Page Authority (PA) is a logarithmic score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a specific webpage is to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs), on a scale of 1 to 100. Unlike Domain Authority (DA) which evaluates an entire domain, Page Authority focuses on the ranking strength of an individual URL — making it useful for comparing specific pages, evaluating the SEO strength of content assets, and identifying which pages have accumulated the most link equity. Page Authority is calculated using a machine learning model trained on thousands of actual search results, incorporating dozens of signals — primarily the quantity and quality of external links pointing to that specific page, the internal link equity flowing to it from the rest of the site, and the domain-level authority of the hosting domain. The logarithmic scale means improvement becomes progressively harder: moving from PA 20 to PA 30 is far easier than moving from PA 70 to PA 80. Page Authority is a proprietary Moz metric and closely mirrors Ahrefs' URL Rating (UR) and Semrush's Page Score, though exact values differ due to differing link indexes and algorithms. From an ROI perspective, PA is used to evaluate the potential revenue impact of link building campaigns targeting specific pages, to identify high-PA pages that could be internally linked to boost lower-PA pages, to benchmark content performance against competitors, and to estimate the ranking potential of newly created pages. The PA of a page correlates with its ranking position, though Google uses hundreds of additional signals not captured by PA. A page with PA 40 competing against pages with PA 50 to 60 will typically struggle to reach page 1, suggesting either additional link building is needed or keyword targeting should shift to lower-competition terms. Calculating the ROI of PA improvement requires estimating the traffic and revenue impact of moving from one ranking position to another for target keywords.
Page Authority (Score 1-100) = f(External Links × Link Quality × Internal Link Equity × Domain Authority)
- 1Gather the required input values: Moz Page Authority, Number and quality, Volume and PA, The DA.
- 2Apply the core formula: Page Authority (Score 1-100) = f(External Links × Link Quality × Internal Link Equity × Domain Authority).
- 3Compute intermediate values such as Link Equity Flow if applicable.
- 4Verify that all units are consistent before combining terms.
- 5Calculate the final result and review it for reasonableness.
- 6Check whether any special cases or boundary conditions apply to your inputs.
- 7Interpret the result in context and compare with reference values if available.
Applying the Page Authority Calc formula with these inputs yields: PA improvement from 22 to 34 could unlock $25,920/yr revenue. Link building cost $3,000 = 764% ROI.. This demonstrates a typical page authority scenario where the calculator transforms raw parameters into a meaningful quantitative result for decision-making.
Applying the Page Authority Calc formula with these inputs yields: $7,560/yr incremental revenue from internal linking alone — zero cost beyond audit time.. This demonstrates a typical page authority scenario where the calculator transforms raw parameters into a meaningful quantitative result for decision-making.
Applying the Page Authority Calc formula with these inputs yields: PA gap analysis prevents wasted effort on unwinnable keywords. Redirect to achievable ranking targets.. This demonstrates a typical page authority scenario where the calculator transforms raw parameters into a meaningful quantitative result for decision-making.
Applying the Page Authority Calc formula with these inputs yields: $4,320/yr incremental revenue from single link. $500 cost = 764% ROI. Positive acquisition decision.. This demonstrates a typical page authority scenario where the calculator transforms raw parameters into a meaningful quantitative result for decision-making.
Identifying which pages to prioritize for link building campaigns, representing an important application area for the Page Authority Calc in professional and analytical contexts where accurate page authority calculations directly support informed decision-making, strategic planning, and performance optimization
Evaluating the potential traffic value of acquiring links from specific publishers, representing an important application area for the Page Authority Calc in professional and analytical contexts where accurate page authority calculations directly support informed decision-making, strategic planning, and performance optimization
Diagnosing why certain pages are not ranking despite good content, representing an important application area for the Page Authority Calc in professional and analytical contexts where accurate page authority calculations directly support informed decision-making, strategic planning, and performance optimization
Benchmarking page-level authority against competitors in SERP analysis, representing an important application area for the Page Authority Calc in professional and analytical contexts where accurate page authority calculations directly support informed decision-making, strategic planning, and performance optimization
Measuring internal linking effectiveness on page authority over time, representing an important application area for the Page Authority Calc in professional and analytical contexts where accurate page authority calculations directly support informed decision-making, strategic planning, and performance optimization
Newly published pages: start with very low PA regardless of DA — requires link building specifically to that URL.
In the Page Authority Calc, this scenario requires additional caution when interpreting page authority results. The standard formula may not fully account for all factors present in this edge case, and supplementary analysis or expert consultation may be warranted. Professional best practice involves documenting assumptions, running sensitivity analyses, and cross-referencing results with alternative methods when page authority calculations fall into non-standard territory.
Redirected pages: PA from old URL transfers partially (estimated 85 to 99%) to new URL via 301 redirect.
In the Page Authority Calc, this scenario requires additional caution when interpreting page authority results. The standard formula may not fully account for all factors present in this edge case, and supplementary analysis or expert consultation may be warranted. Professional best practice involves documenting assumptions, running sensitivity analyses, and cross-referencing results with alternative methods when page authority calculations fall into non-standard territory.
Paginated pages: avoid building links to page 2+ of paginated series; consolidate link equity to page 1 or canonical.
In the Page Authority Calc, this scenario requires additional caution when interpreting page authority results. The standard formula may not fully account for all factors present in this edge case, and supplementary analysis or expert consultation may be warranted. Professional best practice involves documenting assumptions, running sensitivity analyses, and cross-referencing results with alternative methods when page authority calculations fall into non-standard territory.
| PA Range | Interpretation | Typical Link Profile | Competitive Landscape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 10 | Very weak | 0 - 5 backlinks | Easy to outrank |
| 11 - 20 | Weak | 5 - 30 backlinks | Low competition niches |
| 21 - 35 | Moderate | 30 - 200 backlinks | Average competitive |
| 36 - 50 | Good | 200 - 2,000 backlinks | Competitive SERPs |
| 51 - 65 | Strong | 2,000 - 20,000 backlinks | High competition |
| 66 - 80 | Very strong | 20,000+ quality backlinks | Authority sites only |
| 81 - 100 | Exceptional | Millions of backlinks | Wikipedia/BBC level |
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
This is particularly important in the context of page authority calculator calculations, where accuracy directly impacts decision-making. Professionals across multiple industries rely on precise page authority calculator computations to validate assumptions, optimize processes, and ensure compliance with applicable standards. Understanding the underlying methodology helps users interpret results correctly and identify when additional analysis may be warranted.
Pro Tip
Use Moz's free Link Explorer or Ahrefs' free PA checker to audit your top revenue-generating pages. If their PA is significantly below competitors ranking above them, prioritize link building to those specific pages for maximum SEO revenue impact.
Did you know?
Moz introduced Domain Authority and Page Authority in 2004 to solve the problem of measuring link equity. These metrics have since become the de facto standard for the SEO industry — used by millions of marketers worldwide despite being third-party, non-Google metrics.
References
- ›Moz — Page Authority Definition and Methodology
- ›Moz — Page Authority vs Domain Authority
- ›Ahrefs — URL Rating Documentation
- ›Search Engine Journal — How Page Authority Affects Rankings