Glossary
What is Page Authority (PA)?
Page Authority (PA) is Moz's 1 to 100 score predicting how well a single page will rank, where Domain Authority scores the whole site. Like DA, it's a machine-learning model built mainly on link data from Moz's index. It's Moz's counterpart to Ahrefs' URL Rating.
PA vs DA vs UR
| Metric | Tool | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Page Authority | Moz | Page |
| Domain Authority | Moz | Site |
| URL Rating | Ahrefs | Page |
| Domain Rating | Ahrefs | Site |
Each tool crawls a different slice of the web and uses its own formula, so mixing numbers across tools misleads. Pick one tool for comparisons.
How to use it
When judging a possible backlink, look at the strength of the page that would link to you, not just the site. A guest post on a strong blog will usually sit on a brand-new page with low PA; it gains strength only if the post earns links or the site links to it prominently. Pages that already have PA, like a well-linked resource page, pass more from day one.
Example
A founder compares two opportunities: a mention in an existing resource page with PA 41, or a new guest post on the same site, which starts near PA 1. She asks for the resource page mention first.
FAQ
Does Google use Page Authority?
No. It's Moz's predictive metric.
Why is PA different from UR?
Different link indexes and formulas from different companies.
Can a page have high PA on a low-DA site?
Yes, if that page has earned many links of its own.