What Is Page Authority?

Page authority (PA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how well a single page is likely to rank in search results. It runs on a scale of 1 to 100 — higher means stronger predicted ranking ability. The most important thing to know up front: like domain authority, page authority is a third-party Moz metric, not a Google ranking factor. It’s a useful comparative gauge, not something Google measures or uses.

Here’s what page authority means, how it differs from domain authority, and how to use it sensibly.

What page authority measures

Page authority estimates the ranking strength of one specific URL, based largely on its link profile — the quantity and quality of links pointing to that page. Moz calculates it using its own model, so it’s a prediction of ranking potential, not a guarantee or an actual Google signal. A page with many quality backlinks will generally show a higher PA than a brand-new page with none.

Page authority vs. domain authority

These two Moz metrics are often confused, but the distinction is simple:

• Domain authority (DA) — predicts how well an entire domain is likely to rank. A whole-site score.
• Page authority (PA) — predicts how well a single page is likely to rank. A per-page score.

So DA is the site-level view and PA is the page-level view. A strong site (high DA) can still have individual new pages with low PA, and a weaker site can have one standout page with relatively high PA. When evaluating a specific page’s ranking potential, PA is the more relevant of the two.

The critical caveat: PA is not a Google metric

This bears repeating because it’s so widely misunderstood: Google does not use page authority. It’s Moz’s invention, one of several similar third-party scores (other tools have their own equivalents). Google has never confirmed a single “authority score” for pages. So:

• Treat PA as a comparative benchmark, useful for gauging one page against another or tracking change over time.
• Don’t chase a PA number as if raising it directly lifts Google rankings — it doesn’t work that way.
• Different tools give different scores for the same page, because each uses its own model.

Used as a rough directional signal, PA is handy. Mistaken for a Google ranking factor, it misleads.

How to use page authority sensibly

• Compare pages — see which of your (or a competitor’s) pages look strongest by link profile.
• Track trends — watch whether a page’s PA rises as it earns links over time.
• Prioritize link-building targets — identify pages that could use more authority.
• Keep it in perspective — real ranking comes from relevance, quality, and genuine authority, not from a PA figure. The productive move is to earn real backlinks and build genuine E-E-A-T; PA will tend to follow as a symptom of that, not a cause.

Page authority is a useful lens when you understand exactly what it is — and isn’t. (SEO consulting builds real authority, not vanity scores.)

Frequently asked questions

What is page authority in simple terms? Page authority (PA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how well a single page is likely to rank in search results, on a scale of 1 to 100. A higher score suggests stronger predicted ranking ability. Importantly, it’s a third-party Moz metric based largely on a page’s link profile — not a Google ranking factor or something Google measures.

What is the difference between page authority and domain authority? Domain authority predicts how well an entire domain is likely to rank, giving a whole-site score, while page authority predicts how well a single page is likely to rank, giving a per-page score. DA is the site-level view and PA is the page-level view. When evaluating a specific page’s ranking potential, page authority is the more relevant metric.

Is page authority a Google ranking factor? No. Page authority is a metric created by Moz, not Google. Google does not use page authority and has never confirmed a single authority score for pages. PA is a useful third-party benchmark for comparing pages or tracking change over time, but it should never be mistaken for something Google directly measures or uses to rank pages.

What is a good page authority score? There’s no universal “good” number, because page authority is best used comparatively rather than as an absolute target. It’s more useful to compare a page against competitors for the same keyword or to track whether a page’s PA rises over time as it earns links. Since it’s not a Google metric, chasing a specific PA number doesn’t directly improve rankings.

How do I increase page authority? Page authority largely reflects a page’s link profile, so earning quality, relevant backlinks to that page tends to raise it. But the productive goal is real ranking improvement, which comes from relevance, content quality, and genuine authority — with a higher PA following as a symptom rather than a cause. Focus on earning legitimate links and building genuine authority, not the score itself.

Why do different tools show different page authority scores? Because page authority is Moz’s proprietary metric, and other SEO tools have their own equivalent scores calculated with different models and data. As a result, the same page can show different authority scores across tools. This is why any such score should be treated as a directional, comparative signal rather than an exact or universal measure of a page’s ranking ability.

Should I focus on page authority or domain authority? It depends on what you’re evaluating. Use page authority when assessing a specific page’s ranking potential, and domain authority when gauging overall site strength. But keep both in perspective: they’re third-party predictions, not Google factors. Real ranking success comes from relevant, high-quality content and genuine authority, so treat both scores as rough benchmarks rather than goals in themselves.

Written by Bryan Collins, SEO & AEO strategist. Want real authority, not vanity metrics? See working with an SEO consultant or run a free audit.