Page Authority is a score that estimates how likely a specific page is to rank in search results compared with other pages. It is usually shown on a 1 to 100 scale by SEO tools, with higher scores suggesting stronger ranking potential. Page Authority is not a Google metric, so you should use it as a comparative SEO benchmark rather than a direct ranking factor.
Why Page Authority matters
Page Authority helps beginners and in-house teams quickly judge the relative strength of an individual URL. This is useful when you need to decide which pages deserve more link building, content updates, or internal links. It also helps with competitor analysis. If your product page has a much lower Page Authority than the pages currently ranking, that gap may signal the need for stronger backlinks, better topical depth, or improved site architecture.
It also matters because page-level strength can differ from site-level strength. A newer article on a trusted website may still have low Page Authority if it has not earned links or internal support yet. Looking at the page instead of only the domain gives you a more realistic view of ranking difficulty.
How to use Page Authority in SEO
Use Page Authority to compare similar pages, not unrelated content. For example, compare your pricing page against competitor pricing pages, or your blog post against other blog posts targeting the same keyword. This makes the score more actionable.
Practical uses
Check whether an important page is underpowered. If it has lower Page Authority than other pages on your site, add internal links from relevant high-value pages. If it is lower than competing pages, consider earning backlinks through digital PR, partnerships, or useful content assets that naturally attract citations.
What not to do
Do not treat Page Authority as a goal by itself. A page with a lower score can still outrank stronger pages if it better matches search intent, offers clearer information, or has better on-page SEO. Use the score alongside keyword targeting, content quality, technical SEO, and conversions.
Example: improving a low-authority page
Imagine your software comparison page has a Page Authority of 18, while the top-ranking competitor pages are between 32 and 40. A practical response would be to improve the page with clearer feature comparisons, add internal links from your blog posts and solution pages, and promote the page in outreach campaigns to earn relevant backlinks. Over time, if the page gains stronger signals and better engagement, its Page Authority may rise, making it more competitive for valuable search terms.
For SEO beginners, the simplest takeaway is this: Page Authority is a page-level strength estimate that helps you prioritize SEO work. It is best used for comparison, planning, and spotting pages that need more support.