’s overall structural integrity and reputation. PA measures how well one individual room is decorated and maintained. A strong DA gives every page a head start, but each page must still earn its own PA through backlinks and internal linking. A new blog post on a high-DA domain may start with a modest PA that grows as it attracts links, while a well-linked product page on a low-DA domain can still achieve a strong PA score.

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What is a “good” Page Authority score?

There is no single answer, because a “good” PA depends entirely on the competitive landscape for your target keyword. A PA of 30 might rank well for a low-competition local query, while a PA of 60 may struggle in a competitive SaaS niche.

The most reliable approach is to compare your page’s PA against the pages that currently rank on page one for your target query. Use Moz Link Explorer to check each ranking URL’s PA. If your page’s PA falls within or above the range of the top five results, the link-profile signals are competitive. If it falls significantly below, the page likely needs more quality backlinks.

How to check Page Authority for free

You can check the PA of any webpage at no cost using these Moz tools:

1. Moz Link Explorer — Go to the tool, enter any URL, and the PA score appears alongside DA, linking domains, and inbound link counts. A free Moz Community account is required (registration is free).
2. MozBar browser extension — A Chrome toolbar that displays PA and DA for any page you visit, including search results pages — useful for quick competitor comparisons without leaving the SERP.
3. Bulk PA checkers — Third-party tools like websiteseochecker.com offer bulk PA/DA lookups for multiple URLs at once.

Other SEO platforms offer their own equivalent metrics: Ahrefs provides URL Rating (UR), Semrush offers Authority Score (AS) at the page level, and Majestic uses Trust Flow and Citation Flow. These are not interchangeable with Moz PA, but they serve the same comparative purpose.

How to increase Page Authority

1. Earn high-quality external backlinks

The single most impactful lever. Focus on earning links from pages that themselves have strong PA and DA, are topically relevant to your content, and link to you naturally (not through link schemes or paid placements). One link from a high-authority, relevant page outweighs dozens of low-quality directory links.

2. Build internal links from strong pages

Internal links pass link equity within your own site. Identify pages on your domain with high PA and add contextual links from those pages to the page you want to strengthen. Use descriptive, relevant anchor text and ensure the links appear in the body content — not in sidebars or footers.

3. Remove or disavow harmful links

Toxic backlinks from spammy, irrelevant, or penalized domains can drag down a page’s link-profile quality. Use Moz’s Spam Score tool, Google Search Console, or Semrush’s Backlink Audit to identify harmful links and disavow them.

4. Refresh and improve the page’s content

While PA itself is link-driven, fresh, comprehensive, and well-structured content is more likely to attract and retain backlinks. Regularly update statistics, expand thin sections, add original data or examples, and ensure the page satisfies the search intent of its target keyword better than competing pages.

5. Consolidate similar pages

If multiple pages on your site target nearly identical keywords, their backlinks are split across several URLs. Merging them into a single, authoritative page consolidates all the link equity into one URL, which often measurably increases its PA.

Why Page Authority matters for affiliate program managers, advertisers, and publishers

For affiliate program managers

When evaluating potential affiliate partners, PA offers a quick, data-driven signal of whether a partner’s content pages are likely to rank and drive traffic. A publisher with a blog post at PA 45 is far more likely to send referral traffic than one at PA 8. During partner recruitment, checking PA on key pages helps prioritize outreach to affiliates whose content has genuine ranking potential. It also helps audit existing partners: if a high-performing affiliate’s landing page PA drops significantly, it may signal link loss or content neglect — and an opportunity to offer support.

For advertisers and brands

Advertisers evaluating publishers for sponsored content or paid placements can compare PA across candidate pages. A placement on a page with PA 55 will likely deliver more long-term organic visibility (and residual traffic) than one on PA 15. PA also helps assess the likely shelf life of sponsored content — pages with stronger authority tend to maintain rankings longer. However, PA should never be the sole decision criterion; always also assess content quality, audience alignment, and historical traffic data.

For publishers and content creators

Publishers can use PA to decide which pages to invest in. If a review or comparison page drives significant affiliate revenue but has a low PA relative to competitors, it is a clear candidate for a targeted link-building or internal-linking campaign. Tracking PA over time also provides a leading indicator of whether SEO efforts are gaining traction — a rising PA often precedes ranking improvements. When negotiating rates with advertisers, publishers who can demonstrate strong PA on key pages have a tangible datapoint to support premium pricing.

Limitations of Page Authority

PA is useful, but it has meaningful constraints that anyone relying on it should understand.

• PA is not a Google ranking factor. Google does not use Moz’s PA in its algorithms. PA correlates with ranking potential because strong link profiles tend to rank well, but the correlation is indirect.
• PA is a relative, not absolute, metric. A PA of 50 means different things for different keywords. Always compare against the actual SERP competitors for your query.
• PA is updated infrequently. With a three-to-four-week refresh cycle, PA lags behind real-time link changes. A page that recently earned a major backlink may not reflect it in PA for several weeks.
• PA ignores on-page and technical factors. Content quality, keyword optimization, page speed, mobile usability, and Core Web Vitals are not factored into PA, yet they significantly influence actual rankings.
• PA can be gamed. Aggressive link-building tactics can inflate PA without improving genuine ranking ability. Always interpret PA alongside traffic data, rankings, and content quality.