When it comes to digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) there are just so many different elements to remember.
The problem?
Sometimes it becomes easy to think you’ve covered all your bases on what an optimized page needs, only to find out later that you missed something crucial.
Other times, you might not even know that a specific aspect of your page even mattered.
That’s where Page Authority (PA) comes in.
This unique system makes it easier to determine where there are issues with your SEO and what you need to do to fix them.
Keep reading to learn about what this ranking system includes, why it is helpful to marketers, and how you can check your own website’s score.
What is the Page Authority?
Page Authority is a website scoring system developed by Moz, an industry leader in all things digital marketing analytics.
By looking at a specific Page’s Authority score, you can tell the probability of it ranking high in the SERPs.
The higher the PA score, the better chance you have of it ending up on the first page of Google.
Many marketers use Page Authority as a checklist to determine any areas that need changing or updating on a specific page.
Domain Authority vs. Page Authority
It is important to note that there’s a big difference between Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority.
DA takes into account the authority of the entire website, whereas PA just scores the single page itself.
The good news?
The more pages you have with a high PA score, the better your domain score will improve.
This is why a lot of people place a high emphasis on improving Page Authority versus focusing on an overall Domain Authority rank — by making small changes on each page, the collective website becomes more powerful in terms of SEO.
How is Page Authority Calculated?
When it comes to calculating a Page Authority score, Moz utilizes over forty different ranking factors.
These elements include things like the number of quality backlinks pointing to the page and the overall quality of content.
Other things like keyword density, traffic, and user behavior are also considered.
Using a specific algorithm, a Page Authority score is generated using a 100-point system.
Any pages that achieve a 90% or higher are deemed A+ level in terms of PA.
Likewise, a low Page Authority score would signify the need for additional SEO work, both in on-page areas like content quality and off-page aspects such as link building.
Why Does Page Authority Matter for SEO?
Some digital marketing experts claim that PA doesn’t matter.
The truth?
It is something that should be used in conjunction with other elements to ensure your website is optimized in the right manner.
Since the MozBar tool takes into account varying components on your website, it can be a good way to determine if there are areas in which you need to pay more attention to in terms of SEO.
It is also super helpful for creating a snapshot of where a specific page is really at currently and where you can take it with a little additional work.
For example, a low PA score now that boosts to a high one in the future is a good way to show growth, change, and improvement over a specific period of time.
So, does Page Authority matter for SEO? Yes and no.
Page Authority can give you a glimpse into whether your optimization efforts are working, but alone it does not affect how well you rank.
(In fact, Google doesn’t even look at PA.)
How to Build and Boost Page Authority
Now that we’ve discussed what Page Authority is and why it matters, let’s go over how you can build and boost it.
Here are a few areas to pay special attention to:
1. Get More Backlinks
One of the simplest ways to improve your Page Authority score is to get more backlinks from reputable websites.
Read that last part again… reputable websites.
That means signing up for any link exchange might not be the answer if their page rank is exceptionally low.
In fact, doing this could actually harm your optimization altogether.
Instead, seek out those within your niche or within a closely related industry that have a high PA or DA. Then approach them about working together for a link exchange.
This will get easier as your PA rises and your return link to their content creates a backlink that improves their optimization, too.
It’s a very reciprocal thing that works for both sides as you optimize together.
2. Create Tons of Quality Content
Good content almost always breeds additional traffic and natural backlinks.
After all, if you’re providing informative and engaging posts, videos, and other media, then there’s a good chance other websites will naturally want to link to it and share with others.
Learning to consistently post well-written or professional content takes a bit of practice, but it isn’t impossible.
In addition, posting on a regular basis is better for search engine optimization in multiple ways, too.
First, Google tends to prefer new posts. Second, the additional content provides more opportunities to rank for different keywords.
If necessary, create an editorial calendar that outlines dates and topics that you want to create content for on your website.
3. Check Out Your Competition
One of the coolest parts about Moz is that it allows you to check out the PA and DA of any website.
That means you can easily scope out the competition to find out where they’re outperforming you.
By using this information, you can craft your own strategies to boost your PA and create content that is better than what they offer.
4. Update Older Content with a Low Page Authority
If you’re looking to boost your overall Domain Authority, it is a good idea to go back through each page and check for those that have a low Page Authority score.
Update content, add new keywords, include backlinks, and generally refresh the information to today’s standards.
You can even opt to extend shorter posts to something longer form or add an accompanying video or other interactive content element.
This is a great task to take on when you have a gap in your editorial calendar, but still need something to share with your audience.
5. Share Your Content on Other Channels
Remember, a reputable backlink can come from virtually anywhere. And that includes social media channels.
Make sure you’re sharing all new blog posts or articles on your favorite platforms.
Each time someone shares the post or adds their own, it counts towards your backlink count.
Over time, this can greatly increase your overall DA and PA scores, making it easier for individual pages and your website as a whole to show up in the SERPs.
6. Avoid Black Hat SEO Techniques
Finally, do everything you can to avoid so-called black hat SEO techniques.
These often never work out the way you want them to and often spell trouble for your overall position in the SERPs.
Worst of all, they can actually get your page blacklisted from Google.
This process means your visitors will see a warning before they access your website, which is often enough to scare them off entirely.
So, always make sure you’re following the best SEO practices and handling things like backlinking in a manner that isn’t spammy or shady.
Wrap Up: Page Authority and Search Engine Optimization
While it might not seem all that important, checking your Page Authority score is a good way to see where your website is currently at and how much of a chance it has in ranking high in the SERPs.
By taking your score into account, you can make changes on individual pages, which will ultimately improve your overall Domain Authority.
Not sure how well your current website content ranks?
Try our Content Maturity Assessment now to learn where you stand!
