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Page Authority

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Page authority is a score, typically ranging from 1 to 100, that predicts how likely a specific individual page is to rank well in search engine results, as opposed to evaluating an entire website at once.

Like domain authority, it was originally developed by Moz as a third-party metric and is not an official ranking factor used by Google or other search engines, though many SEO professionals reference it when comparing how competitive a particular page is likely to be.

While domain authority looks at the overall strength of a website as a whole, page authority zooms in on a single URL, factoring in signals such as the number and quality of backlinks pointing directly to that page, the internal links pointing to it from elsewhere on the same site, and the page’s own on-page optimization.

This means two pages on the same website can carry very different page authority scores depending on how well linked and how well optimized each one is individually, even though they share the same underlying domain authority.

Example

A large ecommerce site has an overall domain authority of 55, but within that same site, a heavily linked buying guide has a page authority of 48 while a newly published, thinly linked product page sits at only 12. A competitor trying to outrank the product page would have an easier time doing so than trying to outrank the buying guide, even though both pages belong to the same domain.

Key characteristics

Measures a single page: Page authority evaluates one specific URL rather than a website as a whole.
Distinct from domain authority: A page can have a low page authority even on a site with strong domain authority, and vice versa.
Driven by page level links: Both backlinks and internal links pointing directly to a page influence its page authority score.
Comparative metric: Like domain authority, page authority is most useful when comparing competing pages rather than judging a single score in isolation.
Changes independently: A single page’s authority can rise or fall based on its own link activity, separate from shifts happening elsewhere on the site.

Related terms

Domain authority — a related score that measures an entire website’s strength, as opposed to page authority, which focuses on one page.
Backlink — a link from an external site, one of the main factors that raises a specific page’s page authority.
Internal link — a link from elsewhere on the same site, which also contributes to a page’s page authority score.

Frequently asked questions

How is page authority different from domain authority?

Domain authority evaluates the overall strength of an entire website, while page authority evaluates the ranking potential of one specific page, which means the two scores can differ significantly even on the same site.

Can a page have a high page authority on a site with low domain authority?

Yes, an individual page can accumulate strong backlinks and internal links on its own, giving it a page authority score higher than what the site overall domain authority might suggest.

Does internal linking affect page authority?

Yes, pages that receive more internal links from other pages on the same site generally develop a higher page authority than similar pages that receive few or no internal links.

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FAQ

How is page authority calculated?

Page authority is calculated using a proprietary algorithm that weighs the number and quality of backlinks and internal links pointing to a specific URL, along with a handful of other on-page signals. A page receiving links from 20 or more relevant, authoritative sources typically scores higher than a similar page with only 1 or 2 low quality links. Because the formula is proprietary and updated periodically, a page score can shift by a few points even without any direct changes to its own link profile. This is why page authority works best as a relative comparison rather than a fixed target number.

Can page authority change without any new backlinks?

Yes, page authority can shift even without new backlinks, since it is also affected by changes to internal linking, updates to the scoring algorithm, or shifts in the authority of the pages already linking to it. If a page that links to a target page loses its own authority, that change can ripple down and lower the target page score slightly. Removing 5 or more internal links pointing to a page can also cause a measurable drop over time. This is one reason page authority should be checked periodically rather than assumed to stay fixed.

Should every page on a site aim for the same page authority?

No, different pages serve different purposes, so expecting every page on a site to reach the same page authority is unrealistic and usually unnecessary. A homepage or a heavily promoted guide might reasonably target a page authority in the 40 to 60 range, while a supporting product page might only need a score of 10 to 20 to compete in its specific niche. Setting uniform targets across dozens or hundreds of pages usually wastes effort on pages that do not need heavy link investment. Prioritizing the handful of pages that drive the most traffic or revenue tends to be a better use of resources.

Is page authority a ranking factor Google uses?

No, page authority is a third-party metric and is not used directly by Google when determining search rankings, similar to how domain authority is not an official Google ranking factor either. It does, however, correlate reasonably well with ranking performance, since both are heavily influenced by backlinks and link quality. SEO professionals commonly use page authority as a quick way to gauge how competitive it might be to rank a specific page against 5 or 10 competing pages. Relying on it as a directional signal rather than a guaranteed predictor tends to produce more realistic expectations.

How can a business improve a specific page authority?

Improving a specific page authority usually starts with earning additional backlinks from relevant, reputable sites, since external links carry significant weight in the calculation. Adding internal links from 5 to 10 relevant pages elsewhere on the same site can also meaningfully raise a page score over time. Updating and expanding the page own content to make it more link worthy, such as adding original data or a useful tool, tends to attract natural backlinks as well. Consistent effort across several months generally produces more reliable page authority gains than a single short term push.